A reader, Susan, wondered if revised laws mean that bankruptcy no longer wipes out debt, and instead requires that debts be repaid. She wrote: You have to reorganize and pay what you owe, not wipe them out. Am I correct? Just asking. Glad you asked — it can be confusing, because it depends on what… Read More

You see them at every grocery or drugstore checkout line — brightly colored Peeps calling to you from the display. Does anybody ever go to the store with Peeps on the list? Certainly nowhere near as many people as those who come home having purchased them. They’re not unlike payday loans — stay with me… Read More

BREAKING: When you post your passwords online, someone will use them to access your accounts and make you look like an idiot. I know, I can hardly believe it. But seriously, keep your passwords a secret. And by “secret,” I mean you shouldn’t post them in the comments section of a major news website, like… Read More

FICO is one of the best known names in the credit industry — it’s practically synonymous with credit scoring, despite the existence of hundreds of other scoring models. The first general-purpose credit score (Beacon at Equifax) came from FICO in 1989, effectively transforming the consumer lending landscape to heavily incorporate predictive analytics. Anyone who has… Read More

If there’s one thing Washington is exceptionally good at, it’s politicizing the personal. In the past few weeks, the ongoing debate over “equal pay for equal work” has typified this type of unfair politicization – this time with women – and instead of working together on solutions to empower American women, it has only perpetuated… Read More

Between television commercials, and advertisements on the Internet and in your mailbox, there is no shortage of information about credit cards. But when it comes to determining which one you should get, a pretty good place to start, when sorting through the hundreds of cards on the market, is to eliminate those you should avoid…. Read More

I honestly can’t believe that we’re still arguing over equal pay in 2014. When I started teaching elementary school after college, the public school district didn’t hide the fact that it had two pay scales: one for men and one for women. Women have made incredible strides since then. But 40 years later, we’re still… Read More

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is investigating Higher One, the leading issuer of campus debit cards, and one of its former bank partners for potentially engaging in unfair or deceptive practices. The debit cards allow students to access their financial aid refunds directly through the card, as opposed to waiting for a check from… Read More

It’s easy to procrastinate, especially when it comes to things that aren’t fun. For many people, finances fall into that category. But putting off your financial responsibilities won’t make them go away — so it’s best to just get them done. Here are three thrifty things to do today to stay on financial track. Put… Read More

There are many reasons to open a new credit card: Maybe you want to take advantage of its great rewards, transfer a balance from a different card with a higher interest rate, finance a large purchase, make ends meet in an emergency or increase your available credit limit. But in some states, credit card holders… Read More