My bipolar father will go on crazy consumer debt fueled sprees of spending / gambling. What can we do on a severely limited budget to ensure he doesn't end up homeless or otherwise in major trouble?
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posted by anonymous
on May 28, 2013 -
10 answers
I am freaking out right now because I just got two letters from collections agencies. I should have paid the bills. I know that. I just … didn’t. And I know I’m terrible with money and want to change that, but when I think about money and the giant hole of student debt that I’m in I feel like, what’s the fucking point, and I become overwhelmed with hopelessness and I shut down.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 18, 2013 -
15 answers
My girlfriend is consistently late in paying her month's share of the utilities, and sometimes she doesn't pay it at all. Everything is in my name and I'm worried my credit score is taking a tumble. Please help.
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 12, 2012 -
23 answers
This is embarrassing: I'm 25. I don't know the first thing about credit cards and building credit. I do not have a credit card, and therefore, no credit. Where do I even start?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 12, 2012 -
38 answers
Why is the corporate credit card space seemingly dominated by American Express?
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posted by kanuck
on Nov 27, 2011 -
11 answers
The last eighteen months have been brutal for me and my small company. The company became over-reliant on a single client who then stiffed us for a lot of money. To avoid layoffs, I burned down the company’s reserves, then the company’s credit, then my own savings, and then my own credit. Promised payments never arrived, layoffs ensued anyway, productivity collapsed as staff panicked and I began living a crazy-frugal lifestyle. Meanwhile I worked hard to reboot the firm and project to friends, family and competitors that everything was under control: stress city. Now, today, comes the payment I negotiated. It’s enough to pay off the company’s debts, return me to the payroll and reimburse myself for enough of the money I loaned the firm to pay off my credit cards. But it’s really weird, Metafilter: practical and behaviorial economics questions within.
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 14, 2011 -
14 answers
When I was a dumb 16-year-old, I got a credit card from one of the largest issuers in the US. On the application, I was 100% truthful, except that I added 3 years to my DOB so that I would be over 18. I paid the card off in full, and closed it. I've also filed disputes with credit bureaus to correct my DOB. Are there any other ramifications I'm not considering?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 4, 2010 -
7 answers
Is there a way to distinguish between online payments made from a debt card and a credit card?
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posted by scharpy
on Aug 13, 2010 -
17 answers
Is there a legal time limit after charging a person's credit card by which product MUST be shipped?
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posted by Clytie
on Jul 22, 2010 -
10 answers
I'm developing a comprehensive financial literacy program for medical school students. What are some key issues I should focus on and what are some effective ways to distribute information?
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posted by chara
on Jun 27, 2010 -
9 answers
We've accumulated some credit card debt, about $40k - I have a wild idea to buy a cheap block of land in the countryside (rural Australia) that is surrounded by pretty hills - I've found the spot - for about 50k - I would like to borrow $90k - get the block and pay off our CCs at reasonable interest. Is this madness? Is this fraught in some way?
posted by mattoxic
on Mar 16, 2010 -
20 answers
Here's the deal. I need to use my credit card to get an additional 850 miles QUICKLY to buy an airline ticket. That means, in my card's scenario, that I need to spend $850 (1 point/$spent).
However, I don't want to buy anything. I have heard of some place where you can buy coins, I think it was silver dollars, for a very small premium, and you could use a credit card.
This would be the perfect solution because I'm using my credit card to buy negotiable currency. Anyone familiar with this, or can offer another alternative for me to build miles without having to get 'goods'?
posted by lometogo
on Dec 16, 2009 -
17 answers
Thirty days from being broke. Four in 10 people said their savings would last only 30 days if they lost their job, while 38 per cent said they would have to use credit cards to cover household bills and other essential expenses. Is this just an Aussie thing? I find the trend towards using credit to pay day to day living expenses a bit scary, but how common is it really in your demographic/country/etc? Is living that close to the financial edge the new norm in the Western world?
posted by Lolie
on Jul 15, 2009 -
50 answers
Seeking techniques for aiding/supporting/educating a financially irresponsible spouse who talks the talk but won't walk the walk.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 3, 2009 -
27 answers
What are the BEST credit card offers with values like cash back and other perks? I have excellent credit now, and want to buck up on credit now as I will be losing my job in August. I pay it off monthly. It's time the banks work for ME instead of THEM.
