Atlanta, GA- Home loan foreclosures by banks can offer a once in a lifetime type of opportunity to buyers who wish to enter the housing market at the lowest price possible.

It is quite possible that you will be able to buy foreclosed homes that you want in an area that you like at a price that you can afford.

This because in the first three months of 2010 there were 930,000 homes whose mortgage loans the banks foreclosed on. This rate is up 7 percent on the previous three months and 16% over the same quarter last year.

Analysts who cover the housing market say that there are three separate levels involved in the progress of foreclosures during an economic downturn. The first level involves property speculators who cease payment on speculative property when prices fall and the market decreases. The next groups of people who lose their mortgages are those borrowers who have had their interest rates increase for a variety of reasons.

Then the third level of people begins to lose their homes to foreclosure. These are people with standard prime rate mortgages who have had a financial crisis due to job loss or other factors brought on by the economic crisis. This third wave suggests to some analysts that a portion of these homes might be lost to the market for good.

Banks foreclose on mortgages and other home loans when the property owner is unable to pay back the money that was borrowed from the bank The property would then be put up for auction that enables anyone interested to buy the foreclosed homes to do so.

Los Angeles, CA- Americans continue to fight debt, but now are told by the National Foundation of Credit Counseling (NFCC) that if you are not using your credit cards, it could negatively affect your credit scores. It is a vicious circle that it is difficult to understand.

As consumers become more aware and concerned about their credit score, it is a good idea for them to pay attention to any credit cards they may have. The balance on the credit cards may be small but it is important that credit cards to at least have a balance.

A spokesperson for Fair Isaac (FICO), Craig Watts, said: “a zero balance won’t actually hurt your fico score but closing an old account could.” Banks sometimes automatically close accounts with a zero balance or sometimes charge fees for unused accounts causing consumers to close them.

During difficult times, many people depend on their credit cards to get them through and often get over their heads in credit card debt. A New York woman, Constance Whitfield juggled more than $20,000 with five different cards before she decided to seek help. She sought help from an attorney-based debt resolution program and ended up closing every account she had in fear of receiving a backlash of charges.

It is drilled into our heads that it is easy to go over board with credit cards, but a lot of people do not really understand the trouble they can get in until it is too late. There is a very clear message that having credit is important but overextending that credit can become very costly.

A new survey from the American Bankers Association confirms what many banking industry analysts have been saying for some time.

Generation Y bank customers are much more liable to use online banking than the generation that preceded them so banks that intend to remain competitive and attract Generation Y business will need to make continued and substantial investments in both the strategies and technology that supports and improves the online banking process. The survey that was carried out last year had 25% of respondents saying that their preferred method of banking was to go online.

Over the course of only 12 months, this year’s survey found that that number had increased to 36%, a clear indication that online banking is taking off with younger customers.

It has been found that bank customers in the 55 plus age range are more liable to want to do their business in person at their local branch but even this demographic group has 20% of people who say that they prefer online banking.

People in the Generation Y demographic group grew up using computers and are considered to be very technologically capable.

It is not surprising that they prefer the convenience of doing their banking online.

As they become more sophisticated in their banking needs they will want to see more banking applications available for mobile devices and demand that banking become more personalized with improved communications.

The American Bankers Association has said that its members feel that the future of banking is in online banking.

The former director of health and safety at SeaWorld Orlando, Linda Simons, filed a defamation lawsuit against SeaWorld that concerns the death of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at SeaWorld. The lawsuit alleges that there were no grounds for libel and slander to discredit Simons. The lawsuit asks for a jury trial, punitive damages and an injunction to prevent future defamation of Linda Simons.

The lawsuit was filed by Maurice Arcadia, Esq. Arcadia and partnerships, PA Melbourne, Florida. Arcadia is the managing partner of the firm and lead attorney on the case.

Simons had been the acting director of health and safety at SeaWorld a little over a week when the Brancheau was murdered by a killer whale, while interacting with him at the end of a show in February 2010.

The whale grabbed the trainer by her hair while she was standing on a small ledge around the pool and she was dragged underwater.

After the accident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched an investigation and issued three citations to SeaWorld claiming safety violations. During the investigation, Simons was appointed as the liaison between SeaWorld and OSHA.

