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'Mystery Shoppers' Help U.S. Regulators Fight Racial Discrimination At Banks
John Holcroft/Ikon Images/Getty Images

National

'Mystery Shoppers' Help U.S. Regulators Fight Racial Discrimination At Banks

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is sending undercover operatives to ferret out racial discrimination. They're called "testers" or "mystery shoppers" and pose as customers applying for loans.

'Mystery Shoppers' Help U.S. Regulators Fight Racial Discrimination At Banks

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With Rates Down, It's Time For Many To Refinance Again. Thanks, Brexit

Natalia Mendez goes over mortgage terms with Raul Alvarez, a senior loan officer for Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Dec. 16 in Miami. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Your Money

With Rates Down, It's Time For Many To Refinance Again. Thanks, Brexit

With the Federal Reserve keeping rates low and Treasury yields dropping after the Brexit vote, mortgage rates are down too. That's spurring a boomlet in applications and refinancings.

With Rates Down, It's Time For Many To Refinance Again. Thanks, Brexit

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Despite Recovery, Many Find Home Loans Still Hard To Get

A realty sign hangs in front of a home for sale in Orlando, Fla. Housing advocates say banks, stung by the housing crisis and its fallout, remain reluctant to lend. John Raoux/AP hide caption

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John Raoux/AP

Your Money

Despite Recovery, Many Find Home Loans Still Hard To Get

The housing market and the economy are both well on their way back from the Great Recession. But housing advocates say banks, stung by the housing crisis and its fallout, remain reluctant to lend.

Despite Recovery, Many Find Home Loans Still Hard To Get

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A Brave New World: Big Data's Big Dangers

Big Data may not be much to look at, but it can be powerful stuff. For instance, this is what the new National Security Agency (NSA) data center in Bluffdale, Utah, looks like. George Frey/Getty Images hide caption

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George Frey/Getty Images

Opinion

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

A Brave New World: Big Data's Big Dangers

Big Data raises concerns about more than just privacy. The debate opening up before us is an essential one for a culture dominated by science and technology. Who determines if a technology is adopted? Who determines when and how it will be deployed? Who owns our data? What are our rights in this new world?