If your bill is long past its due date, then expect the debt collectors to come a-knockin'. Hiding from them and pretending they don't exist is not a good solution; it will only aggravate the problem and make things worse. Dealing with the issue head-on might help you catch a break. Here are a couple tips for dealing with those dreaded debt collectors: Know your rights. As consumers, we are Read more

If you owe credit-card debt, educate yourself with these pointers from Kiplinger about how the whole collections process works and what your rights are. Year after year, debt collection complaints rank among the most-common consumer grievances the Federal Trade Commission receives. In fact, reports of deceptive debt-collection tactics were the second-most common complaint (after identity theft) Read more

This reader posted in our anonymous Savvy Confessions group, asking how she might live it up on a small income without going into debt. Do you have any advice for her? I finally found an apartment that I can afford and I'm moving out of my parents' house in about a month. I'm usually pretty good with money, if you look past the occasional dress buying, and have never been in the red. I'm scared Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy! We all have our demons. Some just lurk under the bed, but others bare their teeth as we go about our day — say, every time we pull out our wallet. Financial demons are particularly vicious because their effects aren’t confined to the pages of our journal or emails to our best friend. Our finances permeate just about every Read more

It's a new year and a new you! We're highlighting 12 helpful tips to start off the year right, from quitting your caffeine addiction to mastering time management. Here's another way to start afresh in 2012. Americans are currently facing credit card debt worth $798 billion, according to November statistics from the Federal Reserve. Don't be another statistic — for a fresh start this year, Read more

If the gift-giving season wreaked havoc on your bank account, follow these money-saving tips to recover from holiday debt and regain your financial confidence. Tweak your food routine. Make the obvious wallet-friendly changes to your meal habits: pack your lunch, cook dinners at home, and swap your Starbucks sip for the coffeemaker variety. Amp up the savings and avoid wasting money on Read more

Struggling with debt? OnSugar blog Beauty and the Budget gives us some great tips to managing debt. Remember this old commercial? It's hilarious, and so true! These frivolous spending habits certainly apply today. Think about it. You know these people—they're your neighbors, coworkers, family members, or maybe it's even you. You're to a point that you are sinking yourself into an unrealistic Read more

Last week, President Obama announced the "Pay as You Earn" plan, which is supposed to make it easier for about 1.6 million students to pay back their loans. Right now, the student loan debt in the US totals up to over $1 trillion, which is even more than credit card debt. And the burden seems to keep growing — students who graduated in the Spring of last year had about $25,250 in loans each, Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy! Not all debt is created equal. While most forms of borrowing entail risk, certain credit decisions are more likely to lead you into a downward spiral of indebtedness. We call these debt traps. It’s incredibly easy to stumble into a debt trap. All it takes is a brief lapse in judgment. Opening a new credit card account without Read more