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How to Kill Your Fear of Debt 02/11/2019 07:00pm • After her husband nearly died from complications following surgery, Liz Gendreau and her family decided to become completely debt-free. The goal was to protect themselves in case something similar happened again, says Gendreau, who is 38. After repaying high-interest debt, Gendreau tackled her mortg How to Deal With Debt Collectors 02/11/2019 07:00pm • Debt collectors are a necessary evil in the U.S. credit system, but in some cases, their tactics can be predatory or even illegal. If you've been contacted by a debt collector for a past-due balance, going into the process blindly can give the collection agency the upper hand. Instead, educate yours How to Pick Stocks: 7 Things You Should Know 02/10/2019 07:00pm • Do homework before buying shares.Not all investors are big into stock picking. Many portfolios include a few stocks that the investor thinks have potential (and that pay dividends). When you decide to try your hand at stock picking, it's important to do your homework. You want a good value -- especi What Is an Excellent Credit Score? 02/10/2019 07:00pm • You might be surprised to hear this, but as of April 2017, the average FICO score was 700. This was the first time the average score reached 700. But that's not the only surprise. Would you believe that 20.7 percent of consumers actually have a credit score of more than 800? I think we can all agre My Take: Vacation or debt relief? What a terrible choice. 02/08/2019 12:05am • It's not just social media and avocado toasts. For one generation, there is such a thing as burnout. Do Personal Loans Help or Hurt Your Credit Score? 02/07/2019 07:00pm • As with all financial information that appears on a consumer credit report, a personal loan will be calculated into your credit scores. Whether the loan will result in higher or lower scores, however, depends on a variety of factors. Generally, opening a personal loan will help your credit score if How Do Balance Transfers Affect Your Credit? 02/07/2019 07:00pm • A balance transfer credit card can be an excellent tool to pay off high-interest debt. But if you're not careful, you could pile up more debt instead of paying it off and drag down your credit score. A balance transfer affects several variables that influence your credit score, for better or for wo How to Build a Balance Sheet 02/07/2019 07:00pm • While you may consider a balance sheet to be an essential financial statement for a company, assessing your own personal assets, equity and wealth in a well-laid-out financial report is equally important. Typically updated at least once a year, these financial documents outline how much someone owns What Is a Medical Credit Card? 02/06/2019 07:00pm • If your health insurance doesn't cover a medical procedure you need, you might find yourself with a medical bill that you're unsure how to pay. One option your health care provider might offer is a medical credit card. Though it might seem like a good deal at first, especially if you have few payme How to Use Gold in Your Portfolio During Bear Markets 02/06/2019 07:00pm • Gold is regaining its sparkle in an uncertain market with renewed attention to this ancient asset as a portfolio diversifier. The yellow metal is often seen as a safe-haven asset much like U.S. Treasury bonds or cash, an investment that retains value when riskier assets fall. Along with stock marke Personal Loan vs. Home Equity Loan: Which Is Better? 02/06/2019 07:00pm • Loans, especially personal and home equity loans, can be a good way to pay for a major home project or handle a financial emergency. But before you apply for either type of loan -- or an alternative, such as a home equity line of credit -- do some research and decide which option best suits your nee 8 Best Grocery Stocks in the Discount Decade 02/05/2019 07:00pm • Here are eight grocery stocks that Bank of America loves.Bank of America analyst Robert Ohmes recently put together his version of a grocery and food stock shopping list for long-term investors. Ohmes says the key theme in the grocery space remains what he calls the "discount store decade," an exten How to Get Student Debt From the TEACH Grant Forgiven 02/05/2019 07:00pm • In recent years, there has been an increase in demand and a decrease in supply of teachers for high-need areas and subjects such as reading specialists, mathematics and science. In an effort to attract more teachers, the U.S. Department of Education established the Teacher Education Assistance for C How to Check Your Child's Credit Report 02/04/2019 07:00pm • As a parent, you want to protect your child from all of life's perils. While you might be on the lookout for bullies and strangers, fraud and identity theft might not be on your radar. But they should be. "Risk is part of parenting," says Trevor Buxton, certified fraud examiner and assistant vice p Why Investors Put Bonds in a Portfolio 02/04/2019 07:00pm • If there's one thing investors know about investing, it's just how much investors don't know. First, a hawkish Federal Reserve goes dovish on interest rates, which markets love. But trade war talks with China sputter and stagger, which markets hate. General Motors Co. (ticker: GM) has begun massive