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Paul Kiel

Paul Kiel
Read Paul Kiel's e-book, The Great American Foreclosure Story, on your Kindle or mobile device.

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Paul Kiel's coverage of the foreclosure crisis at ProPublica won a 2011 Scripps Howard Award for business/economics reporting and a Best in Business award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. He’s produced stories for the Washington Post, USA Today, Slate, and American Public Media’s Marketplace, among others.

Before joining ProPublica in 2008, Kiel wrote for TPMmuckraker, Talking Points Memo's investigative reporting blog. TPM's coverage of the firings of U.S. attorneys and politicization of the Department of Justice won a George Polk Award for legal reporting.

Articles (page 5 of 22)

Help ProPublica Find the Homeowner Who’s Been in Loan-Mod Limbo the Longest

TARP Watchdog Launches Audit of Bailout Contracts

The Treasury Department has spent more than $159 million paying financial companies and legal firms to help handle the bailout. Now the TARP's inspector general is looking into whether the government is getting its money's worth.

Chase Denied Loan Mods for Now Forbidden Reason—Homeowners in Limbo

Chase Home Finance has rejected some mortgage modifications because it considered the homeowners' hardships to be temporary. The Treasury Department has since barred that practice, but those homeowners are left struggling to avoid foreclosure.

Logjam Continues for Loan Mods; Big Banks Fare Poorly, Data Show

Chart: Performance by Mortgage Servicers Through December 2009

Homeowners Say Banks Not Following Rules for Loan Modifications

With Bank Money Returning, Bailout Burden Shifts Toward Housing

Loan Mod Program Delays Even Worse for Those Struggling Not to Fall Behind

The troubles of a Florida homeowner show how the loan modification program isn’t working as it should for people who are struggling to pay their mortgages but have not fallen behind. Servicers are concentrating on those in default, and say they don’t have clear guidance on how to screen borrowers who are not yet in default.

Bank Failure Friday: 7 Banks Go Down, 3 with No Buyer

Bailout Breakdown: Losses Likely to Be Larger Than Treasury Estimates

Yes, TARP will cost less than originally envisioned. But how much less is still unknown. The latest estimate accounts for only the first year of spending, and the TARP’s spending isn’t done.

Interactive Chart Shows Breakdown of Slow-Moving Loan Mod Program

Homeowners Getting Blame for Lack of Loan Mods, but Evidence Points to Banks and Servicers, Too

Bailout Balance Sheet (December 2009): Taxpayers’ Revenues Grow, but So Do Losses

The total loss from taxpayers' investment in the bailout has risen to $9 billion, taking into account money for the auto bailout that appears to be gone forever. Earnings have offset that for now, but more losses seem likely in the months ahead.

AIG May Soon Lose Crown as Biggest Bailout Debtor

Two deals with the Fed reduce AIG’s debt by $25 billion, and the remaining $62 billion debt to taxpayers is only $2 billion more than Fannie Mae owes.

Treasury Still Vague on Penalties for Loan Mod Laggards

The administration’s big mortgage modification program features $50 billion worth of carrots – but the stick part has been largely absent. Today, the Treasury Department made a vague threat of unspecified penalties against companies that don’t play by the rules of the loan-mod program.

GM Announces It Will Pay Back Gov’t Loan … With Gov’t Money

Regulators Seize Another Recipient of TARP ‘Healthy Bank’ Bailout

Govt’s Attempt to Push Transparency for Mortgage Mods Falls Short

The Big Gov’t Mortgage Mod Program: The Latest Numbers

Bailout: $15 Billion More to Fannie Mae (and More to Come)

Paul Kiel
Read Paul Kiel's e-book, The Great American Foreclosure Story, on your Kindle or mobile device.

Contact Info

Get Updates

Stay on top of what we’re working on by subscribing to our email digest.

optional