loans

• Opinion

Build on rising consumer confidence [Letter]

Washington should support economic growth and reduce student loan debt

• Baltimore City Paper

Fraud at the Bottom

• Baltimore City Paper

At Auction

• Baltimore City Paper

The Sun's Credulous Take on Stanley Rochkind

• Baltimore City Paper

It Was All Liar’s Loans

• Baltimore City Paper

What Lehman Did

• Harford

New Bel Air budget approved; total spending up half a percent

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners unanimously gave its final approval Tuesday to the town's $15,967,773 budget for the 2015 fiscal year which begins July 1.

• Harford

Aberdeen proposes $14 million budget for FY15, 16 percent spending cut

Aberdeen's administration is proposing a $14.1 million budget for fiscal year 2015, a 16 percent drop from fiscal year 2014.

• Harford

Bel Air town employees to get merit raises under new budget

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners reviewed a general fund budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year on Monday that contains the first merit increases for town employees in several years.

• Harford

NBRS Bank weathering latest federal order to shore up its capital, president says

Operations at NBRS Financial Bank have been fairly normal since the Federal Reserve Board of Governors issued an Prompt Corrective Action Directive to the community bank serving Harford and Cecil counties on April 7, NBRS President Hugh J. Garchinsky said Tuesday.

• Baltimore Hotels

City-owned Hilton spends most of its occupancy tax set-aside on debt service

The city-owned Hilton Baltimore spent nearly all of the $2.8 million in hotel occupancy taxes the city set aside last year to help the struggling convention center hotel make its debt payments, officials said.

• Howard County

Triadelphia Ridge's Lego Legends robotics team rocks [Glenwood/Glenelg/Dayton]

The Lego Legends team from Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School has been chosen to attend the State Championship FIRST Lego League competition on Saturday, March 1.

• Politics

Gansler supports commuter discount on ICC

Gansler supports commuter discount on ICC

• Howard County

Columbia Association will not renew president's contract

Nelson, whose contract is up in May, was brought in May 2009 on a two-year contract. In 2011, he was granted an extension through May 2014.

• Opinion

A placeholder budget [Editorial]

Gov. Martin O'Malley's last budget proposal leaves some hard questions for his successor but on the whole leaves the state in good shape.

• Foreclosures

Five questions with NAREB President Donnell Spivey

The 2013 State of Housing in Black America report found that African-American homeownership dropped from 48 percent in 2007 to 43 percent today and foreclosure rates were higher among African Americans and Latinos. NAREB President Donnell Spivey said he is concerned that the recession has made many people in the African American community wary of homeownership, traditionally a safe investment and a route to the middle class.

• Business

Maryland to receive $88 million of $2.1 billion national settlement

Maryland will receive about $86 million for principal reduction, the sixth-highest amount, or 4.3 percent of the relief available, according to Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler. There are also 2,461 loans eligible for cash payments, with disbursements expected to be more than $1,000 each.

• Opinion

Caution on state debt [Editorial]

There is too much uncertainty about Maryland's finances to endorse even a small increase in the borrowing limit next year.

• Opinion

Pro bono requirement would unduly burden recent law graduates [Letter]

Requiring pro bono service as a prerequisite to bar admittance would unduly burden recent law graduates.

• Opinion

Cracking down on payday loans

In the Internet era, regulators need new tools to thwart unscrupulous payday lenders

• Opinion

Unwinding Fannie and Freddie

The president's proposal to unwind Fannie May and Freddie Mac, similar to a bipartisan bill in the Senate, points the way toward meaningful reform in housing policy that doesn't eliminate the government's role in making homeownership possible for the middle class.

• Opinion

Fixing student loan rates isn't enough

Congress must act quickly to avoid a sudden hike in borrowing costs for college

• Opinion

Dropping the ball on student loans

Congress must act soon to roll back interest rates on college loans

• Education

Interest rates to double on new student loans

Financial aid directors at Maryland colleges are hoping that members of Congress will return from their July 4th recess and reverse the doubling of the interest rate on new loans for financially needy students.

• Loans

APGFCU's Joshua M. Lewis promoted to retail loan center branch manager

Joshua M. Lewis has been promoted to retail loan center branch manager, a new position at Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union.

