5 Things to Freak Out About (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - Our fellow Americans are experiencing a world of hurt -- layoffs, postponed retirements, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and, at best, angst and uncertainty. Your empathy is appreciated, but is that really the best use of your energy right now?

Hypo Real Estate to receive euro20 billion loan (AP)

AP - Troubled German lender Hypo Real Estate said Friday it has been granted euro20 billion ($25 billion) in loan guarantees from a government fund, which comes on top of a previous bailout to stabilize its business amid the financial turmoil.

US plans holiday relief from foreclosures, job loss (AFP)

AFP - US President George W. Bush signed into law a bill to extend unemployment benefits over the Christmas holiday period and major federal lenders will freeze home foreclosures until the New Year, officials said Friday.

Fla. governor embraces college tuition increases (AP)

AP - Gov. Charlie Crist continued to veer away from his previous opposition to raising tuition with a proposal this week allowing for increases of up to 15 percent a year at all state universities. But a top Democratic lawmaker said it's the wrong time for that course as people struggle with foreclosures and layoffs.

New Look, Same Lenders (BusinessWeek Online)

BusinessWeek Online - 1. The Shift When the subprime market began to collapse in 2006, many lenders and brokers shifted their business to loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration

FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime (BusinessWeek Online)

BusinessWeek Online - As if they haven't done enough damage. Thousands of subprime mortgage lenders and brokers -- many of them the very sorts of firms that helped create the current financial crisis -- are going strong. Their new strategy: taking advantage of a long-standing federal program designed to encourage homeownership by insuring mortgages for buyers of modest means.