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Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision t

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decisio

ATLANTA - Cases of residential mortgage fraud reported by institutions in the home financing industry fell last year for the second year in a row, according to a new study. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report released Wednesday tracks verified instances of home loan fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage industry professionals, as reported by banks and other financial institutions. The fraud could include a borrower falsifying information on loan documents but only if the borrower was conspiring with a mortgage industry professional. The study found that mortgage fraud reports declined 35 percent between 2010 and 2011. One factor in the decline is that mortgage loan originations sank to their lowest levels since 2001 last year, reflecting a sharp drop in sales of new and previously occupied homes. Another is that fewer mortgage fraud schemes are taking place at the point where a buyer tries to get a home loan. Mortgage fraud involving the buying or selling of homes in some stage of foreclosure is becoming more common, according to the FBI. Mortgage fraud investigations by the FBI resulted in 1,082 convictions in fiscal 2011, the agency has said. Loan application and home appraisal fraud and misrepresentation made up the largest category of fraud type being investigated by lenders last year, according to the LexisNexis study. Among the trends identified in the report: Instances where buyers and sellers potentially colluded in a home sale or purchase transaction are running at an elevated pace. One red flag of collusion in a real estate transaction is when there is an undisclosed relationship between buyer and seller, or agent, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. Unless disclosed, real estate transactions are expected to be arm's-length, or with buyer and seller having no relationship to each other. In 2011, lenders reported that transactions where such a relationship was not disclosed d

ATLANTA - Cases of residential mortgage fraud reported by institutions in the home financing industry fell last year for the second year in a row, according to a new study. The LexisNexis Risk Solutions Mortgage Fraud Report released Wednesday tracks verified instances of home loan fraud or misrepresentation by mortgage industry professionals, as reported by banks and other financial institutions. The fraud could include a borrower falsifying information on loan documents but only if the borrower was conspiring with a mortgage industry professional. The study found that mortgage fraud reports declined 35 percent between 2010 and 2011. One factor in the decline is that mortgage loan originations sank to their lowest levels since 2001 last year, reflecting a sharp drop in sales of new and previously occupied homes. Another is that fewer mortgage fraud schemes are taking place at the point where a buyer tries to get a home loan. Mortgage fraud involving the buying or selling of homes in some stage of foreclosure is becoming more common, according to the FBI. Mortgage fraud investigations by the FBI resulted in 1,082 convictions in fiscal 2011, the agency has said. Loan application and home appraisal fraud and misrepresentation made up the largest category of fraud type being investigated by lenders last year, according to the LexisNexis study. Among the trends identified in the report: Instances where buyers and sellers potentially colluded in a home sale or purchase transaction are running at an elevated pace. One red flag of collusion in a real estate transaction is when there is an undisclosed relationship between buyer and seller, or agent, which could potentially lead to a conflict of interest. Unless disclosed, real estate transactions are expected to be arm's-length, or with buyer and seller having no relationship to each other. In 2011, lenders reported that transactions where such a relationship was not disclosed declined to

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision to

Recent headlines about the troubled subprime lending industry are making Americans more aware of the consequences of risky lending practices. But unscrupulous lenders and scam artists continue to prey on unsuspecting loan shoppers and homeowners. Unfortunately, loan-related scams aren't restricted to tricking consumers into loans with outrageously high interest rates. Today's sophisticated scammers are using loans as a vehicle to do everything from stealing sensitive personal information to virtually stealing a credit-challenged homeowner's own home. The mortgage experts at Loan.com have identified five top scams that all consumers - mortgage shoppers and homeowners alike - should be on the look-out for. 1. Unsolicited phone calls Americans across the country have reported receiving phone calls from telemarketers posing as representatives from well-known organizations such as Fannie Mae offering to refinance loans at low rates. These "representatives" often ask for personal information, claiming they need it to qualify a victim for a loan. This information is then used to steal a victim's identity. Loan.com's Advice: Be wary of any phone call offering remarkably low interest rates on loans, especially if you have registered your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry. Most major nationwide lenders do not solicit business over the phone. Never give out personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure who you are speaking with. 2. "Helpful" contractors Many homeowners have reported contractors - often roofing or remodel professionals - approaching them with an offer to perform upgrades on their home at a reasonable price. These contractors offer financing through low-interest loans. It's not until after signing numerous forms that too many homeowners realize they have signed off on a high-interest home equity loan, and that the contractor has been hired by unscrupulous lenders to sell loans, not improve

