News

2010

October

20

• U.S. probes if banks broke federal laws during foreclosures. Federal investigators are exploring whether banks and other financial firms broke U.S. law when using fraudulent court documents to foreclose on people's homes, according to sources familiar with the effort. The criminal investigation, still

19

• Health care law fact check. The debate that preceded passage of the health-care overhaul has returned as a heated issue in the midterm elections. Politicians and advocacy groups seeking repeal of the law are making dramatic claims about its cost

16

• Living together? Time to legally protect your interests. Living together outside of marriage, once associated primarily with Hollywood celebrities and libertines, has become so common that if you tell your parents you're moving in with your significant other, they'll probably roll their eyes

• Avoid foreclosure market until dust settles. Are you out of your mind to even consider buying a foreclosed property right now? Todd Phelps and Paul Whitehead didn’t think they were last month when they were the winning bidders in a

14

• Insurance giant accused of misrepresenting cancellation practices. Los Angeles city prosecutors Wednesday accused the parent company of insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross of California of falsely stating that it had changed its procedures for canceling the policies of patients after they become

11

• Five unnecessary bank and credit card fees. Avoiding overdraft and over limit fees by refusing to opt-in to the new "protection" plans banks are hawking is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sparing yourself from dubious fees for

10

• What to expect this open-enrollment season. Many workers during open enrollment usually stick with whatever medical plan they had the year before, but health care reform may change that. About two-thirds of consumers recently polled by insurance giant UnitedHealthcare said they

09

• After foreclosure, a focus on title insurance. When home buyers and people refinancing their mortgages first see the itemized estimate for all the closing costs and fees, the largest number is often for title insurance. This moment is often profoundly irritating, mysterious

07

• Foreclosure fraud? Ohio vs. GMAC may have ripple effect. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit against GMAC Mortgage and its parent, Ally Financial, alleging they used fraudulent affidavits and documents to mislead courts in hundreds of home foreclosures in the

• Waivers address talk of dropping health coverage. As Obama administration officials put into place the first major wave of changes under the health care legislation, they have tried to defuse stiffening resistance — from companies like McDonald’s and some insurers — by granting

• Foreclosure controversy: problems deeper than flawed paperwork. Millions of U.S. mortgages have been shuttled around the global financial system - sold and resold by firms - without the documents that traditionally prove who legally owns the loans. Now, as many of

05

• Phone insurance doesn't pay for most users. If you've bought a cellphone recently, your head is probably still swimming. There is a seemingly endless array of new phones with an equally endless array of options. Between applications and rate plans, accessories and

• Revisiting foreclosures aids homeowners but clogs market. On Florida's west coast, where the housing bust has flooded courts with foreclosure filings, the chief judge of the 6th Judicial Circuit has little sympathy for lenders who have routinely submitted flawed and possibly fraudulent

04

• Title insurer stops writing policies for some foreclosures. Old Republic National Title Insurance, among the nation's largest title insurance companies, will no longer write new policies for homes foreclosed upon by J.P. Morgan Chase and Ally Financial's GMAC Mortgage unit –– a sign

03

• Be wary of help with minimum payments. Some credit card issuers offer payment protection programs that promise to cover or suspend monthly minimum payments if you fall on hard times. Such offers might be tempting in today's economy, where job insecurity remains

September

30

• Chase to freeze foreclosures over flawed paperwork. J.P.Morgan Chase, one of the nation's leading banks, announced Wednesday that it will freeze foreclosures in about half the country because of flawed paperwork, a move that Wall Street analysts said will pressure

28

• Health care reform starting to help consumers. If you've lost your job or decided to go into business for yourself, you're probably well aware of the difference between group and individual insurance plans. Unlike employer-provided group plans, individual plans can turn away

26

• New healthcare law: know your options. New healthcare rules that went into effect last week offer both opportunities and risks for consumers. With open-enrollment season looming, it may be time to take a close look at how the first phase of

23

• Big changes to your health insurance. September 23 marks the six-month anniversary of health reform. It's also the date when several key insurance changes come into effect. Here's what you need to know about how your insurance is affected. Coverage expansion for

21

• FHA modifies loan standards. Recent changes on FHA loans and how they will affect borrowers and sellers: Upfront insurance premium What is it? A fee the Federal Housing Administration collects from borrowers that can be paid in cash at