debt advice

Debt consolidation loans may seem like a great way to manage debt without taking the drastic step of declaring personal bankruptcy, but in many cases the too-good-to-be-true promise of significantly lower monthly payments are just that: an illusion.

U.S. credit card debt shrank 5% in the second quarter from a year ago, approaching 10-year lows. It's not just due to banks, which have written off uncollectible debts. Learn how consumers are taking control of their finances and how you can too.

You should always know what's in your credit report -- especially if you're planning any major purchases or intend to apply for a new job in the near future. But creditors and credit agencies aren't the only ones who can contribute to your report. You can have your say, too.

Despite experts now saying the recession officially ended in June, the job market is still bleak. Many Americans have lost their jobs, had their wages or hours cut or go to work every day praying they don't come home with a pink slip. While many of us feel powerless about our employment situations,...

"I thought I was the biggest thief in the world because I didn't make good on the loans I had taken," Cecilia Deal tells WalletPop about her 2008 Chapter 7 bankruptcy. "It was the worst. When you value honesty and sticking to a commitment and then you consider yourself reneging on that value when...

Earlier today, WalletPop ran a story of mine called, "10 signs your spouse is secretly spending money." Well, I heard from Moshe Brody, a cyber-therapist with offices in Maryland and Jerusalem, and he was nice enough to share with me the profile of a secret spender. Brody, a marriage and family...

Katy Perry just might be onto something. Not only does the pop starlet have a string of hits, but it seems she's figured out one of the keys to financial success: putting your money where your mouth is. And Perry's not the only singer to croon about financial faux pas people make, money matters we...

I'm hardly Dear Abby, and I don't normally turn something left in the comments section into a story, but this message, left in the comments section of a recent post I wrote, grabbed me and I couldn't turn away: I have been married for 12 years and have just been told by my husband that he has...

There's no doubt that Americans are getting serious about paying down credit-card balances and other debt. The era of the more frugal U.S. consumer continued in December as total consumer debt fell by $1.73 billion, marking the 11th straight monthly decline.

It's pretty common knowledge that alcoholics, gamblers and drug addicts have support groups and 12-step programs to keep them on the wagon. But did you know there are similar groups for compulsive spenders, debt addicts and shopaholics? Debtors Anonymous, a support organization patterned after...