Personal Finances

Nightmare on Main Street, Part 2: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster

Thumbnail image for Nightmare on Main Street, Part 2: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster by Karen Stewart February 15, 2012

When last we visited our hapless home addition victims, Anita and Jay, they were living hard.  After allowing Vinnie the Genius to walk away with $30,000 to build an addition to their sweet little bungalow, they were left with a big hole in the back of their house, liens up to their eyeballs and raccoons [...]

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Nightmare on Main Street, Part 1: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster

Thumbnail image for Nightmare on Main Street, Part 1: How to Avoid a Home Remodeling Disaster by Karen Stewart February 14, 2012

The most glaring feature of these difficult economic times is the decimated housing market.  An unprecedented number of  foreclosed homes sit vacant, daily reminders to all passers-by  that living small is the surest way to get by these days. It is certainly no time to take risks with money; definitely better to hang on to [...]

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Understanding Fair Isaac and the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Thumbnail image for Understanding Fair Isaac and the Fair Credit Reporting Act by Karen Stewart February 3, 2012

Back in grade school, teachers routinely terrorized misbehaving students with the threat that their misconduct would “go down on your permanent record.”  I envisioned my “permanent record” as something of a huge book, where entries were printed neatly by vindictive teachers wielding their bloody red fountain pens, later to be pored over by some Big [...]

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Know Your Rights Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Thumbnail image for Know Your Rights Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by Karen Stewart February 2, 2012

The cash-strapped consumer is one of the most notable products of high unemployment, low wages and grocery prices approaching the stratosphere. With little or nothing remaining from the shrinking weekly paychecks of more and more Americans, some debts slip into default. Sometimes the cause is simple oversight, but usually it’s because funds are scarce. And [...]

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What to Do When a Collector Calls (and Won’t Stop Calling)

Thumbnail image for What to Do When a Collector Calls (and Won’t Stop Calling) by Janice Conard January 12, 2012

If you’re being harassed by a bill collector, you’re not alone. According to Gary Rivlin, author of the Daily Beast/Newsweek article “America’s Abusive Debt Collectors,” the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 50,000 complaints about severe harassment in 2010. That’s a 25 percent increase over 2009 and three times as many complaints as the [...]

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Yes, Virginia, There Is a Financial Literacy Clause!

Thumbnail image for Yes, Virginia, There Is a Financial Literacy Clause! by Janice Conard January 10, 2012

Just last week I complained in Get Out of Debt While You’re Still Young that the U.S. education system doesn’t teach students the art of  money management. That’s why I was so heartened to read McDonnell announces personal-finance initiative in the Augusta Free Press.

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Teaching Kids to Value Frugality – 5 Ideas

Thumbnail image for Teaching Kids to Value Frugality – 5 Ideas by Guest Post January 9, 2012

In today’s economy being frugal isn’t just something you should be doing; it’s a necessity for many. It can be hard for people who have never cut coupons or shopped sales before to learn the art of frugality, which is why it’s important to instill this value in our kids early on in their lives, [...]

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Get Out of Debt While You’re Still Young

Thumbnail image for Get Out of Debt While You’re Still Young by Janice Conard January 4, 2012

Generation Y.  Echo Boomers. Millennials. No matter what you call them, today’s young people are struggling to make it in this crappy economy. According to The Project on Student Debt, two-thirds of undergraduates came out of college in 2010 carrying an average of $25,250 in debt, an increase of 5 percent over 2009 and the [...]

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Santa’s Favorite Car-Buying Tip

Thumbnail image for Santa’s Favorite Car-Buying Tip by Janice Conard December 22, 2011

So you’re ready for a new car and you’ve decided to buy rather than lease. It’s a good choice, especially if you find a car you love that you’ll want to keep for years. Today you’re in luck, because Santa has a favorite strategy for getting you into that new ride for the lowest possible [...]

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