From the category archives:
In the charge to make financial life fairer for consumers, credit cards have now come into the sights of authorities in both the US and the UAE. Eighteen states in the US are now looking into legislation that will prevent merchants from applying surcharges when customers use their credit cards. This is bad news for [...]
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The UK is in the grips of the most significant economic downturn since the 1930s. The banking crash of 2007 has had a profound effect on the millions of hard-working people in the UK who need financial assistance from time to time. Unable to obtain credit or overdrafts from mainstream lenders, an increasing number of [...]
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Quickquid has been kind enouigh to provide to my UK readers (yes there are a few of you!) an interesting infographic about the state of UK consumer debt. Surprised at the state of UK consumer loans? View how quickly UK consumers accumulate debt with this live debt ticker. This infographic is brought to [...]
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The Truth on How to Pay Off Debt Have you ever tried to pay off debt and end up frustrated and discouraged? Have you attended countless seminars and bought a lot of books on how to get out of debt but still ended up drowned in debt? You might even be wondering how in the [...]
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Pay off Debt – Its a good start Whether you accept or believe what the media is saying, it can be difficult to make money these days; concurrently, your expenses always seem to increase. As a result, you end up in debt and experience more difficulty to pay off debt because your income is not [...]
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Although the recession may technically have passed, for many millions of people in the UK the financial crisis is still very much a reality. Unemployment is at record highs, credit card rates are higher than ever, and interest rates remain incredibly low, making it more difficult than ever to find value if you’re looking to [...]
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Personal Debt Personal debt doesn’t always have to be bad news. Debt can be classified into different kinds that have different effects upon us and our personal finances and it can be important to understand those. Bad debt: Those purchases we make for ourselves or for those greedy reasons. That new flat screen TV, the [...]
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When life changed my health drastically for the worse, no one gave me an instruction booklet on what to do. For a while I floundered, despaired, tried doing everything, nothing, and then (eventually) figured out what I should have been doing all along. Here are three important guidelines I would pass on to anyone who [...]
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Having and using a credit card for your purchases isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, if it starts getting out of hand and you have trouble making your payments, you may have a problem. Here are some common signs that you have an addiction to using your credit cards. 1. You Always Think About Minimum Monthly Payments [...]
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Are you in debt (besides the mortgage)? Do you have thousands of dollars worth of student loan debt and/or credit card debt? If you are struggling to make your payments, one of the best things you can do is to stop using credit and begin to use cash. I know, I know, in today’s world, [...]
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As a child, you may have played the game of LIFE and enjoyed those moments you get an unexpected windfall. The same can happen in real life. A few years ago, many Americans got an unexpected windfall when President Bush offered a tax rebate to a majority of U.S. citizens. Some people get an unexpected [...]
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The average college student graduates with $25,000 in student loan debt. Many more students have higher balances than this. If you are repaying your student loans, there are several strategies you can utilize to pay less in student loan interest. Consider the following: Automate your payments. If you have direct student loans, automate your payment [...]
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Many people think that homeownership is the American dream, but I disagree. I’m a proud renter, and it’s not that I can’t afford a house – I can actually afford a really nice, big house. I just choose to rent a nice big house instead. Here’s why… Staying Debt Free I am very anti-debt and [...]
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Are you in debt? If so, you are in company with millions of Americans. However, 2012 can be the year that you resolve to be debt free or to significantly reduce your debt. My preferred method of paying down debt is two pronged—use the debt snowball (pay down smallest to largest debts, regardless of interest [...]
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Those dedicated to strengthening their financial situation often find themselves facing the decision of paying off debt or building a large emergency fund. There are benefits to both, and the final decision will ultimately be based on your personal preference, risk tolerance, and priorities. Benefits of Paying off Debt First – You free up income [...]
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I am NOT a fan of debt, so why in the world wouldn’t I pay off my student loan with “gazelle like” intensity? The screenshot below will explain why I considered a less than aggressive payment strategy for my student loans. Think back to 2002-2003, college consolidation loans hit an all time low interest rate. [...]
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“Health is not valued till sickness comes.” Please answer honestly, this will be for you to retain. Many of the questions are subjective, they are designed to get you to think about the impact of financial decisions and debt. On a sheet of paper, number 1 through 12, for each question write yes [...]
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