Low Credit Score, No Mortgage? Maybe Not

Lending standards took a tighter turn this past January, making it harder for many would be homebuyers to get a mortgage – and fueling fears of a slowdown in the recovering housing market. But in spite of those new requirements, some lenders are making their own...

Your Social Security Number: The Key to Your Identity

They began as a simple filing system for claims, but today the nine digits of the Social Security number hold the key to nearly every American’s identity. Children need them to enroll in school. You need them to enter a hospital, apply for a loan, or take out a store...

Can the Dodd Frank Act Crush Banking’s Little Guys?

And then there were . . . none? The nation’s small banks and independent financial institutions seem to be disappearing at a rapid rate. While the demise of these regional and local banks may be nothing more than a blip on the financial industry’s radar, market...

The Fed Tapers Down Another Notch

What a difference $10 billion makes. After announcing in December 2013 that it would taper off its stimulus plan from $85 billion in securities purchases a month to $75 billion, the Federal Reserve has just released plans to cut back by another $10 billion a month...

Bitcoin Exchange CEO’s Arrest: What Next for Digital Money?

The recent arrest of Bitcoin exchange entrepreneur Charlie Shrem is putting the upstart cybercurrency back in the news. It’s a move that has Bitcoin advocates claiming persecution, and providing more evidence for theories that governments and institutions that see the...