The San Diego Union Tribune - "Mortgage crisis? What crisis?" (8-25-07)

"On aol.com this week, Internet-based loan company Lending Tree offered 'bad-credit options' and a $425,000 loan for $1,376 a month. And Countrywide Financial Corp., the nation's largest lender, declared: 'Bad Credit? Call Today. Refinance or Tap Into Your Home's Equity' in an online ad from its Full Spectrum Lending Division."

Bloomberg - "U.S. Bill Yields Rise From Two-Year Low as Credit Concerns Ease" (8-25-07)

"U.S. three-month Treasury bill yields rose from a two-year low as the Federal Reserve's move to cut its discount rate and the prospect of Treasury Department bill sales helped ease demand for the safest government securities. The Treasury will auction $24 billion in three-month and $19 billion in six-month bills on Aug. 27. It will be the biggest three-month sale since at least July 1990, when Bloomberg began compiling the data, and the largest six-month auction since March 2006. Investor appetite for the bills has risen along with concern that companies are having trouble rolling over commercial paper debt."

Los Angeles Times - "Stocks gain to finish a quieter week" (8-25-07)

"Wall Street ended its calmest week in a month with a big advance in stock prices Friday, rising on solid economic readings that countered the bleak sentiment that has blanketed the financial markets. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 140 points. Stocks started out flat but jumped after a stronger-than-expected reading on July sales of new homes. Those figures came after the government said that orders for big-ticket goods rose sharply last month."

Los Angeles Times - "July new-home sales, durable goods orders rise" (8-25-07)

"Sales of new single-family U.S. homes unexpectedly rose in July and orders for durable goods posted strong gains that underlined the economy's strength just before a credit crisis socked financial markets. New-home sales rose 2.8% to an 870,000 annual pace last month, reversing two months of declines, and inventories eased, a Commerce Department report showed Friday. Analysts were expecting new home sales to dip to an 820,000 annual sales pace."