Book Review: "Good debt, bad debt"
by Scott Bilker
Good debt, bad debt. Or, as I prefer to call them, good spending decisions and bad spending decisions. Debt itself is only bad when you have less expensive debt options that you're not taking advantage of. That said, it might be easier to keep in mind the quality of your spending decisions based on the type of debt it incurs.
Get rich quick by auto-surfing leaves my friend in the red
by Denise R. Troy
Having grown up surrounded by extended family, I spent many a Sunday dinner listening to my grandmother recount stories about her life in which hackneyed expressions such as "look before you leap" and "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" were the moral lessons of that day. Some may say these seemingly trite expressions should be dismissed as old-fashioned.
Household Math™: Average rate of return
by Scott Bilker
You haven't touched the money in your investment account for the past three years. The effective annual rate of return (how much the amount has changed over the entire year) has varied from year to year. The returns were: 7 percent gain in the first year, one percent gain in the second, and a 7.47 percent loss in the third. What is your average effective annual rate of return over that three-year period?
DebtSmart Email Newsletter: 3/8/06
by DebtSmart Email Newsletter
Cool Quote; Credit and Debt Statistics Database; Letter from the publisher; Car financing smarts; "0% for 4 months"; Household Math™: Average rate of return; Get rich quick by auto-surfing leaves my friend in the red; More credit, more options; DebtSmart® Help Center; Book Review: "Good Debt, Bad Debt"; Stop Debt Collectors Cold!; Card registration services ; DebtSmart® Resources; Subscribe/Disclaimer Information; Free DebtSmart® Column for in print publication, ezine, or web site; Hire Scott Bilker to speak; Advertising
Cash-out to pay off cards or keep debt?
by Scott Bilker
I have a 30-year home mortgage and $14,000 in credit card debt. My mortgage has 28 years to go to pay off and is at 5.875 percent. My credit cards are at 3.99 percent for the lifetime of balance to 10.9 percent--all fixed rates. Should I refinance my home with cash-out to pay the credit cards off then freeze them? I'm 57 years old and earn approximately $26,000 per year salary. Any advise for me?
Book Review: "Master Your Money Type"
by Scott Bilker
Jordan Goodman latest book, "Master Your Money Type," will help you do just that. First, of course, you need to know your money type. He talks about many like, The Strivers, The Ostriches, The Debt Desperadoes (my personal favorite type), The Coaster, The High Rollers, and The Squirrels.
The Bills Can Wait
by Terry Rigg
Have you ever wanted anything so much that you were willing to put off your bills to get it? A lot of people have and some do it month after month. The worst part of this is that these same people wonder why they are having money problems.
Loan Sharks
by Iwona Kurecka
In the world today, it is not at all unusual to find yourself short of the cash you need to pay your bills, feed your family and maintain a reasonable lifestyle. For every working stiff who runs out of money before they run out of week, there are unfortunately a number of shady characters willing to loan you all the money you need at an exorbitant interest rate. You will have to be careful to avoid these loan sharks when you find yourself in need of quick cash.
DebtSmart Email Newsletter: 2/22/06
by DebtSmart Email Newsletter
Cool Quote; Credit and Debt Statistics Database; Letter from the publisher; Cash-out to pay off cards or keep debt?; "They raised my interest from 9.9% to 26.2%!"; Household Math™: A penny paid is more than a penny earned; The bills can wait; More credit, more options; DebtSmart® Help Center; Book Review: "Master Your Money Type"; DebtSmart® Mortgage Comparison Calculator; Loan Sharks ; DebtSmart® Resources; Subscribe/Disclaimer Information; Free DebtSmart® Column for in print publication, ezine, or web site; Hire Scott Bilker to speak; Advertising
Nightmare on Debt Street: A Debt Reduction Story
by Steve DebtSmart Reader
Our story begins 23 years ago when my wife and I got our first credit card ever. We were young, married just a short while, and had already established good credit (without a credit card). Back then the credit card was for "emergencies" only. What a crock!
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