Vacations, whether on a local beach or exotic foreign city, are important rewards. Getaways both motivate and rejuvenate, and after a year of hard work, we deserve it.

Unfortunately, what we deserve and what we can afford can be two entirely different things. Here are six ways to save on your next vacation, so you don’t have to say: “I’ll have another Mai Tai and $623.94 in finance charges please.” [...]

Debt management (also called credit counseling) is a booming industry these days as more and more consumers drown in credit card debt. With ads promising easy debt relief, these programs are tempting to anybody struggling to stay on top of debt. But are they legit? Will they help you or hurt you? Here are 10 things you need to know before working with a debt management agency—both pitfalls to watch out for—but also benefits you can expect. [...]

I turned 27 this year, and my mailman started delivering more wedding invitations than bills. It sounds lovely, except that those damned lacy invites end up costing more than the bills! My opinions of showers and gift registries aside, all this nuptial nonsense got me thinking: Is it safe to get married when one partner, or both, has a lot of debt? [...]

Are you broke? Have you been broke in the last year? If so, here’s a simple tip anybody can do to start building financial security. Do this and, at the very least, you won’t be broke again. It can also psych you up to save more, spend less, and get rich. This tip is so simple you will probably laugh, but it works. Trust me! [...]

Jeff writes: I’m about $5500 in credit card debt that I want to get out of before I go back to school in August. I’m thinking of taking up these offers for low interest rates on balance transfers I get in the mail from new cards. Is it worth the hassle? Will it adversely affect my credit rating? Can I know my credit limit before I apply so that I can see whether or not I can transfer a substantial amount?

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your question. Congrats on deciding to get out of that debt so soon…I wish you all the best in getting it done.

I don’t know the interest rates you’re currently paying, but I’m going to guess the average is around 14.9% — maybe more. Since you have 6 months before school, that means it will take six monthly payments of $958. That’s a big chunk of cash each month, but if you can do it, getting debt-free is the best way you can possibly use that money. Now onto your question: Will a 0% balance transfer offer or two help? [...]

Creditors have a secret they will do anything to protect. This secret — kept in Manhattan penthouses by old cigar-smoking white men — makes banks filthy, filthy rich. This secret allows the rich to rob from the poor. Despite its limitless power, the secret is hidden in plain sight. You may know the secret already; though you may not know just how rich it is making your creditors (and how poor it is making you).

It is also easy to forget the secret, or to dismiss it. You may have learned it along time ago, vowed to take action and then, months later, forgotten all about your resolve to stop your creditors from using the secret against you. So what is the secret? [...]

Next time you want to buy something and you can’t pay cash, ask yourself: “Can I pay for this in full within three years?” I call it the three year rule, and if follow it, you will never find yourself overburdened by debt. [...]

It has been just over one year since I applied for an took a debt consolidation loan from peer-to-peer lender Prosper. One year in, I’m just as happy with Prosper as when I started. [...]

How does someone lose $15,000? [...]

You may have heard that carrying a balance on your credit cards – especially being near your credit limit – hurts your credit score. What I never realized is how much of an impact paying down that balance has on your credit. [...]