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Personal Finance News

Petrobras sells 64 bln dlrs of stock to fund oil exploration (AFP)

AFP - Brazil's Petrobras unveiled one of the world's biggest share offerings Friday, a sale of up to 64 billion dollars in new stock to finance oil exploration aimed at turning Brazil into a leading oil exporter of the 21st century.

MGIC added $1.2B in mortgage coverage in August (AP)
AP - Private mortgage insurer Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp. said Friday it added $1.2 billion in new primary insurance coverage in August and the number of delinquent loans it insures declined.
Sirius XM Has a Stern Decision to Make (The Motley Fool)
The Motley Fool - Satellite-radio star Howard Stern is negotiating in public again.
5 Tax Moves to Make Now (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - It may seem a bit strange to be talking about income taxes in September. There are, however, good reasons to think about taxes well before April 15. For starters, there are some big changes in the tax code that go into effect in 2011. Depending on your income tax bracket and investments, some simple planning now could save you a bundle later.
Summary Box: Mortgage rates hit low of 4.32 pct. (AP)
AP - RECORD LOWS: Mortgage rates fell to the lowest levels in decades for the tenth time in 11 weeks, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan was 4.32 percent. The 15-year fixed loan hit 3.83 percent.
How to Get a Government-Backed, Zero-Down-Payment Mortgage (U.S. News & ...
U.S. News & World Report - More than four years after real estate values peaked, the historic plunge in home prices remains fresh in the minds of mortgage lenders. After taking painful losses on delinquent home loans, banks have imposed tougher standards--such as increased credit scores and higher down payment requirements--on applicants of all stripes. And as investors fled for the hills, the exotic mortgage products that helped fuel the real estate boom have largely disappeared from the private market. But that doesn't mean all buyers need a big pile of cash to snag a home loan. ...
5 Reasons You Should Buy Your Latte (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - The Latte Factor, a term coined (and trademarked) by personal finance guru David Bach, is one of the most talked about concepts in the world of personal finance. But it might be based on faulty math.
The Next 4 Dot-Com Buyouts (The Motley Fool)
The Motley Fool - Shares of Salary.com (Nasdaq: SLRY - News) -- a small provider of human resources applications on the cloud -- soared 43% yesterday, after agreeing to be acquired by larger rival Kenexa (Nasdaq: KNXA - News).
Mortgage rates hit record low: Freddie Mac (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. mortgage rates fell in the past week to the latest in a series of record lows as yields on government debt dropped, according to a survey released on Thursday by Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. mortgage finance company.
Mortgage rates hit decades-low of 4.32 percent (AP)

AP - Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in decades for the tenth time in 11 weeks, as investors worried about the economy.

(AP)
AP - Coast Guard: no sign of oil leak after Gulf platform fire, but crews continue to monitor.
No bank account? Get your tax refund on plastic (AP)
AP - A new Treasury Department program to give people without bank accounts faster access to their tax refunds will help some avoid costly short-term loans. But careless consumers could end up racking up fees and padding bank profits.
Why It's Harder to Be a Clueless Consumer (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - American consumers hate being told what to do, and to prove it, we routinely make choices that are irrational and counterproductive. We make impulse purchases we can't afford. We build bigger houses than we need, chaining ourselves to an onerous mortgage for years. We drive rugged, four-wheel-drive vehicles even though we never leave the pavement. We buy Snuggies.
5 Ways to Simplify Your Personal Finances (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - If you're combining your life with a new spouse, moving from one house to another, or just frustrated with the amount of documentation you have filed (or unfiled) in your basement, it's a good time to simplify your finances. Simplification is not only practical, it is beautiful. This is the concept of kanso, a Japanese aesthetic usually applied to gardens. Through a stretch of the mind, we can apply this beauty to our lives and our finances.
Mortgage applications rise 2.7 pct on low rates (AP)
AP - Mortgage applications rose 2.7 percent last week as more borrowers took advantage of the lowest rates in decades to reduce their monthly loan payments.

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