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Holiday Budgeting: Free “Debt-Free Holidays Handbook”
Learn how to stay debt-free during the holiday season. We offer a free booklet called the “Debt-Free Holidays Handbook” that will help you to: Identify Your Holiday Budget Give Yourself A Holiday Bonus (Free Up 10%-15% Of Your Income) Identify Gift Ideas Create A Shopping List Stay Within Your Holiday Budget Get yours here: Debt-Free Holidays Handbook -
Holiday Money Etiquette
Budget-friendly advice on everything from re-gifting to holiday tipping There’s no avoiding it: The holidays are here. It’s officially time for joy and cheer; hot chocolate and fresh-baked cookies. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Secret Santa at work and Bing Crosby on the radio. Wish lists and strings of little twinkly lights. The holidays are a magical time, to be sure. But if you’re on a budget (and these days,... -
Budgeting by the Numbers: The 50/30/20 Budget
As someone who makes a living by helping people untangle their sometimes (very) messy financial lives, I can tell you that I know what gets folks in hot water, financially speaking. Sure, it’s easy to just chalk it all up to irresponsibility. But it’s not always that simple. Most of the people I work with are trying to change their financial situations: They’ve read the books, they’ve gathered their... -
Steps To Help Save Now. Not Later.
Five things you can do today to curb your spending and bulk up your savings account. You tell yourself things will be different this time. Last time? You weren’t ready. You weren’t dedicated. Not like this time. This time, you’ll stick to your budget – no matter what. This time, there’s no stopping you. You give yourself pep talks in the bathroom mirror. I’m a lean, mean, money-saving machine,... -
Making The Most Of Balance Transfers To Help Reduce Debt
The do’s and don’ts of using balance transfers to pay down your high-interest credit card debt. Just a few short years ago, balance transfers were seen as a quick-fix for folks drowning in debt. It was simple: you shopped around, found a great introductory deal, made payments while your interest rate was still low, and, once the super-low intro rate expired, you started the whole process over again. By... -
Be Cautious Of Debt Settlement Offers
In today’s economy many people are struggling with their debts. Debt settlement companies are taking advantage of the situation with aggressive marketing, making many promises that are too good to be true. Learn about some of the pitfalls as well as some legitimate alternatives. -
Simple Credit Card Debt Solutions
Ideally, credit cards are used to help people build credit and to acquire large purchases without the need to have all of the immediate funds. In short, credit cards are supposed to exist as financial tools to help consumers; yet, consumers often abuse credit card privileges or are not cognizant of ancillary information that can later lead them into trouble. Credit cards can be used as a helpful tool,... -
Retirement vs. Debt: From IOU to IRA in Two (Sort of) Simple Steps
Are you ready for retirement? If you’re like most Americans over the age of 25, chances are, probably not. According to a recent study conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Americans are dreadfully unprepared for their golden years. In fact, according to the EBRI data, about 30 percent of us only have about $1,000 in our retirement funds. Some people have even less than that. If you... -
Credit Card Reform: What it Means for You (and Your Debt)
February 22, 2010 marked the beginning of some much-anticipated credit card regulations, including limits on fees and interest rate hikes. The regulations, which are part of the May 2009 credit card legislation, are aimed at protecting consumers from some of the credit card industry’s more questionable tactics. Consumers and advocacy groups are praising the new rules. So are many of the millions of Americans who face hefty credit card...