• Loans

Susan Stover promoted to assistant vice president for APGFCU

Susan R. Stover has been promoted to assistant vice president, loan centers/sales, a new position at Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union

• U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

CFPB orders U.S. Bank to return millions to service members

CFPB order U.S. Bank and its partner to return $6.5 mililon to members of military

• Consumers

Marylanders aren't shy about complaining

Marylanders are among the biggest complainers to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

• Litigation and Regulation

S.D. lender that claimed tribal immunity ordered to stop making loans in Md.

State regulators have ordered a South Dakota-based payday lender to stop making consumer loans in Maryland after finding the company charged excessive interest rates.

• Opinion

Subsidized student loans fuel higher tuition

U.S. should stop underwriting student loans that serve to raise tuition rates

• Business

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake dips into reserves to pay debt

The state-owned Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay hotel is continuing to mine a reserve fund to meet semiannual debt payments, including a draw of more than $2 million earlier this month.

• Opinion

Keeping college affordable

Congress must act soon to keep interest rates on college loans from doubling July 1

• Business

Joseph Haskins Jr. navigated Harbor Bank of Maryland through tough times

Harbor Bank, a minority-owned commercial bank with nearly $251 million in assets, comes out from under heightened federal scrutiny.

• Colleges and Universities

New college grads face difficult job market

Though the economic recovery has led to some hiring improvements, it's a tough time to be a new college graduate.

• Business

Synagro Technologies' bankruptcy will bring jobs to Baltimore

A bankruptcy filing by Synagro Technologies Inc. on Wednesday means growth and new jobs for the Baltimore area as the waste recycler consolidates, making its sole headquarters in White Marsh.

• Business

Sinclair will acquire Fisher Communications for $373.3 million

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. is continuing a push into new markets across the U.S. with an announcement Thursday that it plans to acquire Fisher Communications Inc. in a $373.3 million deal.

• Opinion

Ehrlich's name-calling is no substitute for reasoned argument

Columnist's name-calling is no substitute for reasoned argument

• Loans

5 questions for … Daniel J. Schrider

Sandy Spring Bancorp CEO Daniel J. Schrider discusses the state of Maryland banking and more.

• Harford

Havre de Grace mayor, former councilman plan to run again

Just before the day to start filing applications, Mayor Wayne Dougherty announced he would be running for mayor once again.

• Loans

Farmers offered new type of financing [Letter]

a new microloan program that will provide up to $35,000 to help bolster these producers during their start-up years

• Baltimore Hotels

City must help cover Hilton's debt payments

The city will be forced to dip into its general fund for $1 million to help the city-owned Hilton Baltimore make debt payments this year, city officials said Wednesday.

• Harford

Harford County raises nearly $115 million in bond sales Tuesday

Harford County officials raised nearly $115 million through two bond sales Tuesday to finance existing and new capital projects and to pay off previous bond issues.

• Baltimore City

Baltimore reshaping approach to aging water lines

Baltimore water officials have been dogged in the last year by a series of extremely public problems. But behind the scenes, they have also been making progress on the city's aged and long-deteriorating water system.

• Baltimore County

Baltimore Co. police union sues over $25 million loan from pension fund

A Baltimore County police union is suing the county retirement system's board of trustees over a $25 million loan the county took from the employee retirement system to upgrade recycling facilities, alleging a breach of duty.

• Harford

Bel Air approves loan for new cookie bakery on Main Street

With the aid of a town small business loan, a new cookie bakery and store will be opening up on Bel Air's Main Street in the next few months.

• Opinion

Make college worth the cost

Universities need to do more to control expenses, help students

• Business

Consumer advocates stress discrimination concerns despite new mortgage rule

Consumer advocates welcomed a federal effort aiming to prevent predatory mortgage lending at a town hall in Baltimore on Thursday, but expressed worries that new rules would not halt discrimination.

• Walmart

Letter: Writer disagrees with Aegis, but says TIFS are bad

• Business

Laurel City Council to rework tax exemption for Laurel Mall developers

The Laurel City Council is proposing to revise the tax break given to the developers of the Laurel Mall, Greenberg Gibbons Company, to be used for improving public infrastructure around the new development.

• Opinion

Mortgage settlement: not enough relief

Despite deal reached with banks, too many Maryland families are still losing their homes