Credit

PUTTING PROOF IN DEBT COLLECTION

PUTTING PROOF IN DEBT COLLECTION

MICHELLE SINGLETARY | September 19, 2011

WASHINGTON -- Maryland has joined a growing number of states in which judges must demand greater proof from debt buyers before allowing them...

Could $10,000 Change Your Life?

Could $10,000 Change Your Life?

Karen Carlson | April 01, 2011

Last year, Arkansas resident Cheree Miller was buried under $30,000 in credit card debt.    The financial burden of caring for...

Fighting an Agressive Collector

Fighting an Agressive Collector

Liz Weston | March 22, 2011

Dear Liz: I had a mobile home that was repossessed in 2003 after I was unable to make the payments. In 2005, I was contacted by a debt collector...

Ask Liz: Don't Drain 401K to Pay Credit Cards!

Ask Liz: Don't Drain 401K to Pay Credit Cards!

Liz Weston | February 28, 2011

Dear Liz: My husband and I are struggling with whether to file for bankruptcy. We have $80,000 in credit card debt, which has ballooned because...

Hooked on Credit, Again

Hooked on Credit, Again

Michelle Singletary | February 28, 2011

WASHINGTON -- TransUnion, one of the major credit bureaus, issued what on the surface should have been welcome news about the delinquency rate...

Strategic Payoff: IRS or Credit Cards?

Strategic Payoff: IRS or Credit Cards?

Michelle Singletary | February 17, 2011

WASHINGTON -- It's a good thing in this economy to have some extra money on hand.      But what do you do with it? That's...

Plastic Nation Still Growing

Plastic Nation Still Growing

Michelle Singletary | January 12, 2011

WASHINGTON -- I wasn't naive enough to think that major credit card legislation passed in 2009 would stop lenders from going after young customers....

Cold Water on 'Good' Plastic

Cold Water on 'Good' Plastic

Michelle Singletary | December 06, 2010

WASHINGTON -- What's in a name?  That's what Juliet asks Romeo in William Shakespeare's classic love story.        Juliet...

Federal Reserve Releases Consumer Guide to Credit

Federal Reserve Releases Consumer Guide to Credit

November 22, 2010

A new online resource from the Federal Reserve provides practical answers to questions about credit reports, credit scores, and the importance...

Financial Problems #1 Cause for Loss of Security Clearance

Financial Problems #1 Cause for Loss of Security Clearance

The Editors | November 04, 2010

Most service members know that criminal conduct, foreign influence and foreign preference can result in losing one’s security clearance,...