great to see you. >> thank you so much, gerri. so good to see you, as well. >> now, i want to tell our viewers here, you are a cancer survivor and just recently celebrated your two-year anniversary being cancer free. >> woo hoo. >> congratulations. i think it's fantastic. >> thank you. >> and yet you say the health care system failed you. you had coverage when you were first diagnosed and yet you faced thousands of dollars of out of pocket costs. tell us about that. >> you know, one thing i will say about having health care coverage, you know, a lot of people feel like i have good insurance so i should be covered. however, there are still exorbitant amounts of costs that you could incur. i have been a victim of that personally. i remember when i was going through my cancer journey one of the things that was most important for me was getting rest, getting sleep, being up and ready for my cancer treatments but a bottle of ambien to help me sleep about 20 pills or so was $125. that's something that i had to have but insurance did not

>> well, there are several things that you can do, gerri. one is if you have several credit cards which most americans do, and you want to start paying those off, the first thing you want to do is look at how you can snowball those payments. by snowball what i mean is, you take any extra money you have available and put it toward one of your credit cards and just make the minimum payment on the other ones. >> how do i pick that card, though? a lot of people say, you pick the card with the highest interest rate, but you actually have different advice here. >> you know, that is one reasonable way to pay down your debt, to look at the one with the highest interest rate. another thing that some people would prefer to do is start making payments on the lowest balance card first. and the reason for that is that you get a real psychological lift when you pay off the debts. i had six credit cards and now i'm down to five. and you can really make fast progress that way. that's a good way to stay motivated. >> that's interesting. there is a great feel

"your bottom line" with gerri willis starts right now. >>> hello, i'm gerri willis, and this is a special fourth of july edition of "your bottom line," the show that saves you money from yard sales to ebay to good, old classified ads. how to clear out the clutter and build up house reserves. saving on entertaining. finding the best food, wine and beer. and for a little weekend project, how to prepare and protect your home from extreme weather from floods to droughts. "your bottom line" starts right now. we begin with the state of your job, and the news is not good. the unemployment rate in this country now stands at 9.5%. that's the worst rate in 26 years. 467,000 jobs were lost in june. earlier i spoke with labor secretary hilda solis, who said quite frankly, they're not happy with these numbers. >> but i do think that there are some small glimmers of hope that we are seeing some stabilization, and i would just tell the public that we remain optimistic and we keep their focus fully in front of us and the plan here is to continue to move forward with our recovery program. we want to keep

time for one more, gerri?i sure do. >> this person writes, my credit card company informs me that my interest rate was hiked to around 16%. >> ow. >> for many years it was around 5.99%. i've had this card since 1998. how should i approach this company to minimize the apr? what are your thoughts on this, gerri? >> it's likely that you'll never see the 5.99% again. the average rate these days, 13%. but, hey, i got to tell you, it's worth calling your credit card issuer to see if you can get the 16% rate lowered. negotiating a reduced interest rate is still something credit card companies are doing for good customers, and it's certainly easier than having a it raised or doing a debt settlement. if you do call, it will help if you don't have a balance and you're not afraid to playing hardball. tell the issuer you're thinking of transferring to a competitor's card and mention specific offers, if you have a fico score of 740, you should be able to get an interest rate below 10%. so, that's what you're aiming for. if

thanks, gerri. >>> gerri is a part of our money team.lot of people you don't see on television do a terrific job. go to cnn money.com for the latest. today's special report, recession or recovery: main street tales. it's at cnnmoney.com. >>> a lender supplying the life blood of american small businesses teeters on the verge of bankruptcy. now new hope that cit group can be saved. >>> authorities in florida expect to reveal another motive in the brutal killing of a couple that adopted more than a dozen special needs children. investigators also plan to make at least one more arrest bringing the number charged in the case to nine. byrd and melace billings were shot to death july 9th during a home invasion robbery. >>> former nfl superstar michael vick moving closer to a possible return to the league. the federal bureau of prisons lists today as the last day of his sentence on a dogfighting conviction. he can remove the electronic monitor he's had to wear on home confinement in hampton, virginia. roger goodell will review vick's status afte

welcome to both of you. >> good morning, gerri. thank you very much. >> rick, i want to start with you with these foreclosure numbers. i was expecting maybe, maybe we might get some kind of improvement but not yet the numbers are worse. why is that? >> well, it's clear that despite an industry wide moratorium, numerous legislative delays and state of activity on the loan modification front we don't have a handle on how to stem the tide of these foreclosures so what we're seeing a run-up that's probably beyond what anybody expected at this point. >> you know, bob, i look at mortgage rates all the time. i'm obsessed with them. 5.4% according to bankrate.com and you would think with rates that low people would be running to get new mortgages, refinancing old mortgages and yet i still hear there is trouble in the marketplace. what does it take these days to get a new mortgage? >> there's an influx of borrowers refinancing their homes right now, but the key ingredient is qualifying. those homeowners who are upside down on their mortgage

