tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76520314281176490762012-02-22T15:03:52.939-08:00Financial education news, resources, and updates <br> Washington Department of Financial Institutions.Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comBlogger569125finlithttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-2277926277065180242012-02-22T15:03:00.000-08:002012-02-22T15:03:52.948-08:00

The Washington State Department of Retirement Systems has put together a video about the Deferred Compensation Program for Washington Saves Week. The Deferred Compensation Program is a supplemental savings program that helps state employees reach their savings goal. Watch the video to learn more about the program.

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-33936574759218994512012-02-22T10:21:00.001-08:002012-02-22T10:25:15.521-08:00

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sends out tax tips during tax time. You can signup at http://www.irs.gov/. Here is some good information about capital gains and losses. Capital Gains and Losses Did you know that almost everything you own and use for personal or investment purposes is a capital asset? Capital assets include a home, household furnishings and stocks and bonds held in a personal

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-90574184838939116362012-02-21T14:32:00.005-08:002012-02-21T14:36:33.490-08:00

Governor Gregoire has proclaimed the week of February 19 - February 26, 2012, as Washington Saves Week. Washington Saves Week is a part of the America Saves Week campaign coordinated by America Saves and the America Savings Education Council. Started in 2007, the week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-84068451500997531572012-02-08T11:39:00.000-08:002012-02-08T11:39:10.110-08:00

The Securities and Exchange Commission issued an alert back in January urging investors to use caution when using social media to research an investment. While social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can provide many benefits for investors, they also present many opportunities for fraudsters. Social media and the Internet generally, offer a number of attributes criminals may find

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-71139200666963804392012-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:002012-02-07T16:48:02.775-08:00

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that they have launched an online tool that makes it easier to find a location for volunteer tax preparation assistance. The new tool makes it easier than ever for qualified individuals to find free help through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Volunteers at VITA locations generally offer tax preparation for people with

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-18624438913949971442012-01-26T11:54:00.000-08:002012-01-26T15:26:01.051-08:00

if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('e751f035-a9a1-40f9-b53b-334d8a8a9dce'); Did you know that each year about 20 percent of Washington taxpayers miss out n receiving up to $5,751 in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) payments from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)? The federal tax credit is available to thousands of low-and moderate-income working families and individuals. Eligibility

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-35057681965532873612012-01-23T16:08:00.000-08:002012-01-23T16:08:16.654-08:00

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) last week announced that a toll-free hotline and website have been established to assist investors who purchased auction rate securities (ARS) through E*TRADE Securities LLC. State securities regulators and E*TRADE reached a settlement in October 2011 calling for the return of approximately $100 million to the firm’s clients who

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-90682675801364702172012-01-12T17:30:00.000-08:002012-01-12T17:32:16.369-08:00

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently announced that they are giving mortgage servicers expanded authority to provide six months of forbearance to unemployed borrowers without their prior approval and up to an additional six months with prior approval. This means unemployed borrowers may be eligible for up to 12 months of forbearance. Freddie Mac's forbearance options are being expanded at the

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-19986736691525907822012-01-11T13:43:00.000-08:002012-01-11T13:43:45.658-08:00

Housing counselors in Washington: Here’s some information about grant opportunities from HUD. From the HUDle Blog: In an effort to continue providing quality housing counseling to America’s homeowners, buyers and renters, HUD announced today the availability of $2 million in housing counseling grants. These funds are available to provide training activities that will improve and standardize the

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-21958316234954913472012-01-09T15:20:00.000-08:002012-01-09T15:21:44.617-08:00

There’s a new virus hitting the internet that you should beware of. The FBI has issued a warning regarding the “Gameover” virus that is designed to steal your bank account information. The “Gameover” virus typically shows up in a spam email that appears to be from the Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA), the Federal Reserve Bank or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-9013100633268507732011-12-28T16:35:00.000-08:002011-12-28T16:35:09.351-08:00

If you’re a Wells Fargo mortgage customer living in the Seattle area and are having trouble making your monthly payments, you may want to attend the Home Preservation Workshop on Thursday, January 12. The workshop will take place at the CenturyLink Field Events Center from 9 am – 7 pm and will allow you to learn about programs that may help you keep your home. You’ll have the opportunity to

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-48178174488327019852011-12-23T10:36:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:41:47.505-08:00

Written by Jeremy Lushene (Webmaster and Communications Consultant) Even with a tightening budget and uncertain economy, DFI employees opened their hearts and their pocketbooks this past year to give to those less fortunate. Through fundraising activities via the Combined Fund Drive program, DFI employees gave a total of $3,892 to the Thurston County Food Bank this year, exceeding last year’s

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-79870844604254405972011-12-22T16:54:00.000-08:002011-12-22T16:54:24.489-08:00

HUD launches multi-language help line (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) Have a question about buying a home, rental assistance or foreclosure but English is not your first language? HUD can help with its new HUD Language Line, a live telephone interpretation service that will allow HUD staff to converse with the public in almost any language. Countrywide settles suit with

