Many people wonder how balance transfers work and if they can negatively affect your credit score. Balance transfers are a powerful tool...
Our Library
Understanding how to get out of debt — or more importantly, how to avoid it altogether — can be overwhelming.
So we put together our top articles, guides, and resources about paying off debt, debt consolidation options that may help you, and getting you back on the road to financial recovery!
6 Signs Financial Coaching Is Right for You
Managing your finances can be complicated and overwhelming, especially when you're trying to balance short-term needs with long-term...
What Does “Charged Off as Bad Debt” Mean?
If you’ve ever struggled with credit card debt, you might have come across the term “charged off as bad debt.” This seemingly ominous...
Debt Counseling vs. Debt Management: Which is Right for You?
Debt-related stress is a pervasive issue that affects millions of individuals and families, often leading to anxiety, health problems, and...
How to Get Out of Medical Debt
Millions of people in the United States are saddled with medical debt, with one in five Americans currently in collections for medical...
What Happens if You Miss a Car Payment?
Financial stability is a crucial aspect of personal well-being, and missing a car payment can be a significant source of stress. A missed...
What to do If a Debt Collector Calls You
Debt Collectors Keep Calling Me! No one likes getting calls from debt collectors. Owing money to a group of strangers who...
How to Pay Off Debt Fast
Paying off your debt fast comes with many short-term and long-term benefits. It can help you build strong credit over time with a positive...
How Do Medical Bills Affect Your Credit?
Dealing with medical bills can be overwhelming, especially when you're unsure how they might affect your credit score. Understanding the...
What Is the Best Way to Pay Off Credit Card Debt?
If you're dealing with credit card debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans struggle with carrying balances and paying high interest...
Does Debt Consolidation Affect Buying a Home?
Debt consolidation can be a helpful tool for managing multiple debts, but does debt consolidation affect buying a home? This article...
Pay Off Debt or Save for Emergencies: Which Comes First?
Deciding whether to pay off debt or save for emergencies is a nuanced and often challenging decision. Both priorities are crucial for...
What Can Be Used as Collateral for a Personal Loan?
It's critical to clearly understand collateral when considering a secured personal loan. Collateral can significantly impact your loan...
What is a Balance Transfer Credit Card?
Managing credit card debt can be challenging, especially with high interest rates. One effective strategy is using a balance transfer...
The True Cost of Owning a Home and How to Budget for It
Buying a home is a significant milestone, but it's essential to understand the true cost of owning a home beyond the purchase price. From...
Money Psychology: What’s Your Money Mindset?
Understanding your money mindset can profoundly impact your financial decisions and well-being. Your beliefs and attitudes toward money...
5 Ways to Track Your Goals
Setting goals is a crucial step towards achieving success in any area of life, especially financial goals. However, tracking those goals...
Credit Card Debt Resolution: What It Means
Credit card debt can feel overwhelming, but understanding your options for resolution can help you take control of your financial...
How to Interpret Debt Collection Letters
Have you received a letter informing you of an outstanding debt? You're not alone. Debt collection notices can be intimidating and packed...
How to Calculate Your Debt-to-Income Ratio
Managing your debt effectively starts with understanding your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. This guide helps you calculate your DTI ratio so...
How Does Credit Card Debt Relief Work?
While it can be easy to get into debt, getting out can be a real challenge. High interest rates, late fees, and minimum payments that...
What Is a Debt Management Plan?
The number of Americans with debt is at an all-time high. Total household debt reached $17.5 trillion last year. Being in debt can feel...
What Is a Debt-to-Income Ratio?
Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is a financial metric that lenders use to assess your ability to manage monthly debt payments relative to...
How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
For many, credit card debt can be a major burden to financial well-being. But don't worry – taking control of your debt is possible. In...
11 Credit Card Debt Management Strategies
Are you drowning in credit card debt? Feeling like those minimum payments are barely making a ripple, while interest charges keep piling...
What Is Debt Settlement and How Does It Work?
Debt settlement is an approach to resolving unsecured debts such as credit cards and medical bills for less than the total amount owed....
10 Ways to Get Out of Debt Fast
When you’re in debt, you might feel alone. But you’re not – total household debt reached $17.5 trillion last year. Creating your own...
Debt Consolidation Explained
When you’re in over your head with credit cards, student loan payments, and more, paying off your debt can seem nearly impossible. Debt...
How to Establish Your Credit Score While Managing Debt
Establishing a strong credit score while managing your existing debts may sound straightforward. After all, your credit score is primarily...
What Is a Debt Validation Letter?
If you've been contacted by a debt collection agency about an outstanding debt, you should have received something called a debt...
