alirealtor asked:


I have about $71,000 in credit card debt. It’s a combination of lotsa medical debt and rolling over lots of other stuff. Don’t judge, I already know I’m in trouble.

I have NEVER been late on a payment (on anything, ever). The debt is spread over 5 cards and ALL BALANCES are at 3% interest or lower. The balances are such $32,000, $14,000, $10,000, $10,000 and $5,000. On these I pay $470, $300, $200, $150, and $150 per month. I also have 2 other cards available with $30k limits each – in case balance transfer is suggested by someone.

With the housing market as it is, I cannot get a home equity loan to consolidate debt. I also have $20k in student loans.

My monthly bills are making it so I CANNOT make ends meet. Rather than have any missed payments or late payments, I put groceries and gas back on the credit card I’ve just paid on time. This is NOT RIGHT, but I don’t know how to stop this evil cycle I’ve gotten myself into.

I buy generic, cut coupons, conserve electric and water, and penny pinch like crazy. I pay extra on bills when I can, but that bites me in the ass when auto insurance or HOA dues come around and I don’t have any money saved and just end up putting those on the credit card again.

Any suggestions?

- I’ve always had a great credit rating, despite my credit card debt. I’m not sure if a consolidation loan or trying to settle on a few cards would be the best bet. I have no collateral to offer for a consolidation loan. I’ve already ebay-ed everything I can for some living expenses cash. And IF I could get a credit card to settle (which I doubt they would because I’ve never made a late payment), I have absolutely no cash lying around to pay the settlement amount…so prior to trying to settle, I’d probably want to get that cash from a totally different credit card and have it ready to pay the settlement amount.

ACK! What has happened to me?? Please help with good suggestions and not yell at me for falling into this mess – my stress level and health has already suffered due to this mess. Thank you.

runawayluv asked:


Is there anything I can do if I feel im the victim of predatory lending? I signed for a car loan that I knew was a bit too steep of a payment for me even at the time (I was “gainfully employed”). I was very surprised when I was approved. I paid my car note faithfully until I ran into trouble in December.
The problem is, I also took out a consolidation loan to payoff some credit cards (& close them), and opened up another card within the same lending institution, giving me a total of (3) three loans with the same bank.

I have enough cash to pay my car loan up to date so my car is not repossessed, however, the bank is saying if I dont pay ALL THREE loans up to date, they will still reposess my car!!! In other words, they are treating all three “loans” (one is a credit card mind you) as if they were one big loan.

I have every intention of bringing all three loans current just as soon as feasibly possible. Ive been hitting the pavement HARD since I was laid off in July of last year. I just cant find a job. I even started night school and took out student loans to supplement my unemployment to keep the lights on ya know. This is frustrating beyond belief because ive worked my a$$ off since I was 15 and value my credit rating very much.

I just think that budling these three loans is predatory and a little shady.

Does anyone have any advise?

aimsterrr asked:


Yes, it’s true. I fell for the gimmicks and ended up with a few credit cards with all types of debt as well as a student loan. The majority of my debt is school related (books) or auto-repair related (tires, batteries, brakes, misc.). I have been kind of doing the whole college thing by figuring it out myself and wasn’t aware/no one told me student loans were a better choice than credit (my fault) until it was too late.

I’ve graduated from a 4 year institution, one more year of taking classes, then will be headed to California in Summer 2010 to get a house/apt/condo with a friend and get my teacher credentials at CSU San Marcos so I can teach elementary school.

A: How can I REALLY start paying off this debt (aside from starting with paying for everything in cash/with debit like I’ve been doing)? I am scared I will never be able to pay it all off. What are my other options beside debt consolidation which I’ve read can really mess up your credit?
B: With this much debt, what is the likelihood that my friend (has little to no debt) and myself will be able to get a place relatively affordable while we are both going to school (especially if either of our parents can/need to cosign)? We want to live between Oceanside and San Marcos in North San Diego County if that is helpful or possible.
C: Any other financial advice given my situation?

And please, avoid cutting remarks about my “naive collegiate/financial stupidity”. I’m well aware of the consequences for my choices and you should keep in mind I have had little to no help in making these decisions because neither of my parents went to college/are financially savvy. I do feel foolish, and am simply asking for help/advice.

