AIG sells Alico to MetLife for $15.5B in ongoing bid to payback – Stockhouse
American International Group (NYSE:AIG) will sell a second overseas life and health insurance unit for US$15.5 billion to MetLife Inc. (NYSE:MET) in an ongoing bid to repay billions in government aid. It was the second major deal AIG completed this

UPDATE 1-Global watchdog tries to kick start securitisation – Reuters
BASEL, Switzerland, March 8 (Reuters) – Global regulators are coordinating efforts to kick start the moribund debt securitisation market under tighter rules to aid recovery, the Financial Stability Board said on Monday. The credit crunch turned

Was Obama Economic Advisor’s Exit a Preemptive Strike? – ABC News
When the White House announced last week it would be losing the services of Lewis A. Sachs, one of the president’s top economic advisers, the reason given for Sachs’s departure was that his work was largely complete. Lewis A. Sachs, one of the

Vineyard defaults surge as lost land values undermine Napa wine – Daily Business Review
n California’s Napa Valley, producer of the most expensive U.S. wines, 2010 may be a vintage year for foreclosures as the industry is squeezed by falling land values and a consumer shift to cheaper brands. As many as 10 wineries and vineyards in

Washington Must Ban U.S. Credit Derivatives as Traders Demand Gold – Huffingtonpost.com
Congress should act immediately to abolish credit default swaps on the United States, because these derivatives will foment distortions in global currencies and gold. Failure to act now will only mean the U.S. will be forced to act after these

AIG agrees to sell Alico to MetLife for $15.5 billion – Daily Business Review
merican International Group Inc. agreed to sell a division to MetLife Inc. for $15.5 billion in the bailed-out company’s second divestiture of a non-U.S. life insurance unit this month. MetLife will pay $6.8 billion in cash and $8.7 billion in

Can they repossess the dog? What to know if the repo man comes calling – WTVF
In the past several years, one type of repossession has been in the headlines — home foreclosures. The term “foreclosure” actually refers to the process a bank undertakes to repossess a home when the owner has stopped making mortgage payments

‘Jet’-setting mobile home residents set to burn mortgage – Bradenton Herald
PALMETTO – Ask just about anyone what their favorite thing is about living in Jet Mobile Home Park, and they’ll probably tell you it’s their neighbors. “It’s the people, they’re so friendly,” said Kortne Lampman, who with her husband, Lee

Why I’m Now Less Optimistic About Credit Crisis – Seekingalpha.com
I have taken a less optimistic view of the credit crisis’ workout phase as evidenced by recent posts like Wood: “The endgame will be a systemic government debt crisis in the western world” and The mindset will not change; a depressionary

Entertainment Properties Trust Completes Acquisition of the Toronto – Forbes
acquisition of the Toronto Dundas Square project, previously in receivership, by paying off senior debt of approximately $120 million Canadian. As a result of the closing of this acquisition, the Company’s second mortgage note on the project has

AIG sells Alico to MetLife for $15.5B in ongoing bid to payback – Stockhouse
American International Group (NYSE:AIG) will sell a second overseas life and health insurance unit for US$15.5 billion to MetLife Inc. (NYSE:MET) in an ongoing bid to repay billions in government aid. It was the second major deal AIG completed this

UPDATE 1-Global watchdog tries to kick start securitisation – Reuters
BASEL, Switzerland, March 8 (Reuters) – Global regulators are coordinating efforts to kick start the moribund debt securitisation market under tighter rules to aid recovery, the Financial Stability Board said on Monday. The credit crunch turned

Was Obama Economic Advisor’s Exit a Preemptive Strike? – ABC News
When the White House announced last week it would be losing the services of Lewis A. Sachs, one of the president’s top economic advisers, the reason given for Sachs’s departure was that his work was largely complete. Lewis A. Sachs, one of the

Vineyard defaults surge as lost land values undermine Napa wine – Daily Business Review
n California’s Napa Valley, producer of the most expensive U.S. wines, 2010 may be a vintage year for foreclosures as the industry is squeezed by falling land values and a consumer shift to cheaper brands. As many as 10 wineries and vineyards in

Washington Must Ban U.S. Credit Derivatives as Traders Demand Gold – Huffingtonpost.com
Congress should act immediately to abolish credit default swaps on the United States, because these derivatives will foment distortions in global currencies and gold. Failure to act now will only mean the U.S. will be forced to act after these

