News You Can Use

Gov't expands housing plan, off to slow start
Source: Associated Press/AP OnlinePublication date: May 14, 2009
By ALAN ZIBEL

For the past two months Rose Inman hoped she could benefit from President Barack Obama's plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Now it appears to be too late.
Aurora Loan Services is set to foreclose on her home overlooking Seattle's Puget Sound on Friday. Despite numerous calls, e-mails and letters, she says she's only been able to have one phone conversation with a company representative. Read more.



75% in Survey Think Worst is Over in Housing Slump
Source: The Dallas Morning NewsPublication date: May 14, 2009
By Steve Brown, The Dallas Morning News

Three out of four U.S. homeowners think the worst is over in the housing market.
And half of the homeowners in Southern states -- including Texas -- say home prices will stabilize in their areas in the next six months, according to a new survey by Zillow.com.
Researchers for the Internet real estate marketing company quizzed almost 1,400 homeowners around the country in early April about where they thought the housing market was headed. Read more.

From the National Association of Credit Managers (NACM)
FTC Releases "Red Flags" Template for Entities That Have Low-risk of Identity Theft
To help entities that have a low risk of identity theft – such as businesses that know their customers personally – the Federal Trade Commission has created a template that guides such businesses and organizations in developing written identity theft prevention programs to comply with the Red Flags Rule. “Create Your Own Identity Theft Prevention Program: A Guided 4-Step Process,” is available at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/redflagsrule/get-started.shtm. The template has guidance and instructions that enable companies to complete and print the fill-in-the-blank form online. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, the Rule requires many businesses and organizations to implement a written Identity Theft Prevention Program to detect the warning signs (“red flags”) of identity theft. By identifying red flags, these entities will be in a better position to spot an imposter trying to defraud them by using someone else’s identity to get products and services.

Find templates here.