Statewide California Indian Legal Services Assistance: Foreclosure to all Native Americans living in California and other Residents of select Counties Location: Escondido, Bishop, Eureka, and Sacramento Website: http://www.calindian.org/ Phone: Escondido: (760) 746-8941 or (800) 743-8941 Bishop: (760) 873-3581 or (800) 736-3582 Eureka: (707) 443-8397 or (800) 347-2402 Sacramento: (916) 978-0960 or (800) 829-0284 Services: The various offices provides free and low-cost legal services to Native Americans and Native American tribes and residents of the Counties of Alpine, Inyo, Kern, Mono, Tuolumne, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity , Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Kings, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo, Yuba. California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) Assistance: Foreclosure and Loan Modification Scams for California Residents in Rural Areas in English and Spanish Location: Coachella, Delano, El Centro, Fresno, Gilroy, Lamont, Madera, Marysville, Modesto, Monterey, Oceanside, Oxnard, Paso Robles, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Watsonville Website: http://www.crla.org/ Phone: To find the contact information for the office closest to you, please visithttp://www.crla.org/index.php?page=office-locations-amp-staff Services: CRLA provides free legal services to low-income residents in various rural counties. The organization assists with foreclosure and loan modification scam issues. In particular, CRLA operates free foreclosure intervention workshops out of t

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision to gi

South Korea announced steps Thursday to bolster its sagging property market, including easing restrictions imposed on some districts of the capital. Seoul in 2003 restricted mortgage loan-to-value ratios to 40 percent and banned buyers from spending more than 40 percent of their income on repayments in three southern Seoul areas seen as most attractive to speculators. From now on, the same rules will apply citywide, with buyers able to borrow up to 50 percent of a property's value and spend up to 50 percent of their income on repayments. House prices in the Seoul metropolitan area have been falling for 10 successive months, with the latest April reading showing a 0.3 percent month-on-month decline. The government said it would also cut taxes on capital gains from property in the three districts, and would offer low-interest loans to a wider range of potential home-buyers in the capital. "We're rolling back excessive regulations adopted back in the early 2000s when the property market was overheating," the land ministry said in a statement. "Despite an increase in home supply... transactions in the housing sector are shrinking, while new apartment sales are also sluggish, hit by (economic) uncertainties." You can also visit us @ http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/

South Korea announced steps Thursday to bolster its sagging property market, including easing restrictions imposed on some districts of the capital. Seoul in 2003 restricted mortgage loan-to-value ratios to 40 percent and banned buyers from spending more than 40 percent of their income on repayments in three southern Seoul areas seen as most attractive to speculators. From now on, the same rules will apply citywide, with buyers able to borrow up to 50 percent of a property's value and spend up to 50 percent of their income on repayments. House prices in the Seoul metropolitan area have been falling for 10 successive months, with the latest April reading showing a 0.3 percent month-on-month decline. The government said it would also cut taxes on capital gains from property in the three districts, and would offer low-interest loans to a wider range of potential home-buyers in the capital. "We're rolling back excessive regulations adopted back in the early 2000s when the property market was overheating," the land ministry said in a statement. "Despite an increase in home supply... transactions in the housing sector are shrinking, while new apartment sales are also sluggish, hit by (economic) uncertainties."

South Korea announced steps Thursday to bolster its sagging property market, including easing restrictions imposed on some districts of the capital. Seoul in 2003 restricted mortgage loan-to-value ratios to 40 percent and banned buyers from spending more than 40 percent of their income on repayments in three southern Seoul areas seen as most attractive to speculators. From now on, the same rules will apply citywide, with buyers able to borrow up to 50 percent of a property's value and spend up to 50 percent of their income on repayments. House prices in the Seoul metropolitan area have been falling for 10 successive months, with the latest April reading showing a 0.3 percent month-on-month decline. The government said it would also cut taxes on capital gains from property in the three districts, and would offer low-interest loans to a wider range of potential home-buyers in the capital. "We're rolling back excessive regulations adopted back in the early 2000s when the property market was overheating," the land ministry said in a statement. "Despite an increase in home supply... transactions in the housing sector are shrinking, while new apartment sales are also sluggish, hit by (economic) uncertainties."

