The Federal Trade Commission has a new financial readiness website designed for mobile devices to help members of the military community navigate personal financial decisions in light of the unique challenges they face, such as frequent relocations and deployment. The FTC's provides the details, here.
The IRS has finalized a proposed rule issued in 2014 removing the three-year nonpayment testing period from the list of “events” for determining when debt had been discharged for purposes of issuing a Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt, to taxpayers. Prior to the change in the rule, individuals would receive a 1099-C after three years, […]
Read Americans Blame Obesity on Willpower, Despite Evidence It’s Genetic by Gina Kolata.
The statement is here. Excerpt: * * * Federal policy should focus on free enterprise, while protecting consumers by policing markets for force and fraud. Both Wall Street and Washington should be held accountable. Following the financial crisis, Congress enacted the Dodd-Frank Act, a sprawling and complex piece of legislation that has unleashed hundreds of […]
Here. The whole piece is worth reading, but here's an excerpt: Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign was filled with a lot of bold talk about “draining the swamp” and fighting against lobbyists. He attacked Hillary Clinton for her supposed cozy relationship with banks, and talked about how he’d stand up to Wall Street on behalf of the […]
"Obama Officials Work Against Time to Wrap Banking Rules" U.S. officials are striving to put finishing touches on a slew of banking rules before President Barack Obama leaves office and hands regulatory power to Donald Trump who has vowed to rewrite the existing financial rule book. President-elect Trump will take over on Jan. 20 and […]
Right after the election, Jeff Sovern wrote for this blog on the future (if any) of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under a new President (and a Congress controlled by the President's party). There's been a lot written on the topic in just the last few days, and I know it's something our readers are interested in. […]
This article in the New York Times discusses the increasing role of the cell phone number as a key personal identifier and source of credit-related information. Should it receive privacy protection comparable to the Social Security Number?
Here (costs $48), form the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. Here's the abstract: This study used data from online focus groups collected from November 2014 to April 2015 to understand college students' decision-making processes when borrowing money to finance their education. Data were collected using an online course management system. Results suggest that (a) students […]
Here. The entire article is worth reading, but I've pasted in an excerpt below. (HT: Gregory Gauthier) “Trump and his businesses seem to have been big proponents of arbitration, using it as a way of getting disputes out of courts and therefore out of the public eye,” defense attorney Liz Kramer told Bloomberg BNA. Kramer, of Stinson […]