Counting the Underwater Homeowners
A new report finds a slight decline in the ranks of those who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, but the figure still comes to one in five.
View ArticleBankers, Too, Cast a Safety Net
As many lenders relaxed standards for borrowing, they inadvertently created a safety net for some borrowers, an economist writes.
View ArticleThe Fed’s Advice on the Housing Crisis
A Federal Reserve report to Congress says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could help end the chill in the housing market by worrying less about their own short-term financial condition.
View ArticleThe Largest Marginal Tax Rate Ever?
Changes the Treasury has made in mortgage modification programs for people facing foreclosure impose enormous marginal tax rates, an economist writes.
View ArticleThe Market Has Spoken, and It Is Rigged
In the aftermath of the Barclays rate-fixing scandal, politicians and regulators need to act to restore the trust on which financial transactions must be based, an economist writes.
View ArticleThe Baby Boom and Economic Recovery
Post-recession levels of employment may be affected as much by demographics as by the nation's economic policies, an economist writes.
View ArticleRead This Book, Win the Election
Both presidential candidates might find attractive ideas for banking regulation in a new book by the former chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, an economist writes.
View ArticleYour Fees, Their Bank
Consumers would do well to pay more attention to what they pay in bank fees and to consider the more consumer-friendly approach of credit unions, an economist writes.
View ArticleAnother Asterisk for Asset Purchases
A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York adds to the list of reasons asset purchases don’t work better.
View ArticleForgiveness Formulas
Forms of debt forgiveness can make collection more efficient but run the risk of debtors' gaming the system, an economist writes.
View ArticleProgress on Housing Finance Reform
A sound housing finance system that insulates taxpayers against bailouts would require some private capital and let new firms enter the securitization business, an economist writes.
View ArticleFurther Progress on Housing Finance
As proposals to replace taxpayer support for home mortgages with private finance move through Congress, it's time for the Obama administration to take a position in this debate, an economist writes.
View ArticleThe Sacrosanct Mortgage Interest Deduction
There are more effective ways to help homeowners with their taxes, but Congress has never shown an appetite for eliminating the deductibility of mortgage interest, an economist writes.
View ArticleMoving Forward on Housing Reform
Some of President Obama's proposals for reshaping home finance hold promise, an economist writes, but the challenge will be to promote lending without indulging irresponsible borrowers.
View ArticleWhen Lenders Are Not Paid Back
The bankruptcy cases of cities and automakers, and the threat to use eminent domain to write down mortgage values, may make it harder and more expensive for American consumers to borrow, an economist...
View ArticleThe Guarantee That Banks May Fear to Invoke
Big banks may be hiding losses on delinquent loans because forcing them into foreclosure could prompt the Federal Housing Administration to refuse to cover them, according to a report in The American...
View ArticleCounting the Underwater Homeowners
A new report finds a slight decline in the ranks of those who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, but the figure still comes to one in five.
View ArticleBankers, Too, Cast a Safety Net
As many lenders relaxed standards for borrowing, they inadvertently created a safety net for some borrowers, an economist writes.
View ArticleThe Fed’s Advice on the Housing Crisis
A Federal Reserve report to Congress says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could help end the chill in the housing market by worrying less about their own short-term financial condition.
View ArticleThe Largest Marginal Tax Rate Ever?
Changes the Treasury has made in mortgage modification programs for people facing foreclosure impose enormous marginal tax rates, an economist writes.
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