Archive for the ‘Debt’ Category

FTC Testifies on Consumer Protection from Debt Relief Scams

The Federal Trade Commission recently reported about its testimony before the Senate’s committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The matter at hand was protecting Americans in financial distress from fraudsters posing as those with debt relief products and services.
The Issue
Unfortunately, there are a variety of ways someone who’s already struggling with debt can lose even [...]

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Credit Card Debt Continues Downward Trend

In welcome news for struggling consumers, Americans have lowered their credit card debts this summer in the wake of a lingering recession. In fact, numbers recently released for June show that overall consumer debt has fallen for the 19th time in the last 21 months.
The news, however, is not all positive, as many economists claim [...]

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FTC Forbids Advance Fees from Debt Settlement Firms

The Federal Trade Commission has published a report indicating that it has issued new rules for debt settlement companies that offer their services over the phone. That’s good news for anyone who’s looking for a way out of serious debt. Here’s why:

The current system: The way things now stand, telemarketing debt settlement companies are permitted [...]

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The Daily Costs of Debt

As many Americans know all too well, serious debt can be an overwhelming burden—and a new study, quoted in this article, finds that the average American spends a startling three and a half hours per day worried about debt.
And 21 percent of survey respondents who noted they were in debt reportedly admitted to spending much [...]

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When Bankruptcy Alternatives Cost Too Much

If you’re struggling financially, filing for personal bankruptcy may help you eliminate your debt and achieve a fresh financial start—but bankruptcy is not the only option for those in need of debt relief. The New York Times recently published an important article about the growing prominence of debt settlement firms and the potential dangers they [...]

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Signs Your Debt is Unmanageable

Debt can be a scary thing, especially when it begins to spiral (often aided by fluctuating or adjustable interest rates). And, while some debt can be useful and is difficult to avoid, other debt can signal that it’s time to make serious changes in the way you handle your finances.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling [...]

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The Return of Debtors’ Prisons?

A troubling trend is sweeping across America as debtors are being sent to jail for failure to pay their creditors. As ludicrous as it seems, more and more people are reportedly finding themselves in situations that resemble something from a Dickens novel—hard times, indeed.
Is It Even Legal?
As a recent article from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune [...]

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