our personal finance editor gerri willis has that answer and much more, still ahead. @@@@@@@@@ >>> gerri, good friday to you. it's friday, the weekend's here! >> i know. >> good stuff. cory has our first question. >> get to it. >> i have $8,000 saved, but it is just sitting in a savings account earning almost no interest. is there something better i can put my money into that is safe, gerri? >> well, cory, great question. this is a real problem for a lot of people. they're afraid to invest their money. some products are riskier than others. bank accounts, cd yields may give you up to 2% on your money and it doesn't get safer than that, but keep in mind inflation may get into those returns and if it rises you may lose the l value of your money. think about putting some of your money towards your 401(k) or ira and if you have a long-term you can reap compound interest otherwise look at an inexpensive mutual fund. t.rowe price or vanguard. you have to spread that money around to make money. >> second question here from mary in arizona, my son has a mortgage that is more than the value of th

"your bottom line" with gerri willis star starts right now. >>> hello. this is "your bottom line" the show that saves you money. be debt free. we'll tell you how to manage your credit card debt. fighting fraud. how to spot the warning signs and protect yourself from a scam. and fool-proofing your resume. tips and tricks to stand out from the crowd. "your bottom line" starts right now. >>> we begin with the very latest on the troubles many of us are having when it comes to paying our bills. delinquencies on consumer debt, auto loans, credit cards, and home equity loans rose to a record level in the first quarter of 2009, up slightly from the previous quarter. now, that according to the american bankers association. even worse, the percentage of borrowers at least 30 days late paying a balance is the highest since the group began keeping records way back in 1974. despite government efforts to get banks to lend more card issuers are lending less. in the first four months of the year banks issued 9.8 million new credit cards, nearly a 40% drop from the same

gerri, we appreciate all of that. our personal finance editor, thanks so much. >>> i want to get to this issue, as well. health care reform, in the coming hours congress will apparently break for summer recess with the issue still very much in limbo. democrats are logger heads with republicans, liberals at odds with conservatives, but one issue that is building support among both parties, and some consumer groups aren't happy about it. cnn congressional correspondent brianna keilar explains. >> reporter: they're the best health insurance plans money can buy. in washington, they have a name. >> super gold plated cadillac plans. >> reporter: what makes them so great? >> no deductible, no copayments, no co-insurance, unlimited choice of drugs, no restrictions on networks. >> reporter: these plans are often marketed to the wealthy, cost as much as $40,000, far above the national average of $12,000, and critics say they encourage the overuse of doctor visits and procedures. a democratic proposal to tax insurance companies

i'm gerry sandusky. hope your day's off to a fantastic start. >> thank you, gerry. 5:27. 68 degrees on tv hill. coming up in the next half-hour of 11 news today. >> the latest on a deadly crash in western maryland. i'll have the latest coming up. >> i'm nikole killion in washington where a critical meeting takes place today at the white house between the president and senate leaders after they delay a vote on his health care plan. i'll bring you more details coming up. >> and we're dealing with a few early morning problems. we have an accident in the city plus a water main break and a downed tree to tell you about. we'll pass those along to you coming8l >> good morning and welcome back, everyone. i'm jennifer franciotti. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us. we're going to get a check on weather and traffic. did you hear the storms? >> yes. >> i

your personal finance editor gerri willis is here, gerri, boy, is it time, first of all, good it see you. >> good morning, tony. good to see you. >> is it time for home buyers to jump in, as well? >> well, i have to tell you, if you want to jump in, there's several, several hurdles to get over and one is beating the deadline. one of the biggest for first-time home buyers is the tax credit and we talked a lot about it you have to purchase your home before december 1st of this year. if you're buying hoa-backed loan you can use this for down payment costs after you cover the first 3.5% of the down payment. for more info go to the website. but there's a deadline out there if you do want to buy in this market. >> well, gerri, how do you know it's time to buy in your particular market? >> well, everybody asks me about prices. if you're trying to time that market bottom, hey, good luck. it's tough to do. having said that, though, if you want to estimate the market's ability to recover, consider these factors. first off, the local job's climate where there is unemployment you're sure to find

