credit

ST. PAUL -- The country's third major credit-rating agency has downgraded Minnesota's bond rating, meaning that borrowing money for new construction and repair projects likely will cost state and local governments more. Minnesota Management and Budget on Friday announced Standard...

Recently, House Tax Committee Chairman Greg Davids visited Willmar to meet with city and county officials to discuss the omnibus tax bill that was signed into law by Gov. Dayton. Included in the bill were changes to revamp the current homestead market value credit program with a new...

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota is seeing its credit rating slip over budget problems that have led to the state's week-old government shutdown. The state finance agency, Minnesota Management and Budget, said Thursday that Fitch Rating downgraded the state's bond rating a notch from AAA to...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Credit card holders are facing fewer interest rate hikes and forking over sharply less in late fees. A year after new regulations curbed a spate of questionable billing practices, federal officials say over-the-limit penalty charges have also been dramatically curtailed....

Update 2 p.m.

Despite bailouts the housing financial deck of cards is still teetering. Next year 48 percent of the outstanding home mortgages will have a negative loan value, whereby the amount owed will be more than the home's value. Currently one of every 136 homes are foreclosed; this is distorted...

WILLMAR -- Area real estate agents say a bill that would extend and expand the first-time homebuyer federal tax credit would definitely help the housing market. As part of the government's efforts to encourage people to spend money to help revive the economy, the House voted 403-12...

The credit of up to $8,000 is generally available to homebuyers with qualifying income levels who have never owned a home or have not owned one in the past three years. Because the credit is only in effect for a limited time, those considering buying a home must act soon to qualify....

The president's new budget will attempt to thrust upon us the biggest scam since the dot-com boom: the sale of nothing. This initiative will drive our utility bills considerably higher and eventually collapse on its own hollowness. I am speaking of the bad proposal called "cap and...

WILLMAR -- A Mandan, N.D., woman made her first appearance Thursday in Kandiyohi County District Court on four felony charges alleging that she used her boyfriend's credit card to run up $16,500 in debt and took a $2,500 diamond ring and two guns from his safe while he was incarcerated. Unconditional...

Police arrest three suspects in burglary WILLMAR -- Willmar police arrested three people in connection with a burglary in progress at approximately 1:37 a.m.