I recently received a question from Lisa. She asked, How can one be sure a debt consolidation company IS reputable? I have a friend who used two that really seemed reputable in our town. They had an office, she met face-to-face with someone, etc. But they both failed to keep their promises and got her … Read more How to Know if a Debt Consolidation Company is Legit
I had an interesting conversation with some blogging buddies recently. We were discussing debt, and I declared, as I often do, that debt is bad. One astute friend remarked, “Then what about that ad at the top of your sidebar?” Ah, yes, the Lending Club ad. How do I feel about Lending Club? Well, I … Read more In the Realm of Good & Bad Debt, Where Does Social Lending Stand?
Have you ever thought about the power of a snowflake? Imagine a single snowflake. It’s tiny, and if it lands on your warm hand, it will melt quickly. Alone, it is powerless. But when combined with other snowflakes, a single snowflake is powerful. It can accumulate into inches of beautiful, white snow. You can do … Read more The Power of the Snowflake
One of the questions that many people ask themselves in times like these is this: should I pay down debt, or build my savings? This is a tough question. But many financial planning folks believe that paying down debt ought to be a priority. This is especially true in times like these, when you don’t … Read more Make Paying Down Debt a Priority
In September my husband and I transferred all of our remaining credit card debt to the Citi Home Rebate card. The card had no annual fee, no balance transfer fee, and a 0% intro APR for 12 months…enough time for us to pay off our card. I faithfully made payments above and beyond the minimum … Read more Credit Card Companies Want to Eat You Alive!
I received an email from a reader the other day, asking about cash vs. debit cards, and he gave me permission to share with you all. The question was: If one were to stick to paying cash for everything, would one have a higher tendency to spend more often with cash or with a debit … Read more Is Using Cash Better Than Debit Card?
No, not my accounts. The actual cards are frozen. Well, technically, they’re still freezing, since I just put them in the freezer 10 minutes ago. Yes, I’m freezing my credit cards. Why? Because it will make them very hard to use, but they’ll be available in the case of an extreme (and I do mean … Read more My Credit Cards are Frozen!
I may be dating myself here, but I used to love the show Little House on the Prairie as a kid. Little did I know that I would learn a lot about finances and debt by watching. Here are a few of the things I picked up. 1. Do what you have to do, and … Read more What Little House on the Prairie Taught Me About Debt
We’ve all heard of the debt snowball. Pay as much toward your smallest debt as you can, and when that debt is paid off, apply that payment to your next debt. It’s a great way to pay down debt as fast as you can, but what if that isn’t fast enough? It can be very … Read more Finding Snowflakes to Add to Your Snowball