News

2008

September

23

• Fed chief urges rapid bailout. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Congress Tuesday that global financial markets are under "extraordinary stress" and lawmakers must act urgently to stabilize conditions and "avert what otherwise could be very serious consequences for our…

• Bailout's tricky balancing act. As the government weighs how to bail out the financial sector, the plan's engineers face a dilemma. The higher the prices the government pays for troubled mortgage securities held by banks, the more the rescue…

• The Crisis and your pocketbook. The government's complicated financial intervention has left many everyday consumers and investors curious about the impact on their pocketbook. Today, The Post is starting a feature that attempts to answer some timely personal finance questions.…

• Llegan a un acuerdo de plan de rescate financiero. El gobierno y los principales legisladores del país acordaron incluir ayuda hipotecaria, un aumento de la supervisión del Congreso y un paquete de estímulos a compañías en problemas en su plan de 700,000 millones de…

• Los latinos pagan más interés. Los consumidores hispanos en Estados Unidos pagan una tasa de interés mucho más alta que la del resto de estadounidenses cuando compran automóviles, especialmente los usados, reveló la Federación de Consumidores de Estados Unidos (CFA,…

22

• Main Street resentment brewing over bailout. The bailout doesn't smell right to the people of Manassas Park, where the foreclosure signs are as common as azaleas. They know all about bad debt here. This is a terrain of oversize dreams, misjudgment,…

• Can we dodge a recession?. Business was already down at the Muddy Cup Coffee House this year. Now, Jim Svetz, owner of nine coffee shops in Upstate New York, fears things are only going to get worse. Consumers "see the…

• Stopping a run on money market funds. The government's plan to stop a run on money market funds is stemming the panic but raises questions on whether investors will change how they save. To stop what was turning into an exodus from…

• Aprende a invertir en la bolsa. A todo el mundo le encanta encontrarse de vez en cuando con gangas, grandes rebajas y ventas con precios especiales y descuentos; y cuando logramos llevar a casa algo que obtuvimos a un costo espectacularmente…

21

• For banks, bailout. For consumers, credit advice. The Treasury Department started a campaign last week to educate Americans about the importance of credit. The campaign was not designed for Wall Street banks, currently awaiting the details on their $700 billion government bailout,…

• Fat yields on Certificates of Deposit. There's nothing wrong with a little schadenfreude these days when it comes to investing in certificates of deposit. That's because struggling banks, desperate to attract deposits, are ratcheting up CD rates, which many healthy banks…

• Couch on order, company bankrupt: Now what?. Maybe they'll become collector's items, my coffee table from Bombay Co., some old bedside tables from Scan. Both are retailers that have shuttered their stores after filing for bankruptcy protection. It's the trickle-down result of…

20

• Wall St. credit turmoil felt on Main St.. Credit for consumers and companies alike was choking to a halt as the crisis on Wall Street intensified earlier this week. But when word of a government bailout for financial institutions began to circulate yesterday,…

• Well-heeled find surprisingly good fit at Goodwill. Of course they don't shop at Goodwill, the women said. At least that was their line at the start of the French Embassy event Thursday night. Buy secondhand couture? A toss of salon-fresh hair accompanied…

• FTC settlement shines light on bad practices. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers have dominated recent headlines, but a little-noticed $28 million settlement earlier this month between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and what's left of Bear Stearns symbolizes…

19

• Treasury to guarantee money market funds. The Treasury Department said Friday morning that it would guarantee, at least temporarily, money market funds up to an amount of $50 billion in order to ensure their solvency. “For the next year, the U.S.…

18

• Central banks move to restore confidence. A consortium of the world's major central banks this morning pumped $180 billion into global financial markets, an effort to ensure banks have access to enough cash and to jumpstart a system that had virtually…

• Era of easy credit comes to abrupt end. The years of easy money were fun while they lasted. Banks and credit card providers were so flush with cash that they could help virtually anyone — including many who had trouble juggling their bills…

• AIG Insurance: How am I affected?. The financial problems at American International Group Inc. may be causing you great concern if you hold an AIG life, health, home or auto insurance policy, or have an annuity with the company. Insurance industry…

• Learn to discern between good and bad advice. If your e-mail inbox is like mine, it's filling up with tips on how to handle the crisis on Wall Street. Given the turmoil, this is prime time for scams, bogus business opportunities and questionable…