Are You OverExtended?

Are you managing your debt, or is it managing you? Practical guidance for managing personal debt and credit.

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  • Spending more than paying off
  • Trouble paying bills
  • Buying without down payments
  • Maxed out credit lines
  • Retirement not properly funded
  • No payoff strategy
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Recent Articles

How Auto Debt Becomes Overextended and What It Costs You
Auto Debt

How Auto Debt Becomes Overextended and What It Costs You

A car can feel like freedom. It gets you to work, school, and family. But when the loan behind that car grows faster than your ability to pay, auto...

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How Your Payment-to-Income Ratio Shapes What You Can Afford
Payment-to-Income Ratio

How Your Payment-to-Income Ratio Shapes What You Can Afford

Payment-to-income ratio is one of the most practical numbers in personal finance. It compares the money you owe each month to the money you bring in...

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Why You Keep Swiping: How Present Bias Hurts Your Credit
Behavioral Economics

Why You Keep Swiping: How Present Bias Hurts Your Credit

You have a credit card in your wallet. You see a pair of shoes you love. You know you shouldn’t buy them because you’re trying to pay down your...

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How Subscription Creep Turns Lifestyle Inflation Into Credit Card Debt
Lifestyle Inflation

How Subscription Creep Turns Lifestyle Inflation Into Credit Card Debt

Lifestyle inflation is easy to miss because it rarely arrives as one big purchase. It usually shows up as a series of small upgrades that feel...

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Video

Consumer Credit Tips

Each video breaks down one practical way to get out from under debt and stay there — straightforward advice on credit, budgeting, and the habits that keep you from getting overextended again.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

After an account becomes severely delinquent (usually around 180 days past due), the original creditor may write it off as a loss and either sell the debt to a collection agency for a fraction of its value or hire an agency on a contingency basis to collect it.

In many states, yes. Making a payment, or even sometimes acknowledging the debt, can restart the clock on the statute of limitations, which is the time period a creditor has to sue you to collect the debt. Be very cautious before making any partial payment.

A higher credit limit can improve your credit utilization ratio if you don't use it for new spending. However, ensure the limit is high enough to accommodate the balance you wish to transfer.

Do both simultaneously if possible. Contribute enough to your employer's 401(k) to get the full match (it's free money), then aggressively tackle high-interest debt. For low-interest federal student loans, a balanced approach is often better than sacrificing retirement savings.

It diverts funds from critical goals like retirement savings, emergency funds, and debt repayment, delaying financial independence and creating long-term vulnerability.