Our deficit and our debt are at record levels, even compared to WWII. Then, the debt was financed internally, not by other countries, so the interest we could pay was lower and the money was recycled in the U.S. Now, the debt and deficit are mostly financed by other countries through bond offerings and the like. And as they grow, those debtor countries will want higher interest rates on repayments, which drains money out of the U.S. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind on Oct 5, 2009 - 4 answers

Help me figure out my options for a small (~$4000) student loan. [more inside]
posted by rossination on Sep 30, 2009 - 7 answers

I'm looking for a financial coach, someone who can help me develop better financial habits. Does such a thing exist? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 12, 2009 - 12 answers

Credit Card debt for teh first time in my life, I'm lost as to what my options are. [more inside]
posted by bluehermit on Aug 4, 2009 - 20 answers

Credit card charge off: pay in full or accept settlement offer? [more inside]
posted by Nickel on Aug 3, 2009 - 5 answers

Seeking techniques for aiding/supporting/educating a financially irresponsible spouse who talks the talk but won't walk the walk. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 3, 2009 - 27 answers

So, I have about 25,000 I'm about to receive a bit from a settlement. With additional savings I have, I will actually have about $30,000 total.This is basically all my money, period- other than that I live hand to mouth. I also owe about 10,000 in student loans. I'd really like to get rid of those loans. However, would it actually make more sense to put my money in a high yielding savings account? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 20, 2009 - 31 answers

I just got served papers showing that I am being sued for university tuition. What next? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 19, 2009 - 13 answers

Debtfilter: Employer provides signing bonus structured as forgivable loan (forgiven if employee stays with firm long enough). Employee leaves soon after, and employer seeks to collect on loan. Employee is now a broke grad student, so employer offers to defer collection of loan until grad school is complete. Question: If length of time in grad school exceeds state statute of limitations on original loan, does this mean the loan will discharge itself before it can be collected? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 7, 2009 - 16 answers

This moving out thing, uh...how do I do this (financially)? [more inside]
posted by sixcolors on Apr 6, 2009 - 37 answers

What would happen if the United States defaulted on all of its debt, or simply said 'Screw off, I ain't payin!'. I know nothing about global finance, economics and power, but would like to understand what would happen if the U.S. could or would not repay its debt. If I default on a loan, someone is going to kick me out of my house. If the U.S. defaults on its loan, who would do the taking away, and what exactly would they take? [more inside]
posted by kaizen on Mar 25, 2009 - 19 answers

What if I just stopped paying my credit cards? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 12, 2009 - 16 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. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 13, 2009 - 6 answers

I'm upside down in my house, have about $38k in CC debt. I make good money, but wanna try to find a faster way to recovery. Most the consolidators want my situation worse in order to make it better... & they all seem to offer the same basic thing, which i don't think is in my best interest. What is my best move from here? [more inside]
posted by foodybat on Jan 5, 2009 - 20 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

My partner and I need to pay off some debt, and unfortunately we need to dip into our retirement funds. Our tax accountant is on vacation and we can't find the answer to our question. We have two sources–either sell some stock or cash out a couple of short-term IRA CDs. Which is the lesser of two evils? [more inside]
posted by al_fresco on Dec 13, 2008 - 11 answers

[EconomistFilter] Are interest based money systems fundamentally broken? [more inside]
posted by symbollocks on Dec 11, 2008 - 23 answers

An acquaintance of mine insists I owe him $210 for a bong of his I broke. And to come up with the money NOW. Help! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 8, 2008 - 59 answers

Help name my friend's finance business! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 17, 2008 - 13 answers

Recommend any financial crisis blogs written by people who are following all the relevant indicators, or by people involved in the finance industry, who are trying to make sense of the market and economy?
posted by vizsla on Oct 9, 2008 - 12 answers

Should use my mutual funds to pay off my credit card debt? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 10, 2008 - 10 answers

Can I apply for a Stafford loan without going through my school? [more inside]
posted by serazin on Sep 8, 2008 - 3 answers

I'm getting a law degree but I hate being adversarial. Any ideas for something fun to do with this degree? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 18, 2008 - 22 answers

Bridesmaid stress: My friend's wedding is costing ME a huge amount of money (it'll be over a 1000$ all said and done) and I do not have that kind of money to spend on anything. How do I explain this to her? [more inside]
posted by gwenlister on Jul 15, 2008 - 81 answers

