Law enforcement officials are teaming up to stop despondent homeowners from needlessly shelling out money in an attempt to save their homes from foreclosure. The Federal Trade Commission said recently it is leading “Operation Loan Lies,’’ a coordinated effort involving 25 federal and state agencies to shut down firms [ Read More → ]

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve approved proposals yesterday designed to make it easier for Americans with mortgages, or shopping for them, to understand how the loans work. “Consumers need the proper tools to determine whether a particular mortgage loan is appropriate for their circumstances,’’ said Fed chairman Ben Bernanke. Among [ Read More → ]

WASHINGTON - Sales of existing homes in the United States rose in June for a third consecutive month, signaling the four-year slump that precipitated the financial crisis is ending. Purchases climbed 3.6 percent to an annual rate of 4.89 million, stronger than forecast and the highest level since October, the [ Read More → ]

Inflation or deflation? Even the experts can’t agree whether rising or falling prices lie in our future. That leaves investors in quandary: how to construct a portfolio at a time of great uncertainty. A wrong bet could be devastating. If your portfolio is built for deflation, for example, your assets will slump [ Read More → ]

Official figures have today revealed that the UK economy shrank more than expected in the three months to June. Today’s figures, which are preliminary estimates and could be revised up or down in the next few months, show that the economy contracted 0.8% between April and June - economists had [ Read More → ]

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KARTHAUS, Pa. - Families looking for extra income to help brave the stormy economy may want to take a look in the back of their bedroom closets or the dusty corners of their garages. Those tight-fitting clothes or that rusty lawnmower could earn some extra dollars at a yard sale. Apparently, [ Read More → ]

WASHINGTON - Got an old gas guzzler in the garage? Car shoppers can take advantage of new government incentives worth $3,500 to $4,500. Owners can scrap their clunker in exchange for a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle, and lop off thousands of dollars from the sticker price. Congress approved the “Car [ Read More → ]

WASHINGTON — A little known industry-sponsored group that oversees stock brokers is raising its profile with a national media campaign as Congress works on tightening the government’s regulation of banks and other financial service providers. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, is running a series of TV, radio and Internet [ Read More → ]

New figures from the Office of National Statistics have dashed hopes of an imminent recovery for the UK economy. The figures released today provide a preliminary estimate of the measure of gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2009. GDP is a basic measure of an economy’s performance, taken as [ Read More → ]