Mary Tomkins is a freelance writer located in Spartanburg, SC, with emphasis on economic news and research on the financial industry.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced on Friday the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a larger credit for larger families that offers greater relief for people who struggled through difficult financial times last year.…
The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis on Friday released the advance estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) for the fourth quarter of 2009. Real GDP rose 5.7% at an annual rate, the second…
Sales of existing homes fell in December after a rising surge from September through November. The drop was expected after a rush of buyers raced to meet the original tax credit deadline in November, the…
A mortgage broker, who was charged in December 2008 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for throwing consumer’s credit reports and other sensitive documents in a publicly-accessible dumpster, was ordered to pay a $35,000 civil…
The percentage of employees who were members of a union was 12.3% in 2009, virtually unchanged from the rate of 12.4% in 2008, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The number…
If you have a mortgage, you may have received a letter from a company offering to “help” you pay your home off faster by enrolling you in a bi-weekly mortgage program. Their pitch may sound…
The IRS announced today that e-file, the electronic tax return delivery service, is open for business January 15. The most popular method of filing taxes, e-file debuted 20 years ago, delivering 4.2 million tax returns.…
This article is a continuation of credit card Rules Part 1. Here’s a look at key changes you can expect when the new credit card rules take effect February 22, 2010. Rules about once-common practices…
New credit card rules take effect February 22, 2010, and information will be covered in two articles. Let’s take a look at how key points in the new law will affect you, the consumer. New…
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday approved a final rule amending Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) to protect consumers who use credit cards from a number of costly practices. credit card issuers must comply with…