[caption id="attachment_279" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Student loan debt exceeds credit card debt leaving many Americans strapped for cash."][/caption] A new report by USA Today finds that Americans' student loan debt is $850 billion dollars, which actually exceeds the total amount of Americans' credit card debt. What does that mean for our newest generation heading off to...
The September 29, 2011 final deadline for the Emergency Homeowner’s Loan Program passed without much fanfare, but it left in its wake several hundred thousand mortgage holders who desperately needed financial assistance to keep their homes. Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimate that only about “10,000 to 15,000 homeowners...
[caption id="attachment_288" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="It's never too early to start teaching kids about money management."][/caption] Every day in our practice, we see the devastation that financial insolvency creates not only for the client, but also the ripple effect that it has on the rest of the family. One way to prevent financial disasters for the...
[caption id="attachment_262" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Rising healthcare and decreasing insurance coverage mean tough choices for many families."][/caption] A recent report came out a few days ago linking federal bankruptcy court records with cancer survival rates. For many Americans the findings were shocking, but for those of us who work in bankrupcty, the numbers were not all...
Reprinted with permission from Huffington Post 7-13-11 One newspaper article in 1997 told me all I needed to know about the business model for the credit card industry. Beneficial National Bank, the credit card lender for BJ's Warehouse, notified 12,000 of its customers that it was revoking their credit card privileges. A logical guess would be...
[caption id="attachment_172" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Low Credit Score Cards Coming to a Wallet Near You?"][/caption] If you've been struggling with the economic recovery, it may be very tempting to loosen your financial needs by signing up for one of the numerous low credit score credit card solicitations you've received. But do a little research into what these cards offer...
[caption id="attachment_204" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="With college costs rising, should parents and students go into debt to obtain that degree?"][/caption] Like generations of parents before you, you want your children to receive a great education . But unlike previous generations of parents who could wrangle together funds, grants and student loans, today's parents are finding that available...
[caption id="attachment_207" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Americans are changing how they use credit."][/caption] According to a national survey by Javelin Strategy and Research, credit card spending is down, especially in the 18-24 age market. Does that mean that we Americans aren't spending or are we doing it differently? According to the NY Times report, the survey showed...
[caption id="attachment_225" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="With the implementation of the CARD Act banks are becoming more creative with their hidden fees and charges. "][/caption] Just when you thought the waters of big banking were safe to venture into once more, big banks are desperately chomping after consumer dollars with new fees and charges on consumer accounts. After...
[caption id="attachment_184" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Student loan changes went into affect for millions on July 1st."][/caption] As spring peeks just around the corner, so does the slew of high school seniors making final selections for college enrollment. Whether it's Harvard or the local community college, each choice comes with an equal amount of decisions for their parents regarding...