New data out from TransUnion shows that consumers are doing a great job of bringing their finances back into good shape. For the sixth consecutive quarter, the credit card delinquency rate has dropped. The number of consumers that were 90 days or more delinquent has now dropped to a 17 year low and credit card debt per borrower is hovering ... Read More »

When I was 18 I was on top of the world. I had a good paying job at the mall, a checking account that was almost $500, and I felt that nothing could stop me. After getting my first paycheck it was time to get what I deserved. I bought some cool clothes. I bought some creatine at the local ... Read More »

If you’re like me you constantly have your smartphone attached to your hip. In my case, I have my trusty digital sidekick (my iPhone) and I’m still amazed how far we’ve come with technology and mobile phones. I remember my first brick-like phone and only imagined in my wildest dreams having a phone this, well, smart! I got to thinking ... Read More »

A recent survey by Google and Compete asked consumers to rate the importance of features of the credit cards they would select. In the order of most important to least important, here are the results. – Source Spend More Than $1k/Month   Spend Lerss Than $1k/Month Reward points / frequent flier miles No annual fee Prior or existing relationship Other ... Read More »

If you have a saving, investing or retirement related question you’d like to ask, well you’ve come to the right place. Paul Bennett is an old friend who I have known for many years. He provides excellent advice and has helped many people. He’s a Certified Financial Planner, a Chartered Financial Consultant, Accredited Investment Fiduciary, holds a Masters of Science ... Read More »

photo © 2006 Braden Kowitz | more info (via: Wylio)It’s summer time! Or darn close to it. Here in the South East it got hot…quick! We’ve had very little time to get used to the heat but here it is and here is shall stay. Everyone I’ve been talking to recently has been cursing about having to turn on their ... Read More »

The folks over at Mint.com and Column Five Media put together a great little video with Akorn Entertainment to show how much users that track their spending on Mint.com spend on food and drinks each month. The video entitled “Eat, Drink and Be Thrifty: Mint.com Monthly Food and Dining Spending” showed an average $581.46 spent each month on food and ... Read More »

photo © 2010 Alan Cleaver | more info (via: Wylio)The Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation in conjunction with The University of Melbourne released a Research Report in March 2011 about Financial Literacy and “What Causes Suboptimal Financial Behaviour? An Exploration of Financial, Social Influences and Behavioural Economics”. This following article will showcase their report and findings. All quotes ... Read More »

photo © 2008 Mike Baird | more info (via: Wylio)When Amanda and her husband gave birth to their third child her paycheck was greatly reduced during maternity leave. After an increase in interest and payments on their credit cards, they could no longer afford their minimum monthly payments owed. At one point in time there was no problem paying these ... Read More »

photo © 2009 Andrew Magill | more info (via: Wylio)A lot of people always say that sometimes no credit is just as bad as poor credit. And I’d like to attest, this is correct. I, Amanda Miller, am in my 20s. Which means, you guessed it, I am the poorest I will ever be again (knock on wood). When I ... Read More »

I started this article with the intention of comparing debt to food. Terms that myself and others would find much more appealing than fiscal comparisons. I started with one notion: money is boring. Unless you’re spending it of course. I laid down the ground rules and compared the amount of money we budget to the allotted calories we should consume ... Read More »

All the parties are over and the decorations are put away. There goes another wonderful, fun-filled holiday season. That musical tie looked great on grandpa. Especially when it kept waking him up from his after-dinner nap. And the remote control, walking-talking-pooping dog was a riot with the kids. Now comes the hard part — facing the bills for all that ... Read More »

Martin Sher of AmSher Receivables Management in Birmingham, Alabama has recently made a huge step in the debt collection industry with “The Collector’s Pledge”. Sher, with over 30 years experience in the credit and collection industry was named as the president of ACA International (the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals) for 2010-2011. Sher co-owns AmSher Receivables with his brother, ... Read More »

Debt doesn’t just affect the people actually in debt, it often affects the ones around them, near and dear to them. I know this from first hand experience as someone who has loved and lived with someone so deep in debt they could not see a way out. Not only is the emotional toll hard on the debtor but also ... Read More »

Your children have seen you do it a million times: take a plastic card from your wallet and “magically” get money from the ATM machine. Or they’ve seen you pick up a shopping cart full of merchandise, swipe your card through the machine and take home your purchases, all without seeming to spend a penny. They may have heard you ... Read More »