"No payments for twelve months" screams the ad for that great-looking living room you've been eyeing. If that's the case, you figure, then why not furnish the rest of your home while you're at it? After all, you can enjoy your new furniture for a year without paying a dime. But before you sign the sales agreement, take a moment to look at the fine print. When you see the interest rate, you may do some screaming of your own. Rates of 22% and even more are becoming increasingly common in "no money up front" deals. The same holds true...

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Debit cards are a good choice if managing money and your credit is a problem for you. Debit cards are linked to your checking account. You can use them as credit cards if they contain a Visa or MasterCard logo on them. They don’t incur annual fees or interest charges like a credit card does because they use the money in your checking account to make payments. With that said, are debit cards as good a choice as they seem? Debit cards teach you to manage money if you had trouble in the past with credit cards....

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Plastic money is accepted everywhere these days. Many merchants even prefer it to checks. That’s why your new debit Visa or MasterCard is such a convenience. The merchant runs it through like a credit card, but the funds come out of your bank account like a check. And therein lays the danger. If someone else gets hold of your card, they don't need your PIN to use it. They can charge things simply by forging your signature. Before you even know it, the money has disappeared from your checking account. Unlike a disputed credit card bill that you can simply refuse...

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If you have gotten over your head in credit card debt you are not alone. According to the FTC, there are four basic methods you can use to assist you with this: Credit Counseling, Debt Management Programs, Debt Consolidation, or Bankruptcy. While bankruptcy should only be considered only as a last choice, let’s review the first three programs that may be of significant help to you if you are in debt. 1) Credit Counseling: By selecting a reputable credit counseling service and talking with certified counselors, you may have the opportunity to learn how to budget properly and maintain...

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