Stocks to Watch

It’s Friday the 13th, and I’ve been at the University of Miami School of Law’s Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning all week.  This morning there was some discussion on the future for estate planning attorneys.  While online documents may have some limited utility, some  feel that online software can take care of all their estate planning related legal needs.  I beg to differ.  Here are 13 reasons why a flesh and blood lawyer beats a computer program any day – a lawyer can:

1. Listen to your goals and desires and incorporate them into your plan.
2. Offer advice, not just words on paper.
3. Help with referrals to other trusted professionals.
4. Make sure that the documents are properly executed.
5. Make sure that any trusts are properly funded.
6. Make sure that beneficiary designations are properly completed.
7. Makes sure that accounts and real estate are  properly titled.
8. Help with managing assets of incapacitated family members.
9. Help with probate and trust administration.
10. Help with income, gift and estate tax matters.
11. Help ensure governmental benefits for disabled or incapacitated family members.
12. Serve as an advocate in dealing with financial institution and governmental bodies.
13. Care about you and your family!

Mortgage rates are starting out the New Year at or near their all-time lows, trending down slightly from the week before, according to rate survey figures released today by Freddie Mac.

Average interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 3.91 percent, matching their all-time low in the Freddie Mac survey, down from 3.95 percent last week. That’s close to a full percentage point lower than where they were last year at this time, when 30-year rates were averaging 4.77 percent, which seemed very low at the time.   Interest rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages and 5-year adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) also declined slightly from last week, hovering just above their all-time lows. Average rates on 15-year loans fell to 3.23 percent, down from 3.24 percent last week, while initial rates on 5-year ARMs dropped to 2.86 percent, down 2.88 percent last week.   Full post…

Remember the customer outrage over Bank of America’s plan to charge a monthly fee to have a debit card? That idea soon ended up on the scrap heap.

But many banks will be quietly increasing other fees in 2012, according to our partners at the consumer guide Angie’s List.

So don’t toss those letters from your bank that look like junk mail. It may be detailing a new fee.

Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List, said it’s important to review your bank statements or any literature you receive from your bank, so you can see notification ahead of time, and potentially change your habits or change your bank.”

New fees hitting bank customers

Angie says among the new bank charges to watch for:

    –New checking account fees.
    –Higher fees for using out of network ATM’s.
    –Costlier paper checks.
  

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More than 100 loan modification scams that targeted financially distressed homeowners through online advertisements have been shut down over the past week at the request of federal investigators.

The scams involved companies that the government says falsely promised to help homeowners obtain loan modifications through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) in return for a fee charged up front.   The Office of the Special Investigator General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) announced that it has shut down 125 such operations that advertise through Google, Yahoo! and Bing. The HAMP loan modification program is part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). 

Used Web banners, online search advertising

   “Many homeowners who have fallen prey to these scams were enticed by Web banner ads and online search advertisements that promised, for a fee, to help lower mortgage payments,” said Christy Romero, Deputy Special Inspector General for SIGTARP. “SIGTAR Full post…

CINCINNATI – Tired of taking those sale flyers with you while you hunt for Black Friday deals?

We’ve put almost 20 ads on our mobile sites so you can have them on your cellphone!

From Walmart to Toys R Us to Kohl’s , we have you covered this Black Friday holiday shopping season!

Here’s a snapshot of what it looks like…

All you have to do is open our WCPO app on your iPhone or Android cell and click on the Black Friday Ads folder on the main page.

Have an Android? Click here to download.

Have an iPhone? Click here to download.

Don’t have our app but you do have an Internet-enabled phone? Type wcpo.m0bl.net/ into your cell’s browser and you’ll have the ads too.

Or just study up now with our interactive online ad guide at wcpo/blackfriday .

Leib Solutions, one of the leading commercial collection agencies in the United States, announced that Bob Leib, President & CEO, has been named to the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

“We are so thrilled Bob is able to serve on the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. As a true leader in the business community, Bob’s unique talents will help GPCC in its mission to further grow this region’s economy,” said Rob Wonderling, President & CEO, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce

“I am thrilled and honored to be among the region’s business leaders and am committed to the Chamber as the leading voice of the region’s business community. I look forward to contributing to its success”, said Bob Leib.

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) is the premier advocate of the region’s business community, representing members in 11 counties across three states with one voice. The GPCC is dedic

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