Summary Box: Mortgage rates hit low of 4.54 pct. (AP)
AP - RATES KEEP FALLING: Mortgage company Freddie Mac said the average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.54 percent, down from 4.56 last week.
MetLife posts Q2 earnings of $1.5 billion (Reuters)
Reuters - MetLife Inc , the biggest U.S. life insurance company, posted a second-quarter profit of $1.53 billion, helped by investment gains.
Mortgage rates hit low of 4.54 percent (AP)
<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100729/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100729/capt.1d86aba1676a408f86dce9b46d4d411d-1d86aba1676a408f86dce9b46d4d411d-0.jpg?x=130&y=45&q=85&sig=Wp6t5ur_C9SCu8MC882F0w--" align="left" height="45" width="130" alt="In this photograph taken July 26, 2010, new townhouses for sale are shown in Beaverton, Ore. Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level on record for the fifth time in six weeks, making homebuying and refinancing the most attractive in decades for those who can get loans. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)" border="0" /></a>AP - Mortgage rates are the most affordable in decades for those who can qualify for a loan.</p><br clear="all"/>
Citigroup settles charges over misleading investors (AFP)
<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100729/bs_afp/usbankingfraudcompany"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100729/capt.photo_1280428054619-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=SKHBaD6xrLbKtc7WTPv_kg--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="US bank Citigroup agreed Thursday to pay a 75-million-dollar fine to settle charges it misled investors about exposure to subprime mortgage-related assets, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Spencer Platt)" border="0" /></a>AFP - US bank Citigroup agreed Thursday to pay a 75-million-dollar fine to settle charges it misled investors about exposure to subprime mortgage-related assets, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.</p><br clear="all"/>
(AP)
AP - Mortgage rates drop to 4.54 pct., hitting lowest level on record for fifth time in six weeks.
Mortgage lenders must register in database (AP)
AP - Loan officers at banks will be required to provide their names and fingerprints to a national database as part of an effort to crack down on shady operators who fed the real estate bubble.
Treasury says latest mortgage-aid report flawed (AP)
AP - The Obama administration is revising the latest report on its troubled mortgage-relief program, and the changes are likely to show a greater number of borrowers facing foreclosure after having their loans modified.
Goldman and Citigroup to sell $788.5 million CMBS (Reuters)
Reuters - Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Citigroup Inc will sell a $788.5 million commercial mortgage-backed security, according to a term sheet sent to investors, in the largest deal of its kind since volume began crawling back after the financial crisis.
Summary Box: Mortgage applications down percent (AP)
AP - MORTGAGE APPLICATIONS DOWN: Applications for home loans fell 4.4 percent last week despite the lowest mortgage rates in decades, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Buy, Sell, or Hold Research In Motion? (The Motley Fool)
The Motley Fool - Right now, you can't go through a list of news articles for Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM - News) without seeing gloomy headlines such as "Why RIM is a Risky Investment" (TheStreet.com) and "BlackBerry's Era May Be Ending" (The New York Times). Fears of market share declines because of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL - News) iPhone and Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG - News) Android platform clearly have investors on edge -- and an underwhelming earnings report last quarter didn't do much to calm their nerves.
5 Essential Components of a Retirement Plan (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - When most people plan for retirement they think about saving and investing so they have a large nest egg to draw upon once they stop working. Investing is certainly important, but it is not the whole story. A secure retirement demands more than just a well-funded investment account. Here are five essential components of any retirement plan.
Mortgage applications fall 4.4 percent last week (AP)
AP - Applications for home loans fell last week despite the lowest mortgage rates in decades.
Mortgage demand dips on rising rates (Reuters)
<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100728/bs_nm/us_usa_economy_mortgages"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20100729/capt.photo_1280397671155-1-0.jpg?x=130&y=84&q=85&sig=DCbTi6vWWwxkggmS98NfUg--" align="left" height="84" width="130" alt="An estate agent's board showing is pictured outside a south-east London house in April. British home prices fell for the first time in five months during July when they dropped 0.5 percent compared with June, a key survey by home-loans provider Nationwide has shown.(AFP/File/Ben Stansall)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - U.S. home loan demand cooled last week as rising mortgage rates curbed refinancing requests that had soared to a 14-month high, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.</p><br clear="all"/>
Why You Should Invest in European Stocks (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - Much has been made of the fiscal difficulties that some European Union countries, most notably Greece, are experiencing. Less has been said about what opportunities may exist for investors interested in the countries in the EU. Dean Tenerelli, manager of the T. Rowe Price European Stock fund, says that there are many cheap opportunities in Europe. As a whole, he believes Europe is inviting for investors who are willing to look past some of the macroeconomic problems there. U.S. News caught up with Tenerelli to get his outlook for the region. Excerpts:
How to Hedge for Uncertain Times (The Motley Fool)
The Motley Fool - Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke recently described the economic outlook as "unusually uncertain," and that's likely an apt description of what many investors are feeling.


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Since owning and operating a business is a large project there are many business owners who are unable to find the time to take a tax preparation course. These business owners are likely to purchase a tax software program. Tax software programs can be purchased from a traditional retail store or they can be paid for and downloaded off of the internet. The majority of individuals using a tax software program to determine if they owe any small business taxes are required to use the premium software versions because they are usually the only tax software versions that supply the forms needed for small businesses.

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Gray Rollins is a featured writer for the TaxHelpDirectory.com. To learn more about small business taxes and income tax preparation, visit our site.

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