Clark Howard was not helpful.
posted by ~Sushma~
on May 28, 2009 -
15 answers
Need to find a company to fix my credit score and rating. I didn't understand years back when I had a credit card and kind of messed it up. Please help.
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posted by minsid
on May 20, 2009 -
9 answers
Is there a single resource that I can read to get an undertanding of the USian "money culture"?
As a European, I am puzzled by many things I read aroung the Internets about the way personal finance appears to be handled in the US.
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posted by themel
on Apr 9, 2009 -
46 answers
I was born in the US, lived in Canada for ten years, and moved back to the States last year. While I was in Canada, I built up a solid credit rating- I had two credit cards, an unsecured line of credit with low interest (7%) and overdraft protection on my checking account up to $3,500. At one point when I was underemployed I built up some credit card debt, but I payed it off. Last year, when I moved back to the US for grad school, I got into a bad pattern of leaning on my credit cards and low-interest line of credit to pay for moving and start up expenses. This June, the world financial collapse coincided with one of my own- I was employed super part time, was making around $750 a month and was struggling to pay rent and buy $20 worth of groceries a week. I just couldn't pay my debt, and I paid very minimally, then not at all. I know I probably should have called the bank and tried to work something out, but what can I say- I panicked and froze. Currently, my total debt load is $14,000 on the line of credit, $3,700 on the overdraft and $1,400 on my Visa.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 13, 2009 -
6 answers
Someone near to me has recently recognised, and begun to address, a serious problem with debt. The debt is not a result of extravagant spending; it seems to stem from persistently bad decisions about consumer credit, and a habit of repaying loans with other loans.
So... once the debt has been consolidated and the credit cards have been destroyed, what measures can this person take to ensure they never, ever get into debt again? Is it possible to voluntarily ban oneself from being offered credit?
The person is in Australia.
posted by anonymous
on Dec 30, 2008 -
9 answers
Traditional wisdom suggests that saving money while in debt is a bad idea: you pay hundreds of times more in finance charges on money you owe than you would get in interest on money you save. Under this scenario, your "safety net", at least until you are debt-free, would be the credit lines you are clearing out. However, in a response to a Lifehacker comment I made outlining this traditional wisdom, someone replied that given the financial crisis, companies could then lower your credit limit, regardless of cause, killing your safety net. Given this, is the traditional wisdom now wrong?
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posted by WCityMike
on Oct 13, 2008 -
19 answers
I have this money-making idea in mind, and I wanted to test its potential viability and profitability with some of you who may know more about banking and credit cards...
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posted by Christ, what an asshole
on Apr 28, 2008 -
15 answers
Recommendations for a financial advisor/accountant for a young couple in NYC?
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posted by scazza
on Jan 30, 2008 -
2 answers
I am trying to build up my credit. I would like to pay my rent by charging my credit card and then paying it off each month. Is there a service that will mail a check for you by charging a card? Can any one thing how to make this work?
posted by Morgangr
on Jan 6, 2008 -
11 answers
How can I set up a system for allowing fraternity members to pay their dues by credit card without shelling out cash for a service? Any legal issues?
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posted by deeman
on Nov 15, 2007 -
7 answers
Beyond the obvious (Google and MeFi searches have been done), what can I do to restore my credit over the next 2 and half years?
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posted by The Deej
on Jul 7, 2007 -
9 answers
I am in my 20's, have no debt and have no need for a loan; should I get one anyways to help my credit?
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posted by MrBCID
on Jun 23, 2007 -
18 answers
Bad Credit Filter: When I was 19/20 years old, my credit was ruined. It's nearly 7 years later, are these charges going to disappear, or is that just an urban legend?
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posted by idledebonair
on Feb 20, 2007 -
40 answers
So... Debt collectors are calling, and I'm not sure if they're acting within the law. Please advise.
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posted by ganzhimself
on Jan 20, 2007 -
13 answers
Cheap Money Filter: I've got a moderate amount of credit card debt right now ($15k), at reasonable but not great rates (13-18%). I'll be making more money in the upcoming year, and the debt load is manageable, but I want to explore trading these loans with an unsecured line-of-credit type loan or some other loan. Advice? Suggestions on where to get a good rate (i.e. got any good junk mail lately)?
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posted by zpousman
on Jan 10, 2007 -
15 answers
