Insurance Content Index - Page 10

Loan modifications are hard for homeowners to figure out. Many get mixed signals about whether they qualify for a loan modification from their mortgage loan servicers. You might be told you do qualify for a loan modification one day, and then in the next letter told that you do not qualify for a loan modification - even though your financial situation has gotten worse. Find out whether you qualify for a loan modification by contacting a HUD housing counselor. And, call back your own mortgage lender frequently to check on the status of your loan modification.

Renovation costs have soared out of control - even in the current recession. You'd think that renovation costs would be less because fewer home improvement contractors are employed. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Consumers, mindful of renovation costs are staging their home improvement projects. Doing home improvement projects in phases lowers renovation costs.

NEW UPDATE 9/10/09: Today's update is an edited, condensed transcript of my conversation with BOA spokesperson Rick Simon. Cenlar is a legitimate loan servicing company and Roundpoint is NOT A SCAM. The situation is confusing, but not fake. 9/01/09 Yesterday, we reported that Bank of America taking over servicing rights for FHA loans and Ginnie Mae loans previously held by Taylor Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Company.Earlier this month, Taylor Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Company, which is owned by Colonial BancGroup shut its doors. Dozens of Taylor Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Company borrowers called the Clark Howard Show and Ilyce Glink Show to ask what they should do. Should they pay their old loans or new loans? How could they find out if their loans funded? The FDIC and Federal Reserve Bank have set up customer hotlines you can call to get information.

Ilyce Glink Show Note updates: We're talking about how the end of the recession may not make life on Main Street feel like life on Wall Street. There is a new $2 billion Ponzi scheme. Ben Stein, takes a job as pitchman for one of those yucky "free credit score" websites and gets fired from the New York Times. We open the ticket window for my new HOW TO PROFIT FROM FORECLOSURES event on October 24th. Get a very special 2 for 1 deal now off the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. Limited time offer. Use the discount code: glink

Today on the Clark Howard show, we discussed the new unemployment numbers. Ilyce talked about her upcoming How to Profit From Foreclosures event, on October 24th, and mentioned that Clark Howard listeners would get a special 2 for 1 offer on the Early Bird Special. Details of the offer are below. We also have FREE BOOKS and EBOOKS we're giving away. Thanks for listening to Newstalk 750 WSB.

The FHA 203k rehab loan (or 203(k)) Program offers government-backed loans to rehab and refinance a borrower's property. According to the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, this is an important program that can help stabilize the nation's struggling neighborhoods. Learn more about the FHA 203k loan and other types of rehab loans available below.

The latest scam warning from the BBB is about phony debt collectors. The scammers use personal information like social security numbers to get their victims to wire money under threat of going to jail. The BBB warns that just because they know your info and claim you owe money, doesn't make them legitimate. Find out how to detect if a call is phony and what to do if you get targeted.

Filling in for Clark Howard, Ilyce talked about the Deutsche Bank study that says 48 percent of homeowners could be underwater with their mortgage (owe more than the house is worth) by 2011, up from 26 percent now. But another study says home prices rose 5 percent in the last quarter. We'll discuss what's really going on. There's a new study out that says women want to shop and are tired of living the frugal life. Is that true? How do you feel about that? Mortgage rates fell to 5.22 percent (30-year fixed) for the first time in 3 weeks. Jobless claims fell to 550,000 last month, with continuing claims to 6.3 million. Are people falling off the unemployment rolls? FREE BOOK and EBOOK deals and a SPECIAL CLARK HOWARD DISCOUNT for the HOW TO PROFIT FROM FORECLOSURE EVENT.

Today on the Clark Howard Show, Ilyce discusses unemployment and the economy. Scams are all the rage (ThinkGlink.com has published 10 scam stories in the past two weeks.), and we'll discuss the new IRS scams you'll want to watch out for. Is there a better way to estimate closing costs? Ilyce thinks so. Also, sign up for her Ilyce Glink Fan Page on Facebook and get a free ebook. You'll also want to check out the ThinkGlink Store. And today, Ilyce opens the doors for her latest event: HOW TO PROFIT FROM FORECLOSURES, on October 24, 2009. Early bird special starts now and WILL NOT BE REPEATED. Find out more on today's Clark Howard Show.

The IRS issued a scam alert to taxpayers notifying them that there are new IRS scams and rip-offs that target identity theft they need to watch out for. These scams, including the "Making Work Pay Refund" Scam and phishing rip-offs like those telling you that you have inherited funds, won the lottery or claim a scheme for cash consignment, are ensnaring U.S. taxpayers. Here are the latest IRS identity theft scams and rip-offs to avoid, along with information on how to protect yourself.