Monday’s need-to-know money news

AA-hommeToday’s top story: How to discover what personal finance nerds know. Also in the news: How to get a judgment off of your credit report, the high cost of college tuition convenience fees, and what’s really behind all of your financial fears.

10 Things Only Personal Finance Nerds Would Understand
We could all stand to be a little nerdy when it comes to personal finance.

How to Get a Judgment off Your Credit Report
Difficult but not impossible.

Is Convenience When Paying Your Tuition Worth a 2.62% Fee?
Not when it could add up to over $1000 a year.

Common Money Fears and How to Get Over Them
What’s really behind those nagging financial fears?

Five apps to help you organize your personal finances
Something to do on your phone that isn’t Candy Crush.

Why some debtors don’t get sued

Dear Liz: You recently answered a question from a business owner who defaulted on some credit card accounts and wanted to know how to pay these old debts. How is it that this person has not been subjected to numerous judgments on the cards in question? In fact, how could he or she have proceeded in business without being subjected to garnishment of accounts?

Answer: To get a judgment and a garnishment, the credit card company or a subsequent collector typically must sue the borrower in court. Different collectors have different policies about when to file such lawsuits. Sometimes they decide it’s not worth the hassle given the slim chances of collecting. However, many collectors also regularly check’ credit reports to see if a debtor’s financial circumstances seem to be improving. If they see signs of such improvement, they may renew collection attempts, including lawsuits.