Personal Finance Buzz

Prior to January of 2009 fiscal irresponsibility was the central theme of our family finances. I wanted to give a brief synopsis of how we turned our financial situation around, and the benefits we have realized along the way.

When was the last time a single sentence changed the course of your life? A few years ago, my wife said eight words to me that have affected every choice that I’ve made since. She looked me in the eyes and said . . .

When it comes to getting finances in order one of the most common complaints I hear is, “I just don’t have the time to deal with it, so I’ll just put it on the back burner for now.” People wait for the perfect day when they will have free time on their calendar and extra internal motivation to sit down and really get a clear sense of their financial situation.

If you want to be on the right financial path, there are some things that you can do to help you out in January to get the year started off right.

Prior to October 27th, 2010, many debt settlement companies employed the practice of charging consumers service fees before actually settling any of their accounts. Of course, many of these consumers were in the midst of extreme financial hardships like unemployment and illness. In effect, these advance fees served to kick somebody who was already down and out. However, a new FTC ruling that bans advance fees creates a new climate in which reputable debt settlement companies can thrive.