WASHINGTON (AP) - The jobs crisis is putting more Americans at risk of losing their homes.

One in 10 households is facing foreclosure, and more than 2 million homes have been repossessed since the recession began. Few expect the outlook to improve until companies start to hire steadily again and layoffs ease.

And while there was some good news Thursday - a modest decrease in the number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the first time in a month - the figure is still too high to bring down the unemployment rate.

So the housing crisis goes on.

"Ultimately, the housing story, whether it is delinquencies, homes sales or housing starts, is an employment story," said Jay Brinkmann, the top economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association.

It's just one of the problems confronting Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke as he speaks Friday at a closely watched conference in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The Fed has mostly exhausted its ammo to give the economy a jolt.

Just under 10 percent of homeowners had missed at least one mortgage payment as of June 30, according to a quarterly report on delinquencies released by Brinkman's trade group. That's more than double the level before the recession.

The percentage of mortgage borrowers receiving foreclosure notices did fall slightly from the previous quarter, the first drop in four years. And the percentage of loans receiving their first notice of foreclosure also dipped.

But many experts say the situation is getting worse. July was the worst month on record for new home sales and the worst in 15 years for sales of previously occupied homes.

The supply of unsold homes on the market keeps getting bigger. At the same time, the growing number of foreclosures keeps pushing down home prices and scaring potential buyers and sellers from the market.

More than 2.3 million homes have been repossessed by lenders since the recession began in December 2007, according to foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. And 6 million more will be lost to foreclosure over the next three years, by some estimates.

If that happens, home prices will probably sink further, and the economy will suffer. Builders will keep construction to a minimum, and Americans will be less willing to spend because of their lost home values.

"Housing is certainly not going to help the recovery," said Michelle Meyer, a Bank of America economist. "It threatens to hinder it."

A major problem is that many people have homes that are now worth less than they owe on their mortgages. Approximately 11 million homeowners, or 23 percent of those with a mortgage, were "underwater" as of the end of June, real estate data provider CoreLogic reported Thursday. Nevada had the highest number of any state, with 68 percent.

The number of "underwater" mortgages was down from the previous quarter - but only because homes are being repossessed by lenders.

The number of Americans missing payments and falling into foreclosure has gone up along with unemployment. The jobless rate has remained near double digits all year.

First-time requests for unemployment benefits fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 473,000. It was the first decline in a month and came one week after the number hit the half-million mark - the highest level in nine months.

Even with last week's decline, though, the four-week average in unemployment claims, which evens out the week-to-week volatility, rose to 486,750, the most since November 2009. In a healthy economy that number is more like 400,000.

Losing a job or having health problems that lead to high medical bills are among the reasons many people fall behind in their mortgage payments.

Toni Cloyd experienced both and fell behind twice on her monthly mortgage payment of $2,200 - first in 2006 after undergoing surgery and again in 2008 after she lost a job and was out of work for six months.

The Denver woman says she tried to catch up. She enrolled in the Obama administration's main program to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure by lowering their monthly payments. She says she made payments that were never applied, and the bank is still demanding $98,000 in missed payments, lawyer's bills and late fees.

Bank of America says she never provided proper documents and was not approved for the mortgage modification.

The end result came earlier this month. She pulled into the driveway and was embarrassed to find a foreclosure notice tacked to her door.

"It makes us appear to be deadbeats," she said. "We've done everything that we possibly could to resolve this."

Like Cloyd, nearly half of the 1.3 million homeowners who have enrolled in Obama administration program have been cut loose through July, the Treasury Department said last week. The program is intended to help those at risk of foreclosure by lowering their monthly mortgage payments.

NEW YORK (AP) - From a Jewish youth charity in Boston to major banks as far afield as Zurich, the list of investors who say they were duped in one of Wall Street's biggest Ponzi schemes is growing.

Around the world, investors who sunk cash into veteran Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff's investment pool spent the weekend calculating how much exposure they might have. The 70-year-old Madoff, well respected in the investment community after serving as chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market, was arrested Thursday in what prosecutors say was a $50 billion scheme to defraud investors.

One thing was clear in the fallout from his arrest: The alleged victims span from the super rich, to pensioners and powerful financial institutions, to local charities. Some investors claim they've been wiped out, while others are still likely to come forward.

"There were a lot of very sophisticated people who were duped, and that happens a great deal when you've had somebody decide to be unscrupulous," said Harvey Pitt, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a regulator in charge of monitoring investment funds like the one Madoff operated.


"It isn't just the big investors," he said. "There's a lot of charitable and foundation money involved in this, which is the real tragedy."

Charities across the country are expected to be directly affected by the collapse of Madoff's investment fund. The assets of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC were frozen Friday in a deal with federal regulators and a receiver was appointed to manage the firm's financial affairs.

One of the largest financial scams to hit Wall Street has investors wondering if they'll ever get their money back.

In Boston, the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation, a charity that financed trips for Jewish youth to Israel, said on its Web site Sunday that the money for its operations was invested with Madoff.