what are your thoughts here, gerri? >> fay, a reverse mortgage is a loan against your home that you never pay back for as long as you live there. you're taking equity out of your home and these products are a good idea if you have a lot of equity and you're not going to go anyway. fees associated with this kind of loan. a lot of fees. best place to go for info, aarp.org. for more info, of course, if you have questions, send them to me. >> have we talked at all this week about your bottom line? i love your show. 9:30 a.m. join us right here on cnn for "your bottom line." bank fees and what's going on there, it's a sticky situation for a lot of people. how to save money by the calendar and, of course, we're talking about health care, as well. join us 9:30 a.m. saturday right here on cnn. >> gerri, good to see you. have a great weekend and we'll see you next week. >> check out our special report, the work done by our money team. the cnn money team, you can't do better than this. great advice on the financial crisis and exp

gerri, start with you. >> i think if you find that you cannot get ahead yourself, there's absolutely no harm in getting outside help from a credit counseling agency. the reason is it's confidential, the first consultation is probably free and at a minimum they can maybe help you find ways in your budget to cut back and put more money toward your debt. there is no down side to getting help. >> todd, you say you need to do risk assessment. if you have trouble paying credit card bills, fighting with your spouse or having trouble at home over concerns about bills, it's time to see a credit counselor. >> absolutely. we actually designed a risk assessment test with the dallas morning news last year and we were ahead of the curve before the federal reserve did a stress test for the banks we were doing it for consumer looking at are you behind on your mortgage or car, what's the level of credit card debt you have, and then going away from the financial risk, looking at are you fighting with your spouse, are you having trouble sleeping, are you having a rise in blood pressure. is your doctor

keep them out of your resume. >> nice, gerri, appreciate it.great stuff, as always. >> my pleasure. >>> new word that michael jackson's family was so worried about his health, they tried to force him to get help. the doctor diagnosed arthritis in my right knee. but with aleve, i don't have to worry about my knees hurting. only two aleve can stop pain all day. that would take three times as many tylenol arthritis pain. aleve works for me. now every drop of shell gasolines... contain a nitrogen-enriched cleaning system... that seeks and destroys engine gunk... left by lower-quality gasoline. it protects engines from performance-robbing gunk. try new nitrogen-enriched shell gasolines. >>> growing outrage in philadelphia after a private swim club turned away kids from a day camp. kids told the camp director they heard valley swim club members ask why blacks were in their pool. well, a few days later the club refunded the camp's swimming fee without explanation. philly television station wtxf reports, the club president said members complained the k

gerri willis is joining us now to talk more about this. gerri, yesterday, we saw that big number, pretty much a surprise to everybody by way of new home sales. now today, another indication maybe, just maybe there's a little bit more of a stabilizing factor here in the housing market. >> and i can't tell you what good news this is for homeowners across the country, heidi. the fact that home prices not just going sideways, but actually increasing month to month, that is very good news for american homeowners out there, many of whom are underwater in their mortgages they owe more than their house is worth. any sign of stabilization is good news for them. let me tell you about one of the cities that's actually showing improvement here and there are 13 metro areas that did in this case-shiller s&p 20-city index. cleveland gained 4%. now, when we say home values, what we're talking about is prices. that's critically important to your bottom line. what your home is valued at, what your equity is in that home. if that can improve, we will see an

gerry sandusky will have highlights later in sports. >> do you want a little more from your workout? >> sure. >> if so, we'll have "11 news fitness" coming up. >> what the i-team uncovered next. >> patchy fog early this morning, but we have starting off a great saturday. details on the way after the >> patchy fog. overall ale nice start to our saturday. it is going to be a gorgeous july-like day outside. if you like the heat and humidity, this will be the bill for you. 69 degrees downtown in the harbor. humidity is at 93%. combine humidity with calm winds, and we'll see patchy fog, which we are seeing in a few locations. you can see the picture outside downtown is a nice start to the day. overall on the radar picture, you get an idea of this one storm system currently pushing its way through western ohio. we don't have to worry about that for today. that will become our problem for tomorrow, so if you have anything to do outside -- yardwork or anything, mow the law, you will not have the opportunity tomorrow with all the rain we are anticipating. over on the other machine right now,

@cnn.com. >> gerri, thank you. next we go inside and show you how the vehicles are creating an unprecedented type of warfare. e. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid.

