Archive for Were in Debt
-
Advanced Budgeting
In a previous post I explained my method for setting up a budget. Not only can a budget help you spend and save, but once it is working for you, a budget can provide financial flexibility. In order to get maximum flexibility from your budget, first try to get yourself into a position where ...
-
Sneaky Tricks from Credit Card Vendors (Part 4)
Credit card companies need to make money just like everyone else. If they couldn’t make money by extending credit, they wouldn’t be in business, and that would force us to pay cash for everything from coffee to vacations. There is obviously a place for credit cards in our society. However, so...
-
Sneaky Tricks from Credit Card Vendors (Part 3)
Credit card companies need to make money just like everyone else. If they couldn’t make money by extending credit, they wouldn’t be in business, and that would force us to pay cash for everything from coffee to vacations. There is obviously a place for credit cards in our society. However,...
-
Sneaky Tricks from Credit Card Vendors (Part 2)
Credit card companies need to make money just like everyone else. If they couldn’t make money by extending credit, they wouldn’t be in business, and that would force us to pay cash for everything from coffee to vacations. There is obviously a place for credit cards in our society. However,...
-
Sneaky Tricks from Credit Card Vendors (Part 1)
Credit card companies need to make money just like everyone else. If they couldn’t make money by extending credit, they wouldn’t be in business, and that would force us to pay cash for everything from coffee to vacations. There is obviously a place for credit cards in our society. However,...
-
Tax Assistance for Lower Incomes
Nobody likes tax time. For most people, it’s a drag to get all your paperwork together, decipher the tax form (or find a tax preparer who won’t skin you), and wait with bated breath to see who owes who. For many low- to moderate-income earners, though, there’s some help out there. Every y...
-
Saving for a Rainy Day
As Eeyore might say, these days it’s always raining. With the economy turning upside down and unemployment rising, it may be a good idea to take him seriously. To keep yourself secure after a loss of income, it’s important to build a rainy day fund, or emergency cushion to get you throug...
-
Pay Yourself First
Everyone wants to build wealth right now, this second, as quickly as possible. If you make six figures a year (or if you’re dishonest—think Madoff), maybe it’s possible. But for the rest of us peons, slow and steady wins the race. Pay yourself first, and get a jump on the rest of the tor...
-
Dealing with collection agencies
I was watching a cable news financial show the other night. They had a segment on debt collectors and unfortunately, gave very bad and flat-out wrong advice, so I thought I would write about this topic. Thanks to a financially-irresponsible ex-husband (and yes, that is why he is an ex), I have l...
-
The rule of 72 (Part 2)
Now for the bad news. The same rule that tells how long it’ll take to double your money also tells you when you’ll double your debt. That’s right; this rule applies not only to the interest rate you RECEIVE, but also to the interest that you PAY. And because most debts, particularly credit...
