Making Home Affordable… the federal program aimed at aiding struggling homeowners, offers two options: refinancing and loan modification. An otherwise financially stable homeowner who can’t secure a lower rate on a mortgage because property values have fallen could benefit from the refinancing option.
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All posts for the month January, 2011
Knowing who to trust and getting good advice is a challenge for today’s consumer. Home equity loan and refinancing scams can cost you more than money–these scams can cost you your house Read more: http://ow.ly/3mQSo
Hey, Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America customers. This month the bank began implementing a new fee structure. Existing customers were not grandfathered in. Individual and small businesses with multiple accounts can expect to pay up to $50 a month for services. The 21st century has ushered in internet banking. You can make your deposits by taking a picture with your cell phone. It’s happening, it’s easy, more convenient. As banks take turns inventing new fees and hiking existing ones, you may think there’s no escaping your bank’s dirty tricks. But we found 8 with zero ATM fees, free checking and high-yielding accounts. Click here to get the list
“The House of Representatives plans to vote tomorrow on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act — that is, health reform. Below are five of its provisions that are already having an impact. As the list shows, repealing health reform would make it harder for many Americans to get insurance, harder for families and seniors with coverage to afford the care they need, and harder for small businesses to provide insurance for their employees… read more.“
Republicans hope to make 2011 the year that they finally cut Social Security. Washington has been whipped into a frenzy over the deficit, and there are rumors the White House may try to cut a deal with Republicans by offering cuts to Social Security in the State of the Union.
The aim is to get 150,000 signatures saying that any cuts to Social Security have to be completely off the table. We’ll deliver the petition to the White House before Obama’s speech next week. Click here to sign the petition and to write the President a personal note. A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to President Barack Obama.
If you work from home, even on a part-time basis, you can probably save a few dollars come tax time. That’s because if you itemize your deductions on your federal tax return, you can write off as a business expense part of the cost of owning and operating your home. Everything from electric bills to property taxes may be fair game. Those tax deductions can add up, thus lowering your taxable income and reducing the amount you owe Uncle Sam. Before you start spending that refund, however, there are a few rules you need to understand and heed. It’s a good idea to consult a tax adviser to be sure that you’re filing the right schedules and maximizing your deductions. Read more.
An iffy economy and high unemployment rate make a flock of new vehicles priced below $20,000 well timed for their 2011 debuts. They are: The Smart Car, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Flat 500, the Mazda2, Chevolet Sonic, and the Hyundia Elantra and Veoster. Click here to read more.
The list, from Beth Pinsker of Dealnews, features some mouthwatering tech wanna-haves, along with some can’t-live-withouts. From the iPhone to GPS units, laptops to game systems, this list provides price guidance for anyone contemplating such a purchase in 2011. A little patience, it appears, can pay off big-time. Wait long enough and you can get Amazon’s Kindle eReader (now $130) for as low as $99, according to DealNews. And BluRay players, the site says, will be “priced like crockpots” at a bargain basement $39 by the end of the year. Click here to check out 12 Things That Will Cost Less in 2011.
danetteoneal1
Danette O'Neal, PhD 