The Latest Debt & Finance Blog

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Mortgage Debt Relief Act Set to Expire

By Bill Fay | August 20, 2012

Homeowners confronting the challenges of foreclosure or the short sale of their homes may soon be facing yet another hardship — income tax on money they will never see. For…

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IRS Relaxes Rules for Tax Debt Settlement

By Bill Fay | August 17, 2012

In response to overwhelming household debt and tax liabilities, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced it intends to aid struggling Americans by possibly reducing their tax debt. In May…

Bank fees

Bank Fees Go Up Again; Credit Unions Remain Steady

By Bill Fay | August 16, 2012

American consumers can’t seem to catch a break. It seems every time we look around, prices are going up. Bank fees are no different. MoneyRates.com recently found that banking costs…

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Pilot Programs Allow Homeowners to Avoid Foreclosure, Rent Their Houses

By Bill Fay | August 15, 2012

As the American housing market continues to struggle, several banks are making an effort to lessen the financial burden on distressed homeowners. Citigroup is implementing a pilot program this month,…

Homeownership Out of Reach

Buying a Home Remains Out of Reach for Many

By Bill Fay | August 14, 2012

While America’s demand for mortgages has gone up this summer, the banks still haven’t budged much on their tightened lending standards, CNN recently reported. The Federal Reserve recently announced that…

Unemployment Rises

Unemployment Rate Increases Despite Job Creation

By Bill Fay | August 13, 2012

Economists are increasingly optimistic this month as more than 163,000 new jobs were added to the American market in July, the highest figure in the past five months. This number…

arianna huffington post liberal consumer debt

Some Liberal Theories about Why America Has So Much Consumer Debt

By Katherine Pilnick | August 12, 2012

There’s no denying that a nationwide consumer debt crisis continues to wreak havoc on middle- and lower-class households. But those on opposing sides of the political spectrum disagree about how…

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Senior Citizens Strapped with Stifling Debt

By Bill Fay | August 10, 2012

Over the past few years, millions of older Americans have found themselves in a much more challenging financial position than they ever imagined. The American Dream, which once included a…

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Some Conservative Theories on Why America Has So Much Consumer Debt

By Katherine Pilnick | August 10, 2012

Conservatives and liberals agree that high levels of national consumer debt continue to deter financial freedom and stifle the economy as a whole. But those with opposing political views disagree…

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Payroll Tax Cut Set to Expire at the End of 2012

By Bill Fay | August 8, 2012

Millions of Americans may be taking home a few less dollars next year, as a major tax cut may soon disappear. The payroll tax break, first enacted in 2010 by…

Sources:

  1. Lindahl, K. (2012, August 10). 2007 Mortgage Debt Relief Act Extension Saves Homeowners 1,000’s Of Dollars. [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007-Mortgage-Debt-Relief/Kris-Lindahl/prweb9787670.htm
  2. Glink, I. (2012, June 28). New taxes on forgiven mortgage debt to hit owners. CBS MoneyWatch. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57451831/new-taxes-on-forgiven-mortgage-debt-to-hit-owners/
  3. Ten Facts for Mortgage Debt Forgiveness. (2011, March 3). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/
  4. To Be or Not to Be: The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act Extension Beyond December 12, 2012. (2012, June 11). Peak Your Brain. Retrieved from http://peakyourbrain.blogspot.com/2012/06/to-be-or-not-to-be-mortgage-forgiveness.html