Personal Finance and Budgets

The US Government's Federal Trade Commission offers a lot of information on managing your finances, including credit, debt, home ownership, money management, retirement and estate planning and more. There is even information on pet medication, do not call signup, identity theft, you name it. Lots of good information. For example:
Credit and Debt: How to file bankruptcy, car loans-beware, personal credit help, file a complaint against credit card companies, etc
Home ownership information, mortgage resources
Bank complaints, charities,
Retirement and estate planning, planning a funeral


Having a personal budget is an absolute MUST!! This site shows you how to start a budget and manage your money better with free budgeting worksheets, frugal recipes, homemade gifts and thousands of tips to help you save money all through the year.

Predatory Lending

As reported by the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center:

Predatory lending is the practice of making loans to consumers who have little ability to repay the loan. It involves the use of deceptive and/or high-cost consumer loans and equity-stripping mortgages. Predatory lenders exploit borrowers by charging extremely high interest and fees. A common element of all predatory loans is exploiting a consumer’s ability to repay. Predatory lending includes both:

* Technically legal, but high-cost, loans

* Outright fraud through deceptive sales practices

Common examples of predatory lending practices include:

* Payday loans

* Car title loans

* Tax refund anticipation loans

* Check-cashing stores

* Pawnshop loans

* Subprime lending institutions

* Home improvement scams

Targets of Predatory Lenders

Predatory lenders often target desperate groups who need money immediately and can’t wait, can’t qualify for or distrust traditional bank loans. Some target groups include:

* Elderly consumers

* Minorities

* Young soldiers

* People with limited education

* Desperate homeowners

* People needing immediate cash

* People with weak credit records

* People living beyond their means

Beware of these Red Flags of Predatory Loans

* Frequent refinancing. Predatory lenders often encourage borrowers to refinance an existing loan into a bigger, longer-term loan, often with a higher interest rate. This is called loan flipping. Fees are charged for each loan.

* Lending more than borrowers can afford. Borrowers are allowed, even encouraged, to borrow more than they can afford. When borrowers are unable to pay, the lender encourages them to refinance or forecloses, often taking away the borrower’s home and the home equity they have spent years building.