Good Debt

"Good debt is investment debt that creates value; for example, student loans, real estate loans, home mortgages and business loans," says Eric Gelb, CEO of Gateway Financial Advisors and author of "Getting Started in Asset Allocation."
Robert D. Manning, a professor of finance at the Rochester Institute of Technology, also recommends taking on debts that are tax-deductible and debts that produce more wealth in t...

   1. Avoid those that demand upfront payment:  A legitimate credit repair service will evaluate your situation thoroughly and do their work, hopefully to your satisfaction, before payment is required. The Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) is a 1997 federal law that forbids credit repair organizations from accepting money from customers until after they have fully performed the services as stipulated on their contract. This is the most common ...

I charge absolutely everything to my credit card. Everything. Even $3 purchases if I can. Why, you ask, in a world where credit cards are "evil", would I do such a thing?

 

I am a credit card junkie (and have been for many years) for a number of reasons:

It builds up a great credit rating. By charging and paying off up to thousands of dollars in expenses each month, I have built up a rock-solid credi...

<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/17/pf/makeover_retirement.moneymag/index.htm">Making a surprise early retirement work</a>

Making a surprise early retirement work
Pat and George Breault, 58 and 62, Northville, Mich. By Paul Keegan and Karen CheneyJune 18, 2010: 6:04 AM ET


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1. 60 Percent Solution. Basically, this budget asks you to fit your regular monthly expenses within 60% of your gross income, so that you have room for savings (long-term and short-term), retirement and spending money (“fun money”). These are the things that most often break a budget, because most people don’t budget for them. Now, your percentage will vary, but the percentages given here are just rough guidelines:
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<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/15/news/economy/credit_card_rates/index.htm">Money.com: Fed limits card fees to $25</a>
By Jennifer Liberto, senior writerJune 15, 2010: 3:54 PM ET


WASHINGTON (CNNMoney.com) -- Most credit card penalties will be limited to $25, and fees for customers who don't use their cards will be eliminated under ...