How do you define fiasco? One definition might be the Economic Stimulus Payment from the IRS and the H&R Block Emerald Card. Those taxpayers who’ve filed with H&R Block and opted to get their tax refund through the H&R Block Emerald Cards are scratching their heads. Will they get their stimulus check [...]

Why Debt is Risky

April 23, 2008 | 1 Comment

Debt is bad because with debt comes risk. Debt is risky for businesses and people. Debt, if used correctly, can be powerful tool. However, in too many cases, debt is used improperly and the consequences are unhappiness, stress, bankruptcy and divorce.
Attitudes About Debt Have Changed
I’ve already talked about how our attitudes about [...]

I am not a fan of debt. Most of the good financial gurus will tell you to pay off your debt. Debt is a tool to use when there are no other options. Unfortunately, I think the attitude toward debt has changed for the worse.
The Debt Industry
There is a debt industry in [...]

FICO scores don’t matter to wealthy people. I know, that sounds like heresy but it’s true. The truly wealthy (or those that will be wealthy someday) know that their credit scores (and credit bureaus) really don’t matter in the long run.
Wealthy People Don’t Worry About Credit Scores
A FICO score or any credit [...]

Many personal finance sites love to pick on credit cards. The credit card industry is an easy target. Don’t get me wrong, some of the reputation is well deserved. However, the savvy and disciplined consumer can take advantage of credit cards. Like any tool, credit cards, used responsibly, can make life [...]

Online purchases can be risky. Using a credit card is one sure way to mitigate the risks of making purchases online. Contrary to popular belief credit cards can be a consumer’s best friend when it comes to protecting themselves from dishonest or downright incompetent merchants, online or otherwise.
I’ve found that credit cards are [...]