AIG agrees to sell Alico to MetLife for $15.5 billion – Daily Business Review
merican International Group Inc. agreed to sell a division to MetLife Inc. for $15.5 billion in the bailed-out company’s second divestiture of a non-U.S. life insurance unit this month. MetLife will pay $6.8 billion in cash and $8.7 billion in

Can they repossess the dog? What to know if the repo man comes calling – WTVF
In the past several years, one type of repossession has been in the headlines — home foreclosures. The term “foreclosure” actually refers to the process a bank undertakes to repossess a home when the owner has stopped making mortgage payments

‘Jet’-setting mobile home residents set to burn mortgage – Bradenton Herald
PALMETTO – Ask just about anyone what their favorite thing is about living in Jet Mobile Home Park, and they’ll probably tell you it’s their neighbors. “It’s the people, they’re so friendly,” said Kortne Lampman, who with her husband, Lee

Why I’m Now Less Optimistic About Credit Crisis – Seekingalpha.com
I have taken a less optimistic view of the credit crisis’ workout phase as evidenced by recent posts like Wood: “The endgame will be a systemic government debt crisis in the western world” and The mindset will not change; a depressionary

The Malaysian Insider – The Malaysian Insider
Premier League per se, who in their drive to become the best football league in the world, have transformed what is essentially a working class game into a quagmire of debt and dodgy dealings So the clubs mortgage every bolt in every seat in

Greece’s debt crisis may be felt on U.S. soil – Austin American-Statesman
The fear among some analysts is that just as subprime mortgage loans — representing a minuscule portion of the global financial landscape — triggered an epochal crisis back in 2007, so could Greece cause problems for much bigger, and apparently

The Biggest Financial Bailout of Them All – Huffingtonpost.com
Management estimates that the cumulative effect of adopting FAS 166/167 will Now, thanks to Congress, junk bond investors will be able to pawn off their bad debt to Fannie and Freddie, instead of suing the big investment houses for ripping them

The Willies – American Reporter
BRADENTON, Fla., Dec. 24, 2009 — Yesterday, without warning, my right leg suddenly became paralyzed five times for about two minutes each time. It’s already happened twice today. So don’t holiday me. I’m falling apart. About six months ago, I was in

The Malaysian Insider – The Malaysian Insider
Premier League per se, who in their drive to become the best football league in the world, have transformed what is essentially a working class game into a quagmire of debt and dodgy dealings So the clubs mortgage every bolt in every seat in

Greece’s debt crisis may be felt on U.S. soil – Austin American-Statesman
The fear among some analysts is that just as subprime mortgage loans — representing a minuscule portion of the global financial landscape — triggered an epochal crisis back in 2007, so could Greece cause problems for much bigger, and apparently

The Biggest Financial Bailout of Them All – Huffingtonpost.com
Management estimates that the cumulative effect of adopting FAS 166/167 will Now, thanks to Congress, junk bond investors will be able to pawn off their bad debt to Fannie and Freddie, instead of suing the big investment houses for ripping them

Fame & Fortune: Jayne-Anne Gadhia – Times Online
JAYNE-ANNE GADHIA is chief executive of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Money and is leading its drive to become a high street bank this year. It hopes to start offering its own savings accounts in the summer, followed by mortgages at Christmas and

Greece’s debt crisis may be felt on U.S. soil – Austin American-Statesman
Greece’s economy is about the same size as that of Massachusetts. The Mediterranean nation ranks 63rd among buyers of U.S. exports. Athens is 5,139 miles from Washington. But despite this literal and figurative distance, the Greek debt crisis has

The Rules, Part I – GuruFocus
Dear readers, I am now on Twitter — AlephBlog is my moniker if you want to follow me. I have been somewhat reluctant to do this, but tonight’s post stems from a file on nonlinear dynamics on my computer that I developed between 1999 and 2003 for

Fed ending program to unfreeze U.S. credit – Cincinnati.com
Loan requests during the final round of TALF for non-mortgage debt may have been limited by what Bank of America Corp. analyst Theresa O’Neill in a Feb. 26 report called an “increasingly more onerous” process for potential borrowers to get Fed

How to qualify for the best mortgage rates you hear advertised – Examiner
Whether you are buying a house, an investment property, or refinancing a current mortgage, there is a long list of variables that determine what rates you will pay. In addition to considering rates, there are still many types of loans available, each

