Still Stressed About Debt

Americans are paying down their debt, but that hasn’t eased their stress.  Some 46 percent of American adults say they are stressed about their debts, according to a new Associated Press-GfK survey.  That’s about the same as last year.  Those feeling the most stress...

Do You Need Credit Monitoring?

Everywhere you look, it seems, some company is offering to monitor your credit report – for a fee.  Do you need the protection?  A recent CNNMoney.com story said most people do not.  The article noted that using a credit-monitoring service won’t prevent anyone from...

The Road to Financial Freedom…

…is driven in a paid-for vehicle. While developing a set of detailed recommended spending plans for various size households at various incomes, it became clear to me that in order to live in financial freedom it’s essential to avoid financing vehicles. MSN recently...

Should You Cancel An Unused Credit Card?

A common question I get in workshops is, “Will it hurt my credit score if I close one of my credit card accounts?”  The answer is “maybe.”  But the reasons why or why not may surprise you. It is commonly thought that, especially when it comes to a card you’ve had for...

The Easiest Step Toward Becoming Debt-Free

The personal finance press is filled with articles on getting out of debt.  Here’s the latest example.  The article has some helpful advice.  However, like most I’ve read on the topic, it misses the single easiest step toward ditching the debt, which is to fix your...