Money

If you had to put 20 percent down to buy a house, would you be able to do so? A new study from the Center for Responsible Lending at the University of North Carolina says most people wouldn’t — and it could have dramatic and negative effects on the struggling housing market.

The Montana Policy Institute was recently granted access to Department of Administration records regarding payments to Montana State employees. KGVO News spoke with the C.E.O. of the Montana Policy institute, Carl Graham who took the time to explain why a lawsuit was necessary to obtain the information.

Americans shelled out more for holiday presents last year, and it looks like that trend will carry over to Valentine’s Day — analysts expect spending on gifts like flowers, candy, cards and jewelry to rise eight percent compared to numbers seen in 2011.

Facebook’s IPO has created a buzz rarely seen since the dot-com era in the late 1990s. In fact, some analysts are saying it will create “1,000 overnight millionaires.” But is it true?

In general, a college education doesn’t just mean more job opportunities — graduates are also more likely to get married and less likely to divorce. But new research finds this isn’t always true for those who are economically disadvantaged.

As if it wasn’t tough enough for low-income people to make ends meet, a new study indicates they may be paying more for car insurance than wealthier folks, too.

The health risks of obesity are well-documented, but there’s a financial downside, too — data shows obese people also earn less money, especially women.

In light of the Occupy Wall Street movement focusing attention on the “one percent” and the debate over raising taxes on the wealthy, Gallup asked 1,012 adults how much money they would need to make a year in order to consider themselves rich.

The Montana constitution mandates the budget be balanced.  Calculating retirement and retiree health benefits did not begin until 2008. Sheila Weinberg owner and founder of the institute for truth in accounting explains the importance of funding these programs through the state budget.