. >> now, 11 sports with gerry sandusky. >> the start of the second half of the orioles' season presents a unique challenge to the marketing department. what can you say about a last- place team coming out of the all-star break losing against five of six teams? jason lost another decision. 4-0, new york k, and we are just getting started. bottom of the third inning, another a sledgehammer swing, 5- 0 new york. the orioles started to swing for the fences in the ninth inning. adam jones get a hold of one. he descends into the seats in left field. next batter, nick markakis, back-to-back home runs. after that, the door was shot. 6-4, the final score. of their players have left too many holes in the roster for the orioles to be consistently competitive yet. last night, only three innings of his start in another loss. the orioles' top prospect could join the starting rotation as early as next week. while pittsburgh steelers quarterback ben roethlisberger will have to deal with a civil lawsuit, he will not apparently have to worry about any legal charges in that case. officials do not intend t

. >> now, 11 sports with gerry sandusky. >> you have to think you have a better chance of seeing the loch ness monster than tiger woods missing the cut at the british open. it would have a better chance of having dinner with the loch ness monster been seeing tiger woods and tom what some in that outcome. -- tom watson in that outcome. on the 18th hole, look at this putt. watson is at 5 under midway through, tied for first place. tiger woods looked lost on all links today. a double bogey here. just three holes later, a terrible chip onto the green, can't get it to stay on the green. the ball would roll back into the rough. he finishes at 5 over, missing the cut. >> bad tee shots, a couple of bad iron shots, couldn't get up and down. it was a mistake after mistake. >> you should probably turn your attention to finding a friend for ravens tickets. the team sold out the season in about an hour. the ravens have about 1000 tickets left for each of the home preseason games in august. a fast restart to the second half of the season could trigger hopes of avoiding a losing season for the orio

. >> now, 11 sports with gerry sandusky. >> if walt disney had greeted the nfl, he would have started with a story like this. michael oher became a multimillionaire on his first day in the nfl. the first-round draft picks signed his first contact with the ravens, five years, $8 million guaranteed. pete gilbert joins us with the latest. >> the ravens once again get their rookie to training camp relatively dry mud-ama-free. he plans on starting at right tackle. he was once homeless. after a two-day holdout, he said he felt bad. >> i was disappointed that i cannot show of the first day when the report -- when the rookies reported. my agent steered me and the right direction. >> we traded can offer the right reason. nothing we have seen from that day and the first day of practice today have changed our mind. we even feel better about it. >> as long as joe flacco does not end up on his back, michael oher will not be letting anybody down. >> a busy afternoon for the orioles, putting together the first back-to-back win the all- star game. they pulled off their first major trade, beating the

gerri willis has tips.> yeah, you can't pay with ious, darn it. >> what's the first step? >> whenever you have a bill you can't pay, whether it's a medical bill or credit card bill, whatever it is, you want to contact that creditor, try to work out a plan. the reality is when it comes to credit card dpees these days, more and more of them want to work with you. ask them for a payment plan, and talk to somebody at customer service. if the first person can't help you, move up the line, ask for their supervisor, or even ask for a lower rate, that the fees be waived, and as you do this, tony, it's critical that you document all your conversations, what are they saying to you? what are you saying to them? when are you calling? how many times have you talked to them? one website is called help with my credit.org, a website from the industry, but it's about credit card debt, how to get rid of it, what to do about it. >> i tell you, i've got hearing a lot of commercials about you can get your credit card debt forgi

. >> now, 11 sports with gerry sandusky. >> more than three decades after a classic duel the british open,watso watson returned to te course today. he shot an amazing 65 to date to grabbed second place in the opening round. he last won the tournament back in 1982. he is at 5 under. a far different day for tiger woods. his approach on no. 16. this is not going to work out well. off of the green and into the water. he shot 1 under. a birdie putt on 18, he goes 6 under with one stroke ahead of the legend that has resurfaced. >> i have had some pretty good moment here in the past, one in 1977, one in 2003. you use that to help you play with good golfers. the type of shots you hit during winning golf tournaments, he put them in your memory bank. -- you put them in your memory bank. >> the leader is looking for his first win for the british open. a tough start for tiger woods, he stands tied in the 68th place. a nascar driver now qualifies as the most unlucky man in sports or the stupidest one. he tested positive for using drugs and answers. he might have to hire a few more lawyers. he tes

personal finance editor gerri willis joining us now live with more on this.not just for telling the world every detail of everything you do. >> right, aside from sending out tweets about what restaurant you have gone to and your take on jon and kate, there is a new twist on twitter. you are looking for a job and you want to get new job postings sent immediately. you want to be a twitter or check out tweetsmyjob.com. >> that sounds a little profane. you know you're right. but here's how you would use it. you would get these job postings sent directly to you and they're not just from dotcom companies. they're from ge, cisco. send your resume back to them by tweetmyresume.com. now, these two sites they belong to the same company but if you are looking for a job, a good thing to check out. if you decide to use twitter to get job postings, make sure what you tweeted in the past is appropriate and make sure if your current employer is on the follower list they'll see what you're following. instead, think about creating a new twitter account for the following. >> th

