The CAPS Screen: Avoid These 5 Financial Time Bombs (The Motley Fool)

Tread carefully if you're thinking of investing in these stocks. [Link]

Assured Guaranty Ltd. Issues Statement In Response to Announcement of Ratings Review for Possible Downgrade by Moody's … (Centre Daily Times)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE: AGO) ("Assured" or "the Company") today issued a statement in response to the announcement by Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") that Moody's has placed under review for possible downgrade the Aaa insurance financial strength ratings of Assured Guaranty Corp., the Company's principal direct financial guaranty insurance subsidiary, and Assured Guaranty (UK) Ltd., … [Link]

Assured Guaranty Ltd. Issues Statement In Response to Announcement of Ratings Review for Possible Downgrade by Moody's … (Finanzen.net)

Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE: AGO) ("Assured” or "the Company”) today issued a statement in response to the announcement by Moody’s Investors Service ("Moody’s”) that Moody’s has placed under review for possible downgrade … [Link]

Assured Guaranty Ltd. Issues Statement In Response to Announcement of Ratings Review for Possible Downgrade by Moody's … (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

HAMILTON, Bermuda—-Assured Guaranty Ltd. today issued a statement in response to the announcement by Moody's Investors Service that Moody's has placed under review for possible downgrade the Aaa insurance financial strength ratings of Assured Guaranty Corp., the Company's principal direct financial guaranty insurance subsidiary, and Assured Guaranty Ltd., its U.K. subsidiary, as well as the … [Link]

More facing reduced home equity line (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

CHICAGO — When Denise Lopez bought two new tables, a floor lamp and a chair recently, her intent was to finance it with her home equity line of credit. … [Link]

Frozen equity credit line can ice credit score (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Your bank sends you a letter telling you that the limit has been reduced on your home equity line of credit. That news is unwelcome enough. … [Link]

Gateway Financial Holdings Reports 2nd Quarter 2008 Results and Results for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2008 (PrimeNewswire via Yahoo! Finance)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 18, 2008 — Gateway Financial Holdings, Inc. , the holding company for Gateway Bank & Trust Co., reported net income for the second quarter of 2008 of $2.0 million, which was in line with the $2.0 million for the prior year second quarter. [Link]

Banks cut back on home-equity loans (Lawrence Journal-World)

Q: I obtained a $60,000 home equity line of credit two years ago, but have never used it. Last week, I received a letter from my lender stating that the credit line is being reduced to only $10,000. The bank’s letter gave me no explanation for the reduction. What’s going on here? What can I do now? [Link]

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation Reports Second Quarter Continuing EPS of $0.34 Excluding Merger and … (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation today reported income from continuing operations of $302 million, or $0.26 per share, in the second quarter of 2008. [Link]

Mitsubishi's 1080p FL7000U projector now available for $15,000 (Engadget)

Filed under: Displays , HDTV , Home Entertainment New beater / better car? New HD projector? Pay off that second mortgage? New HD projector? C'mon folks, the choice here is crystal clear, is it not? Mitsubishi's 1080p FL7000U is apparently now ready for consumption here in the US of A, but that native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 5,000 ANSI lumens and 1,000:1 contrast ratio will cost … [Link]

A boom, this one in short selling (The Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

Short sales, in which the lender agrees to accept less for the property than what is owed, are soaring [Link]

Fed official sees home-price dips ‘well into 2009' (Orange County Register)

President of Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco lists 3 reasons prices will drop more. [Link]

Frozen equity line could sink credit score (Seattle Times)

Your bank sends you a letter, telling you that the limit has been reduced on your home-equity line of credit, or HELOC. That news is unwelcome… [Link]

Falling values, defaults have lenders tightening lines of home equity credit (Arizona Daily Star)

When Denise Lopez bought two new tables, a floor lamp and a chair recently, her intent was to finance it with her HELOC, or home-equity line of credit. But it wasn't long before she discovered that wasn't an option — her HELOC had been frozen. [Link]

Bridgelock Capital Announces the Successful Funding of $75MM in Hard Money Loans (PRWeb)

Bridgelock Capital continues to aggressively pursue more hard money lending solutions in this unique market, continuing their fundings in an economy that has been unforgiving for most. (PRWeb Jul 12, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/bridg~ [Link]

Bridgelock Capital Announces the Successful Funding of $75MM in Hard Money Loans (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)

Bridgelock Capital continues to aggressively pursue more hard money lending solutions in this unique market, continuing their fundings in an economy that has been unforgiving for most. [Link]

Real Estate Live (Washington Post)

The Post's Maryann Haggerty and Elizabeth Razzi answers your questions about the local housing market. [Link]

Deloitte Survey: Two Out of Three Consumers Say Mortgages and HELOCs Harder to Obtain (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

The credit crunch is impacting not only consumers' ability to get credit, and how they use it, but also — for some — their mindset towards financial institutions, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Deloitte's financial services industry group. [Link]

Home equity is harder to access (Belleville News-Democrat)

When Denise Lopez bought two new tables, a floor lamp and a chair recently, her intent was to finance it with her home equity line of credit. But it wasn't long before she discovered that wasn't an option — her HELOC had been frozen. [Link]

FDIC: HELOC, REO Warnings Not Tied To Specific Events (Nasdaq)

ARLINGTON, Va. -(Dow Jones)- Warnings to U.S. banks last week by a top federal banking regulator about closing home equity lines and taking care of foreclosed properties were not associated with specific events, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Sheila Bair said Tuesday. [Link]