Published Monday, May 16, 2011 @ 7:47 pm

Pick up any newspaper or turn on any news channel and you’ll see economists and financial experts pointing to signs of a slow and steady economic recovery, including facts and  figures showing spikes in consumer savings, spending and home sales. Unfortunately, you can also hear about average Americans, joining those who are down on their luck, who are simply choosing to walk away from their monthly mortgage payments.…

Read more

Published Friday, March 4, 2011 @ 4:45 pm

In the mafia, there’s always a “fixer:” someone in the organization who will do the dirty work, get things done, and do so without any hesitation at all. And while the “fixer” is good at what he does, he has a tendency to be an unseemly character, whose unscrupulous tactics leave a lot to be desired.…

Read more

Published Friday, December 17, 2010 @ 1:39 pm

Everywhere you look these days, it seems economists and financial experts are pointing to signs of a slow and steady economic recovery, including recent figures showing a seasonal spike in consumer savings and spending. Unfortunately, another indicator of the economic upturn is showing up in the mailboxes of many American households this holiday season: credit card offers.…

Read more

Published Friday, July 23, 2010 @ 8:00 am

Life after bankruptcy can be a challenge. It will take commitment, a new mindset and an entirely fresh set of budgeting habits.

People are surprised to find that when they look around, there really are countless ways for you to save, establish credit and rebuild the economic life you once had.…

Read more

Published Thursday, May 6, 2010 @ 6:06 pm

It was easy to spend money a few years ago, somewhere around late 2005 and into 2006, when the economy was flying, anyone could get a loan and every house in the zip code was appreciating at eight percent a year.

Those who managed to avoid subprime loans and the desire to keep up with whatever the other side of the cul-de-sac was spending turned out to make it through the recession in decent shape, provided the unemployment crisis didn’t catch up with them.…

Read more

Published Friday, April 23, 2010 @ 1:05 pm

Since the Great Recession began in 2007, small businesses across the country have been squeezed.  Exacerbated by the flagging economy, small business owners everywhere are not only facing high employee health care costs and lagging consumer and commercial spending, but also fewer credit options. And while loans have always been the lifeblood of the small business, all across our great nation, mom and pop endeavors with even the most solid credit histories face tremendous obstacles in qualifying for much-needed capital.…

Read more

Published Wednesday, March 24, 2010 @ 8:00 pm

In this economy, qualifying for a bank loan or line of credit can feel impossible—even for people with perfect credit—and much more so if you’re trying to bounce back from a recent bankruptcy. But a bit of patience (targeting smaller community banks rather than large corporate banks) and a bit of help (getting others to vouch for you) can improve your odds tremendously—even in this uncertain economic climate.…

Read more

Published Friday, March 5, 2010 @ 10:31 pm

Successfully coming out of bankruptcy is a financial rebirth. As you move on from your financial setbacks (and you will), you will be better prepared to build a healthy fiscal future. Part of that, or better stated, a huge part of that, will involve how you make decisions regarding money. It would be understandable, for example, to simply save everything in a conservative money market (savings) account or maybe drop a small bit of your monthly income into a 401k.…

Read more

Published Sunday, October 18, 2009 @ 1:03 pm

Apart from the more typical fraudulent charges and billing errors, a common situation leading to credit disputes concerns purchase protection. This comes into play when you make a big ticket purchase from a merchant, charge it to your credit card, and then receive the good…only to discover that it is defective.…

Read more

Published Saturday, August 8, 2009 @ 2:51 pm

Judging by statistics, people with credit problems have a lot of company! Unfortunately, many of us are never given the opportunity to develop good credit strategies–we have the credit before we know how to use it. It’s also unfortunate that you can’t just refuse to work with credit altogether. Most of us are going to need good credit to help us make major purchases like a car, a home, or an education.…

Read more

Published Monday, August 3, 2009 @ 10:45 pm

Marriage is a partnership, and it works much better with each partner pulling his or her own weight. To avoid problems down the line, it’s a good idea for each partner to establish and maintain a separate credit identity. As a matter of fact, that is how the law will see it in all but the nine community property states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.) This means that if your spouse takes on a financial responsibility without you, you will not be legally liable for it, and vice versa.…

Read more

Published Thursday, July 23, 2009 @ 8:44 am

The link between the recession and credit cards is undeniable. While credit card use by itself is a number of links down the chain from the one that broke Wall Street’s hold on the economy, the underlying theme of easy credit and its impact on the American consumer remains a prevalent factor in our ongoing financial struggle.…

Read more

Published Monday, July 13, 2009 @ 2:59 pm

If you have declared under Chapter 13, you may be eager to refinance your home. In doing so, you should pay close attention to what the mortgage companies are proposing and whether you will actually benefit from refinancing.  It is a good idea to research companies offering refinancing during Chapter 13 and analyzing their track records with consumers.…

Read more

Published Tuesday, July 7, 2009 @ 11:22 am

If you have made your way through bankruptcy and the old clunker is starting to make noises that you more associate with an exhausted yak than an internal combustion engine, maybe it’s time for you to consider buying a new car. Or, should you lease? It’s a tough call.

Before you think about either option though, remember to consider the ancillary costs of car ownership, like insurance.…

Read more

Published Tuesday, June 16, 2009 @ 10:22 pm

Despite the fact that credit reports are widely acknowledged to contain inaccuracies― for example, wrongly listed accounts, computer errors showing delinquencies where there were none, or discharged debts still showing up after bankruptcy―more and more of our interactions are touched by the huge industry that is credit reporting. Virtually every kind of loan will hinge on the information in your report, and even landlords will now require you to sign your consent to have your credit history checked along with the more standard criminal background checks.…

Read more

Published Monday, June 8, 2009 @ 11:50 am

Many people own a home before they file for bankruptcy protection, and once they are ready to start over and lay down that solid financial future, they will want to refinance their home loans. Refinancing a home can result in excellent benefits for a home owner.  By refinancing, you may be able to improve your cash flow by lowering monthly payments and reduce future risk associated with variable rates.…

Read more

Published Monday, June 1, 2009 @ 10:42 am

Filing bankruptcy is all about getting back to your feet, socially and financially. When it’s time to start rebuilding your credit history, one of the best ways to do so is through the use of a secured credit card.

A secured credit card is just like a regular credit card. The only difference is that instead of the bank granting you credit, your credit line is based on an actual cash deposit you put into a savings account.…

Read more

Published Sunday, May 31, 2009 @ 8:55 pm

By the time you realize that bankruptcy is the best option for you, it’s probably safe to say that you’ve been dealing with creditors for a long time.

Even worse than creditors are the collection companies, who are trained to bully you into agreeing to make payments even when you don’t have a cent to spare. 

Eventually you begin to feel that these companies have all the power and you have none.…

Read more