and gerri, good to see you., just how bad is it? >> well, i got to tell you, tony, it's disturbing. >> yeah. >> almost 30%, almost a third of undergrads, put tuition on their credit cards. >> oh, boy. >> according to a recent study on sally may. on average students carry five cards. can you imagine, five cards? i carry two. it gives you an idea. the unfortunate part, only 17% of students regularly pay off their bills, so they're incurring a the although of interest fees. bottom line, college students should be building their credit while in college, credit cards are a good way to do that. you just have to build good habits. >> college students will they actually be seeing some changes in this area soon? >> absolutely. well, the new credit card legislation that we talked so much about on this network. it starts in february. if you're under 21, you're going to have to get a cosigner before you can get a credit card. and, guess what, marketers are not going to be able to set up shop on campus. the expectation out t

what about some real world advice here, gerri. look, the internet y get it and i'm a little old school here. but sometimes that advice you get on the internet just doesn't cut it. >> there's real world things you can do here. something called the 5:00 club. you can attend weekly meetings and get advice directly from job counselors, you pay for the privilege and membership is 49 bucks. if you decided to put out your own shingle and a lot of people in this age category go into business for them selves. the small business administration has more than 10,000 experienced volunteers that train and counselor small business operators. it's a program called score and they also give loans to people. go to sba.gov. you're not alone. according to the aarp, one in six workers, 65 plus, are in the workforce. that's up from one in ten in 1985. big numbers going into the workforce and staying back in the workforce. >> how about assistance between jobs, is that available? >> people want to know how to get help if they can't find a job right now. a

so we have gerri willis in. >> goldman sachs, 3.48 per share. last quarter $3.39.oldman sachs does a lot of trading. risk taking is back and they are beb fitting from it. they are responsible for something like a quarter of all trading. trading in bonds, currencies, you name it. and interesting to see this company will have such a dramatic turnaround. as you know, they had $10 billion in t.a.r.p. money. they paid that back and they are back with a vengeance. they're going to share it with employees as well. they'll put aside some $18 billion for compensation and benefits of their 28,000 employees. you do the math, $600,000 per person. and, of course, top producers make far more than that. so you can see people are going to get a lot of money this year. people out there thinking we gave you this t.a.r.p. money and now you're making billions and billions of dollars. >> what do they do with all the toxic assets? how do they get rid of them? >> i think they are still hanging on to them. >> the reality -- >> it's what rugs and brooms are for. >> put it under the rug. th

>> now, 11 sports with gerry sandusky. >> tom watson, the 59-year-old brought back images from his twenties got a 65 to move into second place during the opening round. a birdie putt on the 17. tiger woods, nothing terrific about his day. forget about the club, the swing, and the day. 71, opening round for tiger woods. this birdie putt on 18, you deserve the lead if you can hit a putt like this. >> i think the experience playing this golf course for the sixth championship does give me an advantage over just about everybody else. i think i have played in more than everybody. >> i certainly made a few mistakes out there today. consequently, i am at one over. >> the gathering of loves and roots for tom watson. the philadelphia phillies first baseman did not win the home run derby, but he added his name to a more significant piece of baseball history. he lost his 23rd home run of the year, marking his 200th home run of the year. he reached 200 faster than any player in major-league history. he got there faster than babe ruth, hank aaron, and everybody else. it pretty good start to the second ha

gerry kelly is the leader. >> doug hill says, i do that all the time. >>> time to start paying for the air-conditioning bill? >> it wille warm and humid, chance of a thunderstorm tomorrow, a better chance on sunday. >> "nightline close what is next.

@@@@@@ >> now, 11 sports with gerry sandusky. >> the all-star break gives teams air rest. -- gives teams a rest. the white sox beat them 12-8 right now. nick opened the second half with his ninth home run of the season, putting the orioles up 2-1 in the third inning, but the problems began in the fifth inning. lazer shot, right field, three- run home run. chicago cop 6-3. -- chicago up 6-3. bases loaded, not anymore. grand slam home run, seven r b ipods and the white sox lead it. tiger woods's score in the open looks like when you convert currency in the uk. tom watson it takes over the spotlight. he is trying to become the oldest winner ever of the british open. this birdie putt put him at 3 under. a beautiful bird teapot, long- range, grabs a share of the lead with steve marino five under at the midway mark. tiger woods floundered on the 10th hole. four over with that double bogey putt. his chip, rolls back off the green, another double bogey. he finishes 5 over. >> bad tee shots, a couple of bad iron shots, i kept making a mistake after mistake. >> if you want to buy ravens tick