Anything would be greatly appreciated.

jaytee asked:


I am an Honours student studying accountancy. As part of my coursework I am required to do a research dissertation. This questionnaire is to get an idea of peoples view on debt. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

1. Are You?(Male/Female)

2..What is your age?
(a)18-24
(b)25-30
(c)30+

3. Are you married?(Y/N)

4. Do you have any children?(Y/N)

5. What does your debt consist of?
(a)Mortgage
(b)Overdraft
(c)Loans/Car loans/Hire purchase
(d)Credit/store card debt
(e)Student debt
(f)Borrowings from family/friends
(g)None

6. What is your credit rating?
(a)Excellent
(b)Fair
(c)Poor
(d)Don’t know

7. How many credit cards do you own?
(a)none
(b)1
(c)2
(d)3
(e)4 or more

8. Which statement best describes on how often you use your credit card(s) in a week? (leave blank if you don’t own a credit card)
(a) only use it when I have no cash
(a)three times a week, sometimes more
(b)whenever I want to buy something

9. Which statement best describes your financial situation during your last 18 months? (Please pick one)
(a)Managing fairly well
(b)Finding it a struggle to keep up with payments from time-to-time
(c)Having serious financial problems keeping up with payments

10. How much of the outstanding balance on the credit card do you pay each month? (Leave blank if you do not use credit cards)
(a)The minimum payment
(b)Pay what I can afford to
(c)Pay the full outstanding balance

11. Do you prioritise your payments by paying off those balances with the highest interest rates?(Y/N)

12. Which statement best describes your borrowing behaviour during your last 18 months? (Please pick one)
(a)Borrowed more than what I could afford
(b)Can afford to borrow more if I wanted to
(c)Consider your borrowings to be just about right

13. Which statement best describes your spending behaviour during your last 18 months? (Please pick one)
(a)I would rather save than spend
(b)I prefer to buy things on credit
(c)I would buy even if could not really afford them
(d)I would save up in order to buy

14. Do you save a proportion of your income?(Y/N)

15. Have you considered debt consolidation?(Y/N)
If NO, why not?
(a)Time consuming
(b)Don’t know where to start
(c)Too much hassle
(d)Other, please state …………………………………………………………………………

16. Have you considered cutting back on spending to reduce debt?(Y/N)

17. Do you expect any improvement in your financial position this time next year? (Y/N)

Anonykris asked:


Or does it just seem that way?

Kaylea asked:


1: Which was NOT a major success of Reconstruction in the South?
an end to racist government policies
the transformation into an industralized, urban region
an end to tensions between the North and South
all of the above

2: The main goal of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction was to
prevent African Americans from exercising their rights
gain control of the state legislatures
restore the Confederacy
improve the conditions for poor whites

3: The Fourteenth Amendment was part of a series of laws that
changed the way a President could hire government officials
ensured the civil rights of African Americans
restored the balance of power between the President and Congress
shifted the balance of power in favor of the Supreme Court

4: Reconstruction succeeded in rebuilding many of the South’s
plantations
forts
railroads
banks

5: The expansion of American industry was sparked mainly by
public welfare programs
technological advances and financial investments
a decline in productivity in Europe
government involvement in the economy

6: One thing a person could do in 1900 but not in 1865 was
ride on a train
sew a dress
play a phonograph
read at night

7: How did John D. Rockefeller gain control of the oil industry?
He formed a trust.
He practiced vertical consolidation.
He joined a cartel.
He practiced free trade.

8: The nation’s first major labor strike was begun by
railway workers angered about wage cuts and unsafe trains
steel workers upset by the use of scabs
women protesting lack of advancement in factories
Pinkerton agents who threw a bomb at police

9: What was the one key requirement that applicants had to meet to receive land under the Homestead Act?
They had to live on the land all year long.
They had to farm the land for five years in a row.
They had to file a claim with a bank.
They had to wheel portable cabins from plot to plot

10: What was a major incentive in the settling of the West?
the legal, private ownership of land
the award of large land grants to the railroads
the desire to limit slavery
the refuge offered for outlaws and the oppressed

11: One reason that the United States became more urban during the late 1800s is that
farm machines and factory-made goods reduced the need for farm labor
nobody wanted to live on farms anymore
immigrants did not know how to do farm work
union organizing of farm workers had not yet begun

12: Where did European immigrants often settle in the United States?
in western railroad towns
in their ports of entry
in the South
near lakes

13: Prohibition groups saw a link between drinking and
abuses by big business
lower public morals
anti-Asian feelings
high tariffs

14: Reformers who tried to solve social problems by helping the needy believed that
immoral behavior should be punished by deportation
stricter laws were needed to discourage unacceptable behavior
prosperous Americans should lead reform efforts
the cultures of immigrant groups should be respected

