If you’ve ever been in an accident or have been the victim of medical malpractice, you know firsthand that it can turn your life upside down. The financial pinch you might experience due to lost income or medical costs can be even worse. Read the rest

Chapter 12 refers to the chapter in the United States Code that is only available to family farmers and fishermen. It has a similarity to Chapter 13 but specifically covers the above professions and is advantageous only to them. It was made permanent in 2004 after it was renewed just before it was about to expire. The number of persons filing for bankruptcy under this chapter is very small, and this has invited a lot of criticism from experts in this field. Read the rest

Chapter 13 bankruptcy has the advantage over other forms of bankruptcy claims in that it acts somewhat as if it were actually a consolidation loan. With the Chapter 13 type claim, the debtor can, in some instances, retain some of his property while paying off his creditors through the bankruptcy court instead of directly. Read the rest

You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker I can’t be out of money, I still have checks! and chances are you smiled knowingly. This statement, while very amusing, is really quite scary. Checks are only as strong as the money in the account to pay them. Many people find the process of balancing their checkbook each month too much of a hassle. So they periodically check the amount of money in their accounts and then write a check if they guess the balance can cover the check. The surprise comes when someone to whom you wrote a check holds it for many months and then cashes it. Banks make lots of profits off people who bounce checks. If you do not remember how to balance your checkbook, a simple review course follows. With your most recent bank statement in front of you, do this: Read the rest

In a tough economy many people discover that they have a need for more cash. Perhaps they have lost their job or have a family member who has lost their job. Or their job has cut back their hours or they have not been given a raise they were expecting. Fortunately there are some easy ways to make money - even in a tough economy. Read the rest

Even with a tough economy, your family still needs clothing. Children still grow out of clothing and a family needs clothing for special occasions or different seasons. Sometimes these purchases can feel like a big challenge as you’d rather “make do” with what you have, and you feel frustrated that you have to spend money on new clothing. But you truly can save money on clothing purchases for your family. It simply takes a bit of creativity, practice and planning to learn how to save money on every clothing purchase. But once you get used to saving all of this money — in any economy you’ll be saving lots of money that can go to other places like the kids’ education, vacations or other family needs. Read the rest

With a tough economy, just about everyone is adjusting their budgets. People are making their dollars work longer and harder. One of the toughest things is discovering that you are doing things that are hurting your budget. Read the rest

You’ve probably noticed that food prices have gone up during this tough economy. There are ways that you can save money everytime you shop at the grocery store. You simply need to learn to shop a bit differently and to think ahead when you shop. Planning in this way can often help to save your family money and will give you confidence as you realize you are putting more money in your pockets. Read the rest

It is never too early or too late to teach children how to be smart about money. From the moment they are given their first allowance, it is important that they know the value of money and how to spend and save wisely. Here are some tips on how to teach children to manage their own money. Read the rest

If you are worried about how you are going to pay for your holidays you are not alone. Millions of Americans overextend themselves during the holidays and have no idea how they will pay for it later. One plan that many have adopted is to cut costs on things you pay for all year long. Painless little cutbacks can add up to big bucks toward paying off those holiday overspending bills. Read the rest