Dealing With a Mountain of Debt

Debt is a way of life in America–we lived it and were able to escape. We had a huge mortgage on the dream home we designed and built. We had lots of credit card debt, two car payments and no savings. We were living the American dream, and our marriage was on the brink of […]

8 Steps to Get Out of Debt

If you look on the internet there are millions of suggestions about how to pay off debt. The best way to pay off debt is to understand your current situation, define your goals and work hard to achieve those goals. Let’s boil that down to 8 steps. Understand your current situation. How much money is […]

Challenge Your Expenses

Some people think that the only way to save is to make massive spending cuts and others think the best way to save is to make many small changes. We think it’s both. No reason why you can’t analyze and adjust both the large and small expenses. The first thing is to quit spending money […]

Feeling hopeless about student loans? Start with a theological virtue

By Victoria Sechrist (ConsumerCatholic.com) Part 1 of a 5-Part Series on Student Loans There is no patron saint of student loans specifically, but maybe someday there will be. In the meantime, you can lean on:  Saint Edwiges, patron saint of debtors  Saint Matthew the Apostle, patron saint of finances   Saint Anthony of Padua, known to […]

Should I Invest or Pay Off Debt?

Are you trying to pay off credit card debt, student loan debt, car loans and a home mortgage while at the same time trying to save for retirement? If you’ve been trying to figure out which to tackle first, you’ve probably found all sorts of information about the interest rate on your loans versus the […]

Are You Prepared for the Next Recession?

We aren’t predicting a recession tomorrow. But after such a long “Bull” run there’s bound to be a downturn sooner or later, and now is the best time to prepare your financial life so that you don’t get turned upside down or inside out when it happens. Even a mild recession could cause a lot […]

The Spiritual Impact of Debt

In all the parishes we have visited all over the world, there have only been two or three times when the priest gave a homily on responsible spending and the benefits of avoiding debt. But when he did preach on that subject, he had the full, rapt attention of the congregation. After all, money is […]

26 Weeks Till Christmas

  Breaking News … This year … Christmas will be in December!  As you probably know all too well, the holiday season can be a major financial drain each year. Many of us don’t budget or plan for holiday spending throughout the year.  The result is that Americans whip out the plastic for Christmas spending […]

Don’t Fool Yourself About Your Finances

Let’s face it, looking at your finances and being totally honest about what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong and what you are not doing at all is not on the top of the to-do list for most people. But if you are not taking a realistic look at your finances, you’ll […]

Eliminate Holiday Spending Stress

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday have all come and gone and the Christmas buying season is upon us. Before emptying your wallet and racking up credit card debt, take some time to think through WHY it is so easy to overspend at Christmas by reading the stories below. Maria is a divorced […]