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If you’re in the market for a new home, chances are you’ll have to compromise at some point along the way. Maybe you’ll have to commute a little farther than you’d like in order to get the best value for your money, or perhaps you’ll forgo a huge backyard to be closer to the city.

And when it comes to finances, you might find a disparity between how much house you want and how much house you can afford.

Home loans are made against your ability to repay. While the mortgage loan is secured against the house, it is really made against your income. That’s what mortgage lenders look for — income to offset liabilities.

Simply put, the amount of income you need to purchase a house will vary by your payment comfort level, including any other monthly debt obligations you might have.

Important terms

Mortgage payment: Principal, interest, property taxes insurance and mortgage insurance, if needed.

Consumer debts: Minimum payment obligations on things such as auto loans, credit cards, student loans, personal loans and installment loans.

Other debt obligations: Alimony and/or child support or any other court-ordered repayment obligations.

Running the math

Here’s a simple formula to calculate the amount of income you’ll need to purchase a home:

(Target mortgage payment + consumer debts) ÷ .36 = Gross monthly income needed to qualify

Most lenders limit your debt-to-income ratio (how much of your monthly income pays debt) to between 36 percent and 45 percent. While the exact ratio varies by lender and loan type, it’s best to base your calculations on the lower end to ensure that you won’t overextend yourself financially.

So, if your target mortgage payment is $2,000 per month and you have consumer debts of $300 per month, you will need approximately $6,388 gross monthly income to offset your housing expenses and consumer obligations.

Down payment

Your down payment is another important factor in determining how much income you’ll need to buy a home.

Consider the following loan scenario using a purchase price of $300,000 (assuming no other debts) and the current rates on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace.

Conventional loan

  • Down payment: 5 percent ($15,000)
  • Interest rate: 3.26 percent
  • Approximate mortgage payment: $1,770
  • Gross monthly income needed: $4,916

So, at the end of the day, how much income you need to purchase a home is predicated on your monthly income, consumer debt obligations and down payment.

Impact of debt

For every dollar of debt, you will need double that in income. So if you have a $300 car payment, you’ll need at least $600 per month or more in income to offset that debt.

Debt erodes income, and less income translates to less purchasing power.

So, does buying a home make sense?

Yes, so long as the amount you can borrow for your desired purchase price is in sync with your debt obligations and, of course, your down payment.

“How Much Income Do You Need to Buy a House?” was provided by Zillow.com. 

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Agreeing on a single set of goals as a couple can be challenging. While it’s possible that you’ve managed to settle down with someone that happens to be your exact money twin, what’s more likely is that you and your partner will have different money philosophies. As you work towards building your life together, you’ll have to learn how to mesh those differing viewpoints so that you can create joint financial and life goals. These tips will help you do just that.

Commit to Complete Financial Honesty

If you want to create financial goals that work for you both as a couple, you are going to have to be completely honest with each other about money. That means talking about your current financial situation, like how much money you make and how much debt you have. Even if you plan to manage your finances separately, your financial state will have an effect on each other’s lives. It’s better to be honest from the beginning than to have to deal with unexpected surprises later on.

It also means being honest about lifestyle goals and preferences like whether you want to have kids, where you want to live, and how often you like to go on vacation. Your partner should know what a good life looks like to you and vice versa. That way you start to have an idea of what you both want and why you want it.

If you aren’t used to having these kinds of raw conversations about money, it might be uncomfortable at first. But the more #RealMoneyTalk convos you have with your partner, the easier it will get.

Be Prepared to Compromise

If you have a partner, chances are you are already used to doing this, like whose parents’ house to visit for Thanksgiving each year. Deciding on joint financial goals as a couple works the same way. As much as we all wish that we could fit in all of our financial goals in one shot and never have to choose, the reality is that we have to prioritize. There will always be limits to what we can feasibly accomplish financially especially in the short term.

You and your partner will likely have some differing ideas of how you want to spend your money or how quickly you want to accomplish your goals. Even something as simple as where you want to live can be a source of disagreement that you will have to work through. The key here is to be open to modifying your original expectations so that you can fit in the things that matter the most to both of you.

Outline Your Life Goals as Individuals and as a Couple

Taking the time to figure out what you both want as a couple and what you want as individuals helps give both of you perspective. Before you get together to agree on your joint financial goals, you should each take some time separately to write down your goals beforehand. Each of you should make a list of your own personal goals and the goals that you are hoping to accomplish as a couple. The more inclusive the list is, the better. You can always cull the list later.   

