I remember the first day I realized I was not going to be able to keep the credit card roulette juggling in the air anymore.   I had gotten myself in way over my head—running up credit card balances to fund … Continue reading →

Just recently I read a couple of disturbing articles in the New York Times about debt.  Helaine Olen’s January 2nd opinion column suggests that the reason we’re in debt and can’t save is because of unaddressed social policy issues—things like … Continue reading →

When I was a kid we had a phrase for stuff that fell apart, or things we bought that turned out to be no good.  “It’s a lemon,” my father would say about a bad used car.  “That thing’s a … Continue reading →

The other day I was on a hike with friends of mine who were bemoaning the fact that they were taking on large—no, rewrite that, huge— amounts of debt to put their son through a very expensive private college.  Eight … Continue reading →

Here’s a startling fact:  44% of small business owners use credit card debt to fund their business expenses.  And here’s another scary bit of data:  40% of middle-income and lower-middle income families—many of whom run small businesses—use credit cards to … Continue reading →

So you’ve admitted that they two of you have a problem.  You’ve got high-level debt or even low-ticket-but-annoying debt balances that are ruining your ability to relax, to have a good time, to enjoy each other.  There may have been … Continue reading →

Yes, you’re reading that headline dead-on.  Having a Spending Plan for the two of you is an absolute, mind-blowing aphrodisiac.  It’s what?  You say.  What on God’s green earth does money have to do with our sensual life? I say, … Continue reading →

So, it’s the season of it, isn’t it?  We need to get away, we can’t really afford a big swanky event vacation, so maybe we choose something likely to be less expensive—say Colorado instead of the Caribbean.  But because we … Continue reading →

So you say you can’t keep track of your money because you’re a couple?  “He always…” and “She never…” and all of those excuses that get you nowhere?  And if you’re both spiraling in debt, any conversation about your joint … Continue reading →

It took a long time for me to admit that I was in terrible trouble with debt—that debt had become a constant, central part of my adult life and the debt-free days had been limited if non-existent.  Certainly I could … Continue reading →