The Latest Breaking News from CFPB

We Ran Avalanche vs. Snowball on the Same $30,000 Debt — The Cheaper Method Isn’t the One Most People Finish

The debt avalanche and debt snowball start with the same pile of $30,000, yet they attack it from completely different directions. One targets the highest interest rate first, while the other wipes out the smallest balance first.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 29

Woman Spends $1,176 on Takeaways in One Month, Then Takes Out Payday Loan to Keep Ordering Food

A woman reportedly spent $1,176 on takeout, then took out a payday loan after her husband restricted access to their finances, escalating a marriage dispute.

International Business Times UK · Sep 29

A 0% Credit Card Offer Lasts 18 Months — How Much Do You Need to Pay Every Month to Beat the Deadline?

An 18-month 0% APR credit card offer gives a balance a temporary vacation from interest. It does not, however, make the balance disappear.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 28

Past 800, Lenders Stop Raising Your Limit — Where Chasing More Points Quietly Costs You Money

An 800-plus credit score can put a borrower in an enviable position, yet that number does not guarantee another credit-limit increase. Lenders consider more than a score when deciding how much credit to extend, and pushing for a few additional points can create costs that outweigh the benefit.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 27

That $450 Car Payment Is Really $900: The Four Costs Lenders Leave Out of Affordability Math

A $450 car payment tells you what the lender expects each month. It does not tell you what the vehicle will actually cost to keep parked in the driveway and moving down the road.

Clever Dude · Sep 26

Marrying Someone With Debt in 2026: When Their Balance Becomes Legally Yours — And What It Does to Your Joint Mortgage Rate

Getting married does not automatically make one spouse legally responsible for every credit card, student loan, or personal loan the other spouse brought into the relationship. But once the couple applies for a mortgage together, those old balances can suddenly become part of the lender’s calculation.

Clever Dude · Sep 26

A Lower Monthly Payment Can Make Debt More Expensive — Here’s the Math

A lower monthly payment can make a loan easier to fit into a budget, but it can also stretch the debt across more months and increase the interest bill. The payment that looks friendlier on a lender’s screen may cost much more by the time the balance reaches zero.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 26

A Spouse Dies With Bills on Autopay — Which Payments Should You Stop First?

When a spouse dies, the checking account doesn’t know that the household has changed. Streaming subscriptions, insurance premiums, credit cards, gym memberships, utilities, loans, and...

Saving Advice · Sep 25

8 Purchases Wealthy People Pay Cash For—And the Interest Math That Explains Why

People with substantial wealth do not automatically avoid loans. They often use credit strategically, especially when borrowing costs stay low or the money can remain invested. But some purchases make a very different kind of sense when the buyer can simply write the check, transfer the money, or pay the…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 25

Your Credit Score Went Up—And That’s Exactly When Lenders Get You to Borrow Badly

A higher credit score can make borrowing cheaper and easier. It can also make borrowing harder to resist.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 25