Using your two lists as a starting point, get together and start talking through your goals. Do you have any goals in common? Are there goals on there that surprised you? This exercise is a great way to learn some new things about your partner that you might not have known about.

Remember that while you’re only working on financial goals, you’ll want to consider things that may not seem like a financial goal. Many of the things that we think of as bucket list items or life goals, like climbing Kilimanjaro or cruising in retirement, are actually financial goals in disguise. It will cost money to actually make them happen. So be sure to include the not so obvious financial goals in your discussion.

If you find that you and your partner are worlds apart, don’t fret. Figuring out where you both stand is just the beginning. You can always choose to compromise later.  Financial goals change over time and the key is to keep them growing and changing together.

Decide Which Goals Are Most Important to You

Once you have a comprehensive list of goals that you’re both working from, it’s time to start prioritizing. That means you are going to each have to rank which goals matter the most to you and which matter the least. You’ll also want to consider the urgency of the goals and how long it will take to accomplish them.

Prioritizing your goals make it easier to decide which ones to focus on first. It also makes compromising a lot easier because you can choose what is most important to you and what you are willing to give up in order to have it.

Starting from a place of wanting to fit in as many of each other’s top priorities as possible will make it that much easier to decide on your joint financial goals. And if you aren’t able to fit in some of your high priority goals right at the beginning, it gives you both something to work towards as a couple.

Use Real Numbers to Define Your Goals Where Possible

As you work through deciding which financial goals you want to focus on, take some time to estimate exactly how much those goals are going to cost. It’s really easy to get carried away with goals and underestimate how much money or time it will take the accomplish them.

Taking the time to attach a real number to your financial goals makes for more realistic goals.

Use those real numbers in your actual budget to see how your financial goals will affect your day to day lives. A goal that seemed reasonable in theory could turn out to be unbearable in practice because of how it affects the rest of your life. If you set both of your expectations in advance, it will make it a lot easier to stick with your financial goals.

Have Regular Check-Ins to Make Sure You Are On Track

Deciding which goals you want to prioritize as a couple and fitting them into your budget is just the beginning. As time goes on, you might want to add new goals in or you might find that one or both of you don’t actually want the things that you thought you wanted when you initially set your financial goals. That’s okay. People change and goals change too.

Having regular check-ins with each other about your goals will help you adjust your goals as you go so that they continue to reflect your financial goals as a couple.

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We recently hosted a Twitter chat as part of our #RealTalkSeries. And let’s just say, things definitely got real. Many of you joined us to discuss “taboo” and cringe-worthy money questions such as how to improve a bad credit score, who can you borrow money from when you’re broke, and whether college is actually worth the cost.

If you missed it, no worries. We know that life gets busy. So, we captured a few of our favorite tips and chat highlights to help you manage your cash flow and budget in 2016 and beyond. You can also see the entire chat by searching for #RealTalkSeries on Twitter.

#RealTalkSeries Twitter Chat Highlights:

Q: My credit score sucks. How can I improve it? #RealTalkSeries

Q: I’m thinking about opening another credit card. Is there REALLY such a thing as too many credit cards? #RealTalkSeries

Q: SO many people are drowning in student debt. Is college worth the cost anymore?

Q: Love is free, but my wallet says otherwise. How do I talk about $$ with my s/o before it gets out of hand? #RealTalkSeries

Q: I’m broke & I’ve got bills! Who can I borrow money from? #RealTalkSeries

  • The struggle is real! Ideas: Cash advance from your ?, sell off unused items, ask for a cash advance from your job #RealTalkSeries – @GOBankingRates
  • I’m a fan of the Bank of Mom & Dad – if it’s open and solvent. Great rates/easy approval process #RealTalkSeries – @LaurenYoung

Q: Saving for retirement is important, but many people can barely pay rent. Any tips? #RealTalkSeries

Q: And our last Q. It’s a new year and time to take control of my money. What’s your BEST piece of financial advice? #RealTalkSeries

Thanks to everyone who joined including our esteemed panelists for sharing their great personal finance tips and tricks. Get your free soft credit check and take the above tips to heart to start getting into the best financial shape of your life.

