Smart Borrower Blog

Archive for July, 2011

Small Banks Using Government Money to Repay Government Loans

Almost of all of the nation’s big banks have repaid the government bailout loans they received under the TARP program. In fact, the Treasury reports that it has loaned out $245 billion under the Capital Purchase Program (CPP), a main component of the TARP plan, and it has now been returned $255 billion in repayments, […]

Colleges Lose Money on New Credit Card Rules

In the wake of the 2009 Credit Card Act, also known as CARD, colleges and universities have felt a dramatic drop in their income from their school-affiliated credit cards. The Federal Reserve recently reported that the total number of credit cards issued through colleges and universities fell 17 percent in 2010. In terms of income, […]

Mortgage Applications Continue to Fall Despite Low Rates

Even though mortgage interest rates keep falling, it has not been enough to increase U.S. mortgage applications. Total applications for refinance loans and home purchase loans dropped 5.1 percent in the past week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, marking the fourth consecutive weekly decrease. The number of home purchase requests, often a sign of […]

Q1 Auto Loans Beat ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Results

The U.S. auto lending market is continuing to grow, according to the latest data from credit reporting agency Equifax Inc. The number of car loans increased by 21 percent during the first quarter of this year compared to the same time last year. “While some sectors of the economy – most notably housing – continue […]

Is Sallie Mae Beating The Odds?

Sallie Mae has had to succumb to numerous changes over the last year. Once known as the student loan lender giant, the company has had to make deep cuts, move its headquarters and refocus their business. Last year when new student loan regulations forced them out of the Federal backed student loan industry, many thought […]