In the News

By: Kiplinger Advisor Collective | Source: Kiplinger Advisor Collective

“Yes, you need a will, but what about your remains? With a funeral costing around $8,000 in the U.S., you can save your loved ones stress and money if you’re clear about what you want and set aside enough money to cover the expense. You don’t want your heirs trying to decipher your wishes based on previous conversations, and you definitely don’t want them paying for your funeral after you’re gone.”

By: Donna Fuscaldo | Source: Kiplinger Personal Finance

“Best of all, there’s no obligation. You can hang up and walk away with that debt analysis, which can help you figure out your next steps,” “I’ve been a debt counselor for three decades now, and retirement debt is one of the saddest situations I see. There’s simply no time for any other solution except hiring a professional to help.”

By: Kiplinger Advisor Collective | Source: Kiplinger

“You shouldn’t buy a home until you pay off all, or at least most, of your credit cards. It simply makes no sense to search for the best mortgage rates of 6% to 9% when you’re paying 25% or more on your credit cards. Buying a home is expensive but so is maintaining one. If you can’t pay off those cards, then you can’t, say, fix a leaky sink without adding even more to your balances.”

By: Alisa Wolfson | Source: MarketWatch

“I’ve had clients who drive for miles to find the cheapest gas, but they don’t put in the same effort to find an affordable mortgage. The reason is simple, homebuying is complicated and it’s easy to get overwhelmed to the point that you simply rely on your bank for a mortgage,” s

By: KIPLINGER ADVISOR COLLECTIVE | Source: Kiplinger

“Don’t blend everything. To keep a healthy marriage, keep some money for yourself. If your partner craves the latest iPhone and you collect rare comic books, you don’t need to fight. Instead, budget for both. Agree on how much ‘fun money’ you two will set aside, whether it’s a percentage of salary or a dollar figure. That won’t stop each of you from being judgy, but it will stop you from arguing.”

By: Adriana Morga | Source: Florida Realtors

“You should talk about money, lifestyle, goals and dreams,” he said. “Because (money) affects your dreams, and if you go into a relationship with debt, your dreams may be altered.”

By: Pete Grieve | Source: Money

“If you’re forced to take a loan out right now, it probably should be a variable, in my opinion,” says Howard Dvorkin, founder of Debt.com.

By: Alisa Wolfson | Source: Market Watch

It also may be — depending on the details of your situation — that you want to declare bankruptcy, says certified public accountant (CPA), Howard Dvorkin, chairman of Debt.com. “Bankruptcy was created just for these situations, when good people are stuck in a bad place. In this instance, it doesn’t matter how diligent you are and how hard you’re willing to work to get out of debt. The blunt truth is that your physical body and your financial situation cannot be overcome by sheer force of will. You need to speak with a bankruptcy attorney,” says Dvorkin.

By: Adam Bulger | Source: Fatherly

“There’s no question in my mind that we’re in a recession,” Howard Dvorkin, Chairman of Debt.com and personal finance guide, says. “Maybe the economic and technical definitions of a recession haven’t hit yet but we’re there.”

By: Michael Tedder | Source: The Street

But here’s the thing, it’s entirely possible that we’re already in a recession, and just don’t know it yet, according to Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com. Economists define a recession as two consecutive quarters of negative growth – which means production drops and unemployment rises. There’s a problem baked into that definition: You can’t know for sure if you’re in a recession for almost six months,” says Dvorkin. “We can read the tea leaves and make educated guesses, but we can’t confirm those until two quarters are nearly over. By then, of course, it’s too late to prepare.”

By: Elizabeth Gravier | Source: CNBC

Howard Dvorkin of Debt.com recommends looking at recurring charges such as unused gym memberships or subscriptions.

By: Mark Huffman | Source: Consumer Affairs

For would-be buyers, it may also turn out to be an opportunity if the market softens. Howard Dvorkin, a CPA and chairman of Florida-based Debt.com, says this is no time for buyers to take on a debt that may prove to be unmanageable. “If you find yourself saying out loud, ‘I think I can stretch my budget to buy this home,’ don’t do it,” Dvorkin told ConsumerAffairs. “Your budget will be stretched after you buy a home. Don’t forget all the background expenses that go into a just-bought home – from taxes to furnishings, from repairs to maintenance.”