Credit Card Delinquency on the Decline

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Amidst all the negativity that sometimes shrouds credit cards there is some amazing news. For the first time in a decade, bank card delinquencies dipped below the 15-year average.  Earlier this month, the American Bankers Association (ABA) released a report announcing this good news.

According to the ABA’s report, credit card consumers overall have done a better job in meeting their debt obligations in the fourth quarter of 2010.  They indicate that this may be attributed to a slowly improving economy which allows consumers to better manage their debt.  Another contributing factor is that for the first time in two years, over 200,000 jobs were created; therefore the unemployment rate dropped to 8.8 percent.Continue Reading

How I Paid Off $25,000 of Debt in 14 Months

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First of all, if you are in college right now, please do everything in your power to keep your student loans to a minimum! I really wish that I didn’t have to experience the story below.  Never having that debt would have been much more delightful, for me anyway.

My wife and I had recently gotten married and moved into an amazing rental complex in South Florida.  There was a work-out facility, some tennis courts, and a gorgeous pool.  It was heavenly, that is, until the bills started coming in the mail.

Somehow it had slipped our minds that once we graduated from college, we had to start paying back our student loans.  Between my wife and I, we had $18,000 in student loans plus a vehicle that we owed $7,000 on.  Yep, that was a total of $25,000 in debts!
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When Should You Borrow Using P2P Lending?

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Peer to peer (P2P) lending has been gaining in popularity — especially since the recession began. Part of the reason for this is due to the difficulty associated with getting loans from banks.  Another issue is that traditional banks, in some cases, charge higher interest rates.  If you are looking for a way to get a loan, in some circumstances it might make sense to turn to P2P lending.

Consolidate Debt

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Bankruptcy – What it is, When it’s Used, and How it Works – Adapted from Debt Free for Life

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Debt Free for Life

I had the pleasure of receiving a publisher’s copy if David Bach’s latest book Debt Free for Life – The Finish Rich Plan for Financial Freedom. Rather than give a general overview of the book, I’m going to talk about chapter 14 – How Bankruptcy Works, When to Use it, How Long it Will Take to you to Recover.

Bankruptcy is pretty much a last ditch effort to help save your financial situation (and perhaps your overall health and life).  The hope is that no one will ever need to know about bankruptcy but the truth is over a million and a half people in 2010 will file for personal bankruptcy.
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How To Prosper With Peer to Peer Lending – A review of Prosper.com

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Get started on a loan at Prosper

Prosper.com is a personal loan and investing site with over one million members and over two hundred fifteen million dollars in personal loans funded since 2006. Using a unique person to person lending model, prosper.com connects borrowers and lenders and allows them to establish a mutually beneficial financial relationship.   Prosper offers borrowers rates as low as 5.9% and lender returns as high as 10.1% (this varies, of course based on your borrowing and lending situation).

What is Person to Person or Peer Lending?

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Is It a Good Idea for the Credit Market to Ease?

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For the last couple of years, we’ve heard about the tight credit market. It’s been more difficult to qualify for credit.  Even credit card issuers reduced the amount of money they were providing.  However, mailboxes are starting to see an influx of credit card offers, and things are getting a little bit easier (although we are still far from the heady days of easy money seen in the years leading up to the financial crisis).  It might be a little easier to get approved for a loan or credit card now than it was last year, but that mean it’s a good thing?

Do We Really Want More Credit Available?

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Send Credit Card Companies A Message By Using Cash Only

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Using cash instead of credit cards

A few years ago, it was a credit card user’s world. As long as you paid on time and didn’t go over your limit, you could have your choice of credit cards and interest rates.  However, with the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) that went into effect last year, meant to crack down on credit card companies, consumers are finding that they are paying higher interest rates.  In addition, it can be harder to negotiate a lower interest rate.

I had a credit card for over 15 years that routinely offered an interest rate below 10%.  Now, the interest rate is 15.99%.  When I called to have it lowered, they would not negotiate with me as they had in the past.  When I threatened to take my business elsewhere, they were unfazed.  “Sorry,” I was told, “there is nothing we can do at this point.”
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How to Make Your Financial Goals a Reality

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Supre Charged Guide to Financial Freedom

Do you have a solid plan that will make your financial goals a reality?

Craig has recently written some excellent articles on how to create SMART goals.  These are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

However, setting financial goals is just the first step.  Once you have your aspirations properly identified, you’ve got to follow a concrete, actionable plan to move from where you are to where you want to be.

You need a map and directions to reach your desired destination, one that lays out your path in a step-by-step manner.

Financial Goals without a Plan are Pointless

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Lending Club Peer to Peer Lending for Investors and Borrowers – Review

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Compare Returns for Lending Club vs Alternatives

Lending Club is an online website that offers a unique borrowing and investing model to individuals who need funds and those who are looking to make some money. Credit-worthy, pre-screened borrowers are paired up with savvy investors in what Lending Club calls a win win situation for all.  Peer to Peer or Person to Person lending is the basis of the site.  Investors sign up to make money and borrowers sign up to reduce their cost of paying back debt.  In summary, investors fund loans for approved borrowers.  Borrowers save over bank interest rates and investors profit with returns as high at 9% annually (about the average).

Information for Investors


Lending ClubInvestors make their money from Lending Club when they invest in 3 to 5 year notes.  Investors get to choose which notes they want to purchase by looking through selection criteria.  Once you purchase a note you will then begin to receive monthly payments directly from Lending Club as the note is being paid back by the borrower.  Lending Club will take 1% of each payment for their fee and you get to keep the rest.  You make your money on the interest collected.  Since 2007, when Lending Club was launched, investors have earned, on average, a net annualized return of 9.5%.
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Shred Your Credit Card – Giving Away Over $2000 to See You Destroy Your Credit Card

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Shred Your Credit Card

Are you sick of your credit card? A lot of people are!  Now you have a chance to win cash prizes by destroying your credit card.

Perkstreet Financial and Lending Club are teaming up to help people end their reliance on credit cards. They are declaring January 31,2011 Shred Your Credit Card Day.  When credit isn’t used wisely it can snowball into tremendous debt.  Perkstreet and Lending Club want you to know there are alternatives to using a credit and that you can end your debt!

Shred Your Credit CardFrom December 15th, 2010 through January 29th, 2011, can can enter a video of yourself destroying your credit card(s) or why you are done with credit in 2011. Upload the video to ShredYourCreditCard.com and you can be entered to win!

Why you should participate (from the ShredYourCreditCard site):

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