Student Loan Deferment and Forbearance Explained
When you get a federal student loan deferment or forbearance, it’s a way for the government to allow you to temporarily postpone making repayments on your student loans, or to alter the terms of your debt repayment schedule. Any period where you have a deferment or forbearance doesn’t count towards the maximum length of time […]
Here Are a Few Incentives to Repay Your Student Loans
As tough as it may be to repay your student loans, there actually are several incentives for you to pay off those college debts and to do so on time. Essentially, you can get one or more repayment incentives as a way to encourage you to make those student loan payments in a timely fashion. […]
When is My First Student Loan Payment Due?
A reader wanted to know when they have to make their first student loan payment after college. Generally speaking, you have to make your first payment on federal student loans six months after you leave school. This applies to the person who graduates, somebody who drops out of school, or even those who simply fall […]
The 1099-C Explained: Foreclosure, Short Sale, Debt Forgiveness
If you recently received a 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt, you may be wondering what to do with that form and how to use it when filing your income tax return. You were likely sent a 1099-C if your home went into foreclosure in 2012, you did a short sale on any property, or if a […]
Credit Bureaus Roll Out a New CreditScore: VantageScore 3.0
If you’ve never heard of the VantageScore it’s time you got up to speed about the changing landscape within the credit industry. You already know that the higher your credit score, the more positively banks, creditors and others view you. But many people mistakenly think that the only credit score they have is a FICO […]
The 5 Deadly Financial Sins
Various parts of the Bible speak of seven deadly sins, any one of which can lead to damnation. Those sins are: envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath. These negative traits and characteristics are best avoided because they ultimately cause you to act in ways that are against your own best interests. Likewise, when it […]
How to Get Off Your Financial Roller Coaster
So what’s best part of a roller coaster ride for you? Is it the ascension – that nerve-wracking buildup when you know the coaster is painstakingly rising to the top of some ridiculous 300-foot drop that’s just ahead? Is it the stomach-churning feeling you get when the roller coaster is going loop-de-loop or speeding along […]
How Will You Spend Your Tax Refund Check?
Once again, most Americans expect to get a tax refund check, and more than a third of them plan to spend some or all of it, according to Capital One Bank’s annual Taxes and Savings Survey. But this is one year in which spending your refund check wisely – or foolishly – could have long-lasting ramifications that linger throughout 2013 […]
Where to Find Health Insurance Before COBRA Runs Out
If you’ve been laid off and you’re now working as a freelance consultant or maybe you recently started up as a full-time independent contractor after working a corporate gig, you’ll need to get good, affordable health insurance on your own. You’ll also want to find health insurance that won’t cost an arm and a leg […]
Can I Extend the Expiration Date on a Gift Card?
Q: Do gift cards have an expiration date and can I extend the date if there is one? A: If you have a gift card – perhaps something a card you received during the holidays or as a birthday gift – and you’re worried about it expiring, there’s no need to worry. Thanks to the […]
3 Tips if You Provide Financial Assistance to an Aging Parent
If your parents are getting older, and you’re starting to handle some of their medical or personal bills, there are some smart ways to help financially — without putting yourself in an economic hole. Here are three financial tips to lighten the load when you’re providing monetary assistance to your Mom or Dad or allowing […]
How To Avoid Fraudulent Telephone Call Scams
The FBI Newark Division recently released a warning to consumers about a new scheme that involves telecommunications denial-of-service (TDoS) attacks. The FBI has found that criminals are compromising victim accounts and then contacting financial institutions to change the victim’s profile information. These attacks often result in unauthorized access to consumer financial and brokerage accounts and […]
FTC: Top 10 List of Consumer Complaints
Identity theft is once again the top consumer complaint in America, according to data received by the Federal Trade Commission and released in the agency’s 2012 annual report of complaints. In all, the FTC received more than two million complaints from U.S. consumers in 2012. That was a record number of consumer complaints and it marked […]
What to Do When Someone Used Your Social Security Number or SSN
If your Social Security card gets stolen or someone picks up your Social Security number from a confidential document, they may use it to steal your identity, access some of your personal information or open unauthorized financial accounts. It’s illegal to use somebody else’s Social Security number, but many victims of identity theft don’t even […]
2 Good Credit Cards for Those With Bad Credit or Fair Credit
Having a low credit score can take you out of the running for many credit cards. But credit blemishes – or even major black marks on your credit report – don’t mean you’re financially doomed and can never get a credit card.