Where is the Economy, Anyway?

by | May, 19, 2013 | Default

Statistics are tricky things. They can be massaged and repurposed to say just about anything to support…well…just about anything. As Mark Twain has it, “Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.”

We remember this as we come to grips with the statistics that say the economy is improving. And yet our MortgageKeeper data and that of others says there are still many Americans struggling financially.

An article we saw recently helps to explain why this could be. Phil Baldwin CEO for CredAbility is quoted on DSNews.com: “The jump in Social Security taxes in January forced people to save and spend less compared to the previous quarter. With nearly 49 million people on food stamps and almost 12 million still unemployed, there are still a lot of challenges facing many families.”

So while signs of recovery are certainly greeted with a collective sigh of relief, the work for struggling homeowners must continue.

Emotional Spending

by | May, 7, 2013 | Default

We were interested in a recent blog appearing in The Christian Science Monitor describing the relationship between emotion and spending. The author describes some hard and fast ways to keep your emotions from affecting your wallet.

Some of us come from the world of marketing and advertising. In 2013, this industry spent $140 billion to get you to part with your hard-earned cash. The industry uses emotion, humor, drama, guilt–the works. Resisting will work some of the time, but likely not all of the time. Best case? You’ll find a product that improves your life markedly. Worst case? Debt–in the form of out of control credit cards, mortgages, and even student loans.

Here at MortgageKeeper, we offer companies a way to help their debt-ridden customers. With more than 7,000 listings for local, best-in-class services from government and nonprofit agencies, getting back on your feet can be made much easier.

Learn more about our work at mortgagekeeper.com.