When analyzed against a range of economic measures including Growth Domestic Product, there is little argument that the United States is a top country in the world. By comparison, smaller nations such as Europe’s Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain have much less financial strength.
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Continue Reading... →New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is warning state homeowners to beware of phone solicitations from scammers claiming to provide assistance related to the recent national mortgage servicing settlement.
The AG received reports that there are scammers impersonating [...]
Continue Reading... →Virtually every market traded lower yesterday following the Federal Reserve release of the March 13th Minutes. Bonds lead the way with the 10yr US Treasury jumping to over 2.30%, and the Mortgage Backed Security (MBS) yields losing over 70bps yesterday “minutes after the [...]
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Ben Bernanke gave a speech in front of students from George Washington University’s School of Business as part of a four-part lecture series explaining the role of the Federal Reserve in the financial crisis.
This lecture focused on central banking and [...]
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Did the global financial crisis undermine people’s faith in money? What is money, why do we trust it and has it become too confusing?
We dream about it, argue about it, worry about it, celebrate it, spend it, save it – but what exactly is money and why do [...]
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Michael Perry, former CEO and Chairman of IndyMac Bank, is taking to his personal website to defend himself after being hit with lawsuits from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation, and an unknown but likely large number of private civil cases.
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August Core CPI (Consumer Price Index) rises to 2.0%. This increase represents the upper-end of the Fed’s threshold. The Consumer Price Index measures changes in the price level of consumer goods and services and provides a hugely important read on consumer inflation. Inflationary signs, as [...]
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Home Prices Rise in 19 Out of 20 Cities
This map displays the results of the Case-Shiller home price index for June 2011. Nineteen of the 20 cities in the index saw home price increases, with Portland remaining flat. Overall the 20 cities [...]
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Today’s Initial Jobless Claims report showed an increase in the number of new unemployment claims last week.
As a result, the report came in worse than expected and above the key 400,000 line. Overall, this leading indicator on the labor market [...]
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Mortgage Bonds continue to trade in a volatile fashion, mirroring the volatile news headlines out of Washington. Mortgage Bonds are getting a boost higher on news that a Debt Ceiling contingency plan is being brought forth by the Treasury Department.
Their plan would ensure present holders [...]
Continue Reading... →The CME Group said it will raise margin requirements on U.S. Treasury futures staring after the end of business Monday July 25, 2011. This is as a result of the increased volatility in the Treasuries market, and presumably the notion that the instability will only [...]
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Good article by The Wall Street Journal on how far the pendulum has swung the other way in the mortgage industry from where it was. The WSJ makes fair points about how banks and underwriting guidelines have gotten so restrictive over the past few [...]
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Below is a survey conducted by Fannie Mae for feedback on the Housing market.
The highlights below show a consumer sentiment about the housing market compared to last year.
More people think house prices will go down
More people think now is not a [...]
How would a government shutdown affect the mortgage business and our closings?
In the wake of news stories that the US will face a government shutdown and default on its outstanding loans if a debt ceiling agreement isn’t reached, Approved Funding presents the different [...]
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Councilman David G. Greenfield is encouraging homeowners who are struggling to stay in their homes to take advantage of a unique opportunity to receive mortgage assistance. The Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (“EHLP”), offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will provide mortgage payment [...]
Continue Reading... →The chart below by top U.S. housing data company’s shows us just how discounted the real estate and housing numbers are.
Continue Reading... →Popular Posts
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CME increases margin requirements on US Treasury futures - How to Calculate Total Monthly Mortgage Payments