"The money needed to fund the programs of the Lappin Foundation is gone," it said. "The foundation staff has been terminated today."

New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, entrusted his family's charitable foundation to Madoff. Lautenberg's attorney, Michael Griffinger, said they weren't yet sure the extent of the foundation's losses, but that the bulk of its investments had been handled by Madoff.

Lautenberg's foundation handed out more than $765,000 to at least 100 recipients in 2006, according to the most recent listing on Guidestar, which tracks charitable organization filings.

The foundation helps support a variety of religious, educational, civic and arts organizations in New Jersey and elsewhere, and its contributions range from a gift of than $300,000 to the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey to a $2,000 donation to a children's program at the Hackensack Medical Center.

Reports from Florida to Minnesota included profiles of ordinary investors who gave Madoff their money. Some had been friends with him for decades, others were able to invest because they were a friend of a friend. They told stories of losing everything from $40,000 to an entire nest egg worth well over $1 million.

They join a list of more powerful investors that have come forward, all worried about the extent of their losses. The roster of names include Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman, New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon and J. Ezra Merkin, the chairman of GMAC Financial Services, among others.

Beyond U.S. hedge funds, more corporate names disclosed exposure to Madoff. Late Sunday, some of Europe's biggest banks acknowledged they, too, were exposed to Madoff's investment fund.

Switzerland's Reichmuth & Co. said the private bank has $327 million at risk. It told investors that they "sincerely regret" being affected.

French bank BNP Paribas estimated its exposure Madoff's fund could lead to 350 million euros ($467 million) in losses.

In a brief statement Sunday, Paribras said it has "no investment of its own" in Madoff's hedge funds but "does have risk exposure to these funds through its trading business and collateralized lending to funds of hedge funds."

Spain's Grupo Santander SA, Europe's second-largest banking consortium, said its clients had an exposure of 2.33 billion euros ($3.1 billion) to Madoff's investment funds, mostly through the Optimal Strategic US Equity fund, according to reports.

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Associated Press Writer Samantha Henry in Trenton, N.J. contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) - With the country spiraling deeper into recession, the Federal Reserve is ready to slash its key interest rate - perhaps to an all-time low- in hopes of cushioning some of the economic fallout felt by many struggling Americans.

To battle the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues already have ratcheted down their main lever for influencing the economy - the federal funds rate - to 1 percent, a level seen only once before in the last half-century.

The Fed opens a two-day meeting Monday to assess to economy and decide its next move on rates. Another reduction to the funds rate, the interest banks charge each other on overnight loans, is all but certain to be announced Tuesday.

Many economists predict the Fed will cut its rate in half - to just 0.50 percent. A few think the Fed could opt for an even more forceful action - lowering rates by a whopping three-quarters percentage point or more. If that larger cut occurs, it would be the lowest on records that track the monthly average of the targeted funds rate going back to 1954.


Even an aggressive rate reduction won't turn the economy around, analysts said.

"It is not so much going to give the economy a big push forward. It's more a case of trying to help the economy from being pushed further backward by all these negative events," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group.

However deeply the Fed decides to cut rates, the prime rate - now at 4 percent - for many consumer and small-business loans would drop by a corresponding amount. The prime lending rate is used to peg rates on home equity loans, certain credit cards and other consumer loans. Cheaper rates could give pinched borrowers a dose of relief.

The goal of lower borrowing costs is to entice people and businesses to spend more, which would revive the flat-lined economy. So far, though, the Fed's aggressive rate reductions have failed to lift the country out of a recession that started last December.

Clobbered by the financial crisis, worried banks have hoarded their cash and been extremely reluctant to lend money to customers. Fearful consumers, watching jobs vanish and their investments tank, have sharply cut back their spending, including big-ticket purchases like homes and cars that typically involve financing.

The negative forces have fed off each other, creating a vicious cycle that Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson have been desperately trying to break.

To unlock lending and get financial markets to operate more normally, the U.S. has resorted to a string of radical actions, including a $700 billion financial bailout where the government is making cash injections in banks in return for partial ownership stakes.

In terms of rate cuts, the Fed is getting ever closer to running out of ammunition.

It can lower the funds rate only so far - to zero. Even if that were to happen - a point of debate among economists - the prime rate would fall to 3 percent but no lower.

Against that backdrop, Bernanke says the central bank is exploring other ways to stimulate the economy.

The Fed could buy longer-term Treasury or agency securities on the open market in substantial quantities, Bernanke says. This might lower rates on these securities and help spur buying appetites.

Another option the Fed has mulled: issuing its own debt, which would give the central bank cash and more flexibility to battle the financial crisis. To do that, however, the Fed would need new powers from Congress.

"The Fed wants to show that it has tools and options and is not out of tricks because interest rates are very low," said Michael Feroli, economist at JPMorgan Economics. "The problems holding back the economy are fairly long lived in nature."

To combat the financial crisis, the Fed already has created first-of-its-kind programs, such as getting cash directly to companies by buying up mounds of "commercial paper," the short-term debt firms use to pay everyday expenses such as payroll and supplies.

