pmi

It's bad enough that we fork over gobs of money for all kinds of necessities, such as our mortgage payments, groceries, gas, and electricity. But it's a real shame when we fork over dollars needlessly, buying things we don't need -- like many kinds of insurance.

It doesn't look like the housing market will come roaring back anytime soon, but with historically low interest rates, now's a good time to buy. The hard part is that banks in the post-bubble era are notoriously stingy with that cheap money, so figuring out how to get a smile out of a mortgage lender is task No. 1.

Black Friday has come and gone and the holiday shopping season is off and running. In addition to keeping on eye on how retailers are doing, there will be plenty of economic data for analysts and investors to peruse on this week. Highlights include new numbers on manufacturing, employment and new vehicle sales.

Asian markets were mixed Wednesday. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index climbed 1.2% to 8,927 and in Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index added 0.4% to 20,624. China's Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.6% to close at 2,623.

Nouriel Roubini says that GDP growth in the 16 nation Eurozone region could be "closer to zero" than his previous forecast of 1% expansion. Could that mean a double dip recession is ahead?

In comments posted on China's Central Government website, Premier Wen Jiabao warned that China's economy is facing mounting difficulties as a result of the international financial crisis and the unpredictable nature of the global economic recovery.

On Wednesday, the Federal Housing Administration was supposed to release its independent audit determining the soundness of the agency. Many have questioned that soundness because, as of Oct. 1, its reserve fund dipped below the required 2 percent of the agency's outstanding loans for the first...

In what they say is an effort to reduce risk, private mortgage insurers plan to cut off or curtail third party originated loans beginning in early March, DailyFinance has learned. That decision will make it much harder to get a loan through an independent mortgage broker, where banks compete for...

When I wrote the story that home buyers need lots of cash to qualify for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans based on a Wall Street Journal story, some mortgage brokers wrote to me and said that's just not true nationwide. You will find those rigid standards if you live in an area designated by Fannie...