Holly Perez – @hperez

Sharon Epperson – @SharonEpperson

Cameron Huddleston          – @CHLebedinsky

Lauren Young – @LaurenYoung

Casey Bond – @Go_Casey

Chelsea Krost – @ChelseaKrost

J Money – @BudgetsAreSexy

Millennial Money Man – @GenYMoneyMan

GOBankingRates – @GOBankingRates

Daily Worth – @DailyWorth

The Simple Dollar – @TheSimpleDollar

Wise Bread – @WiseBread

Refinery 29 – @Refinery29

Money Under 30 – @MoneyUnder30

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Credit Card Debt Relief: 6 Strategies – MintLife Blog

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$1 trillion in credit card debt, there must be a sustainable option to lessen the stress of carrying large debts month over month, year over year. Credit card debt relief is a way to not only get out of seemingly endless debt but also to perhaps bring about a little bit of mental—and ultimately, financial—peace.

Rather than just assuming you can entirely write your debt off with little impact otherwise, it’s important to know the various credit card debt relief options that are available and the different impacts each approach will have on your credit and financial health over the long term.

Keep reading to learn six credit card debt relief strategies, or use the links below to navigate the article.

How to Pursue Credit Card Debt Relief

Seeking credit card debt relief can be an ideal option for those experiencing hardship from life’s unexpected happenings, whether that’s medical bills, a sudden loss of income, or debt that has become excessively difficult to manage. Before deciding on a course of action, it’s important to know the differences between each approach.

Here are six strategies to consider for credit card debt relief:

1. Do-It-Yourself

Credit card debt relief may be able to be reached through a resolute commitment to aggressively paying down debts as quickly as possible. Do-it-yourself options to credit card debt relief require discipline and may not offer the degree of immediate debt relief desired.

If you have a particularly good credit score, you may be able to negotiate a lower interest rate on your cards through individual credit card companies to lessen the burden of debt.

While you’re not necessarily entitled to a lower interest rate, explaining your hardship and mentioning the length of time you’ve been with the credit card company could help secure a better deal, making debt repayment more manageable.

You might also consider taking a new approach to paying down debt by:

  1. The debt snowball approach — paying off the credit card with the smallest interest rate first while making minimum payments on other debts.
  2. The debt avalanche method, which allows for accelerated debt repayment as you put extra money towards the debt with the highest interest rate, while paying the minimum on all other outstanding debts.

The snowball method costs more but can boost confidence in being able to fully tackle paying off one card before moving onto the next.

2. Consolidation

Consolidating debt means combining all outstanding debts you owe to different lenders into a new loan.

Credit card consolidation, while not a method that outright eliminates debt, can be a strategy to help you pay down debt faster. With this option, you’ll only be making one payment a month instead of several— potentially making it easier to keep track of what you owe.

By taking out a low-interest rate loan through a lending institution, you may be able to pay off the majority, if not all, of your high-interest credit card debt.

Another option for consolidation is to do a balance transfer from a high-interest credit card to a credit card with a lower or no interest rate to lessen the burden of interest charges. It’s important to note that this option may come with a fee and doesn’t simply get rid of debt, but it could make the credit card debt relatively easier to pay down.

3. Credit Counseling

Seeking credit counseling, which is usually a free service provided through nonprofit organizations and independent financial agencies, may help lead you in the right direction to achieve credit card debt relief.

  • How it works

Trained counselors can guide you through repayment planning by reviewing your budget, analyzing your debt, and offering recommendations to help find a sustainable debt relief solution.

Counselors simply offer suggestions, making the service free unless you opt to use their help in pursuing a course of action, such as enrolling in a debt management program.

4. Debt Management Program

If you decide to sign up for a debt management program (DMP) through a credit counseling agency, you’ll make a single monthly payment to the agency, and the agency will in turn pay your creditors. With this option, you’ll likely be able to pay off your debts within three to five years, as outlined in your specific debt management plan.

  • Considerations

By enrolling in a debt management plan, you won’t be able to obtain new credit until your debts are paid off. In fact, the credit counseling agency will close your active credit accounts while you complete the plan.

Closing your credit card accounts could negatively impact your credit score in the short-term, but by making regular monthly payments (that you can actually afford), debt management programs may help you find credit card debt relief over time.

5. Debt Settlement

Debt settlement means negotiating with your creditors to pay less on your debt than the amount you actually owe. This agreement is typically arranged by a third party—a debt settlement company—that acts as an intermediary between you and your credit card companies.

  • How it works

In this scenario, you cease making payments directly to the credit card companies and instead pay the debt settlement company, which in turn offers a lump sum payment to appease the creditors.

