UMSL Brown Bag Series

Last month KETC/Channel 9 attended one of the Brown Bag Series luncheons at University of Missouri – St. Louis. The topic of the luncheon was Facing the Financial Crisis: Using the Media to Address Community Issues. Thomas McPhail, Ph.D., a professor at UMSL, moderated the luncheon; the two panelists were Debbie Irwin, Foreclosure Taskforce Coordinator, and Dale Berenc, Manager of Education Services at KETC. Topics discussed included new media and the mortgage/financial crisis.

Here’s one of the clips from the luncheon.  To watch the rest, visit our YouTube channel or CLICK HERE.

all video embed codes would need to change to this (the full size is now 540 450):

Mortgage Scams

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today that the Missouri attorney general is suing two companies they believe are involved with mortgage scams.  To read the full article, CLICK HERE.

Over the summer Ruth Ezell did a Living St. Louis segment on mortgage scams.  You can check out the video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBk7Lcb5BoI&hl=en&fs=1]

Legitimate housing counseling agencies won’t contact you or send out advertisements.  Their services also shouldn’t cost anything.  You should be wary of any company that seeks you out and/or that is charging you a lot of money for housing counseling.

If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure, make sure you use a HUD-certified housing counseling agency.  To find one, call United Way’s 2-1-1 Referral Service at (800) 427-4626.

Looking for a job after college?

This article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details the difficulty that graduating college students are having in finding a job post-graduation. The article says that most graduates should tack on an extra three months to their job search. What does that mean for graduates who aren’t able to go home to live with their parents after school? To view the article click here.

Intern Lauren Schwarze is a senior at Wahington University in St. Louis and has been detailing her job search for us. Here’s her latest video post.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuR_WoJYbc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]

My Career Search: Week 5

Hi everyone,

Here’s the video for Week 5 of my career search!  With graduation only about 4 weeks away, the days seem to be going faster and faster, but I’m still doing everything I can to secure a position following graduation.

A couple weeks ago I visited Staffing Solutions, Inc., a local placement firm in St. Louis, to interview them about the St. Louis job market.  It was a great opportunity because they had some fantastic suggestions for job seekers like me. 

To check out all the videos from our interview, CLICK HERE.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuR_WoJYbc&hl=en&fs=1]

Making Home Affordable

We recently gave Eric Madkins, Director of Housing and Foreclosure Intervention at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, a Flip video camera so he could record his opinions on the new Making Home Affordable plan.  In this video, Mr. Madkins explains what the plan is trying to do, and he talks about how the plan may help homeowners.

For more information about Making Home Affordable, CLICK HERE.

To watch the video of Eric Madkins, click on the picture below:

Protect yourself from Mortgage Fraud

Two days ago the St. Louis Post-Dispatch blog – Building Blocks – about mortgage fraud, which is rampant. If you’re in need of foreclosure assistance you do not have to pay for help. For more resources read the Building Blocks post HERE and watch the video below!

If you think you’ve been a victim of mortgage fraud you can call the Missouri Attorney General’s office consumer protection hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or visit their website by clicking here. For the Illinois Attorney General’s fraud information visit their website by clicking here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5DOzIx6RpE&hl=en&fs=1]

Job Hunting Tips

A couple weeks ago I visited Staffing Solutions, Inc., a St. Louis recruiting and placement agency. I had the opportunity to interview Bonny Filandrinos, Founder and President of the company, about the recession and its effects on job hunting.

In this clip Ms. Filandrinos gives some tips for people who are currently unemployed—she believes volunteering is a great way to keep your skills sharp and to network.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QpM4qM22zg&hl=en&fs=1]

To view other clips from our interview, CLICK HERE.

My Career Search: Week 4

Hi everyone,

Week 4 of my career search is wrapping up, so it’s time for another video!

I’ve been checking out a lot of company websites, and more often than not there aren’t any openings. It’s tempting to get frustrated or discouraged, but instead I’m going to take this time to do my research and to make sure when the job market improves, I’m ready.

Stephen Acree, Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance

In March we talked to Stephen Acree, Executive Director and President of Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance (RHCDA). During our interview, we discussed the new stimulus package and the St. Louis region. We’ve featured Mr. Acree in the Community Voices section of our site, and to see the rest of Mr. Acree’s clips CLICK HERE.

In this video, Mr. Acree talks about how the stimulus package will impact development in our region.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm7f42WVVd0&hl=en&fs=1]

Five Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure Scams

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j097JtO0Xlc&hl=en&fs=1]

The Federal Reserve just came out with an ad for a section of their website, “Five Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure Scams.”  The ad urges people who may be facing foreclosure to check out this section of FederalReserve.gov to get trusted information on how to avoid foreclosure scams.

If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure, be sure to take a look at the Fed’s site–you should only work with HUD-certified counselors, and you shouldn’t have to pay a lot of money to get help.