To Co-Sign or Not to Co-Sign? That Is the Question
If you're in a shaky financial state, having someone willing to co-sign for a loan can be a lifesaver. But for the co-signer, it's not about altruism; it's a question of risk.
Lending
FDIC: Banks Earn $141.3 Billion in 2012, Second-Highest Annual Haul Ever
Profits at U.S. banks jumped almost 37 percent for the October-December period, reaching the highest level for a fourth quarter in six years as banks continued to step up lending. The figures are fresh evidence of the industry's sustained recovery more than four years after the financial crisis.
Easy Credit Is Back -- at Least for Car Buyers
Auto loans are easier to get now than they have been in years. During the first quarter U.S. lenders gave car buyers some of the best terms since the financial crisis.
How to Lend Money to Friends Without Losing Both
Lending money to friends and family ranks among the most pernicious of relationship stressors. It's not just the cash -- it's the emotions we all carry about it. But with a little planning, you can help someone out of a financial bind without putting your friendship in the red.
What's Really Wrong With Letting Banks Pay Big Dividends
The Federal Reserve is finally admitting that not all the big banks are healthy: Bank of America won't get to pay increased dividends. But none of those financial giants should be allowed to, and a logical look at the reasons they say they want to dole out the cash makes it totally clear why.
Career Risk-Taking Hits a New Low, Thanks to the Still-Weak Economy
Whether it was a fresh startup or a fresh start, fewer Americans seemed willing to take career risks last year, according to a new report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The percentage of job-seekers starting their own businesses or relocating for new positions fell to historic lows in 2010.
Did Bear Stearns Know These Securities Were a House of Cards?
JPMorgan Chase may come to regret buying Bear Stearns. Suits by Wells Fargo and bond insurer Ambac claim that Bear entirely disregarded loan quality to appease its trading desk's ever-growing demand for mortgages to securitize. Now, those parties are suing to get their money back, and they might get it.
More Car Loans Go to Borrowers With Bad Credit
If you've been rejected for a car loan due to poor credit, you might want to apply again. The automotive credit industry increased the share of new car loans going to credit-challenged borrowers by 12.7% in the third quarter, a sign that lenders are loosening their credit criteria.
Six Reasons Why Goldman Is Wrong on a Banking Recovery
On Thursday night, venture capitalist and DailyFinance columnist Peter Cohan went on CNBC's The Kudlow Report to debate whether the banking industry is at the start of a period of recovery, as Goldman Sachs claimed this week. Here's why he argued that Goldman was dead wrong.
Startup RentJuice Is Capitalizing on the Rise of Renter Nation
For years, the property management business has been stuck in the Dark Ages -- using faxes, paper ledgers and out-of-date spreadsheet software. But as the foreclosure crisis adds millions of people to the rental market, new startup RentJuice is aiming to bring property management into the Internet Age.
Fed Eases Lending Standards, but Small Businesses Don't Bite
The more lenient lending policies enacted by the Federal Reserve last month have so far failed to increase demand from small businesses, indicating that the federal government's attempts to spur the U.S. economy through more aggressive monetary policy may need more time to take effect.
In Peru, Tiny Loans Add Up to Big Business
Microloans for small businesses have taken off in Peru, where informal employment is high and access to credit is low. The nation now ranks No. 1 in the annual Economist Intelligence Unit survey of world's best business environments for microlending.
Recovery Ahead? Small Businesses Boost Borrowing
A key index that measures small business lending rose 16% in September, its second consecutive month of double-digit increases. That rise in the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index is a strong signal that the U.S. economy is finally back on the road to recovery.
The Fed: Economy Grew at a 'Modest Pace' in September
The Fed's latest Beige Book report confirms what earlier economic data has indicated. Eight of the 12 regional Fed banks, including San Francisco and Chicago, reported some form of growth in the September/October period. But nothing to write home about.
GE Capital Buys Citigroup's Retail Loans
General Electric unit GE Capital announced Tuesday that it had acquired the retail finance portfolios from Citigroup's Retail Partner Cards. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but GE Capital expects it will immediately add to earnings.
Why Basel III's New Bank Capital Rules May Be Irrelevant
International bankers are hammering out the Basel III agreement, which will require banks to keep more capital in reserve relative to what they invest. It's a good idea, and one that would cushion the financial system from the next bust -- if the rules weren't being pushed so far into the future.
Loan Approval Rate Expected to Drop as Applications Rise
Approval rates for bank loans will likely fall as the number of applications increase over the next six months, according to a recent survey of banking professionals released today by Fair Isaac and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
