Your only fixed equity loans news source! Click on each item to read full story.   WaMu reduces home equity credit to homeowners (San Francisco Business Times) read story Washington Mutual Inc. has slashed or suspended $6 billion in available home equity credit to its customers in an effort to reduce its risk in a flailing housing market. (WM) (BAC) (CFC)   Bankrate: Fixed Mortgage Rates Inch Higher (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) read story Fixed mortgage rates were modestly higher this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate rising to 6.19 percent. According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large lenders, the average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.39 discount and origination points.   The Latest Twist in Student Loans (BusinessWeek Online via Yahoo! News) read story Because of the credit crunch, conventional lenders are making it tough for any but the most creditworthy borrowers to qualify for private college loans. Now, a new breed of student lender is trying to get students to return the snub -- by writing off the Sallie Maes and Citibanks of the world in favor of relying on friends, family, and even perfect strangers to finance their college loans. ...   Jumbo loan rates finally decline (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance) read story The interest rates for jumbo mortgage loans are coming down, but standards for qualifying are much tighter.   MBIA, Ambac Losses Elevate Aaa Concern, Moody's Says (Update3) (Bloomberg.com) read story May 13 (Bloomberg) -- MBIA Inc. and Ambac Financial Group Inc. had ``meaningfully'' higher losses on home-equity loans and collateralized debt obligations than anticipated, raising concern about their Aaa status, Moody's Investors Service said.   S&P: Credit crisis bottoming out (The Star) read story KUALA LUMPUR: Standard & Poor's (S&P) sees the credit crisis in the US and globally bottoming out. The tightness in the credit market was going away, said S&P Equity Research vice-president and director of research, Asia, Lorraine Tan.   Questions And Answers - Thursday 15 May 2006 (Scoop.co.nz) read story 1. Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Finance: What is the Government’s best estimate of the full and final cost, inclusive of any subsidies, discounts, or loans, of its purchase of Toll NZ’s rail and ferry business?   New Jumbos Slow To Take Off; Can Better Rates Help Them Fly? (Investor's Business Daily via Yahoo! News) read story Real estate in high-priced areas is finally becoming a little easier to buy or refinance, thanks to the jumbo conforming loan program approved by Congress in February.   ACORN Targets Foreclosures (Real Change News) read story Washington Mutual takes heat. About 30 ACORN protesters gathered in the Washington Mutual national headquarters downtown May 8 to promote awareness of the bank’s foreclosures and use of subprime loans.   New Jumbos Slow To Take Off; Can Better Rates Help Them Fly? (Investor's Business Daily via Yahoo! Finance) read story Real estate in high-priced areas is finally becoming a little easier to buy or refinance, thanks to the jumbo conforming loan program approved by...