Personal Finance Daily: Mortgage fees signal higher housing costs

Personal Finance Daily FEBRUARY 27, 2012 Monday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Mortgage fees are on the rise 2012 GMC Acadia Denali AWD Be wary of predictive mutual-fund ratings When investing, try thinking outside the box Army veteran J.R. Martinez wowed the audience on "Dancing With the Stars," and inspired people with his story of survival after being seriously wounded in Iraq. Now he's working with a nonprofit organization that donates homes to disabled veterans. Check out Amy Hoak's video report today. Also on the housing front, Amy reports that while mortgage interest rates cling to record lows, mortgage-related fees are creeping up. And consumers should pay attention to any fee increases because they could be a sign of what's to come: increasingly higher costs to get a government-backed mortgage, whether it's a conforming loan sold to government-sponsored entities Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae or a loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance Homes for wounded veterans Army veteran J.R. Martinez, winner of "Dancing With the Stars," works with a nonprofit organization that donates custom-built homes to disabled veterans.  Watch the video: Homes for wounded vets. Mortgage fees are on the rise Higher fees are sneaking into the overall cost of most mortgages. But given ultralow interest rates these days, it's likely few borrowers will notice. Read more: Mortgage fees are on the rise 2012 GMC Acadia Denali AWD GMC 's high-lux Acadia Denali crossover offers power, style and all-day comfort, but at a hefty price. Read more: 2012 GMC Acadia Denali AWD. INVESTING Be wary of predictive mutual-fund ratings If mutual-fund investors are going to look at more than past performance measures — whether those come from Morningstar, Lipper or simple raw performance — they should also consider the competition. Read more: Be wary of predictive mutual-fund ratings. When investing, try thinking outside the box Sometimes it pays to look beyond the obvious when it comes to investing. Read more: When investing, try thinking outside the box. Is 'derisking' even riskier? When you "derisk," be sure you understand whether you are eradicating risk — or just replacing old risks with new ones. Read more: Is 'derisking' even riskier? ECONOMY & POLITICS Michigan's job market holds key for Obama Michigan's workers are bruised heading into Tuesday's primary for the Republican presidential nomination. Read more: Michigan's job market holds key for Obama. U.S. job quality is in trouble Millions of voters are grappling with unemployment, underemployment, and deteriorating jobs. Read more: U.S. job quality is in trouble. Improved economy might hit speed bump A big batch of economic data this week is likely to show the U.S. remains on a modest growth path — but rising oil prices threaten to block the way. Read more: Improved economy might hit speed bump. 10 myths about the European quagmire Columnist David Marsh dismantles 10 common myths about how Europe's crisis will unfold. Read more: 10 myths about the European quagmire. Get the latest news on our mobile site: http://www.marketwatch.com/m MarketWatch has sent you this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. To ensure you receive this newsletter in the future, please add marketwatchmail.com to your list of approved senders. Sent to: kumaresan.selva.blogger@gmail.com Unsubscribe | Subscribe Copyright 2012 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (updated 6/26/07). MarketWatch - Attn: Customer Service, 201 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111