The Latest Debt & Finance Blog

Credit report next to a laptop to freeze credit checks

New Law Allows Credit Freeze

By Bill Fay | October 22, 2018

Security breaches have become so commonplace in the United States that news around them barely causes a ripple these days. Even if it’s news that provides consumers an extra layer…

HELOC on laptop screen

HELOCs on the Rise: Why You Should Be Careful

By Bill Fay | October 18, 2018

Across America, home values are on the rise again, surging with the economy. With that surge, homeowners eager to scratch a pent-up-demand itch once again are taking out HELOCs, or home…

People sitting at computers and tablets looking up personal loans to submit an application

Personal Loans on the Rise

By Bill Fay | October 17, 2018

The loan business is getting personal. We’re talking personal loans, and they are exactly what they sound like. You borrow money from a lending institution and pay it back. The…

loan agreement image

How Payday Loans Work and Lower Cost Alternatives

By Mike Capuzzo | August 8, 2018

You’re a hard-working single mom, and your refrigerator breaks. You don’t have the money to fix it and the Tooth Fairy didn’t leave $1,000 under the pillow for one of…

Women with bad credit going to nonbank to borrow money

Nonbanks Fill Demand from Borrowers with Poor Credit

By Bill Fay | April 25, 2018

The era when almost anyone with a pulse could get a loan or mortgage from a commercial bank ended with the financial meltdown of 2008. Today, tightened regulations and a…

Caution on Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

Confusion Clouds Future of Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

By Bill Fay | April 17, 2018

Here’s a warning for anyone who must borrow money for college. There’s an assault under way on the most cost-effective and popular student-loan repayment programs. Lines are being drawn and…

is it time to refinance your mortgage

Considering Refinancing? Do It NOW!

By Bill Fay | March 15, 2018

Interest rates are going up, so it’s time to seriously consider refinancing your home loan. Or if you want to buy a house, it would be wise to seriously consider doing…

Teacher in Classroom with Students

The Future of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

By Max Fay | March 8, 2018

President Trump’s latest budget proposal to Congress calls, once again, for the elimination of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. This is the second time Trump has recommended eliminating…

Woman paying off holiday bills in the living room with a Christmas tree

5 Ways to Pay Off Holiday Debt Faster

By Sarah Brady | February 8, 2018

Long after the holiday season ends, you might be left with more than just happy memories. If you’re like roughly a third of U.S. adults, you go over budget during…

Warning Card Interest Rates Up

Interest Rates Increasing on Credit Cards

By Bill Fay | January 22, 2018

American consumers owe a record $1.023-trillion in revolving credit – mostly through credit-card debt – and with interest rates expected to rise in 2018, financial experts predict the problem will…

Sources:

  1. (2018, September 21) Crapo Bill Allows Consumers to Freeze and Unfreeze Credit for Free. Retrieved from https://www.banking.senate.gov/newsroom/majority/crapo-bill-allows-consumers-to-freeze-and-unfreeze-credit-for-free
  2. (2018, September 21) Starting Today, New Federal Law Allows Consumers to Place Free Credit Freezes And Yearlong Fraud Alerts. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/09/starting-today-new-law-allows-consumers-place-free-credit-freezes
  3. (2017, September 14) Fraud alert or credit freeze – which is right for you? Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/fraud-alert-or-credit-freeze-which-right-you