Springhill Group: DPRK jams GPS of ROK Airlines GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border. Despite the GPS disruption, Springhill Group reports that there was no serious threat to flight safety as airplanes are capable of using other navigation devices like inertial navigation system and very-high-frequency omni-directional range (VOR). Meanwhile, military communications and transportation were not greatly affected as they do not primarily depend on the GPS system. North Korea did not admit anything so the reason for the GPS jamming remains unclear as fears that another nuclear test might follow is escalating. Likewise, it is not known for just how long the jamming will continue as during last year's South Korea-US military drill, the radio signal jamming from Pyongyang has lasted for ten days. At any rate, South Korea is always on the lookout for any provocation from its neighbor, especially as a n

Springhill Group: DPRK jams GPS of ROK Airlines GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border. Despite the GPS disruption, Springhill Group reports that there was no serious threat to flight safety as airplanes are capable of using other navigation devices like inertial navigation system and very-high-frequency omni-directional range (VOR). Meanwhile, military communications and transportation were not greatly affected as they do not primarily depend on the GPS system. North Korea did not admit anything so the reason for the GPS jamming remains unclear as fears that another nuclear test might follow is escalating. Likewise, it is not known for just how long the jamming will continue as during last year's South Korea-US military drill, the radio signal jamming from Pyongyang has lasted for ten days. At any rate, South Korea is always on the lookout for any provocation from its neighbor, especially as a n

Springhill Group: DPRK jams GPS of ROK Airlines GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border. Despite the GPS disruption, Springhill Group reports that there was no serious threat to flight safety as airplanes are capable of using other navigation devices like inertial navigation system and very-high-frequency omni-directional range (VOR). Meanwhile, military communications and transportation were not greatly affected as they do not primarily depend on the GPS system. North Korea did not admit anything so the reason for the GPS jamming remains unclear as fears that another nuclear test might follow is escalating. Likewise, it is not known for just how long the jamming will continue as during last year's South Korea-US military drill, the radio signal jamming from Pyongyang has lasted for ten days. At any rate, South Korea is always on the lookout for any provocation from its neighbor, especially

Korea to support its efforts to crack down on the smuggling of pseudoephedrine-based cold pills. The move came after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) obtained information that a Thai company had struck a deal to buy 10 billion pseudoephedrine-based cold tablets from a Chinese firm. Previously, the DSI obtained information that the firm also signed a deal to buy 850 million tablets, or 40 tonnes of the medicine, from South Korea. The DSI found that 87 million cold tablets were transported into Thailand from South Korea by plane on nine occasions since 2010. They had false air cargo manifests to avoid attracting attention from the authorities. The DSI suspected the medicines were smuggled in from South Korea. The DSI is investigating two companies suspected of being involved in the smuggling of the pills from overseas. The companies are UTAC Thai Co Ltd, a supplier of integrated circuits, and TVR Group Co Ltd, a car dealer and vehicle hire firm. Some information relating to the drug purchases was uncovered at the companies during recent searches of their premises but the firms denied any involvement. Mr Tarit said yesterday DSI officials also discovered a contract to buy 10 billion pseudoephedrine-based cold tablets from China during the search at UTAC Thai Co Ltd. Under the contract, the first batch of 2 million tablets was to have been shipped to Thailand on July 31, 2009. He said the DSI also found a photo showing a man collecting the pills from Suvarnabhumi airport cargo warehouse. The cold tablets from China and South Korea have the same brand name of COLCOLCO, he said. Mr Tarit said DSI officials also searched the company's factory but there was nothing amiss. However, it was found that the company had three South Korean executives and one Thai executive, Mr Tarit said. He said the Korean Food and Drug Administration recently sent information regarding the nine shipments of pills which showed the contract to buy the cold tablets fro

Springhill Group: DPRK jams GPS of ROK Airlines GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border. Despite the GPS disruption, Springhill Group reports that there was no serious threat to flight safety as airplanes are capable of using other navigation devices like inertial navigation system and very-high-frequency omni-directional range (VOR). Meanwhile, military communications and transportation were not greatly affected as they do not primarily depend on the GPS system. North Korea did not admit anything so the reason for the GPS jamming remains unclear as fears that another nuclear test might follow is escalating. Likewise, it is not known for just how long the jamming will continue as during last year's South Korea-US military drill, the radio signal jamming from Pyongyang has lasted for ten days. At any rate, South Korea is always on the lookout for any provocation from its neighbor, especially as a

China paper hints at anti-Japan sanctions BEIJING: The mouthpiece of China's Communist Party warned on Monday that Japan's economy could suffer for up to 20 years if Beijing chose to impose sanctions over an escalating territorial row. Anti-Japanese protests have been held across China in recent days over a dispute on a group of small islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries but controlled by Tokyo. The row intensified last week when the Japanese government bought three of the islands, effectively nationalising them, and China responded by sending patrol ships into the waters around them. Trade sanctions between Asia's two biggest economies could cast a pall over growth on the continent, which major Western countries are counting on to drive recovery from the global slowdown. 