15: During the late 1800s and early 1900s, what segment of American society was most likely to attend college?
wealthy white men
New Englanders
gifted students
middle-class women

16: During the early 1900s, most African Americans who went to college attended
fully integrated universities
African American colleges
religious-based schools
separate branches of white colleges

17: How did southern states keep African Americans from gaining political power?
lynching
segregation
voting restrictions
de facto discrimination

18: Why was the Open Door Policy important to the United States?
It gave the United States territory in China
It gave the United States access to millions of consumers in China
It increased Chinese investments in the United States
It kept European goods out of China

19: The United States followed a policy of expansionism in the late 1800s because
European nations were eager to sell rights to their colonies
many Americans were demanding high-quality foreign goods
US factories needed foreign laborers
the nation sought more markets for its goods

20: The first action of the Spanish-American War took place in
the Philippines
the Gulf of Mexico
the harbor at Santiago, Cuba
Puerto Rico

21: Among Latin Americans, United States actions related to the Panama Canal created
hope for a prosperous future
ill will toward the United States
calls for Roosevelt’s impeachment
a long-lasting economic crisis

22: Progressivism was halted by
the efforts of the NAACP
World War I
the repeal of the prohibition amendment
the victory of the Bull Moose Party

23: Which belief was held by most Progressives?
The government should be more accountable to its citizens.
Housing and healthcare should remain private.
The government should protect agricultural interests.
The government should intervene in unfair business practices.

24: One goal that Progressives did not seek was
the moral improvement of society
the reduction of government corruption
a ban on strikes
child labor laws

25: One way reformers hoped to end corruption in government was to
establish an income tax
give voters more direct say in lawmaking
provide more welfare services
use the army to oust political machines

26: The platform of the Bull Moose Party supported
unregulated competition
the 12-hour work day
women’s suffrage
a Federal Trade Commission

27: Under the terms of the Sussex pledge, the German government promised that
the German navy would not attack any American ships
German ships would not blockade Britain and France
German U-boats would warn ships before attacking
the German army would never invade Russia

28: The United States decided to enter World War I in response to
Germany’s return to unrestricted submarine warfare
France’s fall to the Central Powers
the Czar’s growing support in Russia
a filibuster by United States senators

29: German submarines aimed to atack ships that were carrying
weapons to the Allies
passengers to the United States
food to the Central Powers
oil to Mexico

30: At the Paris Peace Conference, President Wilson’s program for peace
angered the Russians
met no resistance among the Allies
was backed only by France
underwent several changes

31: After Wilson presented the treaty to the United States Senate,
the Senate ratified it
only the “irreconcilables” backed it
the Senate rejected it
only the “reservationists” backed it

32: One result of Prohibition during the 1920s was
an increase in alcoholism
a decline in dancing and socializing
the rise of organized crime
the creation of urban artistic colonies

33: Which of the following was a long-term effect of Prohibition?
the consumer economy
the growth of organized crime
an end to alcoholism in the United States
the rise of fundamentalism

34: William Jennings Bryan took up the cause of fundamentalist Christians
at speakeasies in Chicago
on new buses to the suburbs
at the Scopes trial
in Hollywood studios

35: Key features of Republican administrations of the 1920s included
expansionism and business regulation
isolationism and laissez-faire business policy
a buildup of armaments and armed forces
reduction of quotas and increased immigration

36: Why did many Americans fear Vladimir I. Lenin and his followers, the Bolsheviks?
They promoted a system that was hostile to American values
They refused to pay back Russia’s war debts
They had abolished the Russian monarchy
They encouraged other nations to reject socialism

37: Generally, the 1920s were marked by
rising farm prices
rising stock prices
falling production
falling wages

38: One sign that the economy might be weakening in the 1920s was
uneven distribution of national wealth
underproduction of consumer goods
an increase in personal savings
the collapse of large corporations

39: Which statement best describes the American economy in the 1920s?
Wages decreased and the economy appeared weak
Unemployment was at an all-time high
Stock prices rose and the economy appeared healthy
Small businesses dominated American industry

40: In the fall of 1929, a wave of panic selling gripped the stock market as a result of
a sudden fall in stock prices
corruption among stockbrokers
business failures
government limits on speculation

41: Not long after Black Tuesday, the stock market crash was affecting
only those who had invested heavily in stocks
wealthy industrialists almost exculsively
millions of Americans, many of whom had never owned stocks
mainly stockbrokers and banks

42: Why did FDR declare a “bank holiday” early in his administration?
to cut of the use of cash
to weaken the banking industry
to inspect the financial health of the banks
to give people in the banking industry a well-earned vacation

