Category Archives: Debt
We Are All ALICE
Economists say that the economy is doing fine, but you are flat broke, and so is everyone you know. Finally, there is a name for people in our situation. We are ALICE, which stands for asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed. In other words, we work day and night, but we have little to show for… Read More »
Beware of Doom Spending
Yes, the root cause of our financial problems is that everything is too expensive, especially unavoidable purchases like groceries, gasoline, and rent. It is also true that necessities are so expensive that salaried employees are now starting to feel the precariousness of their financial situation and getting a taste of what freelancers and hourly… Read More »
On the Financial Struggles of Parents
Everyone is struggling financially these days, but the parents of minor children feel the strain worst of all. If the key to financial wellbeing is to earn more and spend less, trying to do either of those while you have a minor child living at home is like trying to achieve the same task… Read More »
Floridians’ Finances Go From Bad to Worse As Federal Internet Subsidy Ends
Say what you will about the Internet sapping people’s productivity and bringing out the worst in everyone, but if people’s devices were to suddenly stop functioning, things would get a lot worse before they got better. Yes, it’s annoying when old people go on Facebook to share their reactionary views and even more annoying… Read More »
How to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate
Your credit card statement is probably so painful to look at that you do not even read it carefully. You glance at the minimum payment and the total outstanding balance. Your credit card statement might tell you how long it will take you to pay off your balance if you keep making payments and… Read More »
Getting Maximum Debt Relief and Avoiding Trouble With Debt Settlement
Credit card debt is a major problem for American households; the nationwide total amount of credit card debt is more than one trillion dollars. With interest rates consistently high, it is harder than ever to pay down your credit card debt. There are several ways that you can reduce your monthly payment, and several… Read More »
Is Credit Card Debt Forgiveness Right for You?
American consumers have a total of more than a trillion dollars in credit card debt, and a lot of it is yours. Credit card debt is a big part of the reason that most households are living paycheck to paycheck, even the ones with an annual income of more than $100,000. Debt payments, including… Read More »
Money Dysmorphia and Your Debt Problems
Few Americans enjoy math enough to choose to take more math classes than required to graduate. Ask a group of pre-med majors what they like and dislike about their field of study, and thy will tell you about their desire to heal the sick and their ambitions for well-paying jobs in the medical profession,… Read More »
When Budgeting, Focus on Goals, Not on Deprivation
Being told that you need to make a budget and stick to it is as pleasant as being told that you need to go on a diet. You are already spending your every free moment engaged in one or more income generating activities, and you spend as modestly as you can, but everything is… Read More »
Finally, Some Good News About Car Prices?
Yes, Grandpa, everyone knows that a McDonald’s hamburger used to cost a nickel when you were a child, but the price increases of the past few years are not your usual garden variety inflation creep. Even if you are so young that you have not yet needed to renew your driver’s license, you can… Read More »