Credit Counseling is free service that helps consumers struggling with credit card debt determine their options. It includes a free budget and action plan for getting out debt.
People who experience overwhelming financial hardship may consider declaring bankruptcy. It’s a viable option for many who have undergone a significant illness and the accompanying medical bills, long-term unemployment, or for whom credit card debt has become unmanageable. However, it’s not always the financial clean slate that people may be ex...
Struggling with credit card debt is frustrating enough. But when you add in a stressful life event such as job loss, serious illness or a natural disaster, trying to pay those bills every month can become overwhelming. That’s where a credit card hardship plan may be able to help. Sometimes called assistance programs or hardship cases, these progr...
Having a vehicle repossessed is a shocking occurrence. Suddenly, you’re left without transportation to get to work, school and run necessary errands. Although it’s an unfortunate situation, it’s not a hopeless one. If you act quickly, you may be able to get the vehicle back. Here are some steps to take if your vehicle is repossessed. ...
Credit reports and scores have an impact on many aspects of consumers’ financial lives, so it’s no surprise that there is a lot of misinformation surrounding them. Misunderstanding credit reports and scores and their impact can limit consumers and even lead to making less-than-ideal financial choices. Are you ready to let go of misinformation a...
We all make financial mistakes now and then. But missing a credit card payment is one you should try your best to avoid. Not only can it throw off your whole budget (you’ll have to pay twice as much or more next month), even one missed payment can have lasting negative effects on your credit. Here’s what happens and what to do if you miss a cre...
We can all agree that paying credit card bills is no fun. But paying them late — or worse, missing payments completely — is even less fun due to consequences including late fees, higher interest rates and lower credit scores. And while you might think you have a legitimate reason for paying late, your creditors will beg to differ. We’re go...
Spring’s arrival is the perfect time to tackle ambitious spring cleaning projects like purging closets and pantries. But spring cleaning should go beyond living spaces—your finances can likely use some attention, too. Here are several ways you can review and refresh your financial life: Refresh your budget A realistic and balanc...
If a low credit score or mistakes with credit in the past are keeping you from obtaining new credit, you may be considering credit repair. Offered by for-profit companies, credit repair is a process that claims to “clean up” a consumer’s credit report by removing any incorrect negative items. Once these negative items are removed, most consum...
When you’re struggling with high levels of credit card debt, it can feel like your only option is to keep paying as much as you can each month and wait for the debt to someday go away. But paying minimum payments on multiple credit cards can feel like running on a hamster wheel: you’re working hard, but not really getting anywhere. Fortunate...
It happens all the time. You’re buying something at a store and as you’re getting ready to pay, the cashier asks if you’d like to open the store’s credit card to save 10 (or 15 or 20) percent on your purchase — then they mention that it takes just a few seconds to apply, right there on the keypad. In some cases, you will still get the dis...