43: Which New Deal agency was created to help businesses?
Federal Reserve Board
National Recovery Administration
Civilian Conservation Corps
Home Owner’s Loan Corporation

44: Which of the following did New Deal programs fail to address?
protection of domestic workers
low prices for agricultural products
the decline of industrial prices
Native Americans’ need for schools, hospitals, and irrigation systems

45: All of the following New Deal agencies still endure today except the
Tennessee Valley Authority
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Civilian Conservation Corps
Securities and Exchange Commission

46: What did Italy, Germany, and Japan have in common in the 1930s?
They overturned traditional governments and established democracies.
They were economic giants and together controlled world trade.
They sought to solve their nations’ problems through conquest
They angered other nations by their persecution of the Jews

47: Although Communists and Fascists have traditionally been enemies, in 1939 which Fascist made a pact with which Communist?
Hitler with Chamberlain
Hitler with Stalin
Hitler with Franco
Stalin with Franco

48: Nazism was an extreme form of
communism
fascism
nationalism
none of the above

49: During the 1930s, the United States focused largely on
preparing for war
domestic affairs
international affairs
international and domestic affairs

50: Congress passed Neutrality Acts that were designed to
support other neutral states around the world
support other nations in the Western Hemisphere
limit international involvement
allow nations to purchase weapons on credit
I know this is a whole lot i have done all this i just dont wanna turn it in untill i know its totally right please helpp &&&& please if you have nothin good to say and if your going to yell at me not comment.. THANX

Jen Z asked:


I have 40k in credit card debt, and 50k in student loans. I have zero assets and rent. I do have a car that is 21/2 years old and a loan that is current because I can’t lose my car. I pay a total of $1100 in credit card bills to make minimum payments. I have attempted consolidation numerous times and transferred balances. However, after the zero percent for a year they go up to 30%! I need out of this mess. I don’t see how at an income of only 36k a year. My credit union turned me down for a loan at a lower interest to consolidate. I work various part-time jobs, but it only stops the additonal need to charge so that I have extra cash for gas, food, and occassional entertainment. I live in NV and the median income to file chapter 7 is 39,500, so I’m below that. I can’t buy a future home on my salary. I have a stable car that should last the next 10 years (camry). I may move to out of the country giving me new credit anyway in the next few years. Any ideas? Thanks.

youresoscene_xxx asked:


The one site I found was http://www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov

Has anyone ever tried that site for their loan consolidation? I didn’t know if I could get away with paying much lower, but I had calculated that my total student loans would be $236 and using that service I would save almost $45 a month and my monthly payments would be $153 plus $40 that I was just gonna pay cash every month since I didn’t defer my loan for $40.

Are there any better sites out there to use? I wasn’t sure if they were all the same or if one was better than the other.

tkbl200 asked:


It says Over 80 Little-known Banks & Companies that offer Bad Credit Loans, Bad Credit Home Loans, Bad Credit Auto Loans, and Bad Credit Personal loans to people with Bad Credit or even a Bankruptcy. Many require absolutely NO COLLATERAL & NO CO-SIGNERS. Home ownership is not required.

Several Little-known Companies offering easy-qualifying Bad Credit Signature loans, Bad Credit Business loans, Bad Credit Student loans, Bad Credit Home Equity loans, Bad Credit Debt Consolidation loans, and Fast-Cash loans. Bad Credit and Bankruptcies welcome.

‘But it wants you to pay a fee of 35$ to recieve the list of lenders, if anyone has used this site please let me know if its legit….thanks

ylh asked:


I will need to consolidate $13k in private loans when I graduate. That’s just a small part of my loans, but the rest are federal. I’m pretty sure I can consolidate my federal without an issue & by myself.

I will need a co-signer for my consolidation of private student loans. My mom is the co-signer on them. If she was able to co-sign the loans, will it be likely she can co-sign the consolidation?

I have 4 years of credit history built up. I’ve never had any late payments on my 3 credit cards. My student loans are in deferrment. I pay my entire blances every month. I don’t have any other credit. My credit report shows all 13 accounts in good standing. When I consolidate, I’ll hopefully be working & will be making at least $30k.

My co-signer, my mom, will have a credit score of 720+ with a $250k mortgage, 10k parent plus loan & income of $75-80k a year. She also pays off her entire balance on her credit cards every month. She doesn’t have car loans, because she paid cash. She also has a lot in liquid assests as well.

On top of this information. What else can I do as a college student to raise my credit score? I’ll keep paying my credit card bills in full, but I’m not sure what else I can do.