Simons said that SeaWorld officials continued to lead her to try to hide any incriminating documents. Simons, however, cooperated fully with OSHA, which resulted in the citations and fines. According to the lawsuit, Simons went public about the pressure she received from SeaWorld for her to act illegally. After Simons went public, SeaWorld went on the offensive and began to slander Simons in the same media outlets.

In addition, Simons stated that SeaWorld offered money for her to remain silent, but SeaWorld has countered this by stating that Simmons tried to extort money from them in order for her to keep quiet.

EUR/USD Pivot Point Forecast for the Week – Forex Trading Predictions

EUR/USD jumped to as high as 1.3494 last week and the break of 1.3330 resistance confirms that entire rally from 1.1875 has came back. Initial bias remains on the upside this week and further ascent needs to be seen in the direction of the next target of 100% projection of 1.1875 to 1.3330 from 1.2587 at 1.4024, which is close to 1.4 psychological level.

About the draw back, below 1.3286 support will suggest that a temporary top is created and bring consolidations. But draw back needs to be contained by 1.3018/3158 support zone and create rally resumption.

In the larger scenario, price actions from 1.6039 is usually a correction to long-term rally from 0.8223 and will have finished right down to 1.1875 by now. Short term perspective will continue bullish so long as 1.2587 support remains in tact and additional rally should be seen to higher trend line resistance (1.6039, 1.5143, now at 1.4600) next. Break there will aim ata brand new high above 1.6039.

In the long run picture, considering the long term up trend from the 2000 low of 0.8223 to the 2008 high of 1.6039, price actions from 1.6039 are viewed being a correction only. Hence, we would be expecting a different high above 1.6039 in due course, after adjustment from 1.6039 is confirmed to be finished.

Expected pivot point level for the week is 1.3370. Other significant and previous pivot points, resistance and support level to be monitored are 1.4865, 1.4675, 1.4420, 1.4090, 1.3840, 1.3600

The Hertz Corporation has heralded its dedication and permanent focus to the new-age trendy electric cars. Being the world’s top most and the biggest common-use car rental group, Hertz Corporation said at the 2010 Annual Conference of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) that it will portray the next generation of EVs to the world with the help of its car hire and car share programs.

Since the company enjoys a conspicuous place in the car rental industry, this means that it is in the best position to be the leader of EV revolution. The company’s car rental services target people of all the walks of life for example students, business travelers and corporate renters. As it seems that Hertz’s EVs are certainly going to create a whole new trend in the industry, so, taking advantage of its market leadership, Hertz expects to set a standard for its competitors and partners.

Hertz is planning to release its EV car rental program this autumn and its affiliates and other companies outside U.S. will also follow suit. Hertz, being the pioneer in coining such an idea for the car rental market, will also launch a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). For this first rental and car-sharing program.

It will also construct charging stations to meet the fuel and power needs of such vehicles. As per Mark P Frissora, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Hertz, the company’s EV program will encourage the development of national as well as international facilities which will make the idea of electric vehicle travel a pervasive reality.

You might get into a situation when it becomes nearly impossible for you to pay the monthly installment of your mortgage loan. Such a situation like having a bad credit mortgage may arise because of different circumstances, for example, your salary decreases due to the ensuing recession, or your running expenses and bills etc.

At such times of difficulty you can get rescued by modifying your mortgage loan. Mortgage loan modification or refinancing is the act of getting exemption or reaching some sort of settlement regarding penalties and other terms and conditions on the original mortgage loan obtained from the lending bank. Changing the terms and conditions of the loan will change the factors such as reduce the interest rate, allow a longer term to repay the whole loan, or to decrease the quantum of monthly payments so as to make them affordable for you.

You just need to be fair and transparent in handing over your documents and other related information to the lending bank so as to get the best deal from it. Once you are determined that this is what you are going to do, then you have to write a loan modification request to the lending bank which would entail the precise information for example that you are unable to afford the monthly payments under the current terms and conditions and the reason for that.

Beware that the letter should be to the point and contain nothing but the facts. Before agreeing on the new refinanced loan which is in fact a second loan against the same asset, remember to properly peruse the rate, monthly payments and other terms and conditions. If you have a good credit score, your bad credit mortgage refinancing application would process faster. On the other hand, if due to a bad credit rating the refinance application gets rejected, you need to apply for a hardship loan modification, which besides lowering the monthly payments, also helps in improving your credit rating.

