TheLoop21.com

Money Counts Banner
Buried in debt? How to get out without getting scammed
07/08/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
Plenty of companies will promise you a sure way out of your mountain of debt.

Debt relief companies are aggressively advertising on the radio, television, and the Internet – and some are even calling your home – hawking their alleged ability to eliminate your debt.

Here’s a word to the wise: You’ve already made some financial mistakes. Don’t make another one by getting duped by a debt-elimination scam. You’ll only find yourself with less money, more debt, and a worse credit score.

Read my full column on how to avoid getting scammed here.

Read More

Scottie Pippen and Method Man have money troubles, you can be smarter
07/01/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
With two more celebrities in the news this week because of their finances being in disarray, one thing seems woefully clear: It just seems impossible for Black folks to escape financial slavery.

While we should be creating and amassing wealth, and accessing and distributing capital, we are instead stymied by paying bills on time, buying stuff we can’t afford, and not paying our taxes. It may be the 21st Century, but financial freedom is still a long way off for some of us.

Read my column on how blacks can break free of the shackles of financial slavery here.

Read More

How banks make bank when you pay with debit
07/01/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
Paying with your debit card is so easy, right? But banks are making billions when you swipe, charging retailers swipe fees that are passed off to consumers through higher prices.

Read my column on this insidious practice here.

Read More

Kids are expensive, know what you're getting yourself into
06/17/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
Raising a child costs around $160,000, not counting college. Better have a financial plan before you start making babies. Read my column here.

Read More

It's not morbid to prepare for your own death
06/10/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
No matter how old you are, it's a good idea to plan what could happen if you die. Gary Coleman had the sense to leave a will, you should too. Read my column on the subject here.

Read More

Tax deniers like Wesley Snipes can get into hot water
06/03/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
Paying taxes is no fun. Not paying them is worse, since it could land you in jail. Read my column this week on how to avoid becoming like Wesley Snipes.

Read More

Your credit score may not be color blind
05/27/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
Your credit score can determine whether you get a loan or even a new job. Read my column on the latest news on credit scores here.

Read More

Credit cards can still rip you off, we need more reform
05/20/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
As lawmakers in the Senate continue to spar and bicker over a financial reform bill, they missed an opportunity to finally put the consumer first. Late Wednesday, the Senate voted 60 to 35 to reject a proposal that would have provided a major perk for consumers – a virtual cap on credit card interest rates.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, prepared an amendment that would have eliminated a loophole that permits big credit card lenders to avoid state law interest rate caps.

Read More

Nips and tucks can help build your savings
05/13/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
Have you ever wondered how sports stars lose nearly every dime of the millions they earn during their careers? The answer is simple: They buy dumb stuff. But while most of us can’t afford Evander Holyfield’s 54,000 square-foot house with 17 bathrooms or Mike Tyson’s $2 million bathtub, we often are just as reckless with our current income as these athletes were with their millions.

The rule of thumb for not losing it all is to stop spending everything you make, stop spending more than you make, and – most importantly - save.

According to TheLoop21.com’s 2010 Economic Survey of Black America, 58.3 percent of respondents said they “urgently” need to build up emergency savings and 90.5 percent said they planned to save for emergencies in the next 12 months.

Read More

Your personal debt clock is ticking
05/06/2010
by Shanon D. Murray
At the close of business each day, a bewildering tweet shows up on my Twitter feed – the latest tally of how much the United States owes, according to the privately funded National Debt Clock in midtown Manhattan. Currently it totals an estimated $12,945,669,754,626.40, and tomorrow it will be up or down a few billion dollars. 

What an imposing amount - $12.9 trillion. It took generations to build that much debt and it’ll take generations to dig out from under it.

But, more importantly, how many digits would your Personal Debt Clock have?

Many of us have far exceeded our parents’ and grandparents’ generations when it comes to education, world travel, professional advancement, income and debt. The burdens of recession – lost jobs, lost homes, lost retirements, and lost confidence - have been great, and so has our own financial foolishness through the years.

Read More

12next ›last »

Blogosphere

  • Culture Voice The Dream's views on fatherhood are skewed
  • Schooled! "Resegregating" North Carolina's schools?
  • Post-Race? The Curious Case of Alvin Greene
  • Money Counts Buried in debt? How to get out without getting scammed

theloop Twitter

twittercomment
    • That is why MN Short Sale has formed a group of experts from different fields to help those homeowne... On Seven tips to shave down your spending painlessly (almost)
    • He wasn't an equal co-conspirator, the plan was totally and entirely Shoshanna's plan. It was really... On The five most beloved Black sidekicks
    • I think that the selection of responses to the poll question are very narrow and designed to shape a... On Why Aren’t More Black Musicians Boycotting Arizona?
    • Sex and the City movie #1. Jennifer Hudson's character. ... On The Black sidekick: Want your character to shine?
    • register
    • login

    Search

    • rss
    • twitter
    • faceboook
    • myspace
    • black
    • Home
    • News
    • Money
    • Politics
    • Culture&Society
    • Entertainment

    right-menu

    • Videos
    • Blogs
    • Community
    Hot Topics
    • This Week's News
    • NAACP
    • Personal Finance
    • Black Women
    • LeBron James
    • Oil Spill Gulf Of Mexico
    • Shirley Sherrod
    • HOME
    • MONEY
    • POLITICS
    • CULTURE & SOCIETY
    • ENTERTAINMENT

    imageIn the Loop

    • Videos
    • Blogs
    • Photo Galleries
    • Loop Scoops

    imageCommunity

    • Sign Up
    • Login
    • Discuss
    • Polls

    imageThe Loop21

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Work for Us
    • Advertise with Us

    imageMore

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    imageConnect with us:

    • image
    • image
    • image
    • image
    • image
    Go Up?

    Copyright© TheLoop21 All Rights Reserved