Greece’s debt crisis may be felt on U.S. soil – Austin American-Statesman
Greece’s economy is about the same size as that of Massachusetts. The Mediterranean nation ranks 63rd among buyers of U.S. exports. Athens is 5,139 miles from Washington. But despite this literal and figurative distance, the Greek debt crisis has

The Rules, Part I – GuruFocus
Dear readers, I am now on Twitter — AlephBlog is my moniker if you want to follow me. I have been somewhat reluctant to do this, but tonight’s post stems from a file on nonlinear dynamics on my computer that I developed between 1999 and 2003 for

Fed ending program to unfreeze U.S. credit – Cincinnati.com
Loan requests during the final round of TALF for non-mortgage debt may have been limited by what Bank of America Corp. analyst Theresa O’Neill in a Feb. 26 report called an “increasingly more onerous” process for potential borrowers to get Fed

Fed ending program to unfreeze U.S. credit – Cincinnati.com
Loan requests during the final round of TALF for non-mortgage debt may have been limited by what Bank of America Corp. analyst Theresa O’Neill in a Feb. 26 report called an “increasingly more onerous” process for potential borrowers to get Fed

Greece’s debt crisis may be felt on U.S. soil – Austin American-Statesman
Greece’s economy is about the same size as that of Massachusetts. The Mediterranean nation ranks 63rd among buyers of U.S. exports. Athens is 5,139 miles from Washington. But despite this literal and figurative distance, the Greek debt crisis has

The Biggest Financial Bailout of Them All – Huffingtonpost.com
Let me take you back to Christmas Eve, 2009. It was a time to wrap gifts for loved-ones. That’s how the Obama Administration felt about the financial industry when it lifted all caps in emergency bailout money to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That

Fed ending program to unfreeze U.S. credit – Cincinnati.com
Loan requests during the final round of TALF for non-mortgage debt may have been limited by what Bank of America Corp. analyst Theresa O’Neill in a Feb. 26 report called an “increasingly more onerous” process for potential borrowers to get Fed

Greece’s debt crisis may be felt on U.S. soil – Austin American-Statesman
Greece’s economy is about the same size as that of Massachusetts. The Mediterranean nation ranks 63rd among buyers of U.S. exports. Athens is 5,139 miles from Washington. But despite this literal and figurative distance, the Greek debt crisis has

Rep. Barney Frank warns of Fannie, Freddie risks – Washington Post
An influential voice on Capitol Hill has unexpectedly called into question the safety of investing in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , raising the specter that investors who have lent money to the two firms or bought their mortgage-backed securities

Getting a Card with Bad Credit – Associated Content
If you are like many other Americans and suffering from bad credit, than you may be finding it hard to obtain a debit or credit card, along with bank accounts. Now days it seems like no one uses cash for anything, and you have to have a card to

Rep. Barney Frank warns of Fannie, Freddie risks – Washington Post
An influential voice on Capitol Hill has unexpectedly called into question the safety of investing in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , raising the specter that investors who have lent money to the two firms or bought their mortgage-backed securities

What’s More Important: Price Per Ounce or Ounces Owned? – HoweStreet.com
In a recent conversation with a fellow gold analyst, he was emphatic that the price one pays for physical gold should be ignored. “What’s far more important,” he insisted, “is how many ounces I own in relation to the total value of my assets

Borer property sales completed – North Adams Transcript
ADAMS — A receivership formed to take control of four properties owned by Carol Borer and managed by her son, Daniel Borer, has finished its job of fixing and selling the holdings. Town officials said they are pleased with the outcome, and the

Q&A: Title company agent finds rewards in job – Colorado Springs Gazette
Sara Martin doesn’t buy or sell real estate, but she’s had a hand in thousands of deals over more than 30 years. As an account representative for Land Title Guarantee Co. in Colorado Springs, Martin works with buyers and sellers, real estate

Financial Advice – Drastic Steps to Get Out of Debt As Soon As – PRLog (free press release)
Sell Your Home: If your mortgage is eating up a good chunk of your monthly income, it might be time to consider relocating. You can relocate to an apartment for the time being or take the money from the sale of your home and put towards a much

Frank Shocks Investors – TopNews United States
the investors yesterday by saying that the US Treasury will not be liable to pull shareholders out of their $5 trillion mortgage-linked securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He said, “Please don’t think this debt is federally

No banker left behind – Asheville Citizen-Times
They do have a license to steal. There is no other way to read the report from the New York state comptroller that bonuses for Wall Street financiers rose 17 percent to $20.3 billion in 2009. Of course, that is less than the $32.9 billion for bonus

