When I was younger, I carried more than $20,000 in credit card debt, and it took a long time to recover. While credit cards aren’t evil, they can be very dangerous.
debt
Is That a Debt Collector Trying to Call Your Cell?
The debt-collection industry has launched a push to modernize the laws that govern how they do business and what they’re allowed to do, and new legislation under consideration in Congress would give them the right to do so if …
Will China Help Save Europe?
There’s been a lot of talk this week in China about whether it should swoop in to save the eurozone. Loading up on Italian debt is one possibility, which could keep Europe’s overall bailout tab in check and boost market confidence. Another idea is to create an EU-China bond. Unlike an EU-only bond (a concept that hasn’t gained traction …
Simply Finishing College Offers the Best Chance to Gain Financial Education
A new report paints a dim picture of success in college. Meanwhile, the failed pursuit of a college degree leaves many in a financial straight jacket: They owe tens of thousands of dollars in student loans and have a diminished …
Debt Tsunamis, Debt Snowballs, and Why the Conventional Wisdom About Defeating Debt is Wrong
When you’re in debt, one of the toughest problems is knowing where to start. It’s not that you have just one debt. You have several. Or dozens. Which debt should you pay off first?
$54 Billion Closer to Our Next Financial Crisis
After a couple years of austerity, we’re again racking up credit card debt at an alarming clip.
The 20 Colleges With the Most (and Least) Student Debt
Each year, U.S. News & World Report releases a list of the nation’s best colleges. In the 2012 edition, they also included a ranking based on the amount of debt the class of 2010 had upon graduation. These are the 10 schools that …
It’s Time to Admit the Euro Has Failed
The breakup of the common European currency is inevitable and will shake U.S. stock markets. Here’s how investors can prepare – and even profit.
Modern Retirement: Mortgage and Kids Still at Home
Boomers are reshaping retirement by doing it with a mortgage and adult kids at home. This isn't the way it's supposed to work.
Should the Eurozone Become a ‘United States of Europe’?
Europeans back from summer vacation this week may be wishing they’d stayed on the beach. Stock markets in Germany, Italy, and France all dropped about 5% Monday, after the so-called “troika” of European institutions (the …
How the Newly Prudent Consumer Is Killing the Economy
Today’s consumers are increasingly likely to pay off credit card bills in full, skip vacations, dine out less, hold off on buying big-ticket items like new cars, and even trim everyday expenses by, say, subbing a generic cereal …
7 Obstacles to Financial Success
Hundreds (thousands?) of new financial books are published each year. Only a handful become best-sellers. As you might expect, a lot of gems fall through the cracks, destined to soon be forgotten. The Quiet Millionaire by Brett …