What is the best way for me to try to get a debt consolidation loan? [more inside]
posted by drjimmy11 on Dec 3, 2009 - 6 answers

Can I persuade my landlord to let me use my security deposit for my last month's rent? If not, what's my next best option? ( I'm dealing with paying my credit card bills too.) [more inside]
posted by lblair on Aug 3, 2009 - 14 answers

I am in debt to the tune of about 20,000 in credit card debt. However, I have great credit, (739) which I've finally cleaned up after a horrible year of ID theft. Most of my debt is on one credit card at 12% APR. I make about 35,000 a year, rent, and don't have any equity or a car. At the rate I can afford to pay at this point (450/month) I'll be in debt for about 8 more years. This seems unreasonable. Should I take out a personal loan, sign up for several low APR credit cards that offer no interest for a year, etc... I live off what I make at this point, and look forward to a credit card-free future. Thanks!
posted by letstrythis on Jul 4, 2009 - 23 answers

DebtFilter: I've been paying a credit counseling company (law firm, actually) $60 a month for the past three years to make my minimum payments to the credit card companies I owe. They lowered my annual interest rate to an average of 10% and threaten that if I cancel their service, my interest rates will reset. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 19, 2009 - 11 answers

Given the current economy, would doing a "charge-off" on my credit cards be a reasonable option, and how would I go about doing it for my biggest benefit? [more inside]
posted by arniec on Nov 16, 2008 - 13 answers

How much credit card debt is too much? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 13, 2008 - 35 answers

Has my friend found a way to make free money? [more inside]
posted by JPowers on Jun 15, 2008 - 25 answers

Should my friend dip into her 401k to pay off credit card debt? [more inside]
posted by JPowers on May 24, 2008 - 12 answers

How do I avoid excessive credit card/ATM fees when traveling in Europe this summer? [more inside]
posted by timory on Mar 19, 2008 - 23 answers

My sister and her husband are in serious debt. My wife and I are going to act as their financial advisors to help them get it together. Can anyone recommend any programs/products we can look into? [more inside]
posted by Chuck Cheeze on Feb 19, 2008 - 39 answers

How do I get a credit card, and which one should I get? [more inside]
posted by brittanyq on Nov 26, 2007 - 15 answers

Is Led Zeppelin worth credit card debt? [more inside]
posted by disaster77 on Oct 1, 2007 - 70 answers

Why would I need $80,000 in credit? [more inside]
posted by backseatpilot on Jan 6, 2007 - 27 answers

I'm afraid to stop carrying my credit card, and because it's so handy and available, it's getting me into more and more debt. [more inside]
posted by willmize on Aug 25, 2006 - 38 answers

SketchyDebtCollectionsFilter: Someone calling and demanding payment on a credit card that was paid off and cancelled in 2002. Fraud? Error? What can be done? [more inside]
posted by moss on Jul 6, 2006 - 16 answers

Credit cards are a trap. My partner and I have been digging out for the last 2 years w/ a Debt Management Plan from a Consumer Credit Counseling Service. We're having a kid and will suffer about 6 months of reduced income as a result. We're already at bare bones to make the huge monthly DMP payment and have no assets. The CCCS had very little to offer - the only real suggestion being that I pull out of the DMP and request a hardship repayment plan from each credit card individually(there are 5). Can anyone share experience of trying this? A consolidation loan is unlikely w/out super-high rates and the total debt is over 30k...
posted by dorcas on Feb 20, 2006 - 15 answers

Trouble with the in-laws: How can I convince my wife that we should not risk bankrupting ourselves to pay off her mother's credit card debt? What should we do to help them get out without endangering our own financial situation? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 27, 2006 - 6 answers

How do i get back onto the credit card list? [more inside]
posted by sophist on Nov 22, 2005 - 14 answers

I need help setting up EXCEL formulas so I can track finances. [more inside]
posted by luneray on Sep 26, 2005 - 9 answers

Should I ask my credit card company not to raise my limit? [more inside]
posted by 445supermag on Jun 1, 2005 - 6 answers

FinancialFilter. I'm looking to consolidate credit card debt and am not sure what my options are. Advice?

I owe about $13,000 on four credit cards (14.9% - 19.9% APR), and about $35,000 on a consolidated student loan (4.5% APR). I've had a checking account with my current bank for over four years, but no savings account. I'm employed full-time, would be willing to close all but one of my credit card accounts when paid off, and although I don't know what my credit rating is, I know it's got to be pretty good. Oh, and I'm female, over thirty, if that matters.

What kind of APR could I expect from a signature loan? Is a signature loan a good idea? Should I leave my student loan as is?
posted by anonymous on Jan 27, 2005 - 11 answers

We have about $4k of credit card debt (the shame), primarily from financing some appliances and car repairs when we moved. So we are considering getting one of those 0% intro credit cards to save on interest while we pay it down.
1. Are there any serious drawbacks to this?
2. Is there an objective review site of credit card companies, something like Amazon user rankings, perhaps?
posted by anonymous on Dec 9, 2004 - 20 answers