What’s More Important: Price Per Ounce or Ounces Owned? – HoweStreet.com
In a recent conversation with a fellow gold analyst, he was emphatic that the price one pays for physical gold should be ignored. “What’s far more important,” he insisted, “is how many ounces I own in relation to the total value of my assets

Borer property sales completed – North Adams Transcript
ADAMS — A receivership formed to take control of four properties owned by Carol Borer and managed by her son, Daniel Borer, has finished its job of fixing and selling the holdings. Town officials said they are pleased with the outcome, and the

Q&A: Title company agent finds rewards in job – Colorado Springs Gazette
Sara Martin doesn’t buy or sell real estate, but she’s had a hand in thousands of deals over more than 30 years. As an account representative for Land Title Guarantee Co. in Colorado Springs, Martin works with buyers and sellers, real estate

Financial Advice – Drastic Steps to Get Out of Debt As Soon As – PRLog (free press release)
Sell Your Home: If your mortgage is eating up a good chunk of your monthly income, it might be time to consider relocating. You can relocate to an apartment for the time being or take the money from the sale of your home and put towards a much

Frank Shocks Investors – TopNews United States
the investors yesterday by saying that the US Treasury will not be liable to pull shareholders out of their $5 trillion mortgage-linked securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He said, “Please don’t think this debt is federally

Snag a tax break on debt forgiveness – Norristown Times Herald
I recently sold my home in New York in a short sale after 14 years. At the time of the sale, the amount owed on the house was $390,500. We sold it for $187,917, which leaves $202,583 to be forgiven. How much of this amount is taxable? Your question

Caution ahead for ‘10 – Ithaca Journal
mortgage or credit card statements for a quick snapshot of their financial condition. Consumers, it turns out, are trying to pay down loans rather than take on new debt. They’re postponing rather than purchasing. Those who are applying for a

No banker left behind – Asheville Citizen-Times
They do have a license to steal. There is no other way to read the report from the New York state comptroller that bonuses for Wall Street financiers rose 17 percent to $20.3 billion in 2009. Of course, that is less than the $32.9 billion for bonus

Snag a tax break on debt forgiveness – Norristown Times Herald
I recently sold my home in New York in a short sale after 14 years. At the time of the sale, the amount owed on the house was $390,500. We sold it for $187,917, which leaves $202,583 to be forgiven. How much of this amount is taxable? Your question

Caution ahead for ‘10 – Ithaca Journal
mortgage or credit card statements for a quick snapshot of their financial condition. Consumers, it turns out, are trying to pay down loans rather than take on new debt. They’re postponing rather than purchasing. Those who are applying for a

Panelists Questions Citigroup’s ‘Government Guarantee’ – New York Times
“We are selling 40 percent of the company,” Vikram S. Pandit said to the Congressional Oversight Panel, which is monitoring the use of federal bailout money. “We are breaking it up.” Mr. Pandit used his testimony on Thursday to try to blunt

Wall Street Took Your House and Your Retirement, Now They’re After – AlterNet
Walker, former head of the Government Accounting Office, to spearhead a massive campaign to reduce the runaway federal debt, which the Peterson/Walker Because of the surging defaults on subprime mortgages, investors have now shied away from

Panelists Questions Citigroup’s ‘Government Guarantee’ – New York Times
“We are selling 40 percent of the company,” Vikram S. Pandit said to the Congressional Oversight Panel, which is monitoring the use of federal bailout money. “We are breaking it up.” Mr. Pandit used his testimony on Thursday to try to blunt

TheSpec.com – BreakingNews – Royal Bank profit up 35 per cent to $1.5 – Hamilton Spectator
Canada’s largest bank racked up a $1.5-billion first-quarter profit, a 35 per cent gain from the same period a year earlier helped by cost cutting and an economic landscape beginning to recover from the recession. Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) said

The 7 Words That Will Save America – Motley Fool
“We expect you to repay your debts.” Those seven words could save America. Let me tell you why. Heads, I win Surely you’ve heard of the onslaught of people walking away from their homes because their property is worth less than the mortgage

TheSpec.com – BreakingNews – Royal Bank profit up 35 per cent to $1.5 – Hamilton Spectator
Canada’s largest bank racked up a $1.5-billion first-quarter profit, a 35 per cent gain from the same period a year earlier helped by cost cutting and an economic landscape beginning to recover from the recession. Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) said