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-34856659621085303012011-12-22T15:54:00.000-08:002011-12-22T15:54:46.908-08:00

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) commends the United States Department of Justice for their fair-lending settlement with Bank of America regarding allegations of discriminatory lending practices in their Countrywide Financial unit. Yesterday’s announcement by the Justice Department finding more than 200,000 minority borrowers nationwide were given loans with higher

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-78703660135347595952011-12-21T09:58:00.002-08:002011-12-21T09:59:40.365-08:00

A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web. Is it safe to shop on your smartphone? (AARP) Making purchases on a smartphone that's connected to a public Wi-Fi network, like at a coffee shop or airport, could lead to the theft of your credit card numbers and personal information. Here's some tips from AARP on how to minimize your risk. BBB says bid with caution on penny auction

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-5524650909408789242011-12-20T14:34:00.000-08:002011-12-20T14:36:58.668-08:00

Weathering tough economic times - 12 Tips for 2012 (FINRA) The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation today released Weathering Tough Economic Times—12 Tips for 2012, which provides practical help money tips for 2012. SEC releases investor bulletin on Real Estate Investment Trusts .pdf (Securities and Exchange Commission) Information about Real Estate

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-52516209061172195032011-12-16T15:53:00.000-08:002011-12-16T15:53:17.550-08:00

CFPB taking whistleblower tips (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has announced that whistleblowers can alert the CFPB to potential violations of federal consumer financial laws in multiple ways. FTC settlement requires "U.S. Homeowners Relief" defendants to pay millions (Federal Trade Commission) Six defendants have agreed to settle Federal

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-77604043905220114172011-12-14T16:02:00.000-08:002011-12-14T16:02:50.651-08:00

A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web. What is an ETF? (Mint.com) Exchange Traded Funds explained by Mint.com in a nice infographic. Consumer Smarts: Unwanted cell phone calls are tough to avoid (Seattle Post Intelligencer) Consumers expect a fair amount of privacy with their cell phones, so when they get unwanted telemarketing pitches on their cell phones the offense

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-65388832574918891452011-12-14T15:40:00.000-08:002011-12-14T16:18:39.001-08:00

Is it really possible to talk to teens about their financial future and actually connect with them ? Absolutely! Today, I had the opportunity to talk to 450 Centralia and Chehalis high school students about the importance of saving and investing in their future. The speech was part of Washington Business Week program, which all Junior class students of Centralia and Chehalis high school

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-23404438058469190452011-12-13T16:15:00.000-08:002011-12-13T16:16:41.085-08:00

A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web. Annuities are a retirement option, but be wary of fees (USA Today) For some people, an annuity might be a good choice. But you should pepper your agent with many questions before you commit: It's generally easier to get into an annuity than it is to get out of one, and you may have better options available. Consumer Financial Protection

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-67537060670708974782011-12-13T14:30:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:32:42.133-08:00

Today, I presented on credit scores and how they can impact our financial life. To my surprise, many of my class attendees had not heard of the Vantage Score. The Vantage credit score was developed in 2006 by 3 major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. It is differen't from your FICO score. Your Vantage Score is based on the traditional A,B,C,D, and F rating scale. Vantage scores

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-32387181092201166542011-12-12T12:00:00.000-08:002011-12-12T12:01:30.314-08:00

 A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web. What you need to know about independent foreclosure review (Federal Reserve) Information from the Federal Reserve regarding what you need to know about the independent foreclosure review process. 12 schemes of the holidays (Better Business Bureau) Gifts and appeals may seem like true love, but Better Business Bureau serving Alaska,

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-46433614936589674282011-12-09T15:53:00.000-08:002011-12-09T15:55:59.963-08:00

A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web. Obama Administration announces $2 billion in resources to support job-creating startups (White House) The White House yesterday announced administrative and private sector actions that will help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create jobs by increasing their access to capital and resources. The U.S. Small Business Administration

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-27723471471889348692011-12-08T13:17:00.000-08:002011-12-08T13:18:39.796-08:00

A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web. Scam alert: Are You a Tweeter — or a Sitting Duck? (AARP) In a recent report, cyber-security watchdog Barracuda Labs estimated that one of every 100 tweets is "malicious" and that fewer than half of Twitter accounts represent true users sending out tweets to followers (people who have signed up to see their tweets). The rest of the

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652031428117649076.post-26867634125794109812011-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:002011-12-07T14:03:06.492-08:00

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today wrote a informative blog about with tips on shopping for a credit card. Did you know that your interest rates can rise if you’re 60 days late paying your bill? Check out the tips and blog at http://www.consumerfinance.gov/how-do-i-shop-for-a-credit-card/ Submit Your Comments Regarding a New Credit Card Agreement Prototype The Consumer Financial

Jeremy Lushenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684039919754648290noreply@blogger.com