I want to close out my 401k (and pay the necessary taxes) so I can pay off some debt. My 401k says I'm not allowed. Why not? Can I change anyone's mind? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 9, 2008 - 14 answers

How do I make medical school affordable? [more inside]
posted by ouchitburns on May 18, 2008 - 7 answers

I have a business idea. For the last 8 month I have day-dreamed about making it happen. I find myself ironing out all the details that would make the business run, but I lack the funding and experience of running a business. There are also personal issues that I keep me from moving on to the next step (not that I know what the next step is). Come on in for the rest… [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 15, 2008 - 10 answers

Is it possible Sallie Mae is scamming me? [more inside]
posted by Jess the Mess on Apr 12, 2008 - 5 answers

If you're enrolled in a debt management plan through Consumer Credit Services but can no longer make your agreed upon payment, how can you get it lowered? [more inside]
posted by coffee and minarets on Apr 11, 2008 - 4 answers

FinanceFilter: Is the money supply contracting, or expanding, after netting all the Fed action, bank closures, mortgage defaults, etc? The dollar falling seems to signal a net increase of money supply, but this is inconsistent with the thesis of a credit or liquidity crunch. If the money supply is growing at a slower rate due to tighter lending practices, shouldn't the dollar be rising, even in the face of Fed-rate cutting? Do we know the net expansion or contraction of the money supply due to the combination of rate cuts and mortgage defaults? [more inside]
posted by Pastabagel on Mar 17, 2008 - 8 answers

How do I pay for grad school? [more inside]
posted by whimsicalnymph on Mar 13, 2008 - 28 answers

Does a student loan in deferment count as debt for the purposes of figuring debt to income ratios in an FHA loan? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Zira on Feb 27, 2008 - 3 answers

How do I get someone to give me money? [more inside]
posted by suedehead on Feb 6, 2008 - 8 answers

Debt collectors are calling about a bill from 6-7 years ago. The bill actually belongs to my father whom I have redirected their inquiries. They keep calling and the billing information they gave to me is my fathers old address but for some reason they have my social security number attached to the bill. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 28, 2008 - 11 answers

I've owed someone some money for many years. I keep forgetting to repay it and then I remember later. Repeat cycle ad infinitum for almost 18 years. Help me figure out how to repay it. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 4, 2008 - 32 answers

I want to pay off my credit card debt once and for all. Is selling mutual funds the best strategy to do this? [more inside]
posted by lolalivia on Jan 3, 2008 - 15 answers

Consider a $3000 past due credit card account, about to be handed over to a collections agency. Is it better to settle for a lesser amount or fight the system? [more inside]
posted by Willie0248 on Oct 9, 2007 - 18 answers

I am looking to work with a credit counselor to manage our debt. Should I get this done before or after I am married next month? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 20, 2007 - 7 answers

How can I prank this evil debt collection company? [more inside]
posted by gum on Aug 9, 2007 - 41 answers

Am I being stupid about money? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 25, 2007 - 22 answers

What is the best method to resolve this debt? Is it possible to have it removed from my credit history entirely? [more inside]
posted by doomtop on Jul 6, 2007 - 17 answers

Is there any way I can get back the money my girlfriend owes me? [more inside]
posted by abkadefgee on Feb 22, 2007 - 101 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)? [more inside]
posted by zpousman on Jan 10, 2007 - 15 answers

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

I will be starting law school next fall, and I have some financial concerns. [more inside]
posted by Pontius Pilate on Dec 28, 2006 - 9 answers

I am 21 and have serious money problems, including a huge debt. The problems are turning into a depression. They affect my ability to commute to work (by car). And now, To top it off, an old friend of mine hung himself 2 days ago. Why? Because of money problems. I dont want to kill myself at all, but I am deeply depressed. Happy Stories, Life Advice, or insight .. all deeply apprecaited. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 5, 2006 - 58 answers

What to do with $1200 more a month? [more inside]
posted by gaspode on Nov 16, 2006 - 23 answers

Like most Americans, my wife and I are struggling with debts. I thought of a great way to eliminate them, but my wife does not agree. What do you think? [more inside]
posted by Monkey0nCrack on Oct 3, 2006 - 42 answers

Well the mixtape worked (together 7 months now), but things are getting difficult as my girlfriends various issues become more and more of a problem. Help me help her. [more inside]
posted by lemonfridge on Jul 20, 2006 - 31 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