Economy

Economy

Zero-down payment loans to close the racial homeownership gap: What you need to know

8:52am September 11, 2022

by Ayesha Rascoe

Vanessa Perry, nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute Housing Finance Policy Center, talks to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about new "zero-down" mortgages for first-time Black and Hispanic homebuyers.

Queue Listen Now

The IRS is refunding penalties it charged taxpayers for filing their 2019 and 2020 tax returns late as a form of COVID-19 relief.

You may get an IRS refund if you filed your taxes late during the pandemic

11:30am September 10, 2022

by Joe Hernandez

The IRS is refunding penalties it charged taxpayers for filing their 2019 and 2020 tax returns late, as a form of COVID-19 relief. The refunds don't apply to penalties for failing to pay your taxes.

Katrina Wooten signed a contract to buy this home that's under construction near Gainesville, Fla. Then mortgage rates jumped sharply higher.

Adjustable rate mortgages can be cheaper but risky. Here's what you need to know

5:00am September 10, 2022

by Chris Arnold

With mortgage rates up sharply, many more homebuyers are turning to adjustable rate loans. These can be more affordable, at least at first. But they come with a big risk. Is it worth it?

Queue Listen Now

Financial statistics, accountant, bill calculation

Borrowers in 7 states may be taxed on their student loan cancellation

4:22pm September 09, 2022

by Cory Turner

Seven states have tax policies on the books that could require them to treat student loans canceled by the federal government as taxable income.

Queue Listen Now

North Carolina wins Wolfspeed semiconductor materials plant

3:15pm September 09, 2022

by Gary Robertson, Associated Press

A North Carolina-based semiconductor company announced Friday it will build a $5 billion manufacturing plant in its home state to produce silicon carbide wafers, which is emerging as a favored part

The complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission alleged that Credit Karma falsely told users they were preapproved for credit cards and other offers, harming their credit scores and wasting their time.

Credit Karma will pay $3 million to users targeted with false preapproved offers

5:49pm September 06, 2022

by Dustin Jones

The FTC order came after nearly a third of Credit Karma users who were told they qualified for preapproved credit card offers were actually turned down, wasting their time and hurting credit scores.

Large numbers of workers from different sectors protest against inflation and in favor of higher wages in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Aug. 17, where inflation has soared.

An economic perfect storm is battering emerging markets. Debt crises loom

4:23pm September 06, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

With a strengthening dollar and rising commodity prices, developing nations are having a hard time paying their debts.

MJ Capital Funding's website said that its founder, Johanna Garcia, was "often referred to as 'Mother Theresa' in her community." But federal authorities say Garcia was actually running a Ponzi scheme. The site was shut down by court order; an archived ve

A Florida woman touted as a 'Mother Theresa' ran a $196 million Ponzi scheme, feds say

2:48pm September 06, 2022

by Bill Chappell

Federal prosecutors say Johanna Garcia's company wasn't a funding miracle for small businesses but a lucrative Ponzi scheme whose co-conspirators spent millions of dollars on luxury items.

An economist studied popular finance tips. Some might be leading you astray

6:30am September 06, 2022

by Greg Rosalsky

A Yale professor of finance read through 50 popular finance books to see how they square with traditional economic theory.

Purdue's reputation for affordability results in substantial growth for the school

5:05am September 06, 2022

While many universities have raised tuition in the last decade, Purdue University has frozen those costs. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to outgoing Purdue President Mitch Daniels about the strategy.