"Springhill Group -Blogger ING Rethinking Insurance Unit SALE and 3 HOT Stocks Moving the Market: Blogger According to Reuters ING (NYSE:ING) may disconnect the sale of its $1 billion Hong Kong insurance unit from other Asian operations that are on the block. The move could render the unit more attractive to a buyer focused on that region, while allowing ING to accept lower prices at auctions of the S. Korean and Japanese businesses which have met with only a lukewarm response. Don't Miss: Who is Apple's New FRIEND? ResCap is facing a probe from the SEC for alleged impropriety in loan originations and underwriting and also likely fraud in the sale of mortgage bonds. The probe came to light when the SEC filed in court to compel printer R.R. Donnelley & Sons (NASDAQ:RRD) to hand over documents it prepared for underwriters of the bonds. Arbitration between Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and Citigroup (NYSE:C) has been extended for a further period up to September 10 in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable price for the purchase of another 15 percent tranche in the Smith Barney brokerage JV. While Morgan Stanley values the original business at $9 billion, Citi sees the same at $23 billion, a rather wide disparity that has to be settled by arbitrator Perella Weinberg. JA Solar (NASDAQ:JASO), Chinese manufacturer of mono-crystalline solar cells, reports an EPS of -$0.37 for its second quarter, which is off estimates by $0.23. Revenues are down 32.3 percent y-on-y at $284.4 million, which misses by $ 8 million "

"http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/124/Koreas-largest-bank-reports-3000-cases-of-loan-doc-fraud-    Korea`s largest bank Kookmin has had 3,000 cases of document manipulation in applications for collective loans for intermediate payment. The bank said five people recently filed a petition to police after suffering losses from manipulation of related documents by bank staff, and has launched an investigation into similar cases. According to the Financial Supervisory Service and the bank, Kookmin probed between the end of last month and Aug. 10 manipulation cases on 200,000 collective loans for intermediate payment on 850 reconstruction and redevelopment apartment sites, and discovered more than 3,000 fraud cases. According to the bank`s findings, most cases involved employee manipulation of the expiration date of collective loans for intermediate payment. In the past, three years of maturity have typically been written for collective loans for intermediate payment regardless of when the borrower would move to the house. If the bank`s headquarters reduced the time to 26 or 27 months, however, bank employees would scrape out the number and put in three years again. If the lending period is shorter than the date written in the contract, the borrower would be pressured for repayment. Collective loans for intermediate payment are shifted to lending with home collateral. So a person can move into a house before the lending maturity expires, but failure to move in within the time frame would mean he or she must make the intermediate payment because it is not shifted to a home equity loan. Since the number of manipulation cases was bigger than expected, a massive filing of lawsuits is likely. Fraud was considerable in cases of apartments that people had signed contracts on, an area that has seen many conflicts between builders and banks. A financial regulatory source said, "Document manipulation cases, if identified, will raise the number of lawsuits by r

"Springhill Group: warning to borrowers over interest-only mortgages - Tumblr http://springhillgrouphome.tumblr.com/day/2012/09/12/ Lenders have changed the goal posts considerably over the last few years and many borrowers are faced with being stuck on a variable rate Picture: Getty Images By Jeff Salway Published on Saturday 8 September 2012 14:10 Borrowers with interest-only mortgages have been urged to seek advice after a leading banker raised concerns over the number of people struggling to repay their loans. New Barclays chief executive Anthony Jenkins predicted this week that interest-only mortgages may be the next big mis-selling scandal. He identified the loans as a likely source of future complaints and said the bank, which has a large chunk of interest-only loans on its books, had already seen thousands of borrowers with problems repaying their capital. Industry experts have been expressing fears for some time over the number of people with interest-only mortgages but with no viable means of repaying their capital at the end of the term. Interest-only loans work by letting the borrower pay the interest first and clear the actual capital at the end of the term. They sold in massive numbers during the housing market boom, when homeowners and lenders were confident that house prices would continue soaring and enable capital to be repaid with sale proceeds. But some eight in ten people with interest-only mortgages maturing over the next decade have no adequate repayment strategy in place, according to the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which described the scenario as a "ticking time-bomb". The problem for borrowers has been exacerbated by a marked tightening of lending criteria. Where they used to offer interest-only loans to those with just 10 per cent deposits, most lenders now demand equity or a deposit of at least 50 per cent. They have also clamped down on the repayment plans they will accept. The Lloyds Banking Group brands, for