Many banks have transferred credit-card loans to home-equity loans, which are tax-deductible for the borrower and offer collateral for the lender.

ECONOMIST: The bigger they are

The card lender said it would eliminate 550 positions and offer relocation packages for others.

WSJ: Lenders See Little Choice: Layoffs

By offering insurance on mortgages, the FHA is taking some of the financial risk off of the shoulder of a mortgage lender like Deutsche Bank which might not want to offer loan to just anyone.

FORBES: Connect

To find out more about the different sources that provide home financing and the features and benefits of the different loan products they offer, visit with your bank or mortgage lender.

FORBES: Mortgage Financing: Get The Right Loan Products

Castle Trust, a yet-to-be-authorised lender in Britain backed by JC Flowers, a private-equity firm, plans to offer savers investment products tied to a national house-price index.

ECONOMIST: An Englishman��s rented flat is his castle