It seems that the reason debt across the U.S. has fallen in the last few months is not that consumers are spending less money, but rather that they are defaulting on what they owe. Debt across the U.S., including everything from mortgages to credit card debt, was at 122 percent of the annual disposable income […]
The seasonally adjusted rate of change in the price of consumer goods dropped in May by 0.2 percent, bucking its recent trend and making consumer spending easier on the American public, according to figures released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Energy prices led the way among the main categories measured in the Bureau’s […]
Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve placed further restrictions on credit card companies, designed to make sure consumers aren’t getting gouged for already-costly mistakes. Soon the days of exorbitant late fees will be gone, according to an article on the personal finance website Billshrink. Central among the numerous changes the Fed introduced that will curb […]
Consumers are always looking for ways to save money, and one easy way to do it used to be as simple as calling a credit card company and asking for a lower APR. Back in 2002, 56 percent of credit card holders that called their issuers to request a lower rate got one with a […]
On Saturday, April 24, Debtmerica, LLC teamed up with the Orangewood Children’s Foundation to help foster children learn to manage their personal finances with an all-day event set in a fictional “Independent City.” Volunteers helped construct and operate “Independent City,” which simulated some of the day-to-day challenges faced by adults in modern American society. Orangewood’s […]
Debtmerica, LLC teamed up with the Orangewood Children’s Foundation to help foster children learn to manage personal finances with an all-day event set in a fictional “Independent City.” June 17, 2010 — On Saturday, April 24, Debtmerica, LLC teamed up with the Orangewood Children’s Foundation to help foster children learn to manage their personal finances […]
Many small businesses that successfully weathered the recent economic downturn got a nasty surprise when they found out that their subsequent tax bills counted any forgiven debt that they managed to find as income. However, according to a recent article at Business Insider, there are several ways that small business owners can cut their tax […]
One dollar is not necessarily the same as another, according to a recent report from financial website Smart Money. When the value of the currency changes, its effect on consumers trying to reduce debt can be quite serious. "As the price of everything from automobiles to airfare falls, so goes the value of assets already […]
American prospective homebuyers were relatively thin on the ground in the previous week, as the Mortgage Bankers Association weekly survey found that mortgage applications dipped during the second week of June. This caused most mortgage loan interest rates to fall, with the rate for 30-year fixed-rate loans falling to 4.81 percent from 4.83 percent from […]
Across several fronts, the U.S. government has recently moved to increase its oversight of the debt consolidation industry, according to a recent report from USA Today. The newspaper reports that legislators, regulators and consumer advocates have all said that they are interested in helping to clean up the business sector. Critics say that the practice […]