Borrowing Articles - DailyFinance

To Co-Sign or Not to Co-Sign? That Is the Question

If you're in a shaky financial state, having someone willing to co-sign for a loan can be a lifesaver. But for the co-signer, it's not about altruism; it's a question of risk.

My Abusive Marriage Destroyed Me -- and My Finances

Everyone talks about the physical aspect of domestic abuse, but there's more to it. Leslie Morgan Steiner's ex-husband left her not only battered, but nearly bankrupt.

U.S. Consumer Debt Rises on More Car, School Loans

U.S. consumers borrowed more in November to buy cars and attend school, but stayed cautious with their credit cards. The Federal Reserve said Tuesday that consumers increased their borrowing in November by $16 billion from October to a seasonally adjusted record of $2.77 trillion.

U.S. Treasury to Take Steps to Avoid Borrowing Limit

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a letter Wednesday to congressional leaders that the department will use accounting measures to save approximately $200 billion, which could keep the government from reaching the limit for about two months.

Fed to Launch New Bond Buying Program to Ease Fiscal Cliff Fears

With a nervous eye on the "fiscal cliff," the Federal Reserve is expected this week to announce a new bond-buying plan intended to further reduce long-term interest rates and encourage borrowing. If it succeeds, it might soften the blow from tax increases and spending cuts that will kick in in January if Congress can't reach a budget deal.

US Consumers Upped Their Borrowing in March

U.S. consumers swiped their credit cards more often in March and took out more loans to attend school, driving overall borrowing up by the most in more than a decade. Total consumer borrowing rose $21.4 billion in March, the Federal Reserve said Monday. That's the seventh straight monthly increase and the largest since November 2001.

Banks Ready to Lend Again, But Now Borrowers Are Skittish

Ex-Google Exec Finds a New Way to Do Payday Lending

Google's ex-CIO has moved from the world of Web searches to the world of high-interest, short-term lending. He says ZestCash.com offers an innovative way to help the poorest borrowers avoid financial emergencies. But is this just a slick veneer putting a shine on the classic payday lending business?

Online Pawn Shop Polishes Up an Old Lending Idea

Two-year-old Pawngo bills itself as a more upscale pawnshop for the digital age, catering to a new breed of pawn customer -- not desperate, just temporarily cash-strapped. The company wants to dispel the stereotype of sketchy storefronts dealing in fenced goods -- and so far, it has had a fair amount of success.

Stock-Based Loans: Quick Cash, but Watch Your Assets

If you need cash and have investments you don't want to sell, a stock-based loan may sound like a good idea. But the unregulated stock-based loan industry can be a risky way to tap into the value of your portfolio, warns the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

The Art of Asking for Money: Lessons from Cannes

Acquiring the money to get a dream off the ground is rarely easy, but it can be done ... if you're creative: Here's how some young short filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival raised funds for their projects. Their methods might inspire you the next time you need to pull together big bucks to fulfill a dream.

How 'Short-Term' Payday Loans Cause Long-Term Woes

A new report from the Center for Responsible Lending paints a seriously depressing picture of the damage the payday loan industry wreaks on its customers. What's worse is that the report actually understates the grim reality facing payday borrowers today.

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