Mortgage rates hit decades-low of 4.32 percent (AP)

AP - Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in decades for the tenth time in 11 weeks, as investors worried about the economy.

No bank account? Get your tax refund on plastic (AP)

AP - A new Treasury Department program to give people without bank accounts faster access to their tax refunds will help some avoid costly short-term loans. But careless consumers could end up racking up fees and padding bank profits.

Why It’s Harder to Be a Clueless Consumer (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - American consumers hate being told what to do, and to prove it, we routinely make choices that are irrational and counterproductive. We make impulse purchases we can't afford. We build bigger houses than we need, chaining ourselves to an onerous mortgage for years. We drive rugged, four-wheel-drive vehicles even though we never leave the pavement. We buy Snuggies.

5 Ways to Simplify Your Personal Finances (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - If you're combining your life with a new spouse, moving from one house to another, or just frustrated with the amount of documentation you have filed (or unfiled) in your basement, it's a good time to simplify your finances. Simplification is not only practical, it is beautiful. This is the concept of kanso, a Japanese aesthetic usually applied to gardens. Through a stretch of the mind, we can apply this beauty to our lives and our finances.

Mortgage applications rise 2.7 pct on low rates (AP)

AP - Mortgage applications rose 2.7 percent last week as more borrowers took advantage of the lowest rates in decades to reduce their monthly loan payments.

Go West, Value Investors! (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - When Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A - News) was buying railroad company Burlington Northern last December, Warren Buffett told Matt Rose: "I've seen what's been done here [in the U.S.]. I think I know how the country is going to develop. I think the West is going to do well. I'd rather be in the West than the East. So I really don't have much of a worry about that."

The True Risk of Bond ETFs (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - In coming up with ways to protect their portfolios, many investors draw on lessons learned from their most recent mistakes. Unfortunately, most people right now are taking the lessons they learned from the 2008 bear market and buying bonds, which could easily prove to be far riskier than they thought.

Downsize for a More Affordable Retirement (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - Most people think retirement planning is about saving, investments, and the timing of retirement account withdrawals and Social Security benefits. Ensuring you have sufficient income is definitely one of the most important aspects of retirement planning. But so is controlling your expenses. One way you can do that is by downsizing your current lifestyle. Here is how controlling costs can help you prepare for retirement and still enjoy a nice standard of living.

Ron Paul: Financial Reform Solved Nothing (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - "The American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes. There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Period."-- President Barack Obama, after passage of financial reform legislation

Summary Box: AIG’s sale of Taiwan unit on rocks (AP)

AP - NO WAY: Taiwanese regulators have rejected Primus Financial Holdings' planned purchase of AIG's Taiwan life insurance unit.

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