Credit
Credit card debt is a major problem in the U.S. It seems like everywhere you turn, you’re hit with a new offer from a creditor. Open this line of credit and get a low interest rate for six months, then bam — suddenly you’ve collected more credit cards than you can keep up with. While credit is important — both building and maintaining it — it may not tell your whole financial picture. If you’ve recently lost your job or expect to undergo surgery in the coming months, your credit may take a hit when you’re not able to pay your bills on time. You may have trouble then getting a mortgage or other new lines of credit. Collectors may be after you. The good news is, both credit card debt and medical debts can be discharged in bankruptcy, and collectors stop calling. Learn more from National Bankruptcy Forum about credit and how it is affected by bankruptcy — both the good and bad.
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Posted by: Walter Metzen
The 5 Best Credit Cards for Rebuilding Your Credit
If you have a low credit score, it probably either means you’re just starting to build your credit as a young adult, or you’ve been unable to pay bills, been sent to collections, and your score has consequently taken a dive. If you’re a young person, credit card companies are probably banging down your door…
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Posted by: Erik Clark
5 Personal Finance Moves to Make Before You’re 30
Life after college can be an overwhelming and emotional process. We get our first “real” jobs after spending a few years racking up student loan debt, and then it’s on to possibly looking into buying a home and starting a family. By the time we’re nearing our mid- to late-20s, we wonder: Where has all…
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Posted by: Rob Cohen
Financial Planning for Beginners: What You Need to Know
Earlier this year, household debt balances in America rose to $12.73 trillion, the highest in our history. In fact, 73% of us die in debt. With this much debt, it’s hard for many people to reach long-term goals such as retirement savings, or shorter-term goals such as paying for a wedding. Many of us just wing…
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Posted by: Walter Metzen
Planning for Retirement: What Women Should Consider
Retirement is a luxury that requires some planning, and yet, only one-third of women think they are well prepared for retirement — and often they are not as well prepared as men. Let’s examine some of the reasons why women fail to prepare for retirement and look at what you can do to get ready…
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Posted by: Erik Clark
Debt Collectors in the US You Need to Know
The debt collection industry is big — estimated to be a $12 billion industry in fact, and growing. There are literally thousands of debt collectors in the form of collection companies, law firms, and yes, even debt buyers. How does it all work? The origin of debt collectors had humble beginnings. They were often in-house departments of…
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Posted by: Erik Clark
Household Debt Near Great Recession Level: What Does it Mean?
Although bankruptcy filings have been trending downward for years, household debt is expected to hit a new record in 2017. It may seem like a big number, but fewer than 800,000 people filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. last year. Just six years ago, that amount was double. Will household debt start to catch up…
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