What is LIBOR and Why Does It Matter?

In recent posts we’ve been talking about the ongoing lawsuits involving several leading banks and charges that they rigged LIBOR rates, with implications not just for international investing, but also for mortgage rates at home. But the well-publicized US District...

Another Round for the LIBOR Lawsuits

Score one for the big banks. Since the housing collapse, major US lenders have been under fire for a variety of fraudulent practices committed against mortgage holders, investing partners and event he federal government. With new settlements, legislation and lawsuits...

Foreclosed Homes: The Next Zombie Apocalypse?

Everyone knows about the shadow inventory of foreclosed houses. But how about the zombie inventory? That’s the term coined by a January 2013 Reuters report on homes abandoned by their owners after receiving a notice of foreclosure from their bank. But here’s the...

The Big Banks: More Mortgage Malfeasance?

The big players in the post- meltdown mortgage fraud scandal continue to behave badly in spite of settlements, suite and legislation. And as legal actions set in motion years ago work their ay through the courts, the nation’s large mortgage lenders continue to fight...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: New Directions

They’re such a part pf the housing industry landscape that everyone knows their nicknames better than the official titles they stand for: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Combined owners of over half the mortgages in the US, the Federal National Mortgage Association and...