Self-Help Articles

2 Types of Personal Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy. It’s not a fun topic of conversation, but if personal bankruptcy is something that could be in your future, it’s important to understand what you’re facing. The first thing to understand is that bankruptcy, as scary as it sounds, won’t leave you penniless. On the...

The Hidden Dangers of Credit Card Debt

Credit cards are such a convenience. Don’t like to carry wads of cash? Forgot your checkbook at home? Need quick access to funds? No problem! That little piece of plastic in your wallet solves all those problems. But such convenience has a price. And across the...

How Debt-to-Income Ratio Is Calculated

Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is one of those financial terms that probably sounds vaguely familiar to you. You know you’ve heard it somewhere before, but you can’t quite remember what it is – or why you should care. The truth is, unless you have applied for...

Need to Reduce Your Debt? DON’T DO THIS

We talk a lot about debt – particularly getting out of debt. And while we cover a lot of strategies that help many people dig out of a financial hole, it’s time for a frank discussion about a few schemes that don’t work for a...

Store Credit Cards – The Good and the Bad

Does this sound familiar? Every time you check out, the cashier at your favorite department store asks if you’d like to save 10% on today’s purchase by signing up for the store’s credit card. You perpetually turn down the offer because you don’t want to go...

Student Loan Default Explained

When you took out your student loan, you signed a promissory note and entered into a legally binding contract promising that you’d repay your lender when the time came. Well, the time has come. Now, what do you do to make sure you’re holding up...

What Are Starter Credit Cards and How Can You Use Them to Build Good Credit?

In today’s economy, having good credit is about more than just being able to borrow money. In fact, credit checks are regularly required for lease approvals, with utility companies, and even as part of the job application process. While most people know that credit scores are...

Should I Consider Debt Consolidation?

Debt consolidation as a financial tool has been around in one form or another for years. While it may sound like a complicated industry term used by experts, it is actually a fairly simple concept for rolling multiple unsecured debts into one single loan for...

Debt Payment Options for Every Budget

Debt. We all have it. Debt in itself is not always bad. It can be a helpful tool in, say, covering bills during employment gaps or paying for a college education. But excess debt can be a financial burden – one that limits your ability...

How Long Do I Keep My Credit Card Statements?

In this digital age, many of us have ditched the mailed copies of our credit card statements. Instead, we do all our mobile banking on our computers or phones. But there are still holdouts, for a variety of reasons, who prefer the piece of paper...