Some further declines in home prices are expected this year before the housing market finally stabilizes, according to the latest economic analysis and forecast from Fannie Mae.

Shocks to the economy caused by rising oil prices linked to unrest in the Middle East and manufacturing disruptions caused by the Japanese tsunami have damped expectations for an economic recovery in the first half of the year, according to the forecast, although those impacts are expected to be temporary.   As a result, Fannie Mae analysts have rolled back their predictions for U.S. economic growth to 3.1 percent for 2011, down from 3.5 percent previously, although they still expect a quickening pace of growth in the latter part of the year.   Weakening home prices could discourage potential buyers, according to the report, which threatens to undermine any recovery in the struggling housing market. P Read more…

The payouts could add up to billions of pounds, which the High Court ruled must be paid out to customers who were missold the insurance.

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) is insurance that covered credit cards, loans or mortgage payments if you were unable to pay due to unemployment or illness.

PPI was mis-sold to millions of customers who would have been illegible to claim, whilst some did not even know they had signed up for it.

How to claim if you feel you were missold PPI 1) Check to see if the seller is registered with the FSA. If so, the FSA has compiled a PPI questionnaire that you can fill out and send to the firm that sold you the PPI. If not, write a letter to the seller, stating your claims clearly and including any documents that back up your claim.2) It is likely that the company will reject your complaint, however this does not mean that you are ineligible for compensation.3) Write to the firm again, restating your case and demand that the matter be resolved within 14 days. Read more…

The Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps track of the average starting salaries from various career paths. In order to maximize your earning potential, forget majors like English and consider the top 10 highest paying college majors in the U.S., advises Education-Portal.com. Salaries depicted here reflect annual pay for bachelor’s graduates without an advanced degree.

Whether it’s building tools to improve oil and gasoline production or consulting on projects for petroleum companies, becoming a petroleum engineer pays. The median starting salary is $93,000, which increases to a median of $157,000 by mid-career (15 years, approximately).

Air and space travel will be in your hands with an aerospace engineering degree. Operate and troubleshoot flight simulators and navigational instruments. Analyze flight data and apply it to the design of future aircraft. If

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A company that falsely claimed it could help homeowners avoid foreclosure—and charged up to $2,500 for the phantom service—must repay all its victims, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The company, Florida-based Home Assure, stole between $1,500 and $2,500 from each victim.

Now those victims—1,410 in all—are getting their money back. The FTC began mailing the checks this week. The refunds will total $2.3 million, according to an FTC press release.

“These operators targeted consumers who were on the brink of financial disaster, and instead of holding them back, they pushed them over,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a press release. “If you’re

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How is your business celebrating Earth Day tomorrow? Don’t let the day pass without thinking of a few ways your business can contribute to the green effort. Here are a few tips for small businesses from Emerald Brand, a green online retailer specializing in “tree-free” products.

1. Offer an incentive for employees who make an eco-friendly commute. Provide a “complimentary vacation day” or “drink on the boss” for employees who ride their bike or take public transport to work on Earth Day.
2. Talk about Earth “Year.” Use the day as an opportunity to talk with your staff and supervisors about what the office can do to become more eco-friendly over the next year.  From conserving energy, to replacing traditional break room products with eco-friendly substitutes, there are plenty of ways for companies to go green without breaking the budget.
3. Host an Earth Day pot-luck lunch! Ask your

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Lenders would have to decide within 45 days whether to approve or deny a short sale, under bipartisan legislation introduced this week in Congress.

The bill, jointly introduced by Reps. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) and Robert Andrews (D-N.J.), takes aim at one of the major issues hindering short sales for both buyers and sellers – the often months-long wait it often takes to get such sales approved.   In a short sale, a lender allows a homeowner who is in financial difficulty to sell the home for less than the amount owed on the mortgage as an alternative to allowing the property to go into foreclosure. The homeowner suffers less damage to his or her credit, the bank recovers more of its money that it would be likely to do in a foreclosure, and the buyer gets a discounted price on a home.   “Potential buyers can wait for months for a lender to make a decision on a short sale, and that wait often stops a sale from happening,” said Rep. Andrews Read more…