Finance Globe

Should you attend university right away, or start your course studies at a community college and then transfer?If saving money is a concern, then beginning your secondary education at a community college will probably save big and reduce the need for student loans and other funding. Here's a look at considerations for both. UniversityAttending a four-year university is taking the traditional route, and it's an experience that many college graduates will never forget. You'll meet plenty...

New claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly dropped by 21,000 last week to 434,000 - its lowest level since July, the Department of Labor reported on Thursday.But the news may be even better than a three-month low. In July there were special factors contributing to the lower number of new jobless claims; fewer than usual auto plants closed for the model-year retooling.If we disregard July for those skewed numbers, the last time new jobless claims were as...

Existing home sales jumped 10% in September, signalling the beginning of a housing recovery, the National Association of Realtors reported on Monday. The rate of sales, which includes single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops, was at an annual pace of 4.53 million homes in September after a downwardly revised rate of 4.12 million homes in August.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, “A housing recovery is taking place but will be choppy at times depending on the...

It always feels good to save a buck or two, but some financial habits can end up costing more in the long run. Here’s a look at some habits commonly though of as budget-conscious that can sabotage your money-saving strategy:Clipping couponsThis takes time and effort, adds to paper clutter, and can easily cause you to spend more money than you normally would have without the coupon. The only brands that even offer coupons are the highly-advertised...

It’s an unfortunate situation when one doesn’t answer their own phone because they know it’s a debt collector calling.But if you have found yourself in this predicament, it helps to know your rights as a consumer.Consumer rights are protected under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a set of laws that creditors, collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts regularly, and other debt collectors must abide by when attempting to collect a debt.These laws won’t get...

One of the nation’s largest debt collection companies has agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that the company used unethical practices to collect debts, the agency reported on Thursday.The settlement, which is not an indication that the company broke the law or has been found guilty of wrongdoing, is the second largest civil penalty obtained by the FTC in a debt collection case.The FTC alleged that Allied Interstate, Inc.,...

Banking online is a wonderfully convenient way to manage your finances and gives you access to your account any day, any time, and in any location where you have access to the internet. Doing your banking online allows you to pay your bills, transfer money to the babysitter or your kid while away at college. This can save the cost and time involved with buying checks and stamps, and has the potential to reduce your paper...

A health care fraud racket suspected of pilfering more than $163 million from the Medicare system has been busted up by the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations in a multi-agency investigation, the agency reported on Wednesday.The defendants include 73 members and associates of an Armenian-American organized crime enterprise across five states - California, Georgia, New Mexico, New York, and Ohio.“The emergence of international organized crime in domestic health care fraud schemes signals a...

The mortgage mess that started with bad paperwork to put people into homes looks to be continuing in the same manner, only this time it’s to get many of those very same people out of their homes.Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is leading the investigation into reports that some of the largest mortgage servicers in the country engaged in practices that violated the law, specifically, using “robo-signers” to authorize thousands of foreclosure documents, and falsifying notary...

Just a reminder to taxpayers who requested an extension for the 2009 tax year - the October 15th due date is just around the corner. It’s also a crucial due date for thousands of small nonprofit organizations at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they have not filed the required forms in the last three years, the Internal Revenue Service pointed out in a statement.“The October 15 deadline is particularly important this year because it’s...