Choosing mediation over litigation – Insurance claims is a difficult business. Frequently, the claimants and insurers seem to have opposite goals. The claimant may feel that the carrier does not understand the loss the insured has sustained, and has no empathy.

My Big Fat Divorce – Learning About Your Options Through The Ending Of A Hollywood Marriage – In 2002 a very funny movie came out. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the story of a Greek woman who falls in love with a non-Greek man. Hilarity ensues as they plan their wedding and meld their families and cultures. Actress Nia Vardalos wrote, produced and starred in the film which is loosely based on the real life events surrounding her marriage to Ian Gomez; who played the best man in the film.

Construction jobs rise; will housing inventory do the same? – The latest news out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics may bode well for the housing market — and Americans looking to buy into it. According to the BLS’s recent jobs report, construction employment was up by 13,000 in June and has risen by more than 280,000 since the start of the year.

How to Ask Your Spouse for Business Advice, According to This Divorce Lawyer – While having a spouse who is also an entrepreneur definitely has its perks, it can create some really problematic situations, especially around risk-taking, work-life balance and the inevitable competition. My husband and I are definitely a work in progress when it comes to running businesses, parenting and adulting. But as far as when and how to seek feedback from each other, we’ve got that down.

Confessions of a debt collector – If a business has debt and doesn’t pay, a debt collection agency will be on the hunt to track the money down. That’s where Dean Kaplan comes in. As CEO of The Kaplan Group, a commercial collections agency that deals with business debt, his company has collected tens of millions of dollars to return to their clients.

Despite Dip, Mortgage Rates Move Above 5% For Many Americans – The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has dipped to 4.57%, from 4.62% a week ago. Although rates have been inching upwards over the last few months, they are still near historic lows. The time series from the St. Louis Fed reminds us that rates were closer to 6% in 2005 and 8% in 2000.

5 Crucial Steps To Make Your Divorce Less Painful – Divorce. This was not a word on your mind the day you said, “I do.” But here you are. Your “I do” has turned into “I don’t.” Whether you saw this coming or are reeling from a sideways blow, you are about to make a series of decisions.  It’s likely that none of them seem to have any good options. Yet, virtually every decision could have significant financial, legal and relational impact for you, your soon-to-be ex-spouse and any children involved regardless of age. Many will have ripple effects for extended family, community and social circles as well.

Don’t Know Your Mortgage Rate? Here’s Why That’s Bad – In fact, according to a recent study by Bankrate, a whopping 29 percent of homeowners don’t know their current mortgage rate.

Foreclosure can creep up on you at the most inopportune time. Here’s how to deal with it – Buying a home is a glorious occasion but for some it can lead to high blood pressure, suicide and even murder. An American Journal of Public Health study found that foreclosure has likely contributed to a rise in suicide rates.

How to keep your divorce from sabotaging your children’s college education – Anticipating college tuition bills is nerve-wracking for most parents — and can be even scarier if you’re in the midst of a divorce.

How inordinate delays can ruin the purpose of bankruptcy code – In the Essar Steel matter before it, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has stalled the resolution process, directing all concerned entities to abstain from any order being passed. The tribunal goes on vacation from June 1 for over a month. So, the next hearing date will be on July 23.

Yields Are Creeping Up The Soft Underbelly Of Europe’s Axis Of Debt – Yields on Italian debt are testing 3-year resistance, and if they break through, there is no significant upper resistance until the 4% range.

How to Make Your Divorce The Best Thing That’s Ever Happened to You – The key to life is all in your mind, and everything is always about how you define and think about the things you go through.

Going bankrupt? Here’s what really happens when you file for bankruptcy – When many people hear the word “bankruptcy,” they usually think of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which businesses file. That process involves financial restructuring and “reorganizing” until the company is, ideally, on more solid footing and able to pay its debtors.

5 Ways To Pay Off Credit Card Debt Faster – According to Make Lemonade, Americans have over $1 trillion of credit card debt.

Should I use my savings to pay off credit card debt? – Folks who have zero tolerance for debt, like radio host and author Dave Ramsey, will tell you to take everything but $1,000 bucks and throw it at that debt. Others will tell you to keep your emergency savings stash and set a budget to pay off the debt.

Mortgages get more expensive as rates hit near 4-year peak – The cost of borrowing for a home keeps going up, a potential obstacle to would-be buyers at a time when home prices are at all-time highs in more than half of major U.S. markets.

What Every Real Estate Investor Needs To Know About Apartment Property Managers – If you are looking for a way to diversify your portfolio while building wealth for the future, buying an apartment building could help you achieve both goals. There are enormous advantages to owning rental property, and investing in a fully-rented apartment building could bring you a steady stream of rental income — money you could use to supplement your retirement income, boost your savings and help you prepare for the future.

Mortgage rates climb to highs not seen in more than a year – According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average shot up to 4.32 percent with an average 0.6 point. (Points are fees paid to a lender equal to 1 percent of the loan amount.) It was 4.22 percent a week ago and 4.17 percent a year ago. The 30-year fixed rate has risen about 40 basis points (a basis point is 0.01 percentage point) since the start of the year and hasn’t been this high since December 2016.

New foreclosures fell to record low numbers in 2017 – There was an increase in total mortgage defaults during the fourth quarter but that rise has to be measured in context of what had been a favorable environment prior to the third-quarter storms.

Japan’s real estate lending slows amid housing glut – TOKYO — Japanese real estate financing retreated 5.2% in 2017, the first drop in six years, with banks slowing lending for apartment construction amid higher vacancy rates.