let's try to put together a gerried bill, a compromise bill here? >> i think they are trying to do that somewhat. at the end of the day they have the votes to do it themselves. it's a mess ajs thage they've b sending. i kind of think they want to see does that strengthened hand of al franken, of that 60th vote and granted, i know that means bob bird and ted kennedy who health wise aren't always here to do that, does that make it easier to get some of these folks to the table? we'll see. again, i don't know how much time he's going to sit there and worry about reaching out so much that he loses, that he loses some support on the left. that's something -- >> they'll helicopter to the capitol building. >> remember pete wilson? came in on a hospital gurney to cast a vote into this is a big vote. this is a big vote. i'm just hopeful what we get out of this is a national plan and not just a democratic plan. i'd like to see a plan that doesn't take all that post marketing after you get it. that's my -- i think we've got three weeks to get it done. >> that'

i'm gerry sandusky, hope your day is off to a fantastic start. >> we can hardly wait for the season. don't forget about the ravens special tomorrow 7:00 p.m. >> 5:27, 74 degrees on tv hill. in the next half hour of "11 news today" -- >> the cash for clunkers program may be running out of gas. have that story. >> feels very tropical outside. cold front coming into the air will probably trigger some thunderstorms this afternoon and this evening. the >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to news. i'm stan stovall. >>

i'm gerry sandusky.hope your day is off itto a fantastic start. >> the day after being upset by paul biedermann in the 200-meter freestyle michael phelps is on a mission to break records break being his own record in the 200-meter butterfly. the win marks his 34th career world record surpassing mark spitz for the most all-time. he is back on track i would say. suit or no suit. wait. he was wearing a suit but not the controversial suit. >> getting a little riske. >> it the next half hour of "11 news today" -- >> mayor dixon reindicted by a grand jury. at 5:30 the new charges she faces. >> two weeks after the controversial arrest in massachusetts president obama invites the two men at the center of it to the white house for beer. i will have the story coming up. >> stormy yesterday, hot today. i have the full details in the >> good morning, welcome back it "11 news today." i'm stan ov

we're going to hand it over the gerri willis and "your bottom line." >> this is "your bottom line," the show that saves you money. we'll look at the xhupts hit hardest by the foreclosure epidemic and those rated the best places to live. a new study shows african-americans and hispanics are less prepared for retirement than white and asian counter parts. and the minimum wage goes up this week. that means more money in the pockets of americans. "your bottom line" starts now. >>> we begin with the mid-year u.s. foreclosure report out. foreclosure filings are up in the first half of 2009 from the previous six months to a total of 1.9 million. to break it down for you, it's roughly one in every 84 american homes. that translates into a 9% increase in foreclosure filings and 15% increase from the beginning of 2008. here to help us break down the numbers and what it means for the housing market is rick. he's the senior vice president of realty trac. welcome to both of you. >> thank you very much. >> rick, i want to start with you with the foreclosure numbers. i was expecting, maybe, maybe, we

but gerri willis has ways to save right now. good morning to you, gerri. >> good morning, heidi. >> where do we get started? >> you think about the little things, switching out your regular computer monitor for a flat panel computer screen, the flat panel uses a third of the electricity of regular computer monitors. and if you're thinking about replacing that big screen tv, invest in an lcd, uses half the energy of a plasma, and think about the gadgets you keep plugged in day in and day out, your cell phone chargers, ipod chargers, digital clocks on your stove. they all use energy when you're not actively using them. it may not seem like much, but if you keep your computer monitor on all the time, it adds up. the alliance to save energy estimates on a national, use about 5% of energy and cost consumers more than $8 billion annually. >> wow. that's crazy. >> much larger number than i would have expected. also got to remember because everybody's running their air-conditioners when it's hot, have to keep that thing clean. >> yes, y

gerry sandusky will have interviews with coach harbaugh and all your favorite ravens it airs this saturday night, 7:00, here on wbal tv 11. more insight into what may have killed pop superstar michael jackson. the investigation into the role the live-in doctor may have played. and we're answering your plant and gardening questions. you can e-mail your questions to wbaltv.com. it hard to breathe. but now that i'm breathing better with advair... i can enjoy the zoo with my grandkids. (announcer) for people with copd including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, great news. advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you

i want to bring in gerri willis now. gerri, just now we found out that it passed the house.hearing earl's story. he was pretty nervous about the 61 deals now. he didn't know he was going to get his money and if indeed the clients were going to be able to get the new car. what should prospective clunker traders consider now -- >> right. >> -- the fact that we heard, oh, it's out of money, and now apparently it's going to be okay. what are your thoughts? >> to start with, the money's been doubled. the original program was $1 billion, now it's $2 billion. if you want to take advantage with this, here's what to keep in mind. don't sign the waiver that some dealerships are forcing you to pay the voucher if the deal does not go through. and then have the dealership wait before they destroy your old vehicle until they're absolutely sure they're getting the voucher money. you don't want to be stuck without a car. and, remember, you're going to want to act quickly. kyra, one expert we talked to at "consumer reports" said it's entirely possible that congress could tighten the requirem

