One-third of Canadians say they cannot cover their bills and debt payments, while more than half state they are $200 or less away from being unable to cover their financial obligations, according to a new survey. The latest results from the MNP Consumer Debt Index—gauging Canadians’ attitudes toward consumer debt and their ability to pay…

A new study has found that Australians are significantly racking up more debts to cope with high inflation compared to last year. According to research by the financial comparison website Finder, an average Australian consumer currently accumulates a debt of $20,238 (US$13,500), up from $18,301 a year ago. This figure does not include mortgages and…

I could be wrong, but I’m going to guess you’ve made a money blunder or two in your life. For many of us, it was a nonstop series of blunders that finally brought us to our financial knees. But I’m not talking about the kind of blunders that got us into trouble. We could list…

Got debt? I could be wrong, but if you’re revolving a big credit card balance, I’m guessing at least some of it is holiday related. Sadly, holiday debt can hang on long after the gifts are forgotten. So, what’s the problem here? Procrastination. When it comes to Christmas, the longer you wait to shop, the…

Our kids are fortunate to be growing up in the most progressive and exciting time in history. Sadly, the very culture that offers them the world is also perpetrating this lie: “You are entitled to have everything you want, even if you don’t have the money to pay for it. It’s not a problem. You…

It’s mailbag day, when I reach into my virtual mailbag and pull out a few questions from my dear readers, attempting to respond with specific help and resources. Dear Cheapskate: How can I find a good financial counselor? We are not covering our monthly obligations and falling further and further behind. I am a nervous…

Dear Mary: My wife and I made a terrible mistake and bought a house that I don’t think we can afford. We dumped all of our money from the sale of our last home into it and now we have run out of money. It is not even close to being done. My wife is…

Homebuyers shopping for a house in the current market can only daydream about the rock-bottom mortgage rates that were available during the peak of the pandemic. The latest Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index reveals that merely 17% of the general public considers it a favorable time to purchase a house. This is likely due…

I have been told if you attempt to pop a frog into a pot of boiling water, he’ll jump out every time. But if you put the little fellow into a pot of cold water, set it on a low flame, and warm it slowly, he’ll sit back, relax and let you cook him to…

Dear Cheapskate: This is petty perhaps, but how does one ever completely pay off a credit card account? We paid off a credit card recently (Hallelujah!) by sending a check for the exact amount of the balance due taken from the monthly statement. The following month we received a bill for $1.91—all of it a…