Smart Borrower Blog

Archive for May, 2012

New Record Low Rates Spur Refinance Spike

After continued investor worries about Greece pushed mortgage interest rates down to new records lows last week, homeowners were lured back to the refinance table, pushing an index of applications 5.6 percent higher, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s seasonally adjusted index of all mortgage applications grew 3.8 percent during the week ended […]

Student Loan Interest Rate Increase Looms Near

Congress has just six weeks to act before subsidized student loans become a little more expensive. The interest rates on federal student loans are set to double July 1, potentially making it tougher for some students to afford their college tuition. Subsidized Stafford loans, available only to undergraduates now, will soon carry an interest rate […]

Small Business Loan Approval and Demand Falls in April

Both demand for and approval of small business loans declined in the U.S. in April, according to a recent survey from Biz2Credit, a result of increased fees and poor job creation numbers. The Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index reported that big banks (those with more than $10 billion in assets) approved just 10.6 percent of […]

Credit Card Act Hasn’t Changed Much for College Students

A new study says that a new set of regulations aimed partly at reducing credit card debt among college students is having little effect. Jim Hawkins, an assistant professor at the University of Houston Law Center, recently authored a study which surveyed 500 students about their credit card experiences. Based on his findings, he believes […]