gerri willis joins us with today's top tips and we have a few questions here. hello there to you. >> hello t.j. good to see you on a friday. >> good to be here with you. j.h.r. sent this into us. i have a federal student loan that i've had for a while, it's in deferment right now because i'm currently unemployed. any new programs through the government that could help? i bet a lot of students, or former students, are in that same position. >> on july 1st the government introduced a student loan repayment program and that pegs your payments to your income and it's called the income-based repayment plan and it applies only to old and new federal loans, given that you have no income, you could be a good candidate for the program. just go to the department of education's website at studentaid.ed and see if you can benefit from the program and make sure you talk to your lender. they will calculate your eligibility. >> i have one here, now a sophomore in college has no credit. said i recently applied for a student credit card, is that the right way to go? now, we all

[applause] and three outstanding members of congress, bobby scott, jim moran, gerry connolly. thank you so much for the great job you do every day. [applause] i know there is all kinds of stuff that valerie was explaining. don't worry. she is in charge, so she will organize this. i want to give a few remarks at the outset, and then we will save most of the time for questions. first of all, it is wonderful to be here in annandale. i am looking forward to answering questions about what is obviously one of the most important issues facing american families, american businesses, and the american government. but before i began, i just want to say a few words about where we are as a nation. and where we need to go. we are living through extraordinary times. i don't need to tell

. >> reporter: congressman gerry connolly, whose district is one of the richest in the country, is one of the freshmen democrats urging people to find the money somewhere else. >> the insurance industry hasn't put a dime on of savings on the table yet. the drug companies have, the hospitals have but we haven't heard from insurance companies at all. >> reporter: but insurance companies object to either a proposed tax on them or the health care benefits of americans with generous plans. >> that adds to the benefit costs and that from a perspective of trying to drive costs down, that's exactly wrong direction. >> reporter: many lawmakers favor taxing benefits but the president is opposed because he says it would hurt middle-class americans. that leaves congress with few other options. >> barack obama is the quarterback. he's been calling the plays. i think that's very important that everyone understands that. >> reporter: all this angst over raising taxes is driving reformers to refocus on how to cut costs in the health care system which after all it was main point of reform in the first

. >> thank you very much, gerri. >>> it's not too late for a summer escape, whether you enjoy the beach or mountains, those trips don't come cheap. joining us with the best summer getaways as affordable prices is "travel & leisure's" mark orwall. great to see you again. thanks for joining us today. >> nice to be here. >> let's take a vacation. say what is the inexpensive and fantastic beach getaway? >> the one we like is cheek teig island anding a teig island off the coast of virginia. >> very beautiful. >> where you'll be staying and lots of activities but asateague is like a mini galapagos. dolphins off the shore most importantly the wild phone ponies that roam the beach there. a great natural history get away for the whole family. >> is it expensive? can i do it on a budget? >> very easy. plenty of places to stay. a budg a b & b, lots to choose from. >> a road trip, personal favorite? >> the pacific coast highway. highway 1 in california, where i'm from. this is a trip everybody should do start in l.a. go up to san francisco on the way you'll see hearst castle, big cliffs into the re

. >> i'm gerry sandusky.hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start. >> one lucky lottery winner, celia elliot. she is the state's newest millionaire. celia beat out more than one million entries for the grand prize. >> words can't describe how i feel. i'm excited. i'm going to pay off my home, do some home improvements, and give to a charity. >> she looks like she still can't believe it. >> yeah, she's in shock. >> definitely. good for her. time now is 5:55. here's a look ahead to our next hour of news. >> a look at the legendary career of walter cronkite. dead at the age of 92. >> plus artscape is already in full swing. we'll tell you what's on tap for this year's festival. >> the insta-weather plus forecast just ahead. >> this week there are thousands of people that will come from near and far for the 20th annual artscape. america's largest free arts festival. organizers consider artscape as baltimore's stimulus weekend for families. festival goers will be treapted to continuous live music. there is also

