How far underwater are you?

By Marc Pearlman

Back in 1986, President Ronald Reagan referred to the line "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you", as the ten most terrifying words in the English language. Well, as the housing crisis continues, the government is knocking on the door again as they roll out HARP 2.0.

The original Home Affordable Refinance Program, HARP, was created in 2009 to assist struggling "underwater" homeowners who owed more money on their homes than the home was worth. Homeowners could refinance their mortgages and take advantage of the historic low rates if they met certain eligibility requirements. However, the plan has been criticized by some pundits for falling short of expectations.

"HARP has been around for a couple of years but hasn't been that helpful to that many people," says Bob Walters, chief economist at Quicken Loans, according to Fox Business, adding that many people who needed the help were unable to qualify for it.

What's new with HARP 2.0

HARP 2.0 extends the original program until the end of 2013 and loosens some of the eligibility restrictions of the original HARP program.

In order to qualify for the original HARP program rolled out in 2009, a homeowner's loan-to-value ratio needed to be less than 125 percent. This cap left many homeowners out in the cold as their home prices dropped sharply in price causing their LTV to rise above 125 percent.

Under HARP 2.0, the 125-percent LTV cap has been removed for homeowners looking to refinance Read the full article »

By Doresa Banning

Editor's Note:  This offer expired and is no longer available.

Click here for an updated list of cards from Citi.

The introductory 0 percent APR deals with the Citi Platinum Select Visa Card make it a helpful tool if you want an interest-free period in which to chip away at a new or existing credit card balance. The 0 percent introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases is for a lengthy 18 months. The card also offers online discounts with Extra Cash from Citi: where you can enjoy discounts on gift cards, travel, merchandise and more. Other perks include Citi Identity Theft Solutions, secure, free online account management and no annual fee.*

Fees:

• No annual fee
• Balance transfer fee of 3 percent of transfer amount
• See card offer for full terms and conditions

Citi Platinum Select Visa Card

By Doresa Banning

Editor's Note: Thank you for your interest, this offer expired and is no longer available.

The MTV Visa Card from Capital One, ideal for entertainment buffs, offers a 12-month introductory 0 percent purchase APR period. Other draws are its rewards program. You'll earn 5 points per dollar spent on entertainment, 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. For paying your bills on time, you'll get 25 bonus points per billing period.

By Doresa Banning

Editor's Note: Thank you for your interest, this offer expired and is no longer available.

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express is a rewards card aimed at those who frequently travel and stay at Starwood hotels and resorts. With it, you earn Starpoints, which are redeemable toward nights at more than 1,100 Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) properties and flights on more than 350 airlines with SPG Flights, and there are no blackout dates.

Features:

• Starpoints® bonus: earn up to 25,000 bonus points: 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of Cardmembership
• That’s enough for a weekend getaway to a Category 4 Hotel like the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, or six free nights at a Category 2 Hotel
• Earn up to 5 Starpoints® for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG hotels and resorts – that’s 2 Starpoints for using the Card in addition to the Starpoints you earn as an SPG member. Earn 1 Starpoint for all other purchases.
• Free Hotel Nights: redeem Starpoints at over 1,100 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide — with no blackout dates
• Free Flights: redeem Starpoints on over 350 airlines with SPG Flights — with no blackout dates
• Get 5,000 bonus Starpoints after you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program with more than 30 airlines
• No limits on the number of Starpoints you can earn
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65
• Terms and Restrictions apply

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

By Doresa Banning

Editor's Note: Thank you for your interest, this offer expired and is no longer available.

With the AccountNow Prepaid MasterCard, you put money on the card and use it to pay bills and make purchases everywhere MasterCard is accepted, allowing you to avoid interest and debt.

Features:

• $25 bonus with free direct deposit
• $20 for referring a friend to AccountNow
• No credit check
• No minimum balance

Fees:

• No card activation fee
• No bill pay fee
• $9.95 monthly maintenance fee (waived when $2,500 is loaded on the card in the previous 30 days)
• $2.50 ATM transaction fee
• $1 ATM balance inquiry
• $2.95 paper statement fee (online statements are free)
• See card offer for full terms and conditions

AccountNow Prepaid MasterCard

By Doresa Banning

If you want to earn more points with your purchases, consider the Chase Sapphire Card. Rewards are redeemable for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more, and there is currently an introductory offer for bonus points too.

Chase Sapphire Card