Category: debt

Biden Administration Warns US May Hit Debt Limit in a Few Weeks

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday warned the United States could hit its debt limit by next month, warning Congress that she will run out of maneuvering room. In a letter to leaders of Congress, Yellen said she can’t provide a specific date for when she’ll be not able to keep the federal government funded…


How to Get Back at Your Creditors

Late fees, punitive interest rates, over-limit fees, loading up your credit report with negative information—it’s enough to make you scream! It’s not that your creditors are doing anything illegal. You just didn’t understand the power you gave them when you accepted that credit card. It was buried in the fine print. And now, it seems…


10 Tips to Pay Off College Debt Yourself

Paying for college yourself can be daunting, especially when the average student racks up $9,000 to $35,000 in debt each year. While financial experts recommend graduates pay off this overwhelmingly large sum within 10 years, most need more than 20 years to repay what they owe. Meanwhile, some professionals are still working to pay off student loans in their…


5 Tips for Staying Motivated While Paying Off Debt

We’ve passed the halfway point in the year, and if you’re also in the middle of your debt-free journey, your motivation may be in a slump. The excitement of starting your debt-free journey may have worn off, and now you’re in the daily grind of paying off those loans and making all the sacrifices you…


Target Launches Debt-Free Education for Frontline Workers

Target Corp said on Wednesday it will invest $200 million over the next four years to offer its more than 340,000 U.S.-based part-time and full-time frontline workers debt-free assistance for select undergraduate degrees and certificates. The move comes at a time when employers in the United States are introducing benefits and raising wages as they…


Americans Are in Debt and the Vultures Are Circling

Commentary Americans are now deeper in debt than at any other time in our nation’s history. Especially acute are mounting debts on past-due mortgage payments, student loans, and medical bills. In fact, medical debt is one of the most often-mentioned causes of personal bankruptcies in the United States, and the situation has only gotten worse…


They’ll Play on Your Emotions

Dear Dave, I’m on Baby Step 2. I’ve paid off almost all my debt, and I’m living on a monthly budget. Recently, I got a call from a debt collection company about an old medical bill. They threatened to garnish my wages, and from the way they talked, I’m afraid they may actually do it….


Medicare and Health Savings Accounts; Closing Credit-Card Accounts

Dear Mary: I’m a few months from my Medicare birthday, when I’ll turn 65. I have had a high-deductible health savings account qualified insurance plan for more than 10 years. The health savings account has a decent balance of nearly $15,000 because I’ve enjoyed good health and few medical expenses. My question: Can I keep…


Montenegro in ‘Final Phase’ of Talks With Europe to Cut Indebtedness to China

BELGRADE—A European state financial institution is ready to refinance $809 million of Montenegro’s debt to China, allowing the tiny Adriatic republic to make savings and cut interest rates, the country’s finance minister said on Thursday. China sees the Western Balkans, which includes Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia, as well as Montengro, as part…


Smallest to Largest

Dear Dave, I’m on Baby Step 2, and I’m working hard to get out of debt. My last two debts are $6,000 on a credit card, and $10,000 on a car loan. I’ll be receiving a $6,000 bonus at work in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering what to do with the money….