Jun 26, 2009 -
We're all saddened by the sudden death of legend Michael Jackson, and as the world mourns, a debate over his estate is already in the works. It's a messy issue and the future discussions are sure to be ugly, which is upsetting given the many musical gifts Jackson left behind. However, despite his mega success, he also died in a mountain of debt.
- 9 Comments
Jun 24, 2009 -
Student loan repayment can be burdensome on tight budgets constricted by modest incomes. The government has developed a program that it hopes will put graduates more at ease about the issue. The Income Based Repayment plan will take effect July 1, and the federal program aims to cap monthly payments at an affordable amount based on income, family size and state of residence.
- 4 Comments
Jun 22, 2009 -
Higher education comes with a higher cost, year after year. Student loan debt is particularly problematic for new graduates because it's more difficult for them to find employment after graduation. While some can turn to their parents for help in making loan payments, it's not feasible for many families who have been affected by the recession.
- 7 Comments
Jun 15, 2009 -
This episode of Maxed Out is about Crystal, a 26-year-old legal assistant and single mom with two kids — she also happens to be $50,000 in debt ($20,000 of that is from student loans). She's been ignoring the state of her finances to the extent of not paying some bills in four months and owing $200 to a gym she's never used. Everything is in crisis mode all of the time and Crystal is completely stressed out.
- 3 Comments
Jun 01, 2009 -
This episode of Maxed Out features Julia, 28, and Mike, 30, a couple on the fast track to losing everything. All the big financial moments arrived at once for Mike and Julia — they have two mortgages and a baby, plus a ton of unmanageable debt. They're living in the townhouse they purchased before their condo sold, on the assumption that the condo would sell immediately.
- 15 Comments
May 20, 2009 -
This episode of Maxed Out features the financial struggles of Adrianne and Greg, a young couple who have home ownership on the mind, but debt is holding them back. Greg is a habitual spender and has $20,000 in debt, spent mostly on DVDs and comic books, while Adrianne is debt-free.
A big reason Adrianne's last relationship didn't work out is that she was paying for everything, and this put her into debt (which she was able to eventually pay off).
- 5 Comments
Apr 27, 2009 -
This episode of Maxed Out features Adrianne, a woman in her 20s whose relationship with money compromises her romantic relationship with her boyfriend, Mike. It’s the first time on the show where a couple breaks up during the month it takes for financial guru Allison Griffiths to work her magic.
The show begins with a profile of Mike and Adrianne: Mike is careful, Adrianne is careless; he owns two condos and she rents her apartment; he doesn’t have a car and she has an expensive car payment.
- 8 Comments
Mar 22, 2009 -
The biggest factor in your credit score is your payment history; at 35 percent of your score, punctuality has never been so important. While paying on time should be your number one priority in raising your number, you need to simultaneously work toward improving the second biggest factor in your score: outstanding debt. It accounts for 30 percent, so whittling down your debt will have a big impact on boosting your score.
- 8 Comments
Mar 16, 2009 -
This episode of Maxed Out is about Lisa and AJ, a couple living together in a lopsided financial relationship. AJ covers most of their shared bills because Lisa can't pay her half — she has more than $52,000 in debt and a bad shopping habit, while AJ has no debt to his name. He says Lisa needs to get her debt down to a manageable place before they can consider marriage, and this makes Lisa upset.
- 8 Comments
Feb 25, 2009 -
This episode of Maxed Out is about Kim and Kevin, a couple so financially unstable that their money troubles already caused them to separate once — but they had to stay in the same house together because neither could afford to pay rent somewhere else. While they are back together, the couple still lives separate financial lives and is clueless about where their money is going.
Kevin tells Kim everything is OK and she just goes off the assumption that he's telling the truth because they don't communicate about money.
- 5 Comments