10 Practical Tips to Get Out of Debt Quickly
Embarking on a journey towards a debt-free life may seem daunting, but with discipline and strategic planning, it's entirely achievable....
Survey Reveals Student Loan Challenges and the Need for Solutions
Credit & Debt®, an IDIQ® financial wellness platform dedicated to empowering people to make smarter financial decisions, recently...
Pros and Cons of Clearing Old Delinquent Credit Card Debt
Managing finances involves a nuanced understanding of when to address old delinquent credit card debt and when to proceed with caution....
Good Debt and Bad Debt: A Practical Guide
Before embarking on any borrowing endeavor, it's imperative to evaluate whether the loan aligns with your financial objectives. By...
Does Debt Relief Hurt Your Credit?
As we approach Debt Awareness Week, the average American household now has more than $100,000 in debt. Total household debt has...
The Hidden Costs of Debt (And How to Break Up With It)
Debt is an almost inescapable companion in the modern financial landscape. The financial burdens that come with it are obvious, but the...
How to Get Out of Debt and Manage Finances in 2024
Is your New Year’s resolution to get out of debt and manage your finances better in 2024? As we step into the New Year, it's essential to...
7 Ways to Lower Student Loan Payments
We've all been there. That moment when you peek at your bank statement, only to get that sinking feeling. You realize a chunk of your...
How to Break Up with Your Debt
Are you stuck in a relationship with your finances – or lack thereof – and often thinking about whether you should break up? Ending a...
What to Look For in a Debt Payoff App
Most people have debt. And figuring out how to pay it off can be a huge challenge. There are lots of different debt payoff methods, such...
5 Reasons You Need a Personal Finance App
Personal finance management has become increasingly easier with convenient, simple-to-use apps for budgeting, banking, investing and more....
What Happens If You Don’t Pay Medical Bills?
Your health is more important than any credit score and when the unexpected happens (as it usually does), sometimes you have to pay a...
Asset Protection Planning for Personal & Business Assets
What is asset protection planning? Asset protection is when you have a plan in place to protect your wealth. It’s a form of financial...
How to Read Credit Card Statements & Balances
Getting a credit card is an exciting milestone in life, just like getting your driver’s license or turning 21. But it can be confusing to...
How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt
If you’re like most people, chances are you have credit card debt. In fact, according to Value Penguin, the average credit card debt per...
Recurring Payments: The Gifts that Keep on Taking, and Taking, and Taking…
I have a love/hate relationship with on-line retailers, subscription model apps, and anything else that charges me a low monthly fee -...
The Debt Avalanche Method: Try this Debt Relief Strategy
The debt avalanche method helps you pay down your debt by starting with the highest interest rate loans first. This strategy has the...
The Debt Snowball Method: How to Pay Off Your Debt
The debt snowball method helps you pay off your debt by starting with your smallest debt balance first and then tackling the larger ones....
The Hidden Traps within HELOC’s and Equity Loans
"Home equity is a means of accumulating wealth, not a piggy bank". Todd Emerson, Founder & CEO - Credit & Debt I have been a...
Bankruptcy: Everything You Need to Know
Bankruptcy is a scary word. But it could offer the financial solace you need when a financial situation has become too overwhelming to...
Watch Out! Debt Collectors Can Take Your 3rd Stimulus Check. What Can You Do?
The third round of stimulus checks for COVID-19 relief started going out this past weekend after the bill was signed on March 11th. ...
“To Plan, or Not to Plan, That is the Question.”
There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” ...
Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees
I have a love/hate relationship with one of the most popular parent quotes on personal finance. If you are under the age of 18 you...
Death by 1,000 Asks: Teaching Kids About Money Management
One of my father’s favorite sayings when I was growing up was, “Boy, you can twenty-dollar someone to death.” Why did he say that? Because...
What is the true cost of borrowing money?
It’s easy to become cash rich and asset poor. Our CEO, Todd Emerson, reveals the true cost of borrowing money.
Is Debt Settlement a Good Idea?
Debt settlement is often portrayed by settlement companies as a magic bullet for anyone drowning in debt. But the truth is, debt...
How a Debt Management Plan Affects Your Credit: Pros and Cons
Paying off large amounts of debt can be a daunting task. If you’ve recently fallen behind on payments, have more cards than you can...
Debt Management vs Debt Settlement – What’s the Difference?
There are many situations that may make it hard to pay off your credit card bills or loans, including illness, job loss, or simply missing...
How to Improve Debt-to-Income Ratio
If you’ve recently been in the market for a mortgage loan, you may have come across the term “debt-to-income ratio.” This ratio is one of...
10 Warning Signs You Have Debt Problems
Many people know when they’re struggling financially. Intuitively, we feel the pressure of not having enough cash to meet all of our...