The numbers of properties in some part of the foreclosure process dropped by 4% nationwide in October but still remain at the level they held in October 2009, according to RealtyTrac.

Consumers living in Washington DC and its surrounding area have the highest monthly payments in the nation for bills that include credit card, car loan and lease or mortgages, according to Experian.

Credit unions act at their peril by ignoring Walmart's competitive threat, warned a newly issued Filene Research Institute report.

Credit union members feel better about their personal finances than consumers generally and tend to have more money left over after paying monthly bills.

Neal Barofsky, the special inspector general for the troubled asset relief program, has written a highly critical evaluation of the U.S. Treasury's administration of efforts meant to help home owners remain in their homes.

The $341 million Consumers Credit Union, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Mich., has become the latest CU to start offering its members mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

Credit unions needing to serve more members with fewer staff during these hard economic times might consider simplifying their products, increasing their use of technology and cooperating with other CUs.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Community Development Capital Initiative drew a charge of political tampering last week from an economist who has often been critical of programs related to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.