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Newsalert That May Help Boost Your Financial Well-Being

I am a fan of this author and his posts. Are they ever so helpful! But this one on survival skills tops the list. Now I feel safer about getting lost in the wilderness. As long as I can start a fire and know where to get water, I will be okay. Thanks to him. Now how about having a debt survival guide?

Credit Card Debt
Someone asked a question whether a debt settlement company could help with credit card problem and this is what the expert advised. There are a lot of ways a debtor can be helped. Creating a good budget and contacting an approved credit counselling agency will help. If the situation is impossible, then the trained counselor may discuss the option of bankruptcy.

A debt settlement company is certainly not a credit counselling agency but a company that exists for profit. The charge a fee of 20% of the debt and collects it during the first half of the contract. They promise everything, then put a disclaimer in fine print. The consumer is asked to make monthly payment to a special bank account until there is enough money there to make a lump sum offer. Meantime they charge a fee and interest and penalties are added to what you owe. It caanot stop collection calls and the creditor may take legal action against you. It is better to solve the problem directly with the creditor. Credit Card Do It Yourself Debt Settlement!

Consumers Continue to Unload Debt
I am so proud of these consumers who are trying so hard to unload their debt. That's just the best thing we can do in this economy although it is also a good strategy during the good times. The same thing is happening to the credit card usage and the decline in the number of mortgage borrowers. The thing I don‘t understand is how come the property tax has increased for mine increased by over 13%? There does not seem any rhyme or reason for this. The sad part is the increase in student loan. What is a student supposed to do when a college education is an integral part of getting ahead? I am glad though they have that excellent video on how a student can save in their 20s. I'm sorry if Google does not show the whole story when you click it, but at least you know the gist of the story.

Business Sense: How To's of Buying Your First Home
Knowing all those outlined in the article makes buying the first home or first rental less daunting. We will know what papers to prepare for one thing and then get to know if we are ready to buy. Our finances will be clearer as we will know what to do with them even if this time around we do not qualify to buy our home. So we thanked the author for this eye-opener of an article that will surely put us on the right path.

Diminish Debt with DebtMinder
Note - this looks like it is loading with error when I tested it so if you want you can copy the following onto your browser: http://www.macstories.net/news/diminish-debt-with-debtminder/

What a great tool this is to help users to keep track of the dates when different bills are due. This will help them not to have to pay late fees as the tool will be like a reminder to pay the bill on a certain day so that it will arrive in time before the bill becomes past due.

How to Create Financial Security in Retirement
This is an excellent paper to read for those who are dreaming of retiring. I learned a lot from this article. I didn’t know there was such a thing as inoculating oneself from all the needless worrying that we do. Then there’s that anchoring thing that can help one put things in perspective.

U.S. Leaders Strike Debt Deal to Avoid Default/b>
I don’t know why it took them a long time to reach this deal. I am glad though the Republicans dropped their demand to have this debate again in six months. That would truly be dysfunctional then for how can they do the work for their constituents if all they do is debate on the debt ceiling?

Home Inspections

This is great advice for we know how busy we get so if we don’t know for sure what to look for we may just have to forgo home inspection. So I thank the author for giving us a heads up as to what to look for and what to expect from the home inspector. I wish there was some thing like this to inspect the credibility of the people you buy your house from for the owner of the house we bought scammed us with one month of maintenance fees and property taxes and this is with a lawyer for the closing date!

July 2, 2011

And Republicans Walked Out. Debt Limit Stakes
Do people know the Republicans want so much that without these benefits, they walked out? If so, why would they keep voting them in? I say let’s vote for the one who will help the majority of the people the most. I admire Paul Krugman for exposing this. The Democrats have already given in a lot but then can’t continue giving in to give tax breaks to the wealthy.

June 3, 2011

Chart: The Household Debt Bubble?
I like what Greg K said that people are de-leveraging. They have to or they will be in too much trouble. Of course this hurts the economy because things are slowing down but once we get to the level where debt is not a big problem, then the economy will move up once again. This is also in keeping with what economist Paul Krugman said.

May 4, 2011

Keeping the Big Debt Down

This is a great addition to my knowledge on this issue of keeping the big debt down. There is so much political posturing out there that it is not easy to sift through all the information and find what is real so this article is quite refreshing in the sense that it tells it the way it is with no strings attached.

January 27, 2011

Obama Urged To Support Regulations On For-Profit Colleges And Student Debt

This will be a welcome change to protect the students from such debt that they cannot meet. The schools will be more aware of the rules so that the students will not be saddled with debt they cannot pay even after graduating since pay from the first job opportunities may be too low.

