The New Year is just around the corner, and so are new provisions of the sweeping Dodd Frank Act. And while those new rules are designed to protect borrowers – and in some ways, lenders too – the changes coming in 2014 may make it tougher for those hoping to qualify...
What holds the data on your credit or debit card? If you’re a US cardholder, most likely it’s a magnetic strip. But as Target’s massive Black Friday data hack points up, that technology, which is largely obsolete in many parts of the world, is what puts US consumers...
Even if you aren’t a Target shopper, the company’s recent card account hack affects you. As the giant retailer deals with the fallout from a major data breach that stole card data from 40 million accounts in its system, consumer advocates are warning that the Target...
With the Bitcoin making world headlines, can other digital currencies be far behind? As the Bitcoin gains strength as a legitimate exchange for real goods all over the world, other kinds of digital monies are popping up too. And the creators of these specialized...
After months of waffling about the fate of its massive bond buying stimulus plan, the Federal Reserve has taken the financial world by surprise with its just-released announcement that it will begin “modestly” tapering the plan down in January 2014. While the news...
Need more proof that the world is watching the Bitocoin? Just consider Bitcoinvention 2014,a global get-together to inform, educate and promote the digital currency that’s changing the way the world thinks about money. And this first Bitcoin convention is being held...
As the Bitcoin continues to surge onto the world stage, with a new push to bring big-time Bitcoin trading to Asian markets, established financial institutions and government bodies around the globe are targeting the upstart digital currency with warnings and bans....
It may not be sparkly and shiny and sit under the tree. But one of the greatest gifts a parent (or anyone) can give this holiday season is one that keeps on giving for a lifetime: financial literacy. Whether a child is five or fifteen, options ranging from the good...
Fannie and Freddie are moving on. The two government owned mortgage lenders are planning to raise loan guarantee fees for 2014 in an effort to scale back their presence in the mortgage market. It’s a move that has considerable implications for the mortgage industry –...
For travelers and vacationers, renting a place for a short-term stay has always been an attractive alternative to staying in a hotel. But another alternative is gaining traction among money-conscious visitors: home swapping, or home exchange; a growing trend that...