It also recently launched massive programs to boost the availability of consumer credit, including that for cars, student loans, homes and credit cards. The Fed also is making loans to banks, is providing a financial backstop to the mutual fund industry, and has injected billions of dollars in financial markets here and abroad.

The Fed could opt to expand programs by enlarging loans it's now making, providing loans to other types of companies, or buying more and different types of debt. The Fed's balance sheet has ballooned to $2.2 trillion, from close to $900 billion in September, reflecting some of those other activities to get credit flowing again.

Even with all the bold moves, the economy continues to sink deeper into despair.

Skittish employers axed 533,000 jobs in November alone. That drove the unemployment rate up to 6.7 percent, a 15-year high.

Since the start of the recession, the economy has shed nearly 2 million jobs. Analysts predict another 3 million more will be lost between now and the spring of 2010.

Last week alone, Bank of America Corp. (BAC), tool maker Stanley Works (SWK) and Sara Lee Corp. (SLE), known for food brands such as Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm, announced job cuts.

General Motors Corp. (GM), Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. (F), meanwhile, are fighting for their survival. GM and Chrysler have said they're in danger of running out of money within weeks. The White House is exploring new ways to help Detroit after rescue efforts collapsed in Congress.

With the employment market eroding and consumers retrenching, the economy could stagger backward at a shocking 6 percent rate in the current October-December quarter, analysts predict. It shrank at a 0.5 percent pace in the third quarter.

President-elect Barack Obama is advocating an economic recovery plan that includes spending on big public works projects to bolster jobs. His plan also includes tax cuts to spur consumers to spend more and businesses to step up investment and hiring.

Americans are sorely feeling the toll of the housing, credit and financial crises.

Households' net worth fell 4.7 percent in the third quarter to $56.5 trillion as people watched the value of their homes and investments tank. It marked the fourth straight quarterly decline, the Fed said.

The average U.S. household will pay $2,300 this year on residential energy costs, with heating accounting for almost 45 percent of that total, according to the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit public policy group based in Washington, D.C.

Gas and electric costs are up from last year, the group says. Data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration shows that homes heated with natural gas will pay about $30 more compared to last winter, while those heating with electricity will pay about $80 more.

In Pennsylvania, for example, where about 55 percent of residents' home energy bills are devoted to heating, costs for consumers using natural gas or electricity are projected to increase by about $90 and $125, respectively, compared with last winter's.

To help consumers cut costs, the Alliance is sharing these tips:

Turn down the thermostat. In America, lowering it by just 1 degree can reduce heating energy costs by up to 5 percent–between $35 and $70, depending on the fuel used to heat the home.
Plug leaks. Gaps between windows and doors may be small, but they can collectively add up to big energy losses. Plugging these leaks with caulk or other materials is the first action home owners should take to combat high heating fuel costs. By sealing those leaks and installing proper insulation, especially in the attic and crawl spaces, American households can reduce home heating costs by up to $180-$340 per year, depending on the fuel used.
Heat people and pets, not empty space. About 80 percent of space is usually not being used at any given time. Closing vents in unoccupied rooms and using small space heaters to heat occupied areas can save a significant amount of energy and money.
Use a programmable thermostat. It costs about $100, but if used properly, it can save American households up to 10 percent on their home heating bills–up to $90-$170 a year.
Set the hot water heater at 130 degrees. Use cold water when washing clothes to save more energy and reduce bills for water heating.
Replace the four most used bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. American households can save about $135 over the lifetime of the bulbs.
Look for the label. When choosing a new heating and cooling system, windows, or appliances, consumers should purchase models with the ENERGY STAR label.
Save gas on the road. Vehicle fuel economy can be improved with a few simple measures: tuning the engine (4 percent), using the recommended grade of motor oil (1-2 percent), keeping tires properly inflated (up to 3 percent), curbing aggressive driving such as speeding and rapid acceleration and braking (10 percent on average, but possibly as much as 33 percent), and removing unnecessary weight from the trunk (2 percent per 100 pounds). Even better, carpool, take public transportation, ride a bike or walk to really rack up the savings.

To download fact sheets on 2008-09 heating costs for each of the states in the contiguous United States and for the nation as a whole, visit www.ase.org/statefacts. The fact sheets, which you can distribute to customers, alert consumers on how much their home heating bills are likely to rise or fall compared with last winter's bills, based on fuel costs in their own states.

Source: Alliance to Save Energy

Freddie Mac reports a decline in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to 5.47 percent during the week ended Dec. 11 from 5.53 percent last week and 6.11 percent a year ago.

Some lenders are locking in even lower rates as they build on momentum started when the Federal Reserve announced plans last month to purchase a substantial number of mortgage-backed securities. HSH Associates and Inside Mortgage Finance are reporting interest on 30-year fixed loans at 5.33 percent and 5.09 percent, respectively.

Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft says mortgage rates also were driven downward by the recession and rising unemployment.

Source: The Washington Post, Dina ElBoghdady (12/12/08)