By Jennifer Derrick
If you’re interested in personal finance, you probably know who Dave Ramsey is. If you don’t know, he’s a television and radio personality (and author) who preaches a “common sense” approach to getting out of debt and creating wealth. His plan is built around seven “Baby Steps” that are designed to lead you […]

By David John Marotta and Beth Anderson Nedelisky
The average college student graduates with almost $20,000 in student loans. While this is a daunting sum, it is still possible to build wealth even while paying off student debt. But earning the degree and paying for the degree require two different kinds of smarts. In fact, […]

By David John Marotta
Most people want to honor their debt. But many families have allowed their debt to spiral out of control, and they feel helpless, ashamed, and at a loss to know what to do. While bankruptcy isn’t anyone’s first choice, sometimes it is an important choice to consider.
As strange as it […]

By Cortni Marrazzo
Having debt and saving money don’t tend to go hand in hand. Some would say they are two opposites and others would say that opposites attract. Well, here’s my story about how being in debt led us to saving more and being smarter about our financial situation.
I’ve had my share […]

When reducing debt, one of the problems is getting frustrated that you can never have any fun while doing it. One way to help keep yourself motivated is to give yourself rewards for reaching specific goals. This reader wants to know how to go about setting up these rewards:
I have started to reduce my credit […]

When someone has credit card debt and wants to reduce the amount they are paying on interest, there is always the question of what is the best way to reduce that interest payment. A lot depends on the particular circumstances of that person. One reader asked what is the best move to make for his […]

Sometimes finances go beyond your own and involve the finances of good friends or family members. When the finances aren’t yours, but those close to you, how do you help those that are obviously having trouble keeping their finances under control? This was a question that was raised in the forums:
Over the Memorial holiday my […]

When you come into some extra money and have debts to pay off, it can sometimes be confusing which ones you should tackle first. I often receive emails like this one asking for advice on which debts should be paid off first:
I’m currently $70,000.00 in debt with credit cards. I also have a mortgage […]

There is always a lot of heated discussion on which is the best method to reduce debt: the classic highest interest snowball method:
1. Make a list of all your debts, ordering them from highest interest rate to lowest interest rate.
2. Set aside a specific amount of money that will go toward paying these debts […]

When you finally get around to reducing your debt, you want to make sure you go about it in the correct way. There’s more to debt reduction than cutting up credit cards and cutting costs. If you approach debt reduction with a well thought out plan that fits your situation, you’ll find yourself debt free […]