With the addition of technologies such as WiFi and the 3G in our lives, individuals on the go and smaller businesses can now perfectly integrate VoIP technology into their business plans.

Owners of small businesses and sole proprietorship’s who can appreciate and then implement the idea of using mobile VoIP with their existing VoIP service should devise the most efficient and cost effective plan for its implementation.

The planning part before the implementation of mobile VoIP call center is very crucial as it involves visualizing all the business needs and proposed business processes beforehand. If as a result, the mobile VoIP call center system gets seamlessly integrated with the existing VoIP, this will not only increase employee productivity and motivation but it will also increase the business revenue as now the employees would never miss any sales call even when they are out of the office.

Although it is a fact that a lot of businesses get attracted to VoIP call centers to slash their operating expenses and specifically to their telecommunication expenses, but this would come by a surprise to most of the readers that lowering the telecommunication bills is not the end in itself. Instead, the ready connectivity and availability of their employees through the mobile VoIP call center is the real benefit these businesses look for.

Bria for iPhone is an application which is effectively being used by these businesses as it enables their employees to effectively use their existing hosted VoIP service via their iPhones.

Bria allows the employees to receive or make VoIP calls from their iPhone while their official number is displayed to the customer as if they are present in the office and talking from there. Moreover, mobile VoIP call center means that calls made to and from the business’s mobile VoIP server are always free without the fear of per minute charging or any roaming charges.

Despite the extremely low mortgage rates available these days, the number of mortgage applications declined last week. Consequently, the purchase index reached the highest level in the last three months by increasing by 6.3 percent.

According to Mortgage Bankers Association, the mortgage application index, adjusted seasonally, which comprises both the purchase and the refinance loans, decreased by 1.5 percent for the week ending September 3rd. Refinancing alone dropped by 3.1 percent from the last week, which was the first drop in straight 6 weeks.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s vice president of research and economics, Michael Fratantoni said in a statement: “Purchase applications increased last week, reaching the highest level since the end of May, however, purchase activity remains well below levels seen prior to the expiration of the home buyer tax credit, and is almost 40 percent below the level recorded one year ago.”

He was of the opinion that the level of refinancing applications, although slightly down at the moment, is still floating close to its recently-made highs.

The vice president also said that the 4-week moving average for the purchase applications, which dampens the weekly fluctuations in the figures, also increased by 4.4 percent. The market share of refinancing applications dropped from 82.9 percent to 81.9 the current week.

Meanwhile the mortgage rates surged a bit over the last week but the percentage rose up from 4.43 percent in the previous week to 4.50 percent this week for 30-year fixed mortgages. Likewise, the mortgage rates for 15-year fixed mortgages increased from 3.88 in the last week to 4.9 percent in the current week.

The prime attention of the housing crisis has been on home owners who are losing their homes but on the other hand, millions of American homeowners are sacrificing in all walks of life. They are also trying hard to prevent themselves from defaulting on mortgages which are greater than the value of their homes.

Last week, a new program was initiated by Obama Administration whereby the lenders are required to offer these “underwater” mortgage holders refinanced loans with the support of the government. This rescheduling will exempt the 10 percent of their original loan. The program is expected to comfort around 500,000 to 1.5million distressed Americans.

But the problem isn’t only the above. According to Moody’s Economy.com, around 15 million homeowners were underwater on their mortgage after the first quarter. These figures are expected to get worse since home prices still need to return to a normal level.

For those who purchased homes when the housing market was at its zenith, Acording to Moody’s studies, these homeowners will owe more than the value of their homes for another couple of years.

According to Brookings Institute’s demographer William H. Frey, the workforce mobility is at its lowest since World War II, this has negatively affected the economy as far less people are now willing to move around in search of jobs. Similarly, the consumer spending which covers 70 percent of the total GDP has reduced by large extent. These conditions forecast the plight of people who might never be able to improve their financial situation.

Mary Ellen Nicol, a foreclosure prevention counselor at Creditability in Atlanta said,” Many older homeowners have had to change their retirement plans because they can’t depend on the equity in their home”.