Watching the news lately, I feel torn. While on the one hand I’m truly saddened by the shocking number of the layoffs and business closings, I also see hope in the meltdown. Take the story of Starbucks, for instance. The company just announced they will be closing 300 stores and cutting 6,000 jobs. I certainly feel… Read More »
Members of the mortgage industry are doing their best (or worst!) to stop a bankruptcy bill that could save millions of homes from foreclosure, but I’m optimistic that the odds are stacked against them. All it takes is a look at the statistics to see how badly we need this new bill. Data released in November shows housing prices… Read More »
Despite the fact that it’s cold as heck outside—and winter (depressingly) won’t end for another two months—I’m doing some spring cleaning this weekend. Not traditional housework, mind you, but a sort of purging of my financial files in preparation for tax season. Normally I’m a major procrastinator, but not when there’s money on the line…. Read More »
I’ve been talking a lot about Chapter 13 lately, and for good reason. That’s why I want to make clear what the new bankruptcy laws mean for you (and me, and our neighbors, friends, co-workers—and basically every average Joe across the U.S.). When passed, anyone with an unaffordable mortgage will have a good shot at… Read More »
Newly-inaugurated President Barack Obama didn’t mince words when he took office today. Among the challenges he pointed out was our “badly weakened” economy, what he called the “consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.” In… Read More »