_Economy and Finance

English 한국어 With the stock market heating up, there is growing concern that the long-lasting bond bubble might finally be ready to pop. As major stock indexes like the Dow and S&P 500 soar to record highs, investors are confidently leaving the safety of bonds to chase higher returns in equities. Consequently, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note has climbed past 2 percent, hitting an 11-month high. As the economy slowly recovers, this shift toward riskier assets is likely to continue. Adding to the shift, the Federal Reserve is expected to halt further stimulus measures, paving the way for long-term interest rates to climb naturally. Market strategists predict a steady rise in yields, potentially reaching 3.2 percent by 2015. This upward trend in rates could spell trouble for the housing market, as higher mortgage rates would likely slow down home buying and refinancing, ultimately squeezing the banks. Other global factors are also pushin...

AMERICA'S COMEBACK Unemployment rate falls to lowest level since 2008 By Annalyn Kurtz @CNNMoney March 8, 2013: 12:33 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Hiring picked up in February, helping to bring the unemployment rate down to its lowest level since December 2008. The U.S. economy added 236,000 jobs in February, according to a Labor Department report released Friday. That's much stronger growth than in January, when employers hired a revised 119,000 workers. http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/08/news/economy/february-jobs-report/index.html

CNNMoney Gas prices: Down and headed lower By Chris Isidore @CNNMoney May 10, 2012: 2:56 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Just in time for the start of the summer driving season, U.S. drivers are enjoying some relief at the pump, much sooner than past years.

CNNMoney Jamie Dimon: Lobbying is good, Washington is bad By Charles Riley @CNNMoney April 4, 2012: 6:22 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon defended his bank's lobbying practices on Wednesday, writing in his annual letter to shareholders that the firm's activities are wholly appropriate and that ham-handed government officials are slowing down the recovery.

CNNMoney Low-ball appraisal: Mortgage denied By Les Christie @CNNMoney March 30, 2012: 5:28 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- You find the home of your dreams. You're pre-approved for a mortgage. You've scheduled the closing. Then ... the appraisal comes in too low and the deal blows up.

CNNMoney Bernanke: Job gains present economic 'puzzle' By Annalyn Censky @CNNMoney March 26, 2012: 10:51 AM ET WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- Stronger job growth has brought "good news" recently, but overall, it remains "out of sync" with the modest growth of the U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday.

CNNMoney Investors feast on popularity of 'The Hunger Games' By Chris Isidore @CNNMoney Markets March 21, 2012: 9:51 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Teenagers love "The Hunger Games," a hot trilogy of books about to hit theaters. But the biggest fans may be from an older generation -- investors.

CNNMoney Home buying much cheaper than renting By Les Christie @CNNMoney March 21, 2012: 5:13 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- It's the eternal question in real estate: Should I buy or rent?

CNNMoney The Buzz The fake housing recovery By Paul R. La Monica @lamonicabuzz March 20, 2012: 12:40 PM ET An ETF of home builder stocks is trouncing the broader market. But that may not necessarily mean housing has bottomed. Many of the stocks in the ETF are NOT builders. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- When is a homebuilder not a homebuilder? When it's in an index of homebuilder stocks, of course!

FORTUNE The one number to watch for a housing recovery By Nin-Hai Tseng, Writer March 20, 2012: 5:00 AM ET If you're waiting for home prices to go up, then you're missing signs the troubled housing market has finally turned around.

CNNMoney Foreclosures fall, but there's a 'rising tide' ahead By Les Christie @CNNMoney March 15, 2012: 9:07 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The number of homes entering foreclosure dropped in February, but a new up-turn may soon be on its way.

CNNMoney Throwing cash at the housing market will make it worse By Nin-Hai Tseng, writer-reporter February 28, 2012: 11:42 AM ET Nearly half of current homeowners buying new homes by the end of 2012 are expected pay in cash, and that's not a good thing for home prices. FORTUNE – In today's troubled housing market, it's all about the Benjamins. Home prices are at a 9-year low, and it should come as no surprise. For the past three years, tighter lending standards and record foreclosures have driven an unusually higher number of homebuyers to pay for discounted properties in cash. The bulk has come from investors eyeing fixer uppers, as well as foreign buyers armed with wads of cash for properties from California to Miami.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/27/news/economy/debt_ceiling/index.htm America's Debt Challenge Debt ceiling fight may come sooner than expected By Jeanne Sahadi @CNNMoney February 27, 2012: 6:24 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Remember the bitter debt ceiling debate in Washington last summer? The one that resulted in the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating?

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/15/real_estate/housing_affordability/index.htm?iid=HP_River Home buying: Most affordable in decades By Les Christie @CNNMoney February 16, 2012: 10:05 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Buying a home is now more affordable than it has been in the last twenty years.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/08/real_estate/foreclosure_inventory/index.htm?iid=HP_River Homes in foreclosure decline by 130,000 By Les Christie @CNNMoney February 8, 2012: 9:07 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Slowly, but surely, the foreclosure crisis seems to be abating.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/02/news/economy/bernanke_congress_europe/index.htm?iid=HP_LN Eyes on the Fed Bernanke: Fed will protect U.S. economy from Europe By Annalyn Censky @CNNMoney February 2, 2012: 1:21 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The recovery remains "frustrating slow" in the United States, and now Europe's debt crisis is posing additional challenges, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Thursday.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/12/real_estate/foreclosures/index.htm?iid=Lead Foreclosures fall to lowest level since 2007 By Les Christie @CNNMoney January 12, 2012: 4:59 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Foreclosure filings and repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007 last year.

2011: Happy New Job! By Chris Isidore @CNNMoney January 6, 2012: 5:45 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- "Hire more workers" appears to be a popular New Year's resolution for employers this year.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/03/news/international/eurasia_group_risks/index.htm?iid=HP_Highlight Eurasia Group names top risks for 2012 By Steve Hargreaves @CNNMoney January 3, 2012: 5:21 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Much has been made of the grave risks the world faces in 2012. The Euro seems bound to collapse. China's overheated real estate market may lead to a massive slowdown in that country. Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/28/real_estate/foreclosure/index.htm?iid=Lead Foreclosure free ride: 3 years, no payments By Les Christie @CNNMoney December 28, 2011: 10:04 AM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Delinquent borrowers facing foreclosure are learning that they can stay in their homes for years, as long as they're willing to put up a fight.