  • Considerations

This avenue is typically a poor choice for credit card debt relief because as you stop making payments to your creditors, your credit score will not only deteriorate, but credit card companies can also come after you with penalty fees and even legal action for failing to make payments. There could also be tax implications if a large amount of debt is forgiven, because the IRS may consider cancelled or forgiven debt as taxable income.

6. Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy should be reserved as a last resort in extreme cases of credit card debt hardship, as it has serious implications on your credit score.

  • The two most common types of bankruptcy are:
  1. Chapter 7 which forgives your debts on the condition that you liquidate some of your assets to pay creditors.
  2. Chapter 13 in which you enter into a court-arranged debt repayment plan that lasts three to five years, after which your debts are dismissed.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the only true way to avoid paying your debts, as it essentially wipes out outstanding debt entirely and offers a clean slate. Creditors still receive some means of repayment, whether in assets or through the repayment plan, and bankruptcy can offer a way out of otherwise inescapable debt.

Effects of Credit Debt Relief on Your Credit

Depending on which approach you pursue to achieve credit card debt relief, effects on your credit could range from nonexistent to severe damage. Since credit utilization (the amount of outstanding balances you have compared to your credit limit) makes up 30 percent of your credit score, carrying high credit card debt month after month is likely to have a damaging effect on your score.

The self-managed approach to reducing debt may not necessarily hurt your credit, so long as you continue to make regular payments. Credit card consolidation may help you tackle debt faster, possibly leading to a better score in the long run. Credit counseling won’t have a direct impact on your credit unless you decide to act on the advice given, such as signing up for a debt management plan. Depending on the parameters of the specific debt management program you sign up for, DMPs could have either a positive or negative effect on your credit.

On the more extreme end, opting for debt settlement through a third-party has the potential to hurt your credit when you stop making regular payments to credit card companies. Similarly, filing for bankruptcy could critically weaken your creditworthiness and should only be a last resort option, as a Chapter 7 filing stays on your credit report for ten years, while a Chapter 13 will remain for seven years.

The Bottom Line

The best approach to credit card debt relief depends entirely on the individual level of hardship you have in paying back credit card debts. It’s essential to consider the different options to reducing the strain of credit card debt that will work for your lifestyle. Whether you opt to take the do-it-yourself route or find yourself filing for bankruptcy, taking a committed approach to minimizing your debt could lend itself to better financial health in the long run.

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In an ideal world, your monthly cash flow would cover all your expenses — both expected and unexpected — and enable you to reach your financial goals. But financial situations are rarely ever that simple and straightforward.

What happens if something comes up in your life and your monthly budget nor your cash savings can handle the expense? There’s always the option to borrow, and while being in debt isn’t ideal, there are situations where it may make sense.

Before you take out your credit card and rack up a balance, look into other options. A personal loan might be a better financial bet.

What Is a Personal Loan (and Why Get One)?

A personal loan is a type of unsecured loan. “Unsecured” means you don’t put up collateral against the loan. When you take out a personal loan, you’ll typically receive the amount borrowed in a lump sum with fixed payment terms and a set interest rate.

Personal loans may be better options than credit cards because they offer better interest rates. Costing you less can be the biggest benefit, but a personal loan is also a different kind of credit account than a credit card. Managing various types of credit is one small action you can take to improve your credit score.

Keep in mind this is only true if you manage accounts and loans wisely. Here’s how to do so.

How to Manage Your Personal Loan Responsibly

Again, in an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to borrow money or wait a very long period of time to save up to buy what you want. But in real life, things happen and timelines shift. Taking out a personal loan can be an option. You just need to plan and act responsibly with the sum you borrow.

Don’t request more than you can reasonably afford to repay — and don’t take out a loan for a greater amount that what you truly need the money for. Not only do you need to pay that money back, but you’ll need to pay loan origination fees and whatever the interest rate on, making this option more expensive in the long run than simply using cash.

Create a repayment plan and stick to it. Know how much you need to allocate toward repaying your personal loan each month, and make it a priority in your budget. You may need to cut back on some discretionary spending, like meals out and shopping trips, in order to knock that loan out on time.

And before you take out any loan, make sure you fully understand the terms. Understand all the fees associated with the loan, and ask the lender if there are penalties for repaying the loan early.

What About Consolidating Debt with a Personal Loan?

