Many of your clients don’t have a lot of consumer debt and their credit scores are great. So what credit advice can I offer them?   I’d encourage them to take advantage of their excellent credit to make the most of their reward credit cards. And if they use credit cards but don’t have a [...]

I am sure that planners, like me, often hear from consumers with challenging debt or financial problems. Sometimes there are no simple solutions. But other times there are programs or services that can make a big difference. Here are four credit resources that can help many more people than they currently are.   Income Based [...]

Last year, I wrote an article about what consumers can do if they get a 1099-C form, the form used by lenders to report income for cancelled debts. This year, I was deluged with comments and questions from readers who have received 1099-Cs and don’t know what to do.   In particular, a number of [...]

A good friend tells me she’ll be happy to bid 2011 goodbye. It’s been a rocky year for her financially but things are looking up for next year. She’s not alone – I am hearing somewhat better news from other friends and colleagues.   With that in mind, here are my thoughts about what’s likely [...]

You’ve heard of the concept of “other people’s money”? Lately, I seem to be getting a lot of questions and complaints about “other people’s debts.” These questions/complaints fall into three categories:   Debts of deceased relatives Debt collection calls for the wrong person Debts of ex-spouses   Debts of Deceased Relatives   A recent CNN [...]