student debt

Monday’s need-to-know money news

August 8, 2016 By Liz Weston

Snip20160808_4 Today’s top story: How not to pick a bank. Also in the news: bank accounts that foster independence for disabled people, how to pick the right college to avoid student debt, and newly updated government rules to help homeowners facing foreclosure.

How Not to Pick a Bank
Forget about the free toaster.

ABLE Accounts Help Foster Independence for Disabled People
Building financial independence.

Pick the Right College to Avoid Student Debt
Looking at college as an investment.

The Government Updated Its Rules to Help Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
What’s new from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

April 4, 2016 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: What to buy and what to skip in April. Also in the news: What all those terms and conditions you ignore really mean, how to save for a home when you have student debt, and steps for helping kids become financially savvy.

What to Buy (and Skip) in April
Spending your cash wisely.

What those terms and conditions really say
You could be giving up many consumer protections.

How To Save For A Home When You Have Student Debt
There are ways to manage both.

9 steps to helping kids and teens become financially savvy
A great way to celebrate National Financial Literacy month!

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

March 1, 2016 By Liz Weston

taxes Today’s top story: What you need to look for in a tax professional. Also in the news: Banks made $11 billion dollars in overdraft fees in 2015, strategies for starting out with student debt, and how to balance saving for college and retirement.

What to Look for in a Tax Professional
Finding the right person to trust.

Banks Made $11 Billion From Overdraft Fees Last Year
How much of it was yours?

Strategies For When You’re Starting Out Saddled With Student Debt
Starting off on the right foot.

Balancing Act: Strategically Saving For College And Retirement
Finding a way to do both.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

August 21, 2015 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: Should you pay your medical bills with a credit card? Also in the news: How to avoid grad school debt, getting your bank account back in black, and should colleges be held partly responsible for student loan defaults?

Should You Ever Pay Your Medical Bills With a Credit Card?
Putting co-pays on credit cards.

Grad-School Debt Is Growing. Here’s How To Avoid It
Will your graduate degree pay off in the long run?

Is Your Bank Account in the Red? Here’s What to Do Now
How to get back in black.

Should Colleges Pay for Student Loan Defaults?
Are they partly responsible?

5 Ways to Turn Inertia Into Financial Momentum
Time to get moving.

Don’t pay for student loan help

May 19, 2015 By Liz Weston

I just got another recorded call from a woman who cheerfully told me that my student loans had been “flagged” to qualify for a new federal program, just approved by Congress, to help me pay my debt. The fact that I’ve never had a student loan is, surely, just a minor detail.

People fall for these scams all the time, paying good money to get help they could have found for free. Right now, there’s a free student loan hotline you can call to get your questions answered and find out about your options. It’s available today, tomorrow and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Eastern. Check it out at The Borrowers Hotline.

If you miss the hotline window, you can find answers to your questions at the U.S. Department of Education and at Student Loan Borrower Assistance, a site run by the National Consumer Law Center.