10 Habits of a Budget Conscious Shopper
Spending less and saving more is a goal for many American consumers. But the problem is that we keep on consuming, and a few bad habits can add up to thousands of dollars in wasted…
Mary Tomkins
Mary Tomkins is a freelance writer located in Spartanburg, SC, with emphasis on economic news and research on the financial industry.
Mortgage Delinquencies Rose First Quarter 2010
Residential mortgage delinquencies homes rose for the first quarter 2010 to a seasonally-adjusted rate of 10.06% of all loans outstanding, according to the National Delinquency Survey released last week by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).…
Work at Home Scammers Ordered to Pay $95,000 in Consumer Redress
The Federal Trade Commission announced today that approximately 3,500 consumers who paid for phony work-at-home scams will be sent checks worth a total of $95,000 in redress. The victims of the scam were misled by…
Don’t Delay! Start Your Savings Program Today!
Start thinking about saving Saving money is something that most of us know we should do. But even though we know we should, some of us are better than others at actually following through on…
Consider the True Cost of Vehicle Ownership
Owning a vehicle costs much more than just the dollar amount of the sticker price. Yes, the down payment and then the monthly payment are the two big numbers to take into consideration when buying…
Credit Card Interest Rate Reduction Scam
Consumers should be very skeptical about offers from companies who claim they can reduce credit card interest rates, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned on Friday. The FTC, the nation’s consumer protection agency, said that…
MBA: 1.2 Million Households Lost from 2005-2008
As the deep recession brought about severe job losses among workers, families have been struggling to manage on less income and cut costs in every way possible. And many Americans have dealt with a tough…
Consumer Loan Delinquencies Fall Again for Fourth Quarter 2009
Despite widespread unemployment, consumers in the last half of 2009 have been working hard to pay their debts on time. According to the American Bankers Association (ABA) Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, consumer loan delinquencies in…
Filing for a Federal Tax Extension
The deadline to file your income tax return is just around the corner – it really comes up fast for those who aren’t ready. But don’t panic. If you don’t see being able to complete…
State Tax Revenue Down 8.6% for 2009
The nation’s unemployment rate hit 10% last year, and a long, two year global recession has threatened the financial security of families around the world. It comes as no surprise that state governments are the…