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The DollarVisor Blog

Short guides that answer one money question at a time, across insurance, credit cards, loans and investing.

600 guides (page 20)

Loans How to Negotiate With Debt Collectors You can negotiate with debt collectors, and most collection agencies will take a discount. The agency likely bought your account for… Read the guide → Loans What Debt Collectors Can and Can’t Do (FDCPA) Here is what debt collectors can do: call you between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., write to you, sue you, and report the debt to the credit bu… Read the guide → Loans Bankruptcy Alternatives: 5 Options to Try First There are five real bankruptcy alternatives: a creditor hardship plan, a nonprofit debt management plan, refinancing, settling for l… Read the guide → Loans Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13: Which Bankruptcy Fits? Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13 usually comes down to two questions: does your income pass the means test, and do you have something a trust… Read the guide → Loans Can Student Loans Be Discharged in Bankruptcy? Yes, they can. Verdict: student loans bankruptcy is no longer the dead end it was, because the government now tells its own lawyers… Read the guide → Loans Student Loan Default: What Happens and How to Fix A federal student loan defaults after 270 days of missed payments. Verdict: rehabilitation is the only exit that removes the default… Read the guide → Loans Forbearance vs Deferment: Which Should You Ask For Deferment and forbearance both stop your payments. The difference is who pays the interest while they are stopped. Verdict: ask for… Read the guide → Loans Income-Driven Repayment Plans, Explained Income-driven repayment ties your federal student loan payment to what you earn instead of what you owe. Two plans survive long term… Read the guide → Loans Student Loan Forgiveness: Which Programs Are Real Real student loan forgiveness exists, but only through a short list of federal programs: PSLF, income-driven forgiveness, teacher fo… Read the guide → Loans How to Get a Cosigner Released From a Loan A cosigner release takes your cosigner's name and legal liability off the loan while the loan itself stays open. Lenders advertise i… Read the guide → Loans Car Repossession: What Happens and What’s Next A car repossession takes the car, sells it at auction, and then bills you for whatever the sale did not cover. That last bill is the… Read the guide → Loans Upside-Down Car Loan: How to Fix Negative Equity An upside down car loan means your payoff is bigger than your trade-in value. Every fix is a version of three moves: pay cash into t… Read the guide → Loans How to Get Out of a Car Loan You Can’t Afford You can get out of a car loan you can't afford, but which door opens depends on one number: your equity. If the car is worth more th… Read the guide → Loans Title Loans: Why They’re Risky (and 5 Alternatives) Title loans charge a monthly fee of up to 25%, which is about 300% a year, and they are secured by your car. The federal government'… Read the guide → Loans Family Loan Agreements: Rules, Rates and Taxes A family loan agreement is a written promissory note between relatives. Above $10,000 the IRS expects at least the Applicable Federa… Read the guide → Loans No Credit Check Loans: What’s Legit, What’s a Trap Some no credit check loans are legitimate and cheap: payday alternative loans capped at 28%, savings-secured loans, credit-builder l… Read the guide → Loans Can You Get a Loan Without a Job? Real Options Yes, you can get a loan without a job: if you can show income from another source. Unemployment benefits, Social Security, a pension… Read the guide → Loans Credit Union Loans: Rates vs Banks Compared Credit union loans priced below bank loans on every loan product federal regulators tracked in December 2025: 5.44% vs 7.41% on a 60… Read the guide → Loans Personal Line of Credit vs Personal Loan A personal line of credit is a reusable pool of money: you draw what you need and pay interest only on the balance, usually at a var… Read the guide → Loans How Much Can You Borrow With a Personal Loan? US lenders advertise $1,000 to $100,000. Almost nobody gets the top of that range. Three separate ceilings apply (the lender's produ… Read the guide → Loans Can You Pay Off a Personal Loan Early? Yes. Almost every US personal loan can be paid off early, and most lenders charge nothing to do it. What changes is the size of the… Read the guide → Loans Do Personal Loans Hurt Your Credit? Briefly, and by less than most people fear. Do personal loans hurt your credit? The application itself costs most borrowers under fi… Read the guide → Loans What Can You Use a Personal Loan For? Almost anything. The question of what can you use a personal loan for has a short banned list: margin stock, gambling, illegal activ… Read the guide → Loans Why Was Your Loan Denied? 8 Reasons and Fixes If you are asking why was my loan denied, federal law gives lenders eight standard reasons, and your credit score is not the most co… Read the guide →