Articles revolving around debt related issues. These are geared towards advice for consumers and general debt news.
Yesterday I wrote How to Get Your Federal Student Loans Forgiven if You Go to Prison. The results of my research were so surprising I had to make this podcast as a follow-up. This is just another wrinkle in the ridiculousness created by student loans. After taking a deep dive into this subject, I’m not … Read more
The topic of if student loans should be forgiven is a hot topic right now. On one side people are demanding some level of forgiveness. On the other side, student loan forgiveness should not happen because it is not fair to truck drivers. But what is the truth? In this Debt Free Dudes podcast, Damon … Read more
Should You Rent or Buy a Place to Live No question has been asked more often over my decades of helping people with money, credit, and debt issues than is it is better to rent or buy. Listen to the Podcast The best answer to that question is yes because arguments can be made on … Read more
Question: Dear Steve, I have three credit card accounts, all with Citibank. Two of them are closed. The one open account has a credit limit of $1700. I am just $140 below the limit on it. The other two are at about 40% or less. I am getting dinged on my FICO score as they … Read more
Today, my concern for your finances is over credit card balances and interest rates rising. People are not prepared for what is coming, and I want you to be ready. The latest figures are out from the Federal Reserve report on consumer credit. The G19 information looks at what types of debts are rising and … Read more
Over on the Debt Free Dudes podcast, Damon Day and I talk about the confusion, complexities, and misinformation about the announcements that Navient forgiveness of student loans. There are so many important details the headlines can’t give you. Debtors will be confused and may wind up angry if they think some or all of their … Read more
Company Illegally Charged Consumers for Credit Advice, Filed False ID Theft Reports and Pitched Them on Fake Business Opportunity At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal court has temporarily halted a bogus credit repair scheme known as The Credit Game for promoting a series of lies and deceptions. The FTC alleged the … Read more
The Federal Trade Commission is returning more than $149 million to AdvoCare distributors who lost money as a result of the AdvoCare pyramid scheme. The FTC sued AdvoCare in 2019, alleging that the multi-level marketing company operated an illegal pyramid scheme that deceived consumers into believing they could earn significant income as “distributors” of its … Read more
A recent study of college students preparing to graduate found that students suck at trying to estimate income and make plans for life after college. Respondents in this study felt confident their starting salary was going to be $103,880 but the average salary was actually $55,260. Oops. Of the students surveyed, 31 percent felt they … Read more
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just published a report examining Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) programs and how they are being managed. The findings are not encouraging. The Department of Education approved forgiveness for a total of 157 loans under Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans as of June 1, 2021, but has not taken the steps necessary … Read more
1. Sell Items Online We all have a hoard of possessions we no longer need or use. Whether it’s old clothes, household appliances, or collectibles, listing them online could earn you a few extra dollars. Take a look around and sell anything collecting dust. It’s relatively low effort and commitment, an excellent way to get … Read more
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced they are filing a lawsuit against MoneyGram International, Inc. and MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc. (MoneyGram)—one of the largest remittance providers in the U.S.—for systemically and repeatedly violating various consumer financial protection laws and leaving families high and dry. The lawsuit … Read more
I’ve recently heard more about a group offering legal help to get people out of debt. People have mentioned similar names of companies, both Century Law Group and Century Law Firm. From a look at each company’s website CenturyLawInc.com and CenturyLawGroup.com it initially appears to me that the company primarily focused on selling debt relief … Read more
A report issued today by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) examines the financial consequences of medical billing and collections endured by individuals and families across the country. The report draws from the rising volume of medical billing and collection complaints submitted to the CFPB. The CFPB is using today’s research to strengthen its across … Read more
The Department of Education announced steps that will bring borrowers closer to public service loan and income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness by addressing historical failures in the administration of the federal student loan programs. Federal Student Aid (FSA) estimates that these changes will result in immediate debt cancellation for at least 40,000 borrowers under the Public … Read more