Life after bankruptcy can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to deal with the emotional toll of bankruptcy itself, but you also have to work on the behaviors that got you there, all while trying to rebuild your credit. Luckily, re-establishing your credit is a matter of diligence—paying your bills on time and showing…
Earlier this fall, in the midst of looking for a rental property to purchase, I had the unpleasant discovery that there was an inaccuracy on my credit report: when my student loan was purchased last December by a bank named Mohela, Federal Direct Loans apparently neglected to report my loan as paid off, meaning my…
Believe it or not, death is no barrier to identity theft. It can be very difficult to make practical decisions after a death in the family, and that is exactly the reason why identity thieves target the dead. CNN Money reported earlier this year that 2.4 million dead people have their identities stolen each year….
In some ways, it can feel a little sacrilegious to talk about paring down Thanksgiving. After all, it’s a holiday all about celebrating the abundance in our lives. But the truth of the matter is that planning an enormous meal for a horde of guests is an expensive prospect, particularly if you follow the dining-room-table-is-groaning-under-the-weight-of-food…
We all know that we need to be saving for retirement. Gone are the days when hard workers could count on company-sponsored pensions and Social Security to comfortably see them through the golden years. But putting money away for retirement seems like a low priority when you’re barely making ends meet. According to a CBS…
It may feel a little early to worry about it, but now is the perfect time to start thinking about the season of giving. Christmas and Hannukah is not just a good time to give presents to those we love—it’s also an excellent opportunity to make charitable gifts. Not only will you feel good about…
Halloween is one of those holidays that appeals to everyone, from tiny tots to college students to parents. Unfortunately, all of that celebrating can be costly. According to the National Retail Federation, not only will seven out of every ten Americans be celebrating the spookiest holiday on the calendar in 2012, but they will be…