Remember how it may make sense to take a personal loan over racking up credit card debt, thanks to a potentially lower interest rate? If you already have credit card debt across multiple cards and a high debt-to-income ratio, it may make sense to consolidate that debt with a personal loan.

This might be beneficial if you can get a lower interest rate on the personal loan than what you’re paying on your credit cards, and if you could afford the monthly repayment on the personal loan.

Like most other financial products, personal loans can be useful tools — but only if you wield them wisely and responsibly. Before applying for a personal loan, consider your overall financial health with a free credit score and report and consider if this is the right move for you.

Kali Hawlk is a freelance writer and the co-founder of Off The Rails, a free mentorship platform for creative women. She’s passionate about helping others do more with their money, their work, and their lives. Get in touch by tweeting @KaliHawlk.

From the Mint team: Everyone has different needs and desires as it relates to their financial situation. Mint’s new Loan Center has select personal loan and student refinancing options that may suit your needs (and have passed our sniff test!).

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There’s no secret password when it comes to getting a mortgage. But while most people know what to do to get a mortgage — or get a better rate — fewer people give thought about what not to do.

Whether you’re preparing to apply or just got approved, there are perhaps more “don’ts” than “dos” when it comes to getting a mortgage.

New Credit Is Bad Credit

Never apply for any new credit while you’re trying to get a home loan. Opening new credit decreases your net worth by giving you more available debt. This makes you a riskier investment in the eyes of a mortgage lender.

As such, you can suffer from higher interest rates or even get denied a loan. This includes co-signing for other people’s credit, which is the same as applying for your own credit in the eyes of the bank.

Opening new bank accounts and moving money between existing accounts is also a bad idea, even though you aren’t technically applying for any new credit.

And while we’re at it, leasing a car might not be the same as buying one but it also falls under this general category of avoiding new debts.

Quitting Your Job

This one is pretty much a no-brainer. While your credit score and credit history pay a big role when it comes to whether or not you get a mortgage, so does your income.

Quitting your job without having another one lined up is never a good idea, but when you’re applying for a home loan, it’s just about the worst idea out there. Switching careers isn’t the best plan either, even if you have a job waiting for you.

Lenders want to know that you have a steady income stream that (probably) isn’t going anywhere.

Depositing Phantom Funds

Underwriters want to be sure that all funds in your bank accounts are actually yours and not money your parents gave you to make it look like you have more funds than you actually do.

Talk to a mortgage advisor before you put anything into your bank account that doesn’t come from a payroll within 60 days of applying for a mortgage. After 60 days, mortgage lenders are less interested in having a paper trail for everything.

If you’ve just had some kind of cash windfall, keep the money in your mattress until after you’ve closed.

The exception? Properly documented gifts. Talk to your mortgage advisor about creating the right paper trail for gifted money.

Ins and Outs of Credit

Closing old credit accounts can potentially lower your credit score, as the length of your credit history is as important as what you’ve done with your credit. Discuss it with your advisor before you close any outstanding accounts.

The same goes for paying off unsecured credit lines or credit cards while you’re applying for a loan. When you pay off your outstanding consumer credit accounts, you might not be able to use the money for a down payment.

While on the subject of credit cards, we should say that you generally should not be charging significant sums on your credit card before or during the loan application process.

Try and pay off whatever you charge every month. This is because even a few points can make a significant difference in what you pay for your home over the life of the loan in the form of interest.

Discuss your specific situation with your mortgage advisor.

Listen To Your Advisor

If there’s one piece of advice that you should take away from this article, it’s consult closely with your mortgage advisor throughout the process. They’ll be able to tell you what to do and not to do in a manner far more specific to your situation.

Still, be mindful of your credit and remember it is under especially close scrutiny during the mortgage process. Keep your eyes on the prize — your new home.

Nicholas Pell is a personal finance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. He is the last of the die-hard renters. 

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Are you tired of having credit card bills? Do you wish you could get out of debt once and for all?

If you want get out of debt permanently, first consider this: Debt is not a financial problem. Hard to believe, but true.

Debt is actually a personal problem that masquerades in financial clothing. That is why so many people have persistent problems with debt. They look outward for financial solutions, when the true solution is found by looking inward.

Planning a Permanent Debt Solution

Defining your debt problem correctly is critical to solving it.

That is where most debtors run into trouble. They mistakenly define debt as a financial problem and develop financial solutions. That is why their debt returns shortly after paying it off. They fail to identify the root cause of debt, opening the door to repeating the vicious cycle.

