By Cortni Marrazzo
I’m sure you have heard that there is a difference between “good debt” and “bad debt.” Bad debt is usually associated with credit cards, car loans, and other debts that aren’t secured by something that is growing in value. However, the term “good debt” is often given to such debt as […]

By Shannon Christman
It’s been said that when you take free advice, you should remember that you get what you pay for. I agree that it’s important to evaluate any advice — free or not — before following it, but rejecting all free advice because it is free is a really bad idea. (Unless you […]

By Jennifer Derrick
I don’t need the media or the government to tell me that the economy is heading south. I have a foolproof barometer of economic health in my own town. It’s called the scrap heap, aka, the metal recycler.
For about ten years, I’ve been collecting my aluminum cans and taking them to the […]

By Jennifer Derrick
For all that I supposedly know about money and personal finance, I learned this week that there is one thing that I still don’t know. I don’t know what to say to someone whose life is in crisis due to financial problems. Because money is so private, personal and (in this country, at […]

By Jennifer Derrick
In recent weeks I’ve felt a distinct discomfort when listening to the media, the government, and even my acquaintances talk about money. It’s always been pretty clear that I’m not normal and that I don’t fit financially into this society. I’m a saver and a proponent of more frugal lifestyles. I’m not a […]

By Cortni Marrazzo
“I want the toys and I want them now.” It sounds like something a toddler would say, doesn’t it? Yet this is what I hear nowadays from many people in their 20s and 30s indirectly through their spending habits. “I want toys and conveniences and I don’t want to have to […]

By Cortni Marrazzo
It’s an old saying: “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” But what if it did? What would that look like? Would everybody be rich and well taken care of due to readily available money? Or would we still end up with rich, middle class and poor people? Here’s what […]

By Jennifer Derrick
My neighbors’ oldest child just left for college this fall. Watching him load his car with electronics, clothes, and “stuff,” headed for his new apartment, I started reminiscing about when I was just starting out. When I was younger, I lived a life that made others think I was poverty stricken. I didn’t […]

By Cortni Marrazzo
I understand the argument behind the advice of putting at least a 20% down payment on a house purchase. No one wants to pay private mortgage insurance and the idea of getting two different loans to avoid it isn’t that great either. I imagine if you are a previous […]

By David John Marotta and Justin Harris
Purchasing a car is the second biggest spending decision we face as consumers next to buying a home. Unlike real estate or an investment portfolio which appreciates, cars are rapidly depreciating assets. In addition to the car’s sticker price, operating expenses can drive the unsuspecting consumer into the […]

By David John Marotta and Beth Anderson Nedelisky
The average college student graduates with almost $20,000 in student loans. While this is a daunting sum, it is still possible to build wealth even while paying off student debt. But earning the degree and paying for the degree require two different kinds of smarts. In fact, […]

By David John Marotta
If your credit card minimum payment was $10 and you repaid it every month for 15 1/2 years with an accruing interest of 15.9%, a $1,000 purchase would end up costing $2,250. Every time you use your credit card to pay for something you risk it being marked up two and […]

By David John Marotta
Most people want to honor their debt. But many families have allowed their debt to spiral out of control, and they feel helpless, ashamed, and at a loss to know what to do. While bankruptcy isn’t anyone’s first choice, sometimes it is an important choice to consider.
As strange as it […]

By Cortni Marrazzo
Having debt and saving money don’t tend to go hand in hand. Some would say they are two opposites and others would say that opposites attract. Well, here’s my story about how being in debt led us to saving more and being smarter about our financial situation.
I’ve had my share […]

By Ann Hartter
I am sure at some time in our bill-paying lives each of us has stared at a lengthy itemization of a credit card statement and wondered, “How did I get so bound to a piece of plastic?” We try planning, we try limits. There are books, magazines, and even consultants on the issue. […]

One of the questions that is often sent to me is whether one should to pay down credit card debt or build an emergency fund first. As with most issues dealing with personal finances, a lot depends on your particular circumstances. One readers explains hers and is looking for advice:
I just read your post about […]

Loans and credit cards provide great consumer benefits, but as with any form of borrowed money, you’ve got to be careful about how you manage credit. Here are tips for saving money on credit products - in your basic financial affairs, when shopping for new credit, and when using loans and credit cards.
1. Pay your […]

By Teri Newton
I think almost every week I hear someone who makes over $70k a year mention their wonderful student loan interest tax deduction. It’s time to take a few minutes to educate the masses about the student loan interest. Plain and simple, if you make a good wage you will not qualify for the […]

One way to reduce the amount you pay in credit card interest is to do a balance transfer switching your high interest credit card rate for a much lower rate, often times 0% for a certain number of months. The problem is that it’s often difficult to tell what all the fine print means when […]

By Valerie S. Johnson
You’ve finally done it — earned that coveted diploma. You’re feeling a bit cocky. Your parents are wondering why they had to pay for your expensive education when you already knew everything.
Now it’s time to enter The Real World, the place that you have talked about for years as if […]