January 14, 2011

The Debt Ceiling and Default

This article makes me feel better in the sense that whether the debt ceiling is raised or not, does not mean the US will default on its debts. The ramifications indeed are mind boggling. I like that idea of scaring Congress to act on this issue instead of thinking of the harm it will cause their political career.

January 12, 2011

Democrats Playing Chicken with the Debt Ceiling

I hate to think what will happen if that debt ceiling is not raised. Bad as the debt is for now, worst still is what would happen if the government functioning grinds to a halt. From this standpoint, I think the author is right to say that would be an unpatriotic thing to do.

January 10, 2011

Debt Be Not Proud

If the Republicans were so keen on restraint spending and lowering the debt, why was the first order of their day spent on giving tax breaks when mostly the rich would benefit from that? I like the scholarly presentation of this article though and it gave me more things to ponder on.

January 8, 2011

DEBT CEILING DYNAMICS

That is the trouble - all decisions seem to be based on what's in it for them, all for political gain. So it's really up to the voters to do something about that. Once they know voters cannot be swayed to choose their leaders based on rhetoric and empty promises, slowly but surely, the powers-that-be will realize they have better serve the people first before they can get elected.

Maybe they should follow the proven way of getting out of debt like The Debt Free In Three Years System.

January 6, 2011

How to Recover from Holiday Credit Card Debt

Those are all good recommendations to recover from the spending spree Christmas had us doing. Anyone who needs help and follows the suggestions should be able to get out of that Christmas card debt in no time. So I will post that in Facebook and Twitter so more people will be able to have access to this very good article.

January 4, 2011

Wall St. Spanked Debt-Laden Publishers in 2010

I can understand why Wall Street would ignore the debt-ridden publishers. Of course the investors will stay away from them for fear of bankruptcy on the part of the publishers. The ramification is clear that they could lose their investment. It's too bad this is happening but people don't seem to need the printed paper anymore when they can easily get the news online for free.

January 2, 2011

Debt Limit Showdown In March And More

A debt showdown indeed is looming and after reading this excellent article twice, I can't help but think of the ramifications the politicians' actions will have on the people. For one thing, who will benefit most for their actions?

Who are really working hard for the people? When the March deadline is not met will the government functioning grind to a stop? If you are concerned like me, perhaps you will want to read They Own It All (Including You!) By Means Of A Toxic Currency.

December 31, 2010

Tie Debt Ceiling Vote to Balanced Budget Amendment

The balanced budget amendment will be a perfect solution and could be the tie breaker in the issue that is giving a problem to the government officials. The balanced budget amendment sounds so good why did they not think of it before? Yes, it will require courage from the politicians but they should do it for the sake of the people.

December 29, 2010

Cut America's Debt, But Spare Social Security

The author is right to say that social security and Medicare should not be reduced to help with the deficit. There are other ways to do this and one is to tax the rich instead of the tax breaks they are getting. The reason for not doing this is a lot of baloney for it will hurt the economy more if they touch the social security.

December 27, 2010

Public Debt in Maritimes so High that Social Tensions Could Rise: Professor

It is such a shame that the Maritimes find themselves in the debt situation where there is concern for some social tension. I think one reason is that some politicians during the election process do not paint the real picture and keep promising the impossible.

And of course we the people are also partly to blame for not seeing the real picture and keep voting the same way we want to vote without thinking of the ramification it will have for our beloved Maritimes. It is everyone's responsibility to get out of debt. Let's employ these Common Sense Debt Secrets

December 25, 2010

The Looming Debt Tentacles

I hope Meredith Whitney will be wrong in her prediction about the defaults on the municipal bonds because I will hate what would happen when that comes true. But then her prediction on the mega banks collapsing was right on track so we may be in for a wild ride. So what is one to do when that scenario comes into being?

December 23, 2010

Debt and the Future of the U.S.

The future is bleak indeed unless spending is cut and awarding tax cuts to the rich is not going to do it. We all have to help though and tighten our belt. One way of cutting expenses is to go after those who scam the Medicare.

I don't think those who are caught scamming Medicare are punished enough. Let the punishment fit the crime, I say and start with individuals getting out of their personal debt. It is everyone's responsibility to become debt-free. To do this, let's employ these Common Sense Debt Secrets.

December 21, 2010

$24.5 Trillion In US National Debt, $144 Trillion In Unfunded Liabilities In... 2015

The statistics are clear that the Total US Unfunded Liabilities of $144 trillion by 2015 are here to stay unless something is done. They will have to cut off some of those expenses but the problem is which one. They all appear critical to me. The other option will have to be increasing revenue and that would be in the form of taxes.

