Author: National Debt Relief
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Credit Card Addiction: How to Recognize the Signs and Break the Cycle
You may have gotten a credit card to cover financial emergencies, stretch your money between paychecks or earn rewards points. But what starts as a useful financial tool can contribute to an out-of-control spending pattern. People sometimes use the phr…
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Debt Settlement by State: Where Does Your State Rank?
A 2026 study by EY (Ernst & Young) breaks down debt settlement by state, showing where clients live, how much debt they settled, and how much they saved. Commissioned by the Association for Consumer Debt Relief (ACDR), a debt relief industry trade …
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What Percentage of Take-Home Pay Should Go Toward Rent?
There’s a rule that gets thrown around a lot: don’t spend more than 30% of your income on rent. It sounds simple until you actually do the math and realize there are two possible numbers: gross income and take-home pay. The 30% rule is a guideline, not…
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Who Is Debt Settlement For?
A 2026 study by EY (Ernst & Young), one of the Big Four accounting firms that also provides consulting and economic research services, offers a detailed picture of who uses debt settlement. Commissioned by the Association for Consumer Debt Relief (…
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What Is a Consumer Loan and How Does Consumer Lending Work?
A consumer loan is credit you use for personal, family, or household purposes rather than business use. It can help pay for planned expenses, large purchases, emergencies, education, or existing debt, and you repay what you borrow with interest. Consum…
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How Much Are Debt Settlement Fees?
Anyone weighing debt settlement wants to know what the fees will be, and a 2026 study from EY (Ernst & Young), one of the Big Four accounting firms, puts hard numbers on them. Drawing on data for an estimated 4.3 million clients who enrolled from 2…
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How Long Does Debt Settlement Take?
A 2026 study by EY (Ernst & Young), one of the Big Four accounting firms, looked at an estimated 4.3 million debt settlement clients who enrolled from 2016 to 2022. The Association for Consumer Debt Relief (ACDR), a debt relief industry trade group…
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Are 529 Contributions Pre-Tax or Post-Tax?
If you’re considering a 529 plan for college savings, you might be wondering whether contributions are pre-tax or post-tax. The answer is that 529 contributions are generally post-tax for federal purposes. You don’t get a federal tax deduction fo…
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How to Apply for Nonprofit Student Loan Forgiveness
If you work for a nonprofit and you’re carrying student debt, you’ve probably heard someone mention “loan forgiveness” in passing. The idea is real, but the path from “working for a nonprofit” to actually having loan…
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What Is the Interest Rate on a 401(k) Loan? Here’s What to Expect
If you’re considering borrowing from your 401(k), you’re probably wondering about the interest rate. Will it be cheap? Will it hurt your retirement? The answer is more nuanced than “low rate = good deal.” The interest rate matte…