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The Top 5 Causes of Accidental Home Injury Deaths—and How to Prevent Them
Tweet Share on Facebook August 31, 2009 Comment (5)Although we all like to think of our homes as sanctuaries of comfort and security, the typical American house harbors some significant safety risks. In fact, every year more than 18,000 Americans die from accidental injuries that take place in the house, making our homes the second-most-common location—behind only cars on the road—of such fatalities. But even amid the worst recession since World War II, homeowners can take steps to reduce these risks, says Meri-K Appy, the president of the Home Safety Council. In an interview with U.S. News, Appy discussed the five leading causes of unintentional home injury deaths and offered simple, cost-effective ways to increase household safety.
[Check out The Home of the Future: 8 Innovations in Store.]
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Americans Downsize Home Improvement Projects: 5 Things to Know
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2009 Comment (5)Despite some encouraging developments on the housing and economic horizon, Americans aren't ready to plow their money back into large-scale home improvement projects just yet, according to ServiceMagic.com's Home Remodeling and Repair Index for the second quarter of 2009. The report, released Wednesday, found that requests for contractors to make home improvements fell to 54 percent of total service requests in the second quarter of 2009, down slightly from 57 percent a year earlier. And while consumers were taking on fewer big-ticket improvement projects—such as additions—interest in smaller projects, like countertop resurfacing, increased sharply.
Here are five things to know about the recent trends in the home improvement sector.
[Check out America's 10 Best Undervalued Places to Live.]
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List of 'Problem' Banks Swells: Is Your Money Safe?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2009 Comment (4)Although recent housing and economic data have signaled that—perhaps—the nastiest recession since the Second World War is planning its retreat, news from the nation's already-beleaguered banking sector continues to worsen. On Thursday, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which guarantees deposits at the nation's nearly 8,200 banks, announced that the sector's deteriorating health has forced it to add more than 100 new institutions to its list of so-called problem banks. When the second quarter closed, the FDIC had 416 banks on the list, up sharply from just 117 a year earlier and its highest level in 15 years. At the same time, the agency's fund used to reimburse the depositors at failed banks has declined about 20 percent, to $10.4 billion. In light of these developments, it's natural for consumers to wonder about the safety of their bank deposits. For anyone with such concerns, here are five things you should know:
[See Why Do Home Foreclosures Keep Rising? 6 Things You Need to Know.]
1. Economic impact: As the nearly two-year-long recession has driven the unemployment rate to more than 9 percent, it has created serious problems for banks. When more borrowers lose their jobs, they become less able to repay their loans, leaving banks on the hook for additional losses. At the same time, the historic housing crash has gutted the values of homes from coast to coast. This has made some borrowers more willing to simply walk away from their homes altogether rather than continue to make payments on a devaluing investment. Furthermore, problems in the commercial real estate sector are hitting bank balance sheets as well, as businesses go bankrupt in growing numbers. "Falling collateral values increase the likelihood of distressed residential and commercial developers just walking away," says Mike Larson of Weiss Research. The impact of the still-rickety economy was clearly visible in the FDIC's most recent figures—released Thursday—which showed that 4.35 percent of all bank loans and leases were noncurrent. That's the highest level in more than a quarter century.
[Also see Job Losses Drive Consumer Delinquencies to Record Highs.]
