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Housing Woes Bring a New Cry: Let the Market Fall
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Some economists and analysts urge a dose of shock therapy that would shift benefits to future homeowners from current ones: Let the housing market crash.
 
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New Program for Buyers, With No Money Down
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Fannie Mae is getting back in the market for mortgages with no down payment, available to new home buyers in four states.
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How Much to Put in Your Emergency Fund
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New research from MetLife provides some guidance on how much to include in your emergency fund to cover the chance of a critical illness in your family.
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Wednesday Reading: Optimism and Job Searches
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On whether it pays to be optimistic in a job hunt, new rankings from Consumer Reports and other consumer-focused items from Wednesday's Times.
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More Evidence for Store Brands
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Some store brands are as good as or better than some name-brand grocery items, according to a new Consumer Reports study.
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Risks of Chasing High Returns With Bonds
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With banks offering low interest rates, the temptation may be to seek higher rates elsewhere. But you should be aware of the risks.
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Obama Is Against a Compromise on Bush Tax Cuts
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The president’s decision not to extend tax cuts for the rich adds a populist twist to an economic package designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.
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Mortgages: As Pay Falls, Borrowers Lose Ground
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One in eight homeowners had household debt exceeding half the monthly income in 2008, a recent report says.
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Your Money: How Debt Can Destroy a Budding Relationship
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Because one person’s debt becomes a shared responsibility in marriage, when do you reveal a substantial liability?
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Patient Money: Food Safety Tips for the Budget-Conscious
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Safety experts have advice on ways to germ-proof your food, and still save money.
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App Smart: How to Get Loyalty Card Prices Without Loyalty Cards
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Two apps, Cardstar and Key Ring, serve as repositories for your loyalty shopping card numbers. You just hand your phone to the cashier at checkout.
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Home Is Where the Tax Exemption Is
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As tax authorities look for cheats, they are finding that many people who are eligible for the benefit fail to apply for it.
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Your Money: In Defense of Home Ownership
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Many home purchases could still end in grief financially, particularly in hard-hit areas. But most probably won’t.
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Patient Money: High-Deductible Plans Grow, but Not Everyone Should Get on Board
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More workers are being urged to enroll in plans linked to health savings accounts. Some new rules, however, could be deterrents.
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Housing Market Plunged in July, Fueling Anxiety
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Housing sales fell a surprising 25.5 percent in July below the level of a year ago, as buyers lost the spur of a government tax credit.
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Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Say
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Many economists believe that the days of banking on an asset that could only rise in value are gone for good.
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The Haggler: Enough, Already! One Consumer’s Pet Peeves
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It’s the little things — a long list of them — that can most frustrate today’s consumer.
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Fundamentally: Betting on Growth While Playing Defense
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While investors have rushed to the safety of Treasury securities, risky sectors like junk bonds and emerging-market stocks have also done well this year.
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Digital Domain: $9 Here, 20 Cents There and a Credit-Card Lawsuit
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The Federal Trade Commission alleges in a civil case that scammers placed more than $10 million in small, bogus charges on consumers’ credit and debit cards.
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Mortgages: New Online Help From Fannie Mae
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A new Web site for struggling borrowers has information in two languages, and explanatory videos.
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Practical Traveler: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Spirit Airlines
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The airfares from Spirit are cheap, but does that make up for the inconveniences?
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Your Money: How to Be Frugal and Still Be Asked on Dates
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There are ways to broadcast your financial values without coming off as a tightwad or a gold digger.
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Patient Money: Birth Control Doesn’t Have to Mean the Pill
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Alternatives to the popular pill, like intrauterine devices, hormonal implants or injections, may be more convenient, more effective and cheaper in the long run.
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U.S. Mortgage Relief Effort Is Falling Short of Its Goal
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The pool of candidates is shrinking rapidly, and new trial modifications were down sharply in July.
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Pension Fraud in New Jersey Puts Focus on Illinois
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Cities and states are scrambling to make sure their pension disclosures are in order, and investors in distressed debt are scrambling, sensing opportunity.
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Steps to Prevent Identity Theft, and What to Do if It Happens
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Quick action is needed if an unusual charge shows up on a credit card statement or a thief opens an account in your name.
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Life and Disability Insurance: What You Need to Know
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What sort of insurance you need in the event of untimely death or disability depends on what your objectives are.
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Health Insurance: What You Need to Know
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With Americans spending an ever increasing amount on medical costs, it’s more important than ever to have insurance that fits your health care needs.
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401(k)’s: What You Need to Know
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For many people, saving for retirement means squirreling away as much as possible through employer-provided plans, the most popular being the 401(k).
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About Financial Planners: What You Need to Know
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If you’ve landed here, it means you’ve realized that you might need some professional advice in handling your financial affairs.
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Annuities: What You Need to Know
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Annuities are a basic staple of modern portfolios, the financial equivalent of a backstop to guarantee a minimum of income in retirement.
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Credit Scores: What You Need to Know
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You may not have checked your credit score lately, but there’s a good chance someone else has.
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Wealth Matters: The Art of Thinking Clearly Under Great Pressure
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Through no fault of his own, Frederick Peters arrived in a financial crisis threatening his business. He survived by avoiding distractions and focusing on the problem.
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Special Report: Net Worth: Estate Planning Step 1: Recognize You Are Going to Die
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Estate planning is less a matter of how much you have than where it is and how and to whom it will be transferred when the time comes.
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The Way We Live Now: Paralyzed by Debt
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Almost two years after the crash, Americans are still paying off credit-card balances and home-equity lines.
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Net-Worth Obsession
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We all wonder how much money others have. Joey Kincer and other net-worth trackers are letting us in on the secret.
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