Debt Consolidation Efforts Hindered by Vague Rules

July 6, 2010 – 1:50 am

If you own a credit card from Discover, American Express or Citi, the odds are good that their penalty practices can hurt your efforts at debt consolidation. A new survey by a credit-card tracking site reported that most major credit card companies still do a poor job of explaining to their customers the way they assess late fees and levy financial penalties. This is particularly disappointing because the federal governments Credit CARD Act, passed last year with great fanfare, was supposed to revamp these processes. The legislation was supposed to make the penalty structures of credit card companies easier for consumers to understand.

Late Fees, Debt Consolidation

During these challenging economic times, many consumers have had to turn to debt consolidation loans to get a handle on their outstanding revolving debt.

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Over 50s can`t afford to enjoy retirement because of debts

July 6, 2010 – 12:58 am

According to a study by Saga Equity Release, 17% of over 50s are left with very little money to enjoy their retirement once they have repaid their debts, while 41% of retirees find repaying their debts difficult, headlinemoney.co.uk reports.

However, more and more over 60s are now taking out equity release plans to unlock money from their homes so they can enjoy a `better quality of life in retirement`.

Figures show that 13% of over 55s are retiring in debt, and 40% of this age group have used equity release as a way to repay these – leaving them `better off in real terms` and free to enjoy their retirement. Read full article…

5 Painless Ways to Save Money

July 5, 2010 – 4:55 pm

Guilt makes you want to slow your spending. Anxiety makes you want to save towards a nest egg. But the process of alleviating these feelings takes so long to show progress, we often feel used and abused before we ever experience relief from our guilt and anxiety. In the beginning of any savings plan, you are likely to feel the same guilt and anxiety that overspending brought you, with the added negative feelings brought on by restricting your spending. So until you can get some positive reinforcement going, it’s smart to practice some simple saving tricks that leave you feeling less deprived. Here are **** painless ways to save that may help you get the ball rolling:

 

Drop Your Cable Provider

This might even be a fun exercise for you.

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5 Tips for Saving Money the Old Fashioned Way

June 30, 2010 – 2:12 am

In a time of high tech, many of us are surprised to find that the old ways are still the best ways when it comes to saving money. The same things that helped our great grandparents through the Great Depression can help us now. Our troubles today are nothing compared to life then, so imagine how much more powerful their techniques can be for us now. Here are five time-tested, proven ways to save money that will probably never change.  

 

Make Things Last Longer

Most of us have developed wasteful habits during a time when resources were more plentiful. We put too much toothpaste on our brushes, over do it on the deodorant, apply unnecessary perfumes, lather in too much shampoo and conditioner, slather on lotions and that’s just in the bathroom. T

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Credit Counseling and Debt Consolidation: Moving Beyond Financial Stress

June 29, 2010 – 11:46 am

Are you drowning in credit card debt? If so, you have plenty of company. Frugality guru and author Jeff Yeager notes that America has become a nation of spenders; this is a relatively recent trend that took hold in the early 1980’s:

In 1980, US credit card debt totalled approximately $355 billion, but by 2008 it had reached about $2.6 trillion. Numbers this large are difficult to comprehend, but US credit card debt increased almost 8 times between 1980 and 2008.

Mr Yeager asserts that our motivation for spending switched from “need” to “want,” and illustrates this trend by citing data related to the sale of housewares. In 1981,

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