A WalletPop reader is paying off her credit card debt and wants to celebrate (and keep herself out of trouble) by closing out some of her old cars. But Ken and Daria Dolan say, "Wait!" Listen to their advice on what you should do before you make that cancellation call.

A reader asks Ken and Daria Dolan what to do about a debt collector that keeps hounding her day and night. The first thing they say? Take responsibility and then redirect.

Ken and Daria Dolan offer some tough love for a newlywed with new credit who married a guy with bad credit on whether or not she should combine her finances with his.

While everything else is slipping, identity theft is on the rise, jumping to a record 9.9 million victims in 2008, which is up 22% from 2007. Approximately one in 23 U.S. adults became victims, according to Javelin Strategy & Research, who released their fifth annual study today. Total loses increased after three straight years of decline, but the loss per victim fell by 12% to $4,849 from $5,488. The most positive trend is that individuals spent 31% less (an average of $496) to clean up the mess. More than half of victims didn't have to spend anything to clean up after a fraud.

In a victory for Republicans, the Senate votes to raise a $7,500 tax break for first-time homebuyers to $15,000. The measure is aimed at reinvigorating the housing industry, whose downturn in 2007 tipped the first dominoes of recession.
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House prices are cratering, banks are begging for spare change, and it seems everywhere you turn someone is in need of a rescue plan -- including you. Don't panic, we have 10 ways to help you beat a credit hangover.

When a creditor orders a credit report it's like a snapshot in time of your financial and personal life on a particular day. We all want the highest credit score so we can get the best interest rates, but do you know how to get there? Your credit report is the roadmap used to calculate that score, so you want to be sure that it accurately reflects your credit history.

With debt a big part of modern life, many people know they have a credit score and it determines whether they can obtain a loan at a decent interest rate. But after that, confusion reigns. The most important thing people need to understand about credit scores is what goes into the calculation.

Debt consolidation might sound like a great idea, but many people don't have the self-discipline to stop using the credit cards that got them in trouble in the first place.