Talk Credit Radio With Gerri Detweiler

Mