Latest

What Are Your Kids Learning About Credit Card Debt?

Do you know what your kids are learning about money and debt in school? If not, you might be surprised by some of the things they learn (and some of the things they don’t).

When I was in school, we had very little education about money management. We had one class in high school called Consumer Education that lasted for one semester - about 4 months. That was it.

And it made such an impact on me, that I don’t even remember what it was they taught us in that class. I do remember it being more like a free block though, one that we all looked forward to because it was such a breeze.

Read more »

Credit

Graduated Credit Cards For Young Adults

One of the ways the credit card companies get their hooks in you is by targeting young adults. They offer them the ability to buy all the things they really want but can’t afford, at a time in their lives when they are probably not making a lot of money.

I know this first hand, having been bitten by the credit card bug when I was in university, where there were credit card applications placed strategically all over campus.

Once they get you started, it can be a long road back from the debt that accumulates.

If it were up to me, there would be some kind of “graduated licensing” system for young adults and credit cards. Kind of like getting a drivers license in many areas - there are multiple levels of licenses, depending on experience, proven skills and more.

Here is what I would suggest…

Read more »

Debt

5 Simple Steps to Making Your “Get Out Of Debt” Resolution Stick - Part 5

Welcome back to the final step in my 5-step process for making your New Year’s resolution to get out of debt successful. Hopefully you’ve been taking action on each step as you’ve been following along. If you haven’t, or you’re joining us in the middle of the series, I will include links to all the other parts at the end of this post.

In this final step, we’re going to look at how you can stop unexpected expenses from messing up your plan for getting out of debt. Let’s get started…

What is that old saying?

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

In other words, no matter how well you plan something, things will happen that mess up your plan. This is no different with your get-out-of-debt plan. In fact, you’re almost guaranteed to hit some bumps in the road on the way to being debt free.

Read more »

Finance

What Are Your Kids Learning About Credit Card Debt?

Do you know what your kids are learning about money and debt in school? If not, you might be surprised by some of the things they learn (and some of the things they don’t).

When I was in school, we had very little education about money management. We had one class in high school called Consumer Education that lasted for one semester - about 4 months. That was it.

And it made such an impact on me, that I don’t even remember what it was they taught us in that class. I do remember it being more like a free block though, one that we all looked forward to because it was such a breeze.

Read more »