Headline News Archive

2018

June

21

• How a few people took Equifax to court over Its data breach and won. Christina Bernstein’s check finally arrived last week: $7,440 from Equifax for her trouble. She was one of more than 145 million Americans whose financial information…

20

• Warren announces hold on Trump’s CFPB nomination, citing border policy. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said yesterday that she will put a hold on the nomination of Kathy Kraninger to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…

• Tips for getting a great mortgage—and surviving the process. To guide the homebuying process, Ruth Susswein of the nonprofit Consumer Action suggests consulting CFPB’s online mortgage guide. Its checklists, terms, estimation tools and explanations…

18

• Trump taps budget aide to head Consumer Bureau. The White House on Saturday said it would nominate Kathy Kraninger, a White House budget official, to serve as the next director of the Consumer…

16

• Credit freezes will soon be free for everyone. Starting this fall, the big three credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — will be required to let you freeze your credit file…

14

• The Fed just made life even worse for home buyers. Buyers are facing a competitive market in which they need to move quickly, bid high and make other concessions if they want to land the…

13

• Kids’ influence looms large over their parents’ home-buying decisions. If you’re used to parents of toddlers asking their kids whether they want to go to the park or the pool, to drink apple juice…

• What's in a name? Consumer Bureau to find out. Next week, President Trump is expected to nominate a replacement for Mr. Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget who has been…

12

• An early retirement is doable. Here’s how.. We can learn a lot from the growing community of people who did what most of us only dream of doing: retiring in their 20s,…

11

• Seven steps to buying a home. Along with paying down debt, building an emergency fund, and planning for retirement, buying a home is one of the most popular financial planning goals.…

• Rent strikes grow in popularity as gentrification drives up rents. Often viewed as a last resort by tenant-rights groups, rent strikes have in recent years become increasingly common in the District and other gentrifying cities…

• Five ways Mulvaney is cracking down on his own agency. The acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) often says that the only reason he hasn't burned the agency down is because it's…

09

• Trump's consumer agency chief looks to shut down complaint database. The Trump administration may shut down a federal database of consumer complaints about the financial-services industry. Banks think that’s a swell idea. “In what world…

08

• Booking with Airbnb? Here’s your survival guide. Summer travelers who are planning vacations face a modern dilemma: Splurge on a traditional hotel, or potentially save a few bucks by renting someone’s home…

07

• Mulvaney fires all 25 members of consumer watchdog’s advisory board. Mick Mulvaney, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, fired the agency’s 25-member advisory board, days after some of its members criticized his leadership…

06

• States ask CFPB to keep complaints database public. Fourteen Democratic state attorneys general are asking the CFPB to keep its consumer complaint database open to the public. State law enforcers risk losing a…

05

• Getting down payment help now. Sharing home’s gain (or loss) later. For aspiring homeowners, coming up with a healthy down payment has long been the biggest obstacle to owning a home.  Now, a small but growing…

• Teaching new mortgage lender a lesson backfires on homeowner. Q: My mortgage was sold to a loan processor in 2011. I got a welcome letter saying my payment was $635 when it really should…

04

• The U.N. says Trump is making life harder for the poor. A top human rights investigator is criticizing the United States for failing the poor. Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights,…

• Deadline looms for consumer complaint database public weigh in. Should consumers, businesses, and others be able to read complaints people have shared about financial services companies? If you have an opinion, you have until…

May

30

• You’ll be able to freeze your credit for free — but that won’t end ID theft. Last week, a new law torched some of the banking rules that were put in place after the financial crisis to protect us. But also…

25

• How student debt can ruin home buying dreams. Homeownership among Americans in their 20s and 30s is hovering near a three-decade low. Just 35 percent of households headed by someone younger than 35…

24

• Many home loan applications get denied. For blacks, Hispanics, Asians rejection's higher. Surprisingly, large numbers of loan applications don’t make it. About 1 of every 9 loan applications (10.8 percent) to purchase a home — and more than…

23

• Congress approves plan to roll back post-financial-crisis rules for banks. The House on Tuesday passed a plan to roll back banking regulations passed in response to the 2008 financial crisis, sending the bill to President…

21

• Ways to cash in on your home equity (and the tax implications). Although financial planners recommend leaving your equity untouched until you’re ready to sell your house, many homeowners are tempted by the ready cash. Black Knight,…