For a debt solution to be effective your plan of attack needs to be based on principles that actually work. Unfortunately, when you just pay off your balances you relieve the pain, but the underlying condition that put you in debt in the first place still lurks under the surface, ready to return.

Let’s face it, the real causes of overspending are your personal habits and attitudes. In other words, the true solution is personal — not financial. That is a key, and understanding this principle is what will make or break your success in slaying the debt monster for good.

Masking The Problem

When you get a headache what is the logical response? You reach to the medicine cabinet for immediate pain relief. Unfortunately, the various pills do nothing to cure the underlying disease: they merely treat the symptom. The cause could be excessive stress, brain cancer, dehydration, eye strain, or any number of other issues. By taking a pill you’ve treated the symptom — not the underlying cause.

The same is true with debt. Everyone knows they need to make more and spend less to solve their debt problems. So they pursue financially driven solutions to relieve financial symptoms. It seems logical on the surface.

Whether you choose to consolidate your credit card debt to lower interest rates or you choose any of the quick-payoff strategies (inheritance, gift, sell an asset, bankruptcy, home equity line of credit, or refinancing), the reality is you are treating the symptom and not creating a lasting cure.

Your financial problems are merely the accumulated reflection of the many small financial mistakes you are making on a daily basis — often without knowing any better. That’s why teaching a debtor to spend less and earn more is like telling someone to lose weight by eating less and exercising more. Everyone already knows that is the answer. The difficult part is not knowing what to do, but actually getting it done. The solution lies in your daily habits and attitudes.

[Related Article: 3 People Who Dug Out of Deep Debt]

Money Breakthroughs

I first discovered this approach to debt recovery in my work as a money coach. I started out making the same mistakes as everyone else. I thought debt problems were financial, so I coached my clients to financial solutions. The lackluster results proved it was the wrong approach.

The breakthrough came when I noticed my wealthy clients had mirror opposite attitudes and behaviors compared to my get-out-of-debt clients. For example:

  • My wealthy clients viewed their financial situation from a position of self-responsibility, whereas my debt clients were victims of their finances.
  • My wealthy clients planned their finances, but my debt clients had no plan.
  • My wealthy clients organized their plans around delayed gratification, whereas my debt clients pursued instant gratification.
  • My wealthy clients associated their self-worth with intrinsic values, while my debt clients associated self-worth with extrinsic stuff.

These are just 4 examples from a long list of opposing traits. They are guidelines or tendencies that generally hold true. While there may be personal variation, on the whole the patterns were unmistakable. These mirror opposite attitudes produced mirror opposite financial results in life.

[Related Article: 7 Ways to Avoid a Debt Relapse]

Amazingly,when I applied these principles, coaching habitudes instead of specific financial actions, the debt problems solved themselves over time.

This is obvious when you think about it. Your daily financial decisions result from your habits and attitudes that drive those decisions. For example, consider the following choices and their obvious financial implications:

  • Do you buy fancy coffees throughout the day or do you make a pot of your favorite coffee in the morning and bring it with you?
  • Do you lease a new car every few years or maintain your reliable used car?
  • Do you dine out frequently or cook healthy meals at home?
  • Are you a minimalist or do you desire the latest designer fashions?
  • Do you shop to get what you need or do you shop for pleasure and recreation?

When you focus on financial solutions, you treat the symptom instead of the cause. When you focus on your attitudes and habits, you focus on the cause, and the symptom takes care of itself automatically without any self-discipline.

Let me be clear — this isn’t a quick fix. The results you produce from this approach will occur gradually over time. Just as it took time to accumulate the debt, it takes time to unwind it when you work with root causes.

However, the solutions are as permanent as the new attitudes and habits you adopt — and that makes all the difference.

The truth is the financial results of your life aren’t dependent upon how much money you make. Instead, they depend on how well you manage the money you already have. This article series will show you the easiest way to adopt wealthy habits and attitudes and be smarter with your money so that you can get out of debt — permanently.

[Related Article: 5 Ways to Get Out of Debt: Which Will Work for You?]

Todd Tresidder is a financial coach and consumer advocate. His unconventional take on worn financial topics has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Smart Money magazine, Yahoo Finance, and more. He’s authored 5 financial education books including How Much Money Do I Need To Retire?, Variable Annuity Pros and Cons, and the 4% Rule and Safe Withdrawal Rates In Retirement. 

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