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High interest rates are coming but when?

We have heard about inflation over the last year, but when will we see it?  I believe you already have begun seeing it in the 10 Yr. Treasury rate.  This is the same thing Gold and the other commodities have told us.  Unfortunately the bond bullies are telling the US government that they are going to . . . → Read More: High interest rates are coming but when?

Home foreclosures up 7% in July

Home foreclosures rose 7% in July to 360,000 units.  This is the most in the last 12 month period. So much for the housing turn.

As unemployment gets worse these numbers will continue to head higher.  People need jobs to make their . . . → Read More: Home foreclosures up 7% in July

Should you buy a house

After what has gone on over the last 3 years with no money down loans and “stated income” loans the foreclosure rate has jumped a long way.  House prices have come down in excess of 35% in some locations.  If you are one of the few Americans who didn’t buy a home in the last two . . . → Read More: Should you buy a house

More on this topic (What's this?)
Could Millions of Homes Be Foreclosure Proof?
Gayest Foreclosure Ever
Senior Loan Officer Survey shows noteworthy improvements
Read more on Foreclosure, Loans at Wikinvest

Credit Card delinquencies increasing

A Reuters article yesterday shows that credit card defaults hit record levels in May. The rate of credit card losses was 9.4%.  Delinquency rates were down, but of course they were down a large portion of them moved from delinquent to a default status

As unemployment keeps going up then delinquencies will keep going up.  This is . . . → Read More: Credit Card delinquencies increasing

More on this topic (What's this?)
New Credit Card Minimum Payment Rules
Mastercard Updates Rules
US Consumer Spending Goes Haywire – The “New Abnormal”
Beware the M2 Credit Card
Read more on Credit Cards at Wikinvest

Credit Card benefits changing

Thanks to this new credit card bill I have already started receiving new term sheets for my existing credit cards.  So I have begun looking around for some replacement cards with better terms or better rewards.

I am having a hard time finding a new card with any decent rewards or cash back plan that also has . . . → Read More: Credit Card benefits changing

More on this topic (What's this?)
New Credit Card Minimum Payment Rules
US Consumer Spending Goes Haywire – The “New Abnormal”
Beware the M2 Credit Card
Read more on Credit Cards at Wikinvest

Hidden Benefits of the recession

It appears Americans are finally catching the message.  The Federal Reserve released the consumer credit numbers for April today and consumer credit was down $14 billion over the last month.  This is the sixth monthly drop in the last 7 months.

America has gone from a high of $2.596 trillion in December of 2008 down to $2.507 . . . → Read More: Hidden Benefits of the recession

More on this topic (What's this?) Read more on Federal Reserve at Wikinvest

Bond rates on the rise may signal inflation

The federal government and the Federal Reserve may be coming to a realization that the deficits we are running are going to cost a lot more than previously anticipated.  The 10-year Treasury bond today hit 3.70%.

Rates on the 10 year have gone from 3.20% o 3.70% in the last 5 days and up from 2.92% over . . . → Read More: Bond rates on the rise may signal inflation

More on this topic (What's this?)
Best Investments During Inflation
IS IT TIME TO GET OUT OF BONDS?
FABER: DON’T TOUCH U.S. GOVERNMENT BONDS
Read more on Bond Investing, Inflation at Wikinvest

The US’s future

Check out this slideshow CNBC did on the 15 largest debtor nations in the world.  I thought it was very amusing that all of the debtor economies are socialist and European countries whose societies we are trying to model.  Keynsian economics works great unless the debt you need is more than the world has . . . → Read More: The US’s future

Possible option for GM bondholders

As one of the many small GM retail bondholders, I would like to applaud the larger institutional bondholders for rejecting the bond exchange proposed which would offer 10% of the company for the combined $27 billion.

This has got me thinking recently is there another option for us as bondholders.  The bondholders made a request last month . . . → Read More: Possible option for GM bondholders

New Credit Card Consumer Protection Bill

A new bill passed the House of Representatives today after it made it out of the Senate yesterday.  The bill is designed to provide some protection to credit card holders.  The bill is scheduled to take effect in February of 2010.

Some of the highlights of the new bill are listed below.

Banks cannot raise your interest . . . → Read More: New Credit Card Consumer Protection Bill

More on this topic (What's this?)
New Credit Card Minimum Payment Rules
Mastercard Updates Rules
The low-interest-rate trap
Read more on Credit Cards, Interest Rates at Wikinvest