December 19, 2010

The Household Debt Conundrum Facing the Bank of Canada

That Canadian household debt to income ratio surely does not refer to the supposedly conservative Canadians, eh? But the trouble is the statistics do not lie especially if accompanied by the graph showing the sharp rise of Canadian household debt.

The author is right that the possible solutions may just hurt the economy more than it can help it. I thought the TFSA implemented sometime ago will help. Perhaps making it more attractive will do the trick?

December 17, 2010

Spending, Taxes & the Government's Debt

I am glad someone is taking inventory of what is really happening out there but there is something I don't understand in all of these. If the rich is truly getting more of the pie slice, then why don't we vote for people who are trying to extend the Bush tax cuts?

December 15, 2010

Canadians' Debt-to-Income Ratio at Record High

It is indeed a big concern - this increase in the debt to income ratio for obvious reasons. One of them would be the difficulty in increasing the saving especially for those who are nearing the retirement age. I am kind of relieved though the expected gains from investments and such are in the 5% to 6% bracket.

One way to improve your debt-to-income ratio is to stop paying TV cable bills. Why are you still paying the monthly high cost of Cable TV or satellite TV when you can enjoy over 3000 HDTV channels directly on your laptop or PC for a one-time fee of $17 for now? And there's a 60-day guarantee that if you are not satisfied, you'll get every last cent refunded, no questions asked.

December 13, 2010

The Debt-Dollar Discipline: Part II - Conservation & Release

This is too scary to comprehend or am I in denial? Nevertheless, I can't wait for Part III to come out as it may show me some options on how to react to the frightening scenario just painted. It is also good to know if there is any rope we can hang on to as a kind of a solution to solve this debt dilemma. For instance, is this supported by historical background or some track record in the past?

December 11, 2010

Help Pay Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Debt, Win Day with Bill

It is nice to know that Bill Clinton is helping his wife clear away her campaign debts. That is what a husband is supposed to do, isn't it? And the same is true with the wife. She will have to do the same if the scenario was the other way around. I believe so much in Hilary that I felt so bad when she lost her presidential bid.

December 9, 2010

Consumer Debt Takes a Surprise Jump in October, But Credit Card Use Falls

Well, I am glad the use of credit cards has fallen down although spending has risen in October and November. The consumers are probably getting ready for Christmas earlier to avoid the Christmas rush and the possible spikes in prices. So I am still optimistic the consumers remain frugal and try to save on credit card fees in their ways compared to pre-recession days.

While you're on this saving state of mind, check this out: Discover More Than 119 Green Solutions That Will Put Money In Your Pocket And Help Save The Planet! Tips On Saving Energy, Organic Foods

December 7, 2010

The Debt Commission’s Most Radical Proposal

It would be a good thing if eliminating the tax breaks in order to reduce the tax rates would come to fruition but I would like to know the motivation behind this. I read this article carefully and I can't for the life of me see how this really will benefit the ordinary person. You know how it is; there is a bright idea somewhere but when it comes to the actual thing happening, there are a lot of loopholes somewhere.

December 5, 2010

Deficit Plan Is Tough Medicine And A Tougher Vote

I don't know why passing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is such an issue. It's a no-brainer that the wealthy should not get a tax break in this day and age when most people are having a hard time. Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky is right when she said there's too much sacrifice from the middle class and the needy and not enough from the wealthy.

You may learn something more on how to save taxes at this link where one of the ebooks is Tax Demystified.

December 3, 2010

Divorced and Under a Pile of Debt

This is a great idea to have a money make over as in this case of a divorced mother left with a lot of debt. But did I hear it right that her mortgage is $475,000? Good thing, her ex-husband cooperated and they were able to get a mortgage modification after a year of calling the bank.

December 1, 2010

Debt-Free Holidays: Seven Ways to Travel More Cheaply

Such timely advice the author gave the readers is much appreciated especially with the economic condition the way it is going on now. We do have to be careful spending our hard-earned money for we do not know what challenges lie ahead.

I like what the author said about packing the snack because that could add up especially during travels one generally buys snacks from convenience stores that cost more. And this may give you more information: Travel Industry Secrets for cheaper travel rates.

November 29, 2010

Reader Story: My Debt-Free Marriage

This is an inspirational story that everyone who truly wants to be debt free should read and absorb and follow the same path. Really, it is great to have such a motivating factor like this man wanting to get married to spur him on to make sacrifices in order to pay off his debt. I think he will be on a solid financial ground the rest of his life.

