Author: Chris

If you are in financial trouble you need to know there are things you can do to ease the burden. You can refinance your home, take out the equity in your house to pay off high rate credit cards, consolidate debt to a lower overall monthly payment, or file for bankruptcy. The option you pick needs to give you immediate and long term relief, so you can not only get out of debt but stay out of...

There’s nothing we like more than a good list, or categorization of certain things. It makes it easier to keep track of things when they are grouped with similar things, and having a list is always handy. And if you have a paper or research project to do, you are likely to find articles and other bits of information on the topics you are researching together in one spot. Statisticians live by...

Houses and cars are the two biggest purchases most of us make during our lifetimes. A lot of research goes into making either of these purchases, and both can be life changing. When you buy a new home you are making the decision to plant roots, and maybe raise a family in one spot. When you look at new cars, you have to decide which one will be just right for you as far as size and safety....

When it comes to issues of safety, the top of the list usually starts out with car and home safety. For instance, when new parents take a newborn home from the hospital they do so by buckling the infant safely in a car seat. Another good example of how we all like to keep safe is seen by looking at how many of us have home security systems. Many private residences have an in home monitoring...

When consumers have more debt than they can repay, bankruptcy is a good way to eliminate that debt and get back on track. There are two types of bankruptcy available to a consumer, a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13. A Chapter 7 is a liquidation of debt, where all of the unsecured debts are wiped out, giving the debtor the chance to pay for the secured debts they choose to repay (like house and car...

Your credit report sums up your creditworthiness, and is relied upon by lenders when you apply for new loans. If your credit report shows you pay late, have been foreclosed on, or had a car repossessed you are less likely to get a loan with a lower rate. But bad marks on your credit, even a bankruptcy, do not mean that you can never buy a house or get a loan. And while there are some things...

Managing debt is no fun, but is a necessary part of life if you want to have financial success. The key to successful debt management is to come up with a plan that works for you, and stick to that plan. Once you have identified your financial needs, you are better prepared to come up with a debt management plan that makes sense. Regardless of whether you have a little debt, or are struggling...

We all know having a savings account can help you stay out of debt when an emergency or unexpected expense arises. But knowing that having a savings account is important does not always equate to being able to fund a savings account. For most people, money is tight, and people are having a hard time just paying the bills these days, let alone having any extra money left to set aside at the...

No one likes to live in crisis mode, whether it is having to figure out how to get the kids to and from their after school activities when the car is in the shop or burning the midnight oil studying for a test or preparing for a presentation at work that has been put off, when you have more than you can handle you can feel like everything is too much to tackle. This concept is even more true...

If you don’t have a good plan in place, chances are things you need or want will not come easily. This is true for most everything, from planning a vacation to enrolling in school, to going on a job interview. All of those things require careful planning, but no other area needs your attention more than your finances. Without a good financial plan in place, you can be hit hard when an...