Survey results released this week say that 39% of consumers who had the terms of their credit cards changed either stopped using the card or cancelled the account entirely.
Borrowing
Is the New Frugality Here to Stay?
In 2009, cutting back was cool. Whether thriftiness proves to be short-lived fad or an enduring trend remains to be seen.
The Year of Living Cheaply: A Retrospective
In 2009, dorky, inherently un-fun words like “thrifty” and “frugal” were paired early and often with fancy ones such as “chic” and “glamour.” Folks long accustomed to using triple coupons and cutting their own hair enjoyed newfound status among their neighbors: Instead of being viewed as eccentric oddballs—or worse, as killjoys or …
Cheapskate Wisdom from … an Economist in the Reagan Administration
“We have to start paying our bills eventually.”
You Just Strategically Defaulted on Your Mortgage. What’s Next? ‘We’re Going to Disneyland!’
Approximately one million American homeowners will strategically walk away from their mortgages this year. Why? They’re underwater on their mortgages, and the rental market is so cheap that they can live large by paying a landlord instead of a bank.
Odd Economic Indicator Round-up: More Jews Moving to Israel, More-Cramped Cubicles, More Smoking and Surfing Porn
Perhaps they’re not quite as odd as the Hot Waitress Index (a theory in which waitresses get increasingly more attractive as the economy gets worse), but these trends are still rather unusual—yet revealing—indicators of how the economy is faring.
How to Outsmart a Debt Collector
Bob Brooks is a 17-year veteran in the financial services and investment industry, the author of a new book about avoiding credit and debt traps, and a radio show host who counsels callers about financial issues “from a Christian perspective.” One of his messages: When a debt collector is harassing you, it’s not the time to turn the other cheek.
135 Money-Saving Resources and Tips, Special Holiday Season Edition
Just in time for the annual busting-of-the-budget tradition, here’s a round-up of holiday season tips from around the web that are aimed at getting you all jolly by saving you some cash.
False Economy: Think You’re Saving Money? Think Again
You assume you’re being a savvy consumer by doing things like using coupons, getting free shipping with online purchases, and shopping in stores with no-hassle return policies. But are you really being taken for a sucker?
What the X-Men, Old Pantyhose, and Pregnancy Tests Have in Common
Use each of them in the right way, and you’ll find yourself in a better financial situation. In theory, that is.
Now It Should Be a Little Easier to Avoid a Mortgage Default
What do you do if you owe more than your home is worth? You could simply walk away from the mortgage, as one professor suggests. But through a change in the works from the Obama administration, it should be slightly easier to get rid of the home without the stigma or complications of a foreclosure.
Lessons on How to Save, from China
Why are Chinese households so much better at saving money than their American counterparts?