According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of Americans taking loans against their 401(k) plans is increasing because most plans allow participants to borrow funds to purchase a home or to avoid foreclosure.But just because the avenue is there, though, doesn't mean that borrowing from a 401
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03/31/2008
For holders of credit cards and home equity lines of credit, Fed Funds rate cuts are good news. Both of these financial products feature interest rates tied to Prime Rate. Prime Rate is tied to the Fed Funds Rate. When the Fed Funds Rate comes down, therefore, so does the rate of borrowing for cr
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03/31/2008
When a loan officer locks a mortgage rate for you, that rate is tied to an expiration date. The expiration may be 30 days, or 75 days, or 90 days, or more into the future, but so long as the rate is "locked", the bank is committed to delivering that rate to you at your closing.What most people do
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03/31/2008
The definition of Fed Funds Rate from the Federal Reserve:The federal funds rate is the rate charged by one depository institution on an overnight sale of immediately available funds (balances at the Federal Reserve) to another depository institution; the rate may vary from depository institution
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03/31/2008
Mortgage rates were up last week on weak housing data and a growing nervousness about mortgage bond quality. Rates would have been up more if not for a tame inflation reading Friday. The Personal Consumption Expenditures report fell Friday to 2.0% year-over-year, putting it back within the Federa
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03/31/2008
Each quarter, the Census Bureau releases the Homeowner Vacancy Rate, a housing statistic the measures the percentage of homes for sale that are vacant. A home listed for sale may be vacant for several reasons including:The home has been foreclosed and the owner has moved outThe home seller moved
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03/30/2008
Consumer Confidence fell to its lowest point in three years and anybody who watches the evening news can understand why.Each day, news programs barrage Americans with tales of economic woe and American Opinion is largely shaped by the media.After enough time, the reporting becomes a self-fulfilli
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03/30/2008
Each month, the Commerce Department and the National Association of REALTORS® release national housing data. The former's release is called the New Residential Sales report and the latter's is called the Existing Home Sales report.Both reports highlight the "median sales price", the point at whic
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03/30/2008
When mortgage rates change rapidly, it's a fiscal challenge to shop for a home and/or home loan. Lately, mortgage rates have been especially volatile, mirroring the wild moves of the stock market. Here's how up-and-down stock markets have been in 2008: Through last week, the S&P 500 Index changed
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03/30/2008
Statistic #1: According to the Census Bureau, 69% of Americans are homeowners. Statistic #2: According to lawyers.com, 42% of Americans have a basic will. Basic Math: 27% of American homeowners are in need of a basic will. Addressing mortality can be difficult for some people, but even more diffi
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03/23/2008
