106.3 WORD TRAFFIC

    Personal loans

    FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2019, file photo, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos listening to President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. DeVos is calling on Congress to consider splitting her department’s financial aid operation into a separate federal agency with the flexibility to operate like a private bank. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
    December 03, 2019 - 4:23 pm

    DeVos calls for making financial aid unit a separate agency

    Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says Congress should consider splitting her department’s financial aid operation into a separate federal agency with the flexibility to operate like a private bank. DeVos made the comments Tuesday in Reno, Nevada, at an annual conference hosted by the Education...
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    This undated photo provided by NerdWallet shows Liz Weston, a columnist for personal finance website NerdWallet.com. Three-quarters of U.S. households owe money, but the vast majority pay their bills on time and have debt loads that are reasonable given their incomes. (NerdWallet via AP)
    December 02, 2019 - 11:18 am

    Liz Weston: It’s time to let go of shame over your debt

    Many of us feel bad about our debt. Most of us probably shouldn’t. Three-quarters of U.S. households owe money, but the vast majority pay their bills on time and have debt loads that are reasonable given their incomes. But many people still report being embarrassed about owing money. In one study,...
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    FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2019, file photo a sign stands outside a home for sale in southeast Denver. On Wednesday, Nov. 27, Freddie Mac reports on this week’s average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
    November 27, 2019 - 11:35 am

    US mortgage rates edge up slightly, 30-year at 3.68%

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. mortgage rates crept slightly higher this week but remain at low levels that could encourage more home-buying. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday that the average rate on a fixed 30-year mortgage ticked up to 3.68% from 3.66% the previous week. The average 15-year...
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    File - This Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018 file photo shows credit card logos posted on a store's door in Philadelphia. The SMART acronym calls for goals to be specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-related. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
    November 21, 2019 - 11:50 am

    Wipe out credit card debt by setting SMART goals

    Shatoria Smith was tired of the $5,000 in credit card debt she felt was blocking her from reaching her financial goals. She couldn’t see an easy path to being debt-free, so she drew herself a map by adapting a goal-setting framework she’d first heard about in a college business class: the SMART...
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    FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2019, file photo a sign indicates a new selling price for a house sits atop a realtor's sign in Jackson, Miss. On Thursday, Nov. 14, Freddie Mac reports on this week’s average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
    November 14, 2019 - 1:37 pm

    US long-term mortgage rates rise; 30-year at 3.75%

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. long-term mortgage rates rose this week amid optimism over prospects for the U.S. economy. Rates remain at historically low levels, however, as an incentive to prospective homebuyers. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage...
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    FILE - In this March 14, 2019, file photo people walk on the Stanford University campus in Santa Clara, Calif. Seven percent of employers offer student loan repayment assistance as a benefit. For most companies, this benefit means making a direct payment to eligible employees’ loan. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
    November 14, 2019 - 12:10 pm

    These employers chip in on your student loans

    Trilogy Health Services, a Louisville, Kentucky-based operator of senior living facilities, has paid $100 a month toward each eligible worker’s student loans over the past four years. Its total outlay: roughly $3 million. That money has made a big difference for Trilogy’s nurses, therapists and...
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    In this Sept. 3, 2019 photo a for sale sign, top, rests in front of a newly constructed home, in Norwood, Mass. On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Commerce Department reports on U.S. home construction in September. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
    October 17, 2019 - 11:12 am

    US single family-home construction ticks up, apartments fall

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home building fell last month after reaching a 12-year high in August, driven by a sharp decline in the construction of new apartments. Yet single-family home construction ticked higher for a fourth month. The Commerce Department said Thursday that overall housing starts...
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    Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at the SEIU Unions For All Summit on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
    October 08, 2019 - 2:35 pm

    Biden plan: Free community college, expanded loan programs

    Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wants to make community and technical college free and federal college loan programs more generous as he shifts leftward but not as far as his 2020 rivals. The former vice president's $750 billion higher education plan represents a major expansion of the...
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    In this Sept. 25, 2019, photo a realtor's sign sits outside a house for sale in Jackson, Miss. On Thursday, Oct. 3, Freddie Mac reports on this week’s average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
    October 03, 2019 - 12:43 pm

    US long-term mortgage rates steady; 30-year at 3.65%

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. long-term mortgage rates held steady this week, offering a potential boon to homebuyers amid an uncertain economic outlook. Mortgage rates have been running near historic lows, though average rates for the key 30-year loan showed volatile swings last month. Mortgage buyer...
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    FILE - In this July 22, 2019, photo a sign advertises a house is for sale in North Andover, Mass. On Thursday, Sept. 26, Freddie Mac reports on this week’s average U.S. mortgage rates. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
    September 26, 2019 - 12:37 pm

    US long-term mortgage rates fall; 30-year at 3.64%

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week following a sharp rise the week before, making September the most volatile month for the key 30-year loan since March. Mortgage rates have been running near historic lows, spurring prospective homebuyers, amid an uncertain economic...
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