The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will target discriminatory lending under powers granted through federal fair lending laws.
There's good news on the real estate front ... at least for now.
There's some good news on the foreclosure front, but they still remain a serious impediment to economic recovery.
Total foreclosure filings fell 2% from the previous month.
According to a report from analytical firm CoreLogic, 22.8% of all residential properties with a mortgage were under water in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Mortgage delinquencies are down but foreclosures are up, making it difficult to answer the recurring question: Is the housing market getting any better?
Federal Reserve's encouragement of rent-to-own real estate may give homebuyers another option.
Foreclosures are making up a smaller percentage of the overall housing market, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac.
Foreclosure filings decreased by 34% in 2011, according to a year-end report from RealtyTrac, a sign the worst may be over.
The pace of foreclosures slowed down significantly in 2011, but that trend was likely short-lived.

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