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Flagging International Aid Worsens Conditions for Syrian Refugees 06/17/2018 08:00pm • TEL ABBAS AL GHARBI, Lebanon -- Abdel Kareem Khalid Zaydan says he fled Homs six years ago and has since lived with his wife and two young children in a small informal settlement in northern Lebanon's Akkar district. Zaydan has a painful spine condition -- he pulls out a doctor's letter to prove it REITs Can Cope With Rising Rates 06/17/2018 08:00pm • Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, do fine when the real estate market is strong, but are threatened when rising interest rates undermine the value of interest earnings. At least, that's the common wisdom. Last week, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates for the second time thi Disaster loans now available to those affected by Md. flooding 06/16/2018 04:18am • WASHINGTON — Victims of the recent flooding in Maryland are eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The loans can be used to repair or replace damaged or destroyed items such as personal property, machinery and equipment, business inventory an 9 habits that can get you out of a deep debt hole 06/15/2018 09:00am • Learn how to shift your spending habits. In 2008, American households carried $280 billion in debt. While debt dwindled in the following years, in 2017 the country hit another record -- $13 trillion in household debt, including mortgages, car loans, credit card debt and student loans, according t Q&A: 'Hoop Dreams' director Steve James honored at AFI Docs 06/14/2018 11:41pm • WASHINGTON — The AFI Docs Film Festival annually honors a documentary master by inviting the filmmaker to a fascinating panel discussion at the Guggenheim Symposium. It's hard to imagine someone more deserving than Steve James ("Hoop Dreams," "Life Itself"), who received the honor Thursday How Much Should You Save to Fund Major Expenses? 06/14/2018 08:00pm • With interest rates going up, the cost of borrowing money to pay for major life expenses is also going up. The Federal Reserve has already raised the interest rate three times this year and will most likely raise rates again before the year is out. After years of relatively unchanging rates, it's b 9 Things to Know Before You Get Another Credit Card 06/14/2018 08:00pm • Here are the telltale signs it's an ideal time to carry another card.According to the credit bureau Experian, the average American carried a credit card balance of $6,375 in 2017, a nearly 3 percent uptick from 2016. How does that impact your decision to apply for another credit card? Maybe you neve How a New Law Will Let You Freeze Your Credit Files for Free 06/13/2018 08:00pm • Credit freezes help prevent thieves from opening new lines of credit in another person's name, but most states allow credit bureaus to charge a fee for the service. That will change this autumn. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, signed on May 24, will let Americans Citigroup Inc (C) Stock Is a Solid Buy Following the Fed's Rate Hike 06/13/2018 08:00pm • Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) and the other "big four" U.S. banks all finished Wednesday's trading session in the red, giving up initial afternoon gains following the latest Federal Reserve interest rate hike. Analysts say banks are getting diminishing returns on rising interest rates, but Citigroup is w 3 Tips to Chart Your Own Map to Retirement 06/13/2018 08:00pm • When it comes to retirement planning, working Americans are primarily on their own -- pensions are a thing of the past and the future of Social Security is increasingly uncertain. As the retirement landscape continues to change, so do Americans' expectations about this phase of life. Many of the pr How Volunteer Work Can Pay Your Student Loans 06/12/2018 08:00pm • To pay off $85,000 in student loans, Danny McGee is looking for extra work outside of his job as a building systems engineer. But he's not looking for odd jobs or a restaurant gig -- instead, McGee wants to focus on nonprofit work to pay down his debt from college and grad school. The Michigan dad, Can you benefit from a store credit card? 06/11/2018 08:00pm • Store credit cards offer discounts and perks for frequent shoppers, but they aren't for everyone. If you frequently shop with a particular retailer and can pay off your balance before interest charges apply, you may benefit from a store credit card. Before you apply, consider how much value you c The Guide for First-Time Homebuyers 06/11/2018 08:00pm • Owning a home is a major milestone many Americans expect to achieve in their lifetime. It's not simply about having the ability to stay in one place for years -- it's also about taking advantage of the incentives to homeownership, including the financial security to make a major investment and see 10 percent of DC-area borrowers have $100K+ in student loan debt 06/11/2018 08:49am • WASHINGTON — The D.C. area region ranks No. 1 among metro areas for student loan debt and many borrowers are six-figures in the hole. LendingTree found the median balance for student loan borrowers in the D.C. area is $22,803. But for many, that's just a drop in the bucket. "One of the inter 7 tips for buying beach real estate in Del., Md. 06/11/2018 12:00am • EDITOR'S NOTE: The housing bubble before the recession drove prices up at the Delmarva beaches. Then prices sank. It's been nine years since the end of the recession. So have the beach communities recovered? In the series, Beach Real Estate Guide, WTOP's Colleen Kelleher brings you advice on buying,