Another look back in the history of credit counseling and debt relief help. After you read the article, be sure to check the original publication date at the bottom to see how many decades these same problems have been a problem for consumers. What is interesting is how credit counseling in 1966 would engage in debt settlement in order to ... Read More »

A New Way out of Debt In a growing number of cities, businessmen are getting together to offer a helping hand to those in financial hot water. Condensed from Empire: Murray Teigh Bloom In the fall of 1960 the world seemed about to collapse around Billy and Marilyn Simmons of Phoenix, Ariz., and their two children. Hounded by bill collectors ... Read More »

Advertisements for debt consolidation loans are nothing new. Check out these gems from the past. Read More »

Family Credit Counseling: An Emerging Community Service by Mayo H. Stiegler The title of this article is taken from the recent report of the National Study on Family Credit Counseling on whose Working Committee I served as a representative of NLADA. The publication of its report comes at the end of two years’ study of existing non-profit financial counseling services ... Read More »

Consumer, Beware! By Nancy Pratt AFL-CIO Department of Research Joe Brown bought a new car last year on the “no money down, years to pay” plan. Six months later he found he couldn’t keep up with his payments. His car was repossessed. Joe was sad, but he thought his worries about the car were over. He was wrong. Joe thought ... Read More »

A collection of some historic debt relief ads. Read More »

World – New York, NY, October 28, 1888 The New York Times – New York, NY, October 6, 1895 Read More »

ONE lesson taught by the hard times, says a current writer, is to keep out of debt, and how to do it. “This Is a forced lesson like some of the others, but none the less valuable, for it has been well learned. In many places merchants and others have narrowed the doors of credit; and in some they have ... Read More »

Easy credit is not a new problem. Take a look at the images below from 1955. Click on the image to see a larger view. – Source Read More »

Fraud Busters, INC. By Harry T. Brundidge So you’ve been gypped! Were you suckered into buying some of those “penny” get-rich-quick uranium stocks which are as phony as a three-dollar bill? Did you go for the “free” deep-freeze racket? Were you hooked by a bait-‘em-and-switch-‘em gent on a vacuum cleaner or sewing machine? Few of those gypped called the police, ... Read More »

Another article as part of my research into the history of debt relief. I’ll let you read the article and try to guess what year this was written. You’ll find the answer at the bottom. Read More »

One statement I often hear from consumers and those inside the debt relief industry is how the debt relief companies that take advantage of consumers, don’t deliver services, leave them getting sued, and take their money in fees, is a new problem. The reality is it is anything but a new problem. Consumers getting less than they pay for in ... Read More »

On today’s show I talk with Dr. Louis Hyman, an expert in the history of debt. Not only was it great talking with him but we chatted just as long off the air. This is one guy you’ll be hearing more from in the future on this show. We talked about the history of debt, why budgets are flawed, a ... Read More »

“Debt Adjustment” – Meanest Racket Out by Murray Bloom “Get out of debt.” “Restore your credit without a loan.” “We can help you even if you’ve been turned down by everyone else. ” In the past two years these and similar slogans have lured thousands of desperate Americans and Canadians into one of the meanest schemes ever devised. Cleverly disguised ... Read More »

While many view credit as a negative force in American culture, sufficient arguments can be made which uncover the hidden value that credit plays. Opponents to credit will tell you that debt, the antithesis of credit, has ruined many a life. While that is commonly stated, objective study of the facts tells a different story. The majority of credit users, ... Read More »