Business

Sterling Financial Corp., the parent company of Sterling Savings Bank, has announced some new and enhanced loan programs. (STSA)

Chopp, Brown pledge to save GAU. In the days before the legislature opened on Jan. 12, you could hear advocates for Washington’s poor and disabled taking some deep breaths as they prepared for a long, hard fight to try to save major pieces of the state’s safety net.

State Senate Democrats unveiled an economic stimulus plan Tuesday that they say will create 25,000 jobs in Washington over the next two years.

To Our Clients, Colleagues and Friends, With year-end approaching, do you have adequate loan loss reserves? We see too many mortgage banking companies that don’t set aside reserves, yet losses do and will occur from time to time. Talk to your auditors about this, but set something aside. Then add to it a little bit each month, and when the inevitable loss occurs, it won’t affect you as much or at all. A Comptroller of the Currency study shows that more than half of loans modified in the