i'm gerry sandusky. hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start. >> or a hot one. >> it is.think that that was you have been complaining a lot about the weather the last few weeks. >> it has been good. the weather has been good. hot, humid now. >> if you like the hot and humid weather, then this is going to be the day for you. we are expecting those temperatures to get back into the 90's, and that humidity will be rising as well. i'm looking for isolated thunderstorms. whenever you see this much heat and humidity put together, they will run the risk of thunderstorms. after that, it looks worse in the seven-day than it really is. what we're doing is getting into a pattern where it is summer-like. we start off with a pattern of sunshine and with the heat and humidity we see those thunderstorms brew up. it is almost kind of like a south florida kind of pattern where they see those thunderstorms late in the afternoon and evening each day. it looks worse than the seven-day. >> if it gets worse, we know where to find you. >> yes, and i'm sure you will. >> if it is going to rain, r

gerry has more. >> good evening to you. it is impeccable timing for mother nature. the heat and humidity always arise in time for training camp. many arrive to the second entered the well produced more for the ferry first time -- many arrive this afternoon. they will begin practice tomorrow for the very first time. michael or still remains unsigned. it was bitter cold in january in pittsburgh at the check digit game. john is dial then as the ravens head coach. >> we want to have the best training camp in the nfl. that starts with tomorrow. we ought to have the best we can have tomorrow. that is held was last year. that is how it will be next year. that is how it will be this year. we want to get this going. >> there are roster moves already for the reagans. at 6:00 p.m., we will talk about that and hear from quarterback joe flak about the absence of gary mason. >> thank you. we will be live that prevents turning camp every day this week. we will have their training camps special saturday night at 7:00 p.m. >> up next, a popular children's learning tortillas on the r

. >> gerry sandusky will have highlights coming up in sports. >> twitter has the nation tweeting, but they are stargetting small businesses. how a site can help you become the perfect business entrepreneur. >> you are planning the perfect vacation, and you may get travel insurance, but there is a confusing clause that could cost you thousands. >> great start to our saturday outside. there are some changes underway. i will have those details coming you've got a strawberry pop-tart, but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist their delicious pizza flavor. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. >> it is a great start to our saturday out there. we have been dealing with soggy weather the last few days, a little humidity, and knew we're getting a little break in the action just in time for our saturday. let's look outside right now. it is a

i'm gerry sandusky. >> now details on this weekend's "box office." >> we cannot leave the fate of ourorld to chance! >> harry potter and company are back with "harry potter and the half blood prince." it has the team wizards fighting with the hog warts academy, because it is no longer the safe haven it once was, and he needs to prepare for what might be a final showdown with voldemort. there is also romanic. harry potter is rated p.g. >> romance blossooms in the "500 days of summer." a character who doesn't believe in romance, but that doesn't stop her co-worker from falling hard for her on her first day at work. his challenge is convincing her they are soul mates. 500 days of summer is rated p.g.-13. that's the box office preview. nbc news. >> weather preview? >> for the weekend it looks good. threat not hanging over our heads. very humid this weekend. it will be less humid later on today. tomorrow low humidity, temperatures below the average. 82 for the high. partly cloudy skies. rain chances increase. on-again/off-again rain chances. just that chance sitting there. temperatures on

gerri willis, we appreciate it. thank you. >> my pleasure. >> there's a whole lot going on in the next hour of "newsroom." cnn crews are in place to break it down for you. we'll begin with don lemon in los angeles. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. breaking news out of los angeles. we are learning about michael jackson's body. cnn has confirmed michael jackson's body will indeed be here at the staples center for the memorial service all coming up this hour. >>> i'm ted roland at the forest lawn cemetery where soon michael jackson's family will be gathering for a private ceremony. we'll have details on that coming up at the top of the hour. >>> all right, everybody, we'll stay on top of that story for you. we have a couple other reporters there as well. we'll be following the story throughout the day as you can imagine right here on cnn. >>> also, we are going to be looking at the cost involved in all of this. very interesting question, in fact, who is helping the city as it struggles to make ends meet?

good to see you, gerri. what's going on here? >> well, hi there, tony.e irs as you said just prosecuted a tax preparer in jacksonville, florida, for falsely claiming the $8,000, first-time home buyer credit on a client's return. now, his clients either didn't buy the home or they didn't qualify for the credit. and there are more of these cases. 24 more criminal investigations pending. the agency said it has screening tools in place that can detect fraud. so, if you're caught, the penalties are steep, three years in jail, up to $250,000 in fines. even if you use a tax preparer, you are responsible for the accuracy of your tax returns. you may have to pay back taxes and penalties and interest. >> how can consumers protect themselves from fraud in this case? >> well, in this particular case, the tax preparer allegedly claimed the tax credit so he would get bigger refunds and more clients and fees. here's what you do, you've got to use a reputable tax preparer here. the sad truth is anybody can put out a shingle and claim to be a tax preparer. to be safe, yo