Real Life Debt: The Personal Finance BlogReal life stories of people just like you dealing with credit cards, mortgages, student loans, debt, finances and bankruptcies.Break the student loan cycle in college- June 16, 2008 Look, just because the majority of scholarships are geared toward high school juniors and seniors does not mean your search for scholarships should end with your child's graduation from high school. Your kid can get scholarships (free money for college) during their college years as well. And guess what Other kids are not competing for these scholarships and grants so winning them are much easier.http://www.reallifedebt.com/break-the-student-loan-cycle-in-college-8127.html Insurance is NOT the end-game.- June 10, 2008 When I was very young, just out of my teen, I met a wise man at Bob's Big Boy Restaurant. I know, I know you find it hard to believe that you could have a life changing conversation at a burger stand -- but I did. Hey, don't belittle my experience! The wise man was a widower. His wife had just died the past year. While sitting at the counter, eating greasy burgers and ketchup, soggy fries, he told me a truth that many people are not aware of . . .http://www.reallifedebt.com/insurance-is-not-the-endgame-8112.html Want good credit Be on time . . .- June 9, 2008 You want to have good credit, you really do . . .but, some times the bills . . . there are so many of them, darn it. Send your payment two days tardy (after the due date) you get a 30 day late mark on your credit report. And then the next bill has a late payment finance charge tacked on to it. This can happen so easily, and we all know that no one is perfect, how do you keep track of your bills when you have so many Well, you can do a few things to help yourself:http://www.reallifedebt.com/want-good-credit-be-on-time-8111.html Buying a Foreclosure Could Cause Bad Neighbors- June 7, 2008 Wow, my friends just bought a four bedroom, 2 bathroom house at one-third the price it would have cost them just two years ago. We are all happy for them . . . and they are so cute because they are so proud of themselves for their great financial find. They bucked the system. When everyone was saying, "Buy now or you'll be priced out forever!" They quietly saved their money and waited for the prices of real estate to fall. And now they can't wait to tell everyone they meet about buying...http://www.reallifedebt.com/buying-a-foreclosure-could-cause-bad-neighbors-8099.html The Best Way to Vanquish Debt - Step 4- June 4, 2008 Student loans, they have very low interest and many financial pros will tell you . . . don't worry about getting rid of these loans. Financial columnists will tell you that having these loans on your credit report will help your credit score. Their advice: just leave this debt alone. That's cute, real cute -- but here's my argument.http://www.reallifedebt.com/the-best-way-to-vanquish-debt-step-4-8098.html |