Did you know that today more individuals are turning toward personal bankruptcy as a way of solving their financial hardships? It is true.
During the period from 1998 through 2000 there was a decrease in the filings for bankruptcies but that is not how it is now. New estimates say this year nearly 1 in 70 people will file for some sort of bankruptcy protection. Depending on how the sub-prime...
Do you know what to do if your credit cards or ATM cards are stolen? You might be surprised at how many people do not.
All consumers should know that the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) offer procedures if your cards are lost or stolen.
In general, here is what you should do:
You should report the loss or theft of your credit card or ATM card...
Most consumers have heard of Chapter 7 bankruptcy but there is another type known as Chapter 13. This article details some of the differences between the two and how they may affect someone who has to file.
There are many differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, but the main difference between Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 is Chapter 13 often allows a debtor (the person filing for...
Many consumers have found that putting money into CD's (certificate of deposit) accounts is a good way to earn additional interest over regular savings accounts. Just like the regular savings account that most of us are familiar with, money that you put into a CD will earn interest, and usually it will earn more interest than a simple savings account.
One major difference between a regular...
There was a time when buying long term care insurance was fairly easy and pretty cut and dry. Times have changed for this particular type of insurance and anyone considering buying it would do well to spend some time investigating carriers and coverage levels as well as premiums.
Generally speaking, the cost for a nursing home resident today is about $71,000 annually, which works out to...
Very few parents or students would argue that college costs are soaring these days. It is now more expensive than ever before to get a good education for your children. It is true that there are many types of student loans available, and even some government student loans and grants, but these often fall short of the needed funds for college. The additional money has to come from someplace and...
With the current problems in the housing market, it is often easy for some consumers to forget that all financial obligations owed to others are considered debt. There is a quiet form of debt as well, and this debt is often what leads people into financial trouble.
This quiet form of debt can be called self-serving debt for lack of a better term. It comes about through the money we spend...
How much are you paying for your checking account each month? The number of banks that are now offering totally free checking has never been higher. A checking account is one that does not charge a monthly service fee and does not charge a per item fee for such things as checks. For example, some banks will allow checking account customers to write up to ten checks per month and after that...
Anyone who has sat down with a life insurance agent and discussed the available options will know that there are many different types of life insurance on the market. Some of these options can be difficult understand, while others are fairly straightforward.
Before deciding on which type of policy is best for you, it is important to know the facts and to research the pros and cons of those...
Your credit report is one of the most important financial documents concerning whether or not you will be able to get loans and how much interest you will have to pay on those loans. Understanding your credit report is therefore very important.
One of the first things to understand about your credit report is that it is not the same as your credit score. These are two different things...
