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Mortgage 101: Avoiding pitfalls
The days of getting a home loan without proof of a paycheck or any indication of your financial health appear to be gone. But that doesn't mean the process is any less confusing or that all lenders are completely trustworthy.
Don't be fooled: 'Investment' is insurance
Nicholson: Q: We met with a financial planner because his firm was offering a CD with a great rate. It turns out that his firm actually added two percentage points to the bank-issued CD as a way to entice people to come in and meet with advisers.
Just like that, home equity line cut in half
Carolyn and Joe Mottola signed a contract for a new house Aug. 14. They deposited a $5,000 check written on their home equity line of credit at Wachovia. That same evening, they opened a letter from Wachovia dated Aug. 11 saying that their $100,000 line of credit had been suspended.
Kids' lunches get fresh look
With food prices rising and packages shrinking, parents are wondering how they'll stretch their food budgets. Children are going to get an unwitting lesson in economics, analysts say, as parents change their food-buying habits to keep costs down.
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