Articles in ‘Debt Management’ 
-
My First Week at Credit.com!
I’m very excited to announce my partnership with Credit.com, where I’ll be blogging often. My inaugural post is about how young college students can begin establishing a credit history, despite the CARD Act, which generally prohibits banks from extending credit to those under the age of 21.
-
Credit Card Issuers Go After “Good” Customers
As discussed on MSNBC this morning, credit card issuers are increasingly going after their squeaky clean (aka “unprofitable”) cardholders, those of us who rarely depend on credit cards, who pay on time and in full, by raising fees.
-
Top Five Credit Cards
I am not a huge advocate for credit card usage. If you’re in debt, just skip this blog post. But for those who are responsible with credit and pay balances off in full each month, there is a sea of card offers with various perks from cash back to points to miles. Hopefully my list will help your narrow down your search.
-
New Credit Card Laws Take Effect
They’ve arrived! The bulk of the new rules set by the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act take effect today. The goal of the CARD Act – which is being rolled out in three phases – is to give consumers more protection and force credit card companies to provide more disclosure and transparency. Here’s what you need to know…
-
ABC “Good Money” Mailbag
Credit card debt relief was a big theme in this week’s money mailbag on ABC News Now. Which debt relief agencies are trust-worthy? Which to address first – debt repayment or emergency savings? I’ve got the video from today’s segment, as well as my answers here.
-
Crafting Your Personal Budget
The “B” word is reentering the economic fray. Budget is a top search on Google, as debt-ridden Americans frantically hunt down ways to create a manageable personal budget. Each week on Bank of Mom & Dad I present our ladies with a personal spending plan or budget…
-
Charge-Offs: What You Need to Know
I recently started paying more attention to a common accounting practice in the credit card industry known as “charge-offs.” This week there was news out from the various credit card companies that their “charge-off” rates are showing signs of slowing down. I guess that’s a good thing…but as unemployment and credit delinquencies (not coincidentally) rise, more [...]
-
Why Celebs Need Money 101
Stephen Baldwin recently declared bankruptcy and it got me thinking that many celebrities are starving for some basic financial advice. I guess it’s tough when you abruptly strike it rich after years of living paycheck to paycheck. $10 million suddenly seems like a lifetime’s worth of money — and it can be, but only if [...]
-
Underwater Homeowners: More Federal Relief
Some added relief for frustrated homeowners trying to lower their monthly payments. The President announced today he’s expanding his mortgage refinancing program to let more borrowers take part in his foreclosure prevention plan.
As it was announced back in February, homeowners with loans up to 105% of their home value qualified for the refinancing program. The [...] -
New SBA Loan for Qualifying Business Owners
I recently stopped by KCBS in San Francisco to discuss the SBA’s new ARC Lending Program. The program started last Monday and aims to provide interest-free loans for struggling small business owners who’ve been up and running for at least two years. Here’s the clip of the story consumer reporter Sue Kwon put together, which [...]
