New Jersey bankruptcy Article The $25 billion foreclosure settlement unveiled Thursday is expected to help many borrowers who are struggling to make their loan payments, owe more than their homes are worth or have lost their homes to foreclosure. But the rules of the deal are complicated and banks have three years to meet their […]
Forgive Us Our Debts as We Forgive Our Debtors
New Jersey bankruptcy Article Bankruptcy and the Bible Dalton Camp proclaimed several years ago that, “having lost its value, money may no longer be the root of all evil; credit having taken its place.” This statement demonstrates the paradox of modern day religion and debt—should our reaction be one of condemnation or one of compassion. […]
Helping Homeowners Dig Out
New Jersey bankruptcy Article By VICKIE ELMER Published: December 15, 2011 WITH interest rates at historic lows, the expansion of a federal refinancing program could help more homeowners who owe more than their property is worth move out of higher-rate or adjustable loans into something more affordable and stable. The biggest change to the plan, […]
How a Financial Pro Lost His House
New Jersey bankruptcy Article Article printed in the New York Times, November 8, 20011 By CARL RICHARDS ONE night a few years ago, when the value of our home had collapsed, our debt was out of control and my financial planning business was shaky, I went to take out the trash. There was this enormous […]
Knowing When to Refinance
New Jersey bankruptcy Article The New York Times By VICKIE ELMER Published: October 20, 2011 REFINANCINGS made up 79 percent of all 2011 mortgage applications as of early October, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, about the same level as last year but well above the 54 percent average of the last decade. Many of […]
Identity Theft Site Aims to Sort Through Hype
New Jersey bankruptcy Article The New York Times ANN CARRNS Published: October 5, 2011 Identity theft is an anxiety-provoking topic, and one that seems to spawn a lot of hype and misinformation. To help both consumers and businesses sort out fact from fiction, the Consumer Federation of America has opened a new Web site, idtheftinfo.org. […]
For homeowners in trouble, a tough decision to make
New Jersey bankruptcy Article September 27, 2011 By Michelle Singletary The time is limited for homeowners who want to ensure they aren’t hit with a big tax bill because they had to walk away from a mortgage obligation. At the height of the housing crisis, when foreclosures across the country began a troubling increase, Congress […]
Seven New Rules For the First-Time Homebuyer
New Jersey bankruptcy Article The New York Times By RON LIEBER Published: September 11, 2009 Too many people bought too much house for too many years. Yes, the financial system almost collapsed because mortgage bankers and brokers told lies about loan terms and loosened standards in dangerous ways, and investment bankers packaged those loans into […]
How to Dispute Credit Report Errors
New Jersey bankruptcy Article May 17, 2011, 3:45 pm By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD Credit reports have increasingly become consumers’ passport to the financial world. Whether you want to rent an apartment, get car insurance or apply for a credit card, the data in your credit report will be one of the crucial measures used to […]
A Red Flag on Reverse Mortgages
New Jersey bankruptcy Article The New York Times By RON LIEBER March 11, 2011 It is the saddest of paradoxes: a government-backed financial maneuver intended to free up extra money for struggling older people turns out to have left some widows and widowers on the brink of foreclosure. This week, AARP sued the Housing and […]
