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The statistics that go along with credit card and consumer debt are staggering. But do you know how bad things really are?

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San Diego a Hotbed for Missed Mortgage Payments

The housing crisis has hit hard everywhere. Even San Diego County is not safe from the ill effects of the mortgage problems.

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Five Tips for Reducing Credit Card Debt

Paying off your credit cards and debt is not always easy, but it is definitely worth the trouble. Here are some tips to help you make the process easier and smoother.

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The Obama administration has a program that is designed to help homeowners who are in financial trouble. But is it enough?

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The Fed today released a statement saying that it was raising the Discount Rate, the rate it charges banks for overnight loans, from .50% to 0.75%. This change was expected and the Fed was careful to point out that it still expects to keep... Read →

Berkshire selling J&J, P&G stakes

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has been selling shares in Johnson & Johnson, Proctor and Gamble and ConocoPhillips during the last quarter. Is Buffett bearish on the stock market?

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Series I Bonds are currently paying 3.36% and are state and local tax free (and federal tax deferred). They can't be sold for 1 year so can be compared to a 1-year CD.

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The minutes from the Fed's January FOMC meeting show guarded optimism about the economy. But deeds say more than words, and in the end the Fed decided to stick with their statement that conditions "warrant exceptionally low levels... Read →
Greg McBride from Bankrate says that he expects mortgage rates to rise half a percent or 50 basis points as the Fed stops buying mortgage backed securities. This is consistent with our own internal BestCashCow projections. The end of the... Read →

CNB Bank Direct today raised the rates on its 12,18, and 24 month certificates of deposit. It's a welcome change from the constant rate decreases we've seen over the past year. To take advantage of these rates, you must first have a CNB high yield savings account.

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BestCashCow's Lynne Ashminov interviews Tom Doe from Municipal Market Advisors on what's happening in the municipal bond market. The interview includes current municipal bond opportunities, an assessment of municipal bond credit risk, and Tom's opinion of the biggest challenge facing muni investors today. Part I of a two part interview.

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Savings rates and CD rates were little changed from a week ago, with rates moving 1 or 2 basis points for the various products. The top rates for various cd terms and savings accounts were unchanged from a week ago. The spread between short term and longer term deposit accounts remained elevated.

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Do you make a habit of applying and using store credit cards? If so, you could be putting yourself at a disadvantage.

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Everybody keeps talking about how bad the mortgage industry is doing the past couple years. Could things be turning around for the better?

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Once again, tax-exempt municipal bonds outperformed the Treasury market last week, although this may have been due to inattention during a holiday-shortened trading schedule and the large East Coast snowstorms. Still, demand remains exceptionally strong, fueled by investors fleeing the tax-exempt money funds and looking for a safe shelter from rising income tax rates.

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