November 27, 2010

FDIC's Bair Fears Federal Debt Will Be 'Next Crisis'

It does seem indeed out of the ordinary to have the FDIC chairwoman to say the next big crisis will be the government debt. But then when you come to think of it, they have to cover their actions or risk of being blamed when the dire prediction does occur. That said, we all have to cooperate and tighten our belt and practice financial restraint. Perhaps they should follow this advice to Unlock The Secrets To Financial Freedom.

November 25, 2010

Shoppers: We'll Pay As We Go

I am glad to know the polls are showing shoppers to be more cautious of not getting into debt this holiday season. And those rules to avoid incurring debt during this time of the year are priceless. The author is right to say that the Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays soon become red Tuesdays for the consumers.

November 23, 2010

A Hard Line on Debt: Tea Party Sen Says "No Way"

Voting no to increase the debt limit may be a good political platform for anyone but looking beyond what could happen will be a different story. Imagine the government functioning stop and you can just see the mess it will create not only locally but globally as well.

November 21, 2010

Stories of Getting Out of Debt

Those stories are excellent and other people can learn from them so they can protect themselves from getting into debt or get out of it if they are already in that situation. But what I like the best is what the author said about the hidden ingredient which is determination for without it, no strategy is ever going to work.

Debt Busters System, they say, has powerful information on proven techniques and strategies to get out of debt without bankruptcy and repair bad credit fast.

November 19, 2010

18 Scary US Debt Facts

This is an excellent article and I thank the author for this. Despite the headline of Scary Facts, the last fact kind of eased my mind because the federal spending of 24.7% of GDP is still almost half of the federal spending from 1943 to 1945 and that spending was connected to another war. So let's give what the government is doing a chance and cooperate as much as we can.

November 17, 2010

Debt Experts: Let's Make Medicare Beneficiaries Pay More

Why would the Medicare beneficiaries take the brunt of the government spending? Why not go after those who defraud Medicare? Last time I heard, scammers have defrauded the Medicare funds to the tune of hundred millions of dollars. Why not go after them and make them pay up and apply huge penalties to deter others from doing the same? We should really develop our ultimate brain power to fight this so we do not have to pay for other people's wrong doing.

November 15, 2010

Straight Talk on Debt Could Save Obama

I don't understand how a president who works hard to give the people what they need as in health care can become unpopular. While it is true that he can tell the country the real state we are in, there is also a need to educate all of us to see what's beyond the rhetoric that we are exposed to.

November 13, 2010

Debt Collector Threatens To Shoot And Eat Your Dog

If it is true that the debt collector threatened to exhume the body and hung it up a tree if debtor didn't pay the bill or threatened to kill her dog and eat it and kill her too, then there is nothing lower a collector could go than do this. This kind of activity certainly does not fall under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. It makes one lose faith in mankind.

November 11, 2010

Who will be upset by panel's proposal on national debt? Nearly everyone.

Of course, no one will be happy over the proposed changes on facing the debt dilemma. But the thing is that everyone will have to cooperate in tightening the belts. Without this cooperation, no austerity program can survive or even get out of the race gate. Americans are known to be leaders, courageous and patriotic. Perhaps these traits will see them through this debt crisis.

November 9, 2010

The Race to Erase Debt

This debt dilemma is an American Nightmare. It seems difficult to address it because of so many factors involved. Not raising the debt ceiling could close the government down and where will we be then? This is the scenario without even considering that services will be cut to those who need it most.

November 7, 2010

My Name’s America and I’m a Debt-a-holic

It's true that to admit there is a problem is the first step in carving out a solution to our debt dilemma. It is also true that pointing fingers and playing the blame game will not solve the problem. Perhaps the only thing that will work is to expect or demand our representatives to do their job and do away with their own personal agenda.

November 5, 2010

Dirty Debt Collectors Frightened Victims With Fake "Sheriffs," "Courtroom," "Judges"

I have read something like this before but not with a specific name of the company concerned. It is also not with dressing their employees as sheriffs and sending them to debtors' home implying they would be taken into custody if they refuse to attend the sham court hearing. How low can these debt collectors get, indeed!

November 3, 2010

Better Business: New Laws Combat Deceptive Debt Relief Firms

The new laws that fight the deceptive debt relief firms are good but what I know about BBB, besides it being a good company and a big help to the businesses is that if a firm does not have a record with BBB, then there is no report on that company and we could presume that it is a good company which may not be the case as it happens to us when we dealt with an Arizona company.

November 1, 2010

Why Rising Government Debt Burdens Really Matter

This is a highly scholarly article backed by credible resources. We understand the threat to the local economy and to the world financially speaking, but I can't help but think of what alternative do we have to address this issue without jeopardizing the fragile progress to the economy now?

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