With 3.2 million baby boomers eligible to retire this year, how many will be able to meet daily financial needs and still preserve home equity? The author advises seniors to plan carefully and learn about the many forms of assistance available.

Lenders often end up owning places they foreclose on. Understanding where such real estate owned (REO) properties cluster may help communities to target stabilization funds better.

Today there is a frequent refrain that the subprime collapse came as a surprise. We contend that, on the contrary, many saw it coming. Starting in the 1990s, there were white papers by consumer organizations and articles in newspapers about abuses in the subprime market. Consumer advocates...

A map showing ZIP code level median Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) credit scores at mortgage origination for those borrowers who are delinquent 60 days or more as of April 2010.

The costs of foreclosure often spill over from foreclosed properties to other nearby properties. This short paper reviews some of the research on foreclosure's price-depressing impact on sales of nearby properties, only one of several forms of spillover effects. The studies reviewed here focus...

A house is not just a physical shelter, but also a stitch in the fabric of society, integrating its residents into the life of the larger community. That is why foreclosures may hurt neighborhoods as much as they hurt those who lose their homes. Foreclosures may negatively impact a community...

As foreclosure rates have risen across New England, many have been asking for clarification about the full range of resources available to borrowers. This article describes the foreclosure prevention and intervention efforts currently underway in New England. We highlight the region’s largest...

Two maps of southern New England tap 2006 American Community Survey data to show the heating fuels most often used in owner-occupied housing units versus the fuels favored in renter-occupied units.

Childhood poverty is a concern in itself and also because it often leads to adult poverty. Communities & Banking looks at the region’s changing child poverty rate between 1997 and 2007.