CRA Newswire

FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.2 Percent in July 2017

U.S. house prices rose in July, up 0.2 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI).  The previously reported 0.1 percent increase in June remained the same. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages sold to, or…

ABA: Survey Shows Online, Mobile Are Most Popular Banking Channels

Results show different generations have different banking tendencies Forty percent of Americans manage their bank accounts online more frequently than any other method, according to a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association.  One in 4 consumers (26 percent) use their mobile devices most often to conduct their banking…

Census Bureau: Startup Firms Created Over 2 Million Jobs in 2015

In 2015, the nation’s 414,000 startup firms created 2.5 million new jobs according to data from the Census Bureau’s Business Dynamics Statistics. In contrast, this level of startup activity is well below the pre-Great Recession average of 524,000 startup firms and 3.3 million new jobs per year for the period 2002-2006. Other highlights include: Job…

SBA: FY 2017 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Awards Announced

SBA Awards $1.9 Million to Expand Small Business Exporting in New England The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that $1.9 million in funding has been awarded to 6 State international trade agencies in New England through SBA’s competitive State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), to support export growth among U.S. small businesses. STEP is designed to…

CFPB: Understand Your Options | Tips for Student Loan Borrowers with Disabilities

Student loan borrowers with disabilities face unique challenges when repaying student loan debt. Borrowers with disabilities complain to the Bureau about servicing breakdowns and debt collection obstacles. These breakdowns can increase borrowers’ financial distress. Servicing breakdowns that lead to delinquency and default can be particularly devastating for borrowers with disabilities. This is because certain of…

CDFI Fund: U.S. Treasury Awards $208 Million for Investment Nationwide in Low-Income Communities

Funds Support Community Development and Revitalization Activity in Distressed Rural, Urban, and Native Communities The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) awarded 303 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) $208.7 million in awards today. The awards, through the fiscal year (FY) 2017 round of the Community Development Financial Institutions Program…

CFPB: Project Catalyst Collaboration with Credit Karma to Improve Understanding of Financial Well-Being

At the CFPB, we believe all consumers have the right to achieve greater financial well-being for themselves and their families. Over the past few years, we talked to consumers across the country to hear what they had to say about financial well-being and what it means to them. We learned that financial well-being means having…