home equity line of credit

The reverse mortgage was invented to help seniors facing economic hardship access the equity in their homes. But these loan products are complicated, expensive and ripe for abuse, which lead a reader named Fred to ask DailyFinance's Laura Rowley for some advice. Here's what she told him:

Before the Great Recession, U.S. consumer debt had risen fairly steadily for more than a decade. With the downturn, it finally dropped...until December's small rise. However, a longer look at the trend of ever-rising debt shows that America is still extraordinarily overextended.

The real estate downturn that dominated 2009 leaves many on unfamiliar ground at tax time. Where better to look for advice than in suburban Los Angeles, where property values took a particularly vicious dive. There, Woodland Hills investment adviser Mark Kennedy shared his tips with WalletPop: On...