Monthly Archives: May 2010

In some cases, getting personal loans can make or break a small business. However, unsecured loans are among the hardest to get, especially for small businesses desperate for funds. Typically, a personal loan is based solely on a business’s credit score. If a new business has no credit history or worse, bad credit, then getting […]

Personal loans, home loans, and credit card debt, which one should you default on to protect yourself? Twenty years ago, home loans would have not even been in the picture. If anything, people chose to default on credit cards, keeping personal and home loans intact. These loans had more of a stigma to them and […]

Homeowners relying on mortgage loan modifications to avoid debt consolidation may be out of luck. At least that’s the news from a recent New York Times story that says that completed mortgage loan modifications through the federal government’s Home Affordable Modification Program have hit a standstill. Last year, the federal government introduced the mortgage modification […]

Wonder why the debt consolidation and settlement industries have such bad reputations? Maybe it’s because they seem to prey on desperate people during challenging economic times. This might be why the Better Business Bureau has reported receiving more than 3,500 complaints from consumers about debt settlement companies since the recession began. The large number of […]

With the end of the year approaching, this is a great time to consider whether or not you have the ability and desire to give to charity this year. There are more needy people this year than in normal years and most organizations that provide aid to the needy are reporting that donations are way […]

Investors over the last ten years have learned an important lesson about bubbles in different categories of investments-stay away! Bubbles can be thought of as a time of rising prices in a particular type of investment–think of technology stocks in the late 90’s or real estate just a few short years ago. A lot of […]

Gold prices are at record highs and if you watch any late night cable TV, you’ve probably seen the commercials encouraging people who own gold to cash in while prices are high. There’s nothing wrong with treating the gold you own as an investment and cashing in if you think the time is right, but […]

Debt has a bad reputation, and rightly so in most cases. Debt causes problems for people that can make managing their finances extremely difficult. However, there is some debt that is hard to avoid but a necessary part of life for most people. This debt, when managed properly, is actually good debt, and it’s what […]

Unemployment statistics are in the headlines constantly as more and more people lose their jobs. There is a growing segment of the population though that has remained employed throughout the recession but that is generally unhappy at work. According to surveys conducted earlier this year, 41% of Americans are unsatisfied with their jobs and 66% […]

A survey recently about what people are doing with their 401K balances when they leave their job revealed disturbing results. Millions of workers make the choice to cash out on their retirement plans when leaving a company, sacrificing the potential for tax-deferred growth, paying IRS penalties, and essentially making the decision to start over on […]