With the country stuck in a painful recession, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key interest rate at an all-time low this week and examine other unconventional ways to lift the economy. ...more

January 26, 2009

This is in reference to Dick Ford's Jan. 13 letter "Democratic Recession." Like most Republicans he feels Democrats are always to blame for all of the ills of our country. Republicans insist the 2001 economic down turn was in progress and inherited by Bush from the Clinton administration. Even though Obama will inherit the current recession (maybe depression) from Bush, I'm sure you Republicans will find a way to blame it on the Democrats. ...more

January 18, 2009

Rates on 30-year mortgages set a record for a fifth straight week by dropping to below 5 percent, the lowest mark since Freddie Mac started tracking the data in 1971. ...more

January 15, 2009

I saw a feature writer column in today's (Jan. 1) paper titled "2008 Democracy Recession." I thought our present recession was caused by the hatred of the Democrats for George W. Bush. Bush told Congress in 2002 that the lack of regulatory restraint on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was a potential problem that would cause strong repercussions in the financial markets. Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Charles Schumer brushed him off and paid no heed. Then in 2005, Alan Greenspan told Congress to enable these institutions to increase in size, "Would place the total financial system of the future at a substantial risk." Even Sen. McCain, in 2005, said on the Senate floor that these institutions needed to be reformed. However the Democrats' bias toward Bush resulted in no action. ...more

January 3, 2009

U.S. mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level in nearly four decades this week as the government stepped up efforts to revive the housing market. ...more

January 1, 2009

Madoff Monitored By Feds; Obama Reacts To Scandal NEW YORK (AP) - Bernard Madoff spent his first day under electronic monitoring Thursday as President-elect Barack Obama said the scandal brought on by the disgraced investor "has reminded us yet again of how badly reform is needed." ...more

December 21, 2008

Rates on 30-year-fixed mortgages dropped this week to their lowest levels in at least 37 years, as the Federal Reserve pledged to pour money into the mortgage market in an effort to spur the moribund U.S. housing market. ...more

December 19, 2008

Hands Free A Must I do agree that driving with a cell phone at any age is dangerous. May I say hazardous to your health? ...more

December 16, 2008

Criticizing the White House directly for the first time since November's election, President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday accused President Bush of not doing enough to stem the nation's home foreclosure crisis. ...more

December 8, 2008

There were 163 homes scheduled for sale by auction Thursday at the Hillsborough County Courthouse – more than the county has ever auctioned in a single day. "In 13 years, I've never seen it like this," said Tamra Wondrow, owner of Foreclosure Disclosure, a Tampa foreclosure listing service. ...more

December 5, 2008