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…
SBA: Los Angeles Investment Firm Named Small Business Investment Company of the Year
Avante Mezzanine Partners, a woman-owned fund of Los Angeles, Calif. has been named the 2018 Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Avante, along with other national winners and finalists for the National Small Business Person of the Year, have been invited to a recognition ceremony as part…
SBA: National Small Business Week Tour Stops in Raleigh, NC on May 3rd
During National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration celebrates the 30 million small businesses that are the engines of our national economy. SBA Administrator McMahon will visit small businesses on a four-state bus trip across the Southeast, highlighting the innovators and job creators that make our communities vibrant places to live, work and…
FEMA: Now Is the Time to Prepare Financially for Hurricane Season
Survivors at all income levels have experienced the challenges of rebuilding their lives after hurricanes Irma and María. Financial preparedness is an essential part of 2018 hurricane season planning. Being financially prepared means you should: Consider the costs associated with disasters such as insurance deductibles and evacuation costs, and plan for those costs. Anticipate initial…
HUD and Census Bureau: New Residential Sales Report for March 2018
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for March 2018: New Home Sales Sales of new single-family houses in March 2018 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 694,000. This is 4.0 percent (±18.6 percent)* above the revised February…
SBA: National Small Business Week Kicks Off in Washington, DC on April 29th
Administrator Linda McMahon, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be the keynote speaker to kick off the first leg of the 2018 National Small Business Week events in Washington, D.C. on April 29-30. Small business entrepreneurs, industry leaders and other award winners from around the country will converge on D.C. to receive…
SBA: Victors over Catastrophe Honored with SBA’s 2018 Phoenix Award
South Carolina business owners who rebounded after losing their entire inventory after a massive flood, Houston bakery owners who quickly reopened despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, a Texas mayor who navigated the town’s recovery after Hurricane Harvey, and a volunteer who organized the debris removal of a Georgia town hit by three massive…