attn:money » debt

ADD & Marriage: Non-ADD Spouses Who “Give Too Much”

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:31:18 +0000

Perhaps he spends too much money . Perhaps he doesn’t pay enough attention to you, your kids or what he’s supposed to be doing for the family (too distracted).

Who are these DIY bank execs?

Nick Kaye — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:14:27 +0000

saw a headline today: “Bank of America May Need $34 Billion in New Capital” WAIT, isn’t that just another way of saying: “Bank of America Fails To The Tune of At Least $34 Billion Dollars” And in a parallel dimension the same “story” might headline thus: “All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Cached; Please Restock” Who are these DIY bank execs? [...]

Read the fine print on that loan!

Attn:Money — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:14:54 +0000

“Students’ First Lesson: Beware Loans’ Fine Print” headlines this NY Times article: “Private student loans have become more attractive in this economy, but financial disclosures in the market are uneven.”

Addressing “education loans”

edsax — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:04:49 +0000

Are you addressing the “education loans” in the book? I find it predatory that these lenders offer what they call college loans at the rates and terms offered up.

Parental Bailouts

Ken Kaye — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:20:49 +0000

Different kinds and degrees of debt demand different kinds of intervention. But let’s begin with the general question: Is it wise to bail our adult children out of trouble they got themselves into? Or should one let them bear the consequences, so they learn?

Unless this is a long-term chronic problem, grab your bailing bucket. Absolutely. The lessons taught by overwhelming debt aren’t taught any better by letting a bad crisis become hopeless. Debt isn’t like water standing three feet deep in a basement, which has ruined the books and games stored there but will eventually flow away again and leave the owner with some cleaning up to do. It’s a rising flood, threatening to carry off the whole house—literally. Left alone, it doesn’t go away, it just gets deeper.

Projecting the Impact of Debt

Ken Kaye — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:18:28 +0000

Although Jack would like to renew the lease on his studio apartment, he is facing the fact that he is broke, and needs parental EMT: Emergency Money Treatment. He has an invitation to move into a cheaper one-bedroom apartment, sharing the rent with his younger brother. He already owes his parents $400. He owes his girlfriend, Anne, $600. He has a small monthly car payment and a moderate student loan payment, but the big problem his parents only just learned about is a growing MasterCard balance.

MBAs in Denial

Ken Kaye — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:00:31 +0000

I overheard two young men in the locker room. One said, “I’m going to have to get my limit raised on my VISA.”