Fed Champions Clearer Mortgage Standards

Federal Reserve Board Governor Randall Kroszner has called for greater transparency in an industry bugged down by unease and uncertainty.

Speaking at a community investment forum in Minneapolis on Monday, Krosner said, "To attract new capital, or simply hold on to what they have, the community development financial institutions need not just new investment products but 'a significant investment information gathering, processing and evaluation.'

Kroszner also pointed out that the increased cost of borrowing in many areas reflects the crisis of confidence that has gripped the banking sector.

"Risk spreads that had been unusually small in recent years are now unusually large," he concluded.

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Hope Now Gaining in Foreclosure Prevention as Loan Modifications Increase

The Hope Now initiative, a private mortgage lender and servicer alliance, is increasing its effectiveness in preventing foreclosures. In October, Hope Now set a new record in foreclosure prevention modifying 225,000 mortgages. That total exceeds September's loan modifications by 13,000.

Law Firms and Banks Collaborating to Streamline Loan Modifications

Increasingly loan modifications are becoming the preferred mechanism to help defaulting homeowners and troubled bank mortgage asset portfolios. All of the major banks, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and Citigroup have announced streamlined loan modification programs.

US Retailers Hope for a Big Cyber Monday

Retailers got a welcome Holiday gift on Black Friday, with retail sales actually rising 2 percent over last year. Despite the doom and gloom of economic prognosticators consumers lined the sidewalks in the wee-hours of the morning for "door-buster" deals.

Retailers Caught Flat-footed by Rapid Economic Slowdown

It's Black Friday, will they come? Black Friday a term linked to the fact that traditionally all retailers "make their year" by blasting into profitable territory for the entire year on the strength of holiday sales. This year may be a stark contrast.

President-elect Obama Subtlety Taking the Reigns of US Economic Policy

In his regular press conferences behind the very Presidential-looking "Office of the President-Elect" podium Obama quietly is absorbing the Presidency. Despite being 11 weeks away from inauguration and still two weeks away from officially being declared President-elect by the convening of the Electoral College, he is undeniably taking the reigns of US economic policy.

Federal Reserve Starts Printing Money to Jumpstart Lending

The Federal Reserve and US Treasury have announced another bailout, this one theoretically for consumers and small businesses. This plan involves another $800 billion.

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