December 18th, 2009
Friday Scoop on Credit Karma & Housing Market News
The unemployment rate is falling! A government report shows that more states, 36 to be exact, reported declining unemployment rates in November while only 8 states posted rising unemployment; 6 states held the same jobless rate. Across the nation, the unemployment rate improved to 10% from October’s 10.2%. Better prospects in the job market could ring in feelings of bottom-to-top economic recovery come new year. For news on Credit Karma and housing market, check out the following round-up:
Credit Karma in the News
- CBS MoneyWatch adds some advice from Credit Karma to the article, “What to do in 2010: banking, loans, and credit cards“.
- Know your limits features Credit Karma November credit trends, reported by St. Joseph News-Press.
- The Coor’s Credit Union Blog does a quick, fun review of our site in Your Credit Karma.
- Improving a great credit score comes down to timing, reports CreditCards.com, and also includes some tips from Credit Karma.
- Want to whip your personal finances into better shape? MickMel blogs about Credit Karma as one of the ways to organize your digital life.
Home & Mortgage News
- Even heard of extreme modifications: 2% mortgage? CNN Money reports.
- CashMoneyLife shares 6 advantages of renting instad of buying your home.
- Should you pay the mortgage or walk away? Wall Street Journal shines some light on the topic before you make a decision.
- Worried about your safety but can’t afford a state-of-the-art alarm system? Frugal Dad blogs on affordable home security techniques to consider during the holidays (and beyond).
- MSN Money reports on an invisible threat to home values, and how neighborhood foreclosures affect local property value.
This Week’s Mortgage Rates
Mortgage rates across the board are inching higher for the third consecutive week, as indicated by Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey. Rates for the three most popular mortagage types–30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and 5/1 ARM–have increased nearly half a percent since last week. Bankrate.com reports that the continued rise in mortgage rates, which are closely related to yields on long-term Treasury securities, are being influenced by an improving economy and a glut of government debt that has served to push yields on government debt higher in recent weeks.
Bankrate’s recent survey results:
- 30-year fixed: 5.13% — up from 5.04% last week (avg. points: 0.42)
- 15-year fixed: 4.53% — up from 4.47% last week (avg. points: 0.40)
- 5/1 ARM: 4.55% — up from 4.55% last week (avg. points: 0.39)
well well well, the recession is finally turning around. Although, did anyone ever take the time to notice that the stock market was climbing before the recession ended? I found that to be… condisending…no?