Credit Ratings

Municipal bonds are exciting this year - just what their investors hate. The latest thrill occurred about a week ago. Alabama's largest county barely avoided filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history as it struggles to keep up with payments...

Mike Ferrara wants to buy a house in a few months and is worried that mistakes on his credit report will keep him from obtaining the loan he will need. His concern is legitimate. You'd think with a credit score of 650, he'd be fine. But not now. With...

No matter who wins the presidential election in November, it is unlikely American investors will be singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" for a while. There are no quick fixes for the weak economy, the poor performance of the nation's financial...

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- despite their robust cadre of economists and mortgage experts -- failed to heed warnings that the most dramatic housing bubble in U.S. history would burst. The companies -- particularly Freddie Mac -- didn'...

Parents have plenty of advice for children starting college. Here's one more piece: Protect yourself against identity theft. "In today's world, the likelihood of either your data being lost in a campus environment or, worse, your identity being stolen...

Day-trading does involve buying and selling stocks — but it's not investing. Investors (at least good, Foolish ones) study businesses, carefully select stocks and often aim to hold on for years. They consider themselves part owners of real...

The first sign that something was wrong seemed harmless: A new Dell credit card arrived in my mail one afternoon. More landed in the mailbox the next day. Macy's. Bloomingdale's. Crate and Barrel. Radio Shack. Then later: Visa Sony, Toys R Us and Lowe's...

Are stocks at the bottom or in a bottomless pit? It depends on which market guru you listen to. For hedge fund manager Barton Biggs, the stock market is "pretty close to a bottom" and may mount a "powerful" rally. But his former colleague Stephen Roach,...

Parents have plenty of advice for children starting college. Here's one more piece: Protect yourself against identity theft. "In today's world, the likelihood of either your data being lost in a campus environment or, worse, your identity being stolen...

It's not a great time to be leasing Midway Airport. Airlines are being squeezed by fuel prices and are worried about the airport rent they pay. Investors in public infrastructure are running into tight-fisted bankers who are insisting they put a lot more...

Gov. David A. Paterson on Friday vetoed a bill that would have required the Long Island Power Authority undergo regulatory review for rate increases above 2.5 percent, dashing hopes for greater oversight of the utility. In vetoing the bill, Paterson said...

Gov. David Paterson Friday vetoed a bill that would have required the Long Island Power Authority undergo a full regulatory review for rate increases above 2.5 percent, dousing widespread calls for scrutiny of LIPA amid sky-high electric bills. The...