Consumer Finance Blog

Advice, tips, and insights for the average consumer
Americans have credit card debt. Consumer CreditCredit CardsCredit ScoreDebt Relief ProgramsFinancial AdviceFinancial TipsPersonal FinanceUnsecured Debt

Americans Have Credit Card Debt. A Lot of It.

American’s Average Credit Card Debt: How Do You Measure Up?  Despite minor growth in household income levels over the past few years, Americans are still largely burdened by consumer debt. This is by and large due to student loans, mortgage and of course, credit card debt.  According to the Wall…
Consumer First Financial
April 24, 2020
Minimum credit card payments. Credit CardsCredit ScoreDebt Relief ProgramsDebt SettlementFinancial TipsGet Out of DebtPersonal FinanceUnsecured Debt

Making minimum payments on your credit card is like treading water.

The Real Cost of Making Minimum Payments on Your Credit Cards Like any rational consumer, minimizing loss and maximizing gains is the ultimate goal for your finances. A credit card can easily give you a false sense of security, emboldening you to spend when you should be saving. A creditor…
Consumer First Financial
March 10, 2020
7 ways to get your credit card debt under control BankruptcyConsumer CreditCredit CardsCredit ScoreDebt Relief ProgramsFinancial AdviceFinancial TipsGet Out of DebtUnsecured Debt

Get Your Credit Card Debt Under Control With These 7 tips.

How do you know when your credit card debt is out of control? Some consumers consider their credit cards disposable income. In other cases, we put our basic necessities on credit cards just to get by. There’s a variety of reasons why we find ourselves stuck in high interest debt.…
Consumer First Financial
August 26, 2019
Can you settle debt yourself? Consumer CreditCredit CardsDebt Relief ProgramsDebt SettlementFinancial AdviceFinancial TipsGet Out of DebtUnsecured Debt

Settle debt yourself or let an expert debt negotiator help.

Thinking of settling debt yourself? Know what you're up against. Debt can be overwhelming, settling debt yourself can be even more. As a young borrower getting your first credit card is a pretty exciting moment. But, without education and guidance, this credit card debt can quickly become unmanageable. When credit…
Consumer First Financial
July 19, 2019
Avoiding bogus debt relief companies CollectionsDebt Relief ProgramsDebt SettlementFinancial AdviceFinancial TipsPersonal FinanceSaving MoneyUnsecured Debt

How to spot a bogus debt relief company.

There's no shortage of debt relief companies Google search “debt relief companies” and you’ll find countless pages of results. With this many results, it’s almost certain you’ll find some bogus debt relief companies in the mix. Why is there such a demand for debt relief or debt settlement companies? Well,…
Consumer First Financial
June 6, 2019
How long does it take for credit to recover after debt settlement Consumer CreditDebt Relief ProgramsDebt SettlementFinancial AdviceFinancial TipsUnsecured Debt

How long does it take your credit to recover from debt settlement?

Is debt settlement worth the hit my credit may take? When your debt becomes overwhelming, often the best option is to seek a credible debt-relief company. Debt settlement will affect your credit score, and if a company tells you otherwise, they're lying. With that said, the effect settlement can have…
Consumer First Financial
May 14, 2019
What's the real cost of digital subscription BankruptcyConsumer CreditDebt Relief ProgramsFinancial AdviceFinancial TipsPersonal FinanceSaving MoneyUnsecured Debt

Have you added up your digital subscription costs lately? You might be shocked.

Subscriptions aren't just for magazines any more. Monthly payments to digital subscription services are now a part of our regular spending habits. For many, these subscriptions are a separate line item in the monthly budget, at least the ones you can remember. It’s true that these subscription payments are not…
Consumer First Financial
April 22, 2019