debt

How Fast Should You Cut Your Debt?

Determining how fast you can and should pay off your debts starts with a few simple steps -- and first among them is understanding how you got into debt to start with.

What Makes a Perfect Stock?

Yet while few stocks have everything one might want in an investment, knowing the most desirable traits of great stocks can guide you in making choices for your own portfolio.

Young Adults are Too Broke to Get Loans

Young adults are in less debt than they were a decade ago, but it's not because people under 35 have suddenly become fiscally responsible. It's more likely that their shaky economic status keeps them from qualifying for loans.

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.

How to Ruin Your Retirement in 3 Steps

A successful, prosperous retirement is a common goal for most of us, but it's remarkably easy to wreck your golden years if you're not being careful. Here are three steps you could be taking right now to ruin your retirement.

13 Ways Americans Throw Away Money

Blame the government or blame the economy, but Americans should also blame themselves for their declining net worth. We waste over half a trillion dollars each year -- and that's just for areas with available data. And what do we waste that money on? Read on ...

Pop Quiz: What Did Washington's Bailout Bonanza Buy for America?

The government's Great Recession bailouts are one of the hot topics of debate this election. But let's skip the rhetoric and run the numbers. If you think you know the facts about the bailouts, or if you're just curious, take a peek at our bailout quiz.

Debtors' Prison Is Back, and Just as Cruel as Ever

To most of us, "debtors' prison" may sound like something straight out of a Dickens novel. But across the country today, predatory lenders are using a legal loophole to manipulate courts into jailing poor citizens who legitimately cannot pay what they owe.

Living Paycheck to Paycheck: Personal Finance for the 40%

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 40% of Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck -- and if that sounds rough, it's an improvement from a 2008 peak of 46%. Here's a great infographic on what that means for our personal finances.

Can You Have Too Much Credit?

"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful," said film star Mae West. But what about too much credit? Is having a lot of credit a wonderful thing as well?

How Dewey & LeBoeuf Became the Biggest Law Firm Bankruptcy Ever

Dewey & LeBoeuf was one of the world's great law firms, with 1,300 attorneys on five continents and revenues in excess of $900 million a year. This makes its bankruptcy quite simply the largest law-firm failure ever. So how did it manage to go broke?

This Bright-Eyed Young Man Was Utterly Demolished By Student Loans

Even as total outstanding student debt rises to $1 trillion, lawmakers have yet to allow loans to be discharged in bankruptcy. Without an escape clause, these loans can strangle a person. Take 36-year-old Nick Keith, who remains $142,000 eight years after graduating from culinary school.

What Happened When This Guy Paid His Student Loan in Cash

Last week, a Reddit user posted a photo of a $114,000 student loan bill-paid in cash-that elicited thousands of comments. Since then, the anonymous alum has stepped forward as Alex Kenjeev, a 2009 law school graduate of the University of Toronto.

Debt Confessions of a Former Priest

When he left the priesthood in 2001, he was deep in credit card debt. He dug himself out eventually, but looking back he marvels at how easy it was to get into such a desperate situation.

2 Surveys Reveal We're Feeling a Bit Better About Our Finances

Two new surveys suggest that financial optimism is on the rise. But even with the improving numbers, among average Americans, those who are upbeat about their personal finances are outnumbered by the pessimists, and we're still wary of buying stocks.

Recovery Threatened by Runaway Student Loan Debt

Surging above $1 trillion, U.S. student loan debt has surpassed credit card and auto-loan debt. This debt explosion jeopardizes the fragile recovery, increases the burden on taxpayers and possibly sets the stage for a new economic crisis.

Jean Chatzky's 6 Simple Rules for Financial Fitness

Today show financial editor Jean Chatzky -- author of DailyFinance's "Family Money" column -- has a new book titled Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security. On Wednesday, she spoke with Matt Lauer, explaining the easy principles she recommends.