A Complete Guide to Critical Thinking About One-Size-Fits-All Debt Advice PART 1: WHAT WE’RE ACTUALLY CRITIQUING The Core Claims of the Ramsey Method Dave Ramsey’s “Baby Steps” system claims to be the definitive path out of debt: The Baby Steps: The Core Dogma: The Revenue Model: Total annual revenue: Estimated $200+ million Key observation: His …
Did you know that 35% of mortgage applications are denied due to a high debt-to-income ratio—even for people with great credit? Ever wonder why that happens? Even for applicants with great credit scores? Understanding the balance between your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and your credit score can make or break major financial decisions, like buying a …
Ever feel like lenders are speaking a foreign language when they mention your debt-to-income ratio (DTI)? Yeah, me too—at least, before I learned what it actually means. Turns out, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is just a fancy way of saying, “How much of your income goes toward debt …
So, you’ve thought about whether renting or buying your next home is the right decision for you. If you decide to buy a home, you’ll likely have to prepare for financing your purchase with mortgage payments. Here’s where things can get a bit tricky. While getting a hold of the costs involved with home buying can …
“Dear Steve, I am living on social security and savings, which are quickly becoming very scant. As my roof leaked over my head as I was sleeping, realized I needed to do something about this and thus began my quagmire (good word!) of a problem. Paid $8000. from five 0% promotional credit cards, carefully figuring …
“Dear Steve, I’m not sure of the exact score, but my daugher’s (She is 26.) credit is good. She was in the process of trying to purchase her first home and was pre-approved for $100,000. Once into the process, she was denied because she had too much debt (student loans, car lease, credit card). She …
“Dear Steve, I started out in college with the only debt being my college loan which was manageable. Then it was suggested that I get a credit card while in college so that I could start to establish some credit. Well I got a credit card, then I got another credit card, and another, now …
“Dear Steve, My debt to income ratio is enormous. I pay bills on time, but do not have money left over for groceries much less anything else. I need to refinance my home because my ARM is up soon. Would it be smarter to refinance now before I mess up my credit worse with a …
Terri wrote and asked her question through the GetOutOfDebt.org site. If you have a credit or debt question you’d like to ask, just visit this page and ask. My help is totally free. “Dear Steve, We have appox $50,000 in revolving debt, 2 vehicle payments, 1st and second mtg, we pay everything on time and …
“Dear Steve, I am a full time graduate student who works occassionally. Mainly, I live off my student loans. I have 23K in credit card debt and need to get out of it because I don’t have much money to work with. I’m nervous about consolidating my credit cards because I heard that it doesn’t …