The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index (Index) plunged in September to its lowest level since May 2009, primarily due to a significant fall in home prices and deterioration in real wages.  The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending. “Low mortgage rates are doing little to spur home sales as banks limit [...]

Mortgage rates are low, real estate is at rock-bottom prices and there are plenty of qualified buyers looking for a home; so why is it so difficult to buy a home? “The biggest challenge facing home buyers is often they don’t know if their mortgage has been approved until a few days before closing,” said David [...]

Military personnel and their families can maximize their car-buying power with auto loans today With more automobile choices than ever before, you also have more choices on how to finance one of the largest purchases a person can make. In most cases, loans may be necessary to help finance the car over an extended period [...]

North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) has joined other consumer advocates in support of the full and fair disclosure of checking account policies and fees at all financial institutions.  Recommendations for enhanced disclosures were outlined in a September 21, 2011 letter from The Pew Charitable Trusts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).  The recommendations [...]

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Spain declined 0.2 percent in August to 105.7 (2004 = 100), following a 0.8 percent decrease in July, and a 0.3 percent decrease in June. At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Spain, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.2 percent in August, to 101.6 [...]

BATS Global Markets, a global stock market operator, reports the BATS 1000(SM) Index (Ticker: BATSK) rose 769.80 points, or 5.9%, this week to close at 13,896.13 as of 4 p.m. ET today. The S&P 500 Index was up 6% on the week. Ten of the ten sectors that comprise the Index advanced with Alternative Resources and Energy, [...]

John Bacon, a member of Certified Distressed Property Experts, a professional real estate association, urges homeowners struggling or behind with mortgage payments to pursue alternatives to foreclosure. “Nationwide, 10.9 million or 22.5 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage owe more on their property than it’s worth in the current market, and another 6.3 million [...]

New data shows billions of dollars in unemployment benefits were paid in error over the last three years, and now businesses are being required to help pay down their state’s unemployment debt through increased taxes. As a result, the Unemployment Services Trust reports a 22% increase in nonprofits evaluating whether they should leave their state [...]

New MassMutual State of the American Family Study Explores Clashing Priorities for American Families For the vast majority of family financial decision makers, children come before they do; paying for the kids’ education ranks far above saving for future medical expenses or retirement. As a result, only three in ten American parents are confident that [...]

Interest rates on new credit card offers set another record this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report, reaching 15 percent for the first time in the survey’s four-year history. The average is composed of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. [...]