Author: Alerts CC

Buying a new home just got a little easier for some people in the U.S., thanks to new offerings from mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The new guidelines do have restrictions, but are aimed at young, first-time home buyers who may not have a large lump sum for a down payment.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced the proposals for the new mortgage rates in October, but the plans are slated to go into effect in December 2014 and March 2015, respectively. According to the New York Times, the new rate offers home buyers a chance at a very small down payment — a paltry 3%.

This is good news for a number of potential home owners who have been unable to make larger down payments; however, critics of the 3% mortgage say that it could cause a new housing crisis similar to the one that occurred a few years ago, which was caused by easy lending.

Proponents of the 3% mortgage say that it is offering more first-time home ownership to people who would otherwise be unable to buy a house. The Fannie Mae guidelines stipulate that the borrower cannot have owned a home in the last three years, and that the home must be a single unit with a fixed-rate term. Freddie Mac requires potential home owners to go through a homebuying education program. There are also, of course, minimum credit scores for eligibility.

Another part of these programs that alleviates the financial burden of home ownership is that under the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 3% programs, home owners are able to cancel their private mortgage insurance premiums when the mortgage drops below 80% of the value of the home.

This is in addition to the savings that homeowners should also look into the reduce the amount they’re paying for homeowner’s insurance. Installing sprinkler systems, smoke alarms, and deadbolt locks can save a home owner up to 20%. There are a number of other different measures to take, but these typically depend on the state the homeowner lives in and the deductibles that the insurer offers.

International furniture giant IKEA announced that it has resumed selling kitchen appliances and furniture in Russia. Sales were suspended on Thursday, after increased demand proved too much for the company to meet.

On its website, IKEA announced that “Sales of kitchen furniture and appliances are now resumed in all IKEA Russia stores. Prices on the site are currently being updated, therefore they may differ from prices in stores.”

IKEA, along with several other companies, announced price increases in Russia after the ruble fell sharply in value. Apple also suspended sales in the country to keep up with the decreasing currency value, and several car companies, including Jaguar, Audi, Land Rover and General Motors have suspended their shipments as well.

Furniture manufacturing generates about $20 billion a year for the U.S., making it a booming market. But in Russia, where the value of the ruble has plummeted by over 40% in the past year due to falling oil prices and the Ukraine conflict, furniture sellers like IKEA are struggling to adjust prices to reflect the economic conditions.

The impending price hikes have caused a spending panic in Russia, as citizens scramble to pick up valuable goods at lower prices while they’re still available. The sudden dramatic increase in demand forced IKEA to halt kitchen furniture and appliance sales to keep up with orders.

CNN Money points to IKEA’s popular Billy bookshelf as a prime example. The product costs 1,900 rubles on the IKEA website, equivalent to about $30. It cost the equivalent of $62 before the ruble value plummeted, and the same shelf costs $59.99 in the U.S.

Many Russians looking for a deal like this may already be too late, since many retailers have already adjusted their prices. IKEA plans to change prices gradually as it restarts sales starting on Dec. 20. Inflation is expected to push prices even higher, especially for food. McDonald’s prices have already been raised.

So far none of the businesses have pulled out of Russia.

With the holiday season underway in the United States, many Americans are looking to help the less fortunate by donating to local and national charity organizations. But experts are warning donors to be cautious with their resources this year, in order to make sure that their donations have the maximum positive impact.

Some Americans may choose a charity simply for the tax deduction their contribution will provide at the end of the year. But this kind of quick thinking and lack of research is exactly what some less reputable charities benefit from.

Dr. Ronald Pitcock teaches an honors course on the nature of giving at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. He warns that a “bad” charity will quite literally bank on the sympathy of others. “They know many donors will almost immediately give from trusting hearts before ever checking the organization,” he says.

Pitcock and other experts say that putting a bit of time into researching an organization can help put an end to abusive, not charitable, practices and redirect donations to more responsible organizations.

Jim Hegarty, president and CEO of Nebraska’s Better Business Bureau, explains that the organization also rates charities on its affiliate site, Give.org, to help donors with that research.

Hegarty says the process is fairly straightforward in the BBB’s ratings. The BBB applies 20 standards for charity accountability in the areas of governance, finance, effectiveness, fundraising, and transparent information.

In order to qualify for a BBB accreditation, Hegarty says organizations need to meet those 20 standards. Additionally, “Sixty-five percent of all the money [they] take in needs to go to the actual services the charity is supporting,” Hegarty says, without using too much of those funds on solicitors or for fundraising efforts.

Anna Helhoski, a writer for blog NerdWallet, suggests choosing a charity that uses approximately 80% of their funding for programs, as all groups need to pay for administrative costs and fundraising efforts. Helhoski cautions donors to stay away from organizations that use vague language, like saying only that “a portion of your donation” will be used.

Whether or not the organization reports to the BBB, donors should look for transparency when researching charities. Many organizations display their tax return information online to give the public an idea of how their funds are used.

Donors should also look to give to a cause that means something to them personally. There are over 1.4 million charity organizations in the United States, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, so there should be something for everyone.

Many organizations are looking for monetary donations in order to help others get through the winter. Michael Smith, the president and CEO of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, says that his organization receives more donations during the winter months than other times of the year, even though they accept donations year-round.

Those who don’t have extra cash to spare can consider other ways to donate, such as giving clothing, household goods, food, and toys for children.

A woman’s interest in sex isn’t completely hormonal, as is often the case with men, a new study reveals. In fact, the research suggests that a woman’s sexual desire is more complicated than originally thought.

Conducted in Michigan and six other clinical locations across the United States, the study concluded that naturally occurring reproductive hormones, including testosterone, play a much smaller role than previously thought in influencing menopausal women’s sexual desire and function. Though testosterone is the main sex hormone in men, a woman’s ovaries naturally produce small amounts of it.

The objective of the study was to explore the relationship between menopause and sexual function. Menopausal women still want sex; however, their desire is not influenced by hormones or the innate drive to reproduce, as younger women’s sex drives are. In fact, relationship satisfaction and other psychological factors play a larger role in a menopausal woman’s sexual desire than hormones do.

According to study leader John Randolph of the University of Michigan Medical School, testosterone and sex hormones play a secondary role compared to a woman’s emotional well-being and quality of her intimate relationship. The study’s researchers examined data from 3,302 female participants in order to determine the relationship between hormones and sexual function during menopause.

Participants weren’t only asked about their desire for sex; they also had their blood drawn to measure testosterone and other sex hormone levels. It was determined that women who had higher levels of sex hormones reported having more sexual desire as opposed to women with lower levels. Most surprising was that women who reported having higher levels of relationship satisfaction and fewer sad moods also had higher levels of sexual desire. The study recommends that menopausal women lacking sexual desire should consider other factors besides hormones.

It’s often been said that body’s largest sex organ is the brain. Though the average woman begins experiencing perimenopausal and menopausal systems between the ages of 40 and 58, many women find greater sexual confidence, desire, and satisfaction with age. This is due to both emotional maturity and confidence. While post-menopausal sex serves no reproductive or biological function, sex is an integral part our well-being as humans.