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Sunday, January 27, 2008

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

• Comcast to charge for bill payments with live phone operator
Talk isn't cheap, especially when it comes to Comcast Corp. customer-service agents.

• The only indicator not fluctuating is uncertainty
Stocks plunge. No, they soar. The Fed rides to the rescue. Too late: A recession could already be here. Wait, here comes a tax rebate.

• Business Calendar
To submit items: Send Sunday business calendar events to The Oregonian Business News Department no later than 17 days prior to the event. Fax: 503-294-4079; e-mail: money@news.oregonian.com. Only events sponsored by nonprofit organizations will be printed. Include sponsor's name, date, time, address, topic, speaker, fee and contact/registration information. Events must be held in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Clark counties and will be printed on a space-available basis, with those that appeal to the widest audience getting the first consideration.

• Cringe about your 401K, but don't panic
This month, millions of Americans with 401(k) plans -- nearly half the private work force -- have repeatedly cringed while U.S. stock market indexes declined in value by as much as double-digit percentages off their October peaks, wiping out their 2007 gains.

• Forget condo vs. house; rethink 100 percent financing
I'd like to buy my first house soon, but real estate is expensive where I live and condominiums seem more affordable. What is your take on owning a condo versus a house? Because I will have to do 100 percent financing, I will have to pay $250 a month in private mortgage insurance, which will result in a payment of about $2,450 a month for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, which seems like a lot. I was advised that I could decrease my tax withholding because the mortgage interest will be deductible and that will make the payment seem less huge.

• Oregon's economy is sturdier than ever
Oregon's economy is much better poised to weather a recession than in decades past, according to one measure of its strength.