First for personal finance news http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/ Copyright Six Media Interactive Ltd en-gb Alberto Silva da Cruz, a 28-year-old security guard, and his wife Genilsa, a 32-year-old cleaner, have just joined a queue about 200 metres long outsidean annual housing fair held by Caixa Econômica Federal, Brazil's government-owned savings and mortgage bank. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/helping-hand-makes-homeowners-of-poor-%28financial-times%29-16075678.php Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:11:07 BST FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is expected to keep euro zone interest rates unchanged on Thursday, say it sees faint signs of economic recovery, and fill in some of the missing details of its unorthodox plan to buy bonds. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/ecb-to-hold-rates-at-record-low-%28tiscali%29-16075679.php Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:20:40 BST By Patrick Rucker http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%28afx-uk-focus%29-2009-07-01-23%3A12-update-3-fannie%2C-freddie-ease-terms-for-mortgage-refinance-%28interactive-investor%29-16075680.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:33:33 BST WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - Beazer Homes USA Inc agreed to pay $5 million to the U.S. government and up to $48 million to private homeowners to settle allegations that it was involved in fraudulent mortgage activities, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. The settlement resolved allegations that Beazer and its mortgage unit, Beazer Mortgage Corp., in making Federal Housing Administration ... http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%28afx-uk-focus%29-2009-07-01-21%3A45-update-1-beazer-homes-agrees-to-settle-mortgage-fraud-case-%28interactive-investor%29-16075681.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:20:18 BST U.S. manufacturing mustered its highest level of activity in nearly a year in June but surprising weakness in private sector employment signalled how feeble an economic recovery might be, reports released on Wednesday showed. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/u.s.-jobs-data-signals-hurdles-amid-factory-glimmer%A0-%28reuters-via-yahoo%21-uk-%26-ireland-news%29-16075682.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:57:00 BST WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - Mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will expand their efforts to prevent foreclosures, and refinance borrowers whose loan-to-value ratio is as high as 125 percent, an administration official said on Wednesday. Under current rules, the mortgage finance companies may only refinance borrowers whose mortgage loan-to-value ratio is no greater than 105 ... http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%28afx-uk-focus%29-2009-07-01-18%3A14-update-1-us-mortgage-agencies-expand-refinance-plan-official-%28interactive-investor%29-16075683.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:33:42 BST Draft guidelines aim to help member states assess marriages between EU and non-EU citizens. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/commission-to-take-action-on-%27sham%27-marriages-%28european-voice%29-16075684.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:17:59 BST By John Parry http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%28afx-uk-focus%29-2009-07-01-16%3A50-wrapup-1-u.s.-jobs-gloom-overshadows-manufacturing-glimmers-%28interactive-investor%29-16075685.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:00:42 BST First Direct has launched a new offset tracker mortgage which tracks the Bank of England base rate plus 2.48 for life. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/mortgages%3A-first-direct-launches-capped-tracker-as-hsbc-raises-fixed-rates-%28daily-telegraph%29-16075686.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:12:29 BST By Julie Haviv http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%28afx-uk-focus%29-2009-07-01-14%3A50-update-1-u.s.-mortgage-applications-fall-to-7-month-low-%28interactive-investor%29-16075687.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:17:43 BST July 1 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. * The financial industry cut spending on lobbying and campaign contributions this year, even as the Obama administration drafted a sweeping plan to tighten federal control over its players. * In a major break with most other ... http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%28afx-uk-focus%29-2009-07-01-05%3A50-press-digest---wall-street-journal---july-1-%28interactive-investor%29-16075668.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:17:22 BST A new coalition of trade associations, representing all sectors of the economy and areas of the financial services arena has been formed to 'engage the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) on a series of projects to reform accounting standards associated with the financial crisis'. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/investorsoffshore.com-%28investors-offshore%29-16075669.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:45:48 BST NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Jeff Yeager's book "The Ultimate Cheapskate" came out 18 months ago, he felt like a voice crying in the wilderness telling people to ditch their cell phones, hoard their pennies and pay off the mortgage. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/cheap-is-the-new-cool-but-will-america-stay-thrifty%3F-%28reuters%29-16075670.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:06:12 BST Part time marriage sounds like a euphemism for separation or perhaps having an affair, but it's not. For an increasing number of couples living apart during the week and coming together at the weekend is a practise born of necessity http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/part-time-marriage-%28handbag.com%29-16075671.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:53:03 BST LONDON (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group said on Tuesday it will cut a further 2,100 jobs, bringing the total number of job losses to about 7,000 since the group took over rival HBOS in January. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/lloyds-says-to-cut-further-2%2C100-jobs-%28tiscali%29-16075672.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:37:40 BST Wed 01 Jul, 2009 00:12 http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/cheap-is-the-new-cool-but-will-america-stay-thrifty%3F-%28interactive-investor%29-16075673.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:45:35 BST He is best known for playing violent thugs in This Is England, Occupation and now Michael Mann's Public Enemies. But actor Stephen Graham has other ambitions, discovers Patrick Barkham http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/%27gizza-job%2C-cbeebies%27-%28u.tv%29-16075674.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:13:18 BST As the recession grinds on, property owners everywhere are feeling the pinch, especially those who invested in areas where the market has all but dried up, such as America and Spain. http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/property-overseas%3A-online-auctions-%28independent%29-16075675.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:41:34 BST Expats dreamed of a better life in New Zealand, Spain and France, while Poles flocked to the UK for work. Then the downturn hit. In the final part of a series that compares modern Britain to Charles Dickens' 'Hard Times', Paul Vallely meets the migrants who are heading home http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/hard-times-2009-part-6%3A-escaping-the-recession-%28independent%29-16075676.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:31:34 BST Ian Paisley Jnr has warned that the man set to become Northern Ireland?s new Attorney General will ?come to regret? comments he made about the DUP MLA wanting to go to prison. Related Stories Loyalist gunman caught on CCTV attacking home after flags row Muggers in court over city attack Landing jet nearly hits airport?s tractor mower Legal challenge to victims body posts looks set to go on Fears ... http://www.europinions-finance.co.uk/articles/angry-words-as-ian-paisley-jnr-avoids-prison-%28belfast-telegraph%29-16075677.php Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:22:42 BST