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Millions of Car Owners Face Late Car Payment Difficulties
By Brett Holzhauer | May 13, 2026
Key Takeaways Rising vehicle prices, insurance premiums, fuel costs, and interest rates are making car ownership increasingly difficult to afford. Extended loan terms can lower monthly payments, but they often...
How Late Can You Be on a Car Payment Before You Lose Your Car?
By Deane Biermeier | May 13, 2026
Key Takeaways Most car loans include a 10 to 15-day grace period before late fees apply. Missed payments will appear on your credit report at 30 days past due, often...
Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: A Complete Comparison
By Deane Biermeier | May 8, 2026
Key takeaways Chapter 7 typically discharges qualifying unsecured debts in 3 to 6 months and may require selling some non-exempt assets. Chapter 13 sets up a 3 to 5-year repayment...
Alternatives to Bankruptcy: Try This Option First
By Deane Biermeier | May 8, 2026
Key takeaways A debt consolidation loan is often the strongest alternative to bankruptcy for borrowers who still have steady income and qualifying credit. Hardship programs from existing creditors can temporarily...
Credit Card Debt Forgiveness: What’s Real and What’s a Scam
By Deane Biermeier | May 8, 2026
Key takeaways Real debt forgiveness exists in three main forms: negotiated settlement, charge-off followed by sale or write-off, and statute of limitations expiration. Forgiven debt over $600 is typically reported...
Debt Consolidation vs. Balance Transfer: Which Saves More?
By Deane Biermeier | May 7, 2026
Key takeaways A debt consolidation loan replaces multiple card balances with a single fixed-rate loan over 2 to 7 years, typically saving the most on balances of $10,000 or more....
Debt Consolidation with Bad Credit: What to Expect and How to Qualify
By Deane Biermeier | May 7, 2026
Key takeaways Bad credit typically means a FICO score below 580, though the threshold varies by lender. Bad-credit personal loan APRs typically run between 25% and 36%, with averages near...
How to Check Your Rate for a Debt Consolidation Loan Without Hurting Your Credit
By Deane Biermeier | May 7, 2026
Key takeaways Pre-qualifying with a soft credit check shows your real rate without affecting your credit score. Multiple hard inquiries within a short rate-shopping window typically count as a single...
Risks of Using Online Will Services Without a Lawyer
By Tammy McKinney | Apr 24, 2026
The risks of using online will services without a lawyer include unclear wording that leads to legal challenges, missing state law requirements, and documents that do not fully reflect complex...
How to Spend Your Tax Refund Smartly
By Brett Holzhauer | Apr 22, 2026
Taxpayers are seeing larger-than-normal refunds this tax season, with the average tax refund at $3,462 – 11% higher than last year. This is a significant financial boost for millions of...
8 Ways To Legally Reduce Your Income Tax
By Brett Holzhauer | Apr 21, 2026
You may have just completed your taxes for 2025 and been surprised at a larger-than-normal tax refund. So far this tax season, filers are receiving an average refund of just...
What to Do With Extra Money
By Deane Biermeier | Apr 21, 2026
Written by Deane Biermeier, a Certified Financial Educator who has studied and now helps people apply real-world strategies for budgeting, debt management, and personal finance. Every once in a...