debt

How a Solid Credit Score Saves You Money

Your FICO credit score has a direct bearing on what kind of interest you can expect to pay on a loan, a mortgage or any other similar product. Many employers and landlords als

Financial Fear Factors

Living in the now is always the hardest part of overcoming fear about anything, especially fear of the lack of money.

How to Afford Payments on Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage

our adjustable rate mortgage is getting ready to adjust and you might not be able to afford the payment. So what can you do to keep your finances above water?

Reduce Your Credit Limits to Manage Your Spending

Most of us have more credit than we need, and this can be dangerous for those trying to manage their debt and spending. Remove the temptation by asking for your credit lines to

The U.S. Government Wants You in Debt

I’m going to out on a limb and make the bold statement: the United States government wants you in debt, rather than you saving money. Politics aside, I am going to discuss why I be

Why You Can't Stick with a Budget

A good budget is the best tool for reaching your financial goals. If you've ever begun a budget only to give it up days, weeks or months later, or know someone who has, you need to

Dealing With Debt: Credit Counselors

There are three heavily advertised ways to find help to dig out of debt: credit counseling, debt settlement and bankruptcy. Which is best? Let's find out, starting with a closer lo

How Debt Fools People

People who have a natural aversion to debt often wonder how some people get themselves into such terrible problems with debt. Don't they know how much it costs? Don't they understa

Contributing to a Roth Versus Paying Down Debt

This post was prompted by a reader question, but it's an issue that many people face—we see versions of it all the time in the forums.

Get a Grip on Your Debt: How to Obtain a Clear, Concise Financial Snapshot

Before we can tackle our debt problems, we need to know from where we are starting.

The Debt Trap: Factors That Have Led Us To Our Debt

We're a nation of borrowers. This reality is quite well illustrated by the personal stories and profiles covered by various media publications on the subject of consumer debt. Rec

A Society of Fear

Society has been organized to make the wage slave/debt slave trap the default path for almost everyone.

Worried About Debt? Tips On Managing Your Loans

If you've got a lot of loans under your belt, you'll want to make sure that you're able to manage them well, or risk wrecking your credit by making a late payment somewhere. Deali

5 Ways to Live Better Without Spending More

The most simple-minded measure of your standard of living is how much money you spend: spending more equals living better. Reality is more complex. There are a lot of ways to li

Debt-Free Living IS Attainable: If You Want It, You Can Have It

Everyone loves talking about getting out of debt. It's easy to imagine the benefits. The trick is realizing that this lifestyle is actually attainable. It's a very real choice.

10 Tricks to Save Money with Credit Cards

The most credit savvy among us have been able to use credit cards to their benefit in order to wisely and optimally save money even while charging on their cards. If you are carefu

Acknowledge You Have a Problem with Debt

Debt limits freedom. It's as simple as that. The process of getting out of debt first starts with acknowledging that it really is a problem. This simple act will radically impro

Wage slave, debt slave

This article has its roots in an article I wrote some time ago that used the terms wage slave and debt peonage—terms that some people objected to. Those making free choices aren't

When to Use Savings to Pay Off Debt

One of the most common questions over on the Wise Bread forum is some variation on, "I have $X in savings but $Y in credit card debt. Should I use the savings to pay down the debt?

5 Strategies To Wipe Out Your Credit Card Balance

I have a couple of friends who live by their credit cards. Unfortunately, they both have lower income jobs and live in survival mode, while continuing to participate in one financially [more]