Recent Blog Posts
Programs to Help Miami Residents Afford Homeownership
Improving your credit score requires a lot of work over a long period of time, so most people do not do it merely for bragging rights. Someone out there loves attention enough that they might tweet the number “700” to everyone they know on Twitter, just to rub it in their online friends’ faces… Read More »
How Do Your Parents’ Debts Affect Your Finances?
The personal finance industry is fond of reminding us that wealthy people have a different attitude toward money than their counterparts with fewer resources, and this manifests itself in the different financial behavior of the members of each income bracket. Being knowledgeable about the long-term consequences of your financial decisions is admirable, regardless of… Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions About Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
The vast majority of bankruptcy filings by individuals take place under chapter 7 or chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code. The shorthand descriptions of the differences between these two types of bankruptcy filing commonly used in the media do not tell you all the details about how the case will go if you file. … Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions About Broward Home Buyer Purchase Assistance
Personal finance experts who tell you that all you have to do if you want to be able to afford to buy a house is to get your act together are grossly oversimplifying the matter. Buying a house is a huge financial undertaking, and most people are only able to do it through a… Read More »
How to Cope If the Bank Unexpectedly Closes Down Your Account
If you have a bank account, even if it is mostly empty most of the time, count your blessings. Working people without bank accounts face an uphill battle when trying to do the things that those with bank accounts take for granted, such as paying bills on auto pay, renting an apartment, or applying… Read More »
Can a Rotating Savings and Credit Association Help You Get Out of Debt?
These days, you can buy almost anything on a buy now pay later (BNPL) basis. Not only can you use BNPL to buy consumer electronics or furniture, but you can also buy groceries and personal care items that, before economic long COVID hit, used to be affordable on your income. Making a $50 monthly… Read More »
3 Practical Strategies for Paying Down Credit Card Debt
Everyone knows that the best way to pay down credit card debt is to increase your income and reduce your spending, but if you had a feasible way to do either of those things, you would have already done them. As it stands, you spend all of your waking hours on income-generating activities. Whenever… Read More »
Anatomy of a Predatory Loan
In certain contexts, telling people not to engage with predatory lenders sounds less like helpful advice and more like blaming the victim. No one would choose to take out a loan with an interest rate in excess of 100 percent unless they reasonably believed that they had no other choice. People use payday loans,… Read More »
4 Bummers About Bankruptcy
No one goes to bankruptcy court expecting that filing for bankruptcy will feel like taking a victory lap, but many applicants go into the bankruptcy process with an excess of optimism. Bankruptcy will take away some of your debts, but only if you hold up your end of the bargain, and even then, you… Read More »
Should You Pay Someone to Repair Your Credit or Settle Your Debt?
Advertisements for credit repair services and debt settlement companies know that you are in financial distress, and they know where to find you. You wouldn’t be watching television or listening to the radio unless you were so broke that you had no authority to choose your own background noise at work, or unless you… Read More »