Households are carrying record levels of debt. Balances climbed to $18.04 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data.

Olivia Peluso is an experienced journalist with over 1,500 published stories across personal finance, economics, and public policy. Pekic / Getty Images Tax refunds aren't free money. They're ...

Struggling to pay down your debt? You’re not alone: Despite increasing growth in income, delinquent balances continue to ...

According to an Experian consumer debt study, the average debt of Americans in 2024, including mortgages, credit cards, and auto, personal and student loans was $105,056. Tackling thousands of dollars ...

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Figuring out when to take out a loan, pay cash, use leverage, or pass when something isn't affordable. Unpacking good vs bad debt. Myth: you should always pay cash if you can. Fact: investors should ...

Life doesn't always go according to plan, and that applies to finances too. For many Americans, unexpected medical bills or simply the accumulated weight of high-interest debt can create financial ...

By avoiding these missteps when tackling debt, you could save yourself a lot in terms of stress, time and money.

Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) have lower interest rates than credit cards. That can lead some homeowners to use them to pay down large credit card bills. But this method ...

Banks are pitching home-equity lines of credit as a cheaper form of borrowing as Federal Reserve rate cuts could lower HELOC rates to the mid-6% range, according to one estimate An increasing number ...