CRA Newswire

FEMA: President Trump Approves Second Major Disaster Declaration for Kentucky

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster aid has been made available to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning on February 21, 2018 to March 21, 2018. Federal funding is available to commonwealth,…

FEMA: President Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for Alabama

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Alabama to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and tornadoes during the period of March 19, 2018 through March 20, 2018. The President’s action makes Federal funding available to…

SBA: National Small Business Week 2018 Kicks Off April 29th

The U.S. Small Business Administration kicks off National Small Business Week 2018 on April 29 in the nation’s capital by having SBA Administrator Linda McMahon recognize and award the nation’s top small businesses, entrepreneurs, small business advocates and champions. Since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration…

SBA: Visa and SBA Kick Off National Small Business Week Hackathon in Washington, DC

Participants compete for $24k prize pool WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration and Visa will host the first-ever National Small Business Week Hackathon at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. on April 27-29. App developers, business owners, ideas generators and local entrepreneurs will be challenged to mash up API’s from the U.S. Government…

FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in March 2018

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from February to March, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.49 percent for loans closed in late March, up 21 basis points from 4.28 percent in February….

CFPB: Amendent to “Know Before You Owe” Mortgage Disclosure Rule Finalized

Today the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) finalized an amendment to its “Know Before You Owe” mortgage disclosure rule that addresses when mortgage lenders with a valid justification may pass on increased closing costs to consumers and disclose them on a Closing Disclosure. The update is intended to provide greater clarity and certainty to…

ABA: Report Shows Credit Card Market Expanded in Fourth Quarter 2017 Amid Strong Holiday Spending Season

Credit card use continued to grow in the fourth quarter of 2017 on the back of a strong holiday season for consumer spending, according to the American Bankers Association’s latest quarterly Credit Card Market Monitor. On an annual basis, monthly purchase volumes rose 3.9 percent for prime accounts and 5.1 percent for super-prime accounts, but…

FEMA: Every Florida Business Should Have a Disaster Preparedness Plan

There is much that a business leader can do to prepare his or her organization for likely hazards. Many parts of the United States, including Florida, may be directly affected by tropical storms and hurricanes. The Ready Business program helps business managers make a disaster plan before the June 1 start of the hurricane season….

HUD: Secretary Carson Proposes Rent Reform

Reforms to make current rent policies simpler, more transparent and predictable WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today unveiled a package of reforms designed to offer Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), property owners and HUD-assisted families a simpler, less invasive and more transparent set of rent structures, and places HUD’s rental…