Category Archives: Credit

Ask An Advisor: Which Credit Card Is Best?

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

Dear Abigail, My daughter plans to apply for a credit card.  Which one should she get? – Client Dear Client, Good question!  There are thousands of varieties of credit card available in a rainbow of colors and “metals” (even platinum!)  … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask an Advisor, Banking, Credit | Tagged , , , , ,

Compare College Costs

Posted on April 23, 2012 by

Another user advance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: the College Cost Comparison Tool!  I wish I would’ve had this when I was younger.  It’s in its beta version right now, but I could already compare schools. It’s a pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Current Events, Financial Planning | Tagged , ,

The One Paper I Never, Ever Throw Away…

Posted on April 9, 2012 by

You’ve read the headlines.  Over and over again, debt collectors are calling people who don’t owe them a penny and harassing innocent people into paying debts that aren’t owed.  An excellent example of this is documented in American Banker’s exposé … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Current Events, Documents | Tagged , , , ,

Caught in Catch-22

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

From CNNMoney.com via Yahoo! Finance, “I Have Jobs, but No One Wants Them” by Kitt Walsh:* Many fail our background checks Owner: Jim Angleton Company: AEGIS FinServe Corp. Location: Miami Annual revenue: $1.9 million Aegis provides U.S. government agencies with … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Current Events | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Not Everyone Should Own a Home, and That’s OK.

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

There comes a time in every adult’s life when the urge to buy a home comes along.  Maybe friends are buying their first houses, or your elders are telling you how important it is to build up equity, or maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Real Estate | Tagged ,

Get Your Financial Concern On

Posted on March 2, 2012 by

I stumbled across a couple Dateline NBC programs on YouTube that you may be interested in.  The first is about credit card debt and the second is about mortgage fraud.  I don’t really have time to blog today, so I … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Current Events, Real Estate | Tagged , , ,

Living Mortgage Free – Honestly

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

What is it about mortgages that attracts such throngs of scammy, bad ideas?  I just had the displeasure of cruising through the underbelly of a website that purports to sell you the secrets of shedding your mortgage.*  The site is … Continue reading →

Posted in Banking, Credit | Tagged , , , , ,

The Unsettling “Silence” of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

Have you ever had to babysit a loud toddler?  After a while you get used to the noise and start to ignore the kid.  You step into another room, for just a minute.  Then you suddenly notice something. It’s quiet. … Continue reading →

Posted in Banking, Credit, Current Events | Tagged , , , ,

Financial Planning And Victim Blaming

Posted on January 19, 2012 by

If you listen to financial planners for long, you’ll find out we are big proponents of thrift, industriousness, and planning.  That translates to a tendency to come across like pinched-mouthed finger-wagging harridans nagging the world to save more and not … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Financial Planning, Handy Ideas | 1 Comment

But If Everyone Quit Spending On Credit, Our Economy Would Collapse!

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Have you ever heard this argument before? If everyone      action phrase     , then      horrible outcome     !  Therefore we shouldn’t advise that people      action phrase     . But if everyone quit spending on credit, our economy would collapse, because no one would buy anything! There … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Spending | Tagged , ,

Know Before You Owe: Student Loan Edition

Posted on November 1, 2011 by

Here’s your good citizenship opportunity for today:  check out the Know Before You Owe: Student Loans website hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and let them know your opinion on their idea for a simple, easy-to-compare financial aid shopping … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Financial Planning | Tagged , , ,

Four Awful Student Loan Risks That Will Kick You When You’re Down

Posted on October 20, 2011 by

Over and over again I hear the student loans are “good debt” or that you should let student loan payments go as long as you can, since they’re usually so cheap.  According to the Department of Education, between 10 and … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Financial Planning | Tagged , ,

This Is Why I Don’t Buy Coach Purses

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

… (among other reasons.) So, have you ever seen someone strutting around with an expensive handbag, yet dressed in cheap clothing and getting into a junky car?  Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s noticed this. Perhaps it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Spending | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Why 401(k) Loans Should Give You The Heebie-Jeebies

Posted on October 4, 2011 by

Question:  Would you take out a loan that, if you lost your job, would have to be paid back right away or you would be charged about 40% “interest”?*  No?  Then don’t take out a 401(k) loan. “Wait a second,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Financial Planning, Investments, Taxes | Tagged , ,

I Make My Own Bi-Weekly Mortages At Home

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

I’ve been on a mortgage kick, lately, and something in the post about customizing your mortgage jogged my memory.  Have you ever heard of the bi-weekly mortgage?  If you have, it was probably introduced to you in a breathless and … Continue reading →

Posted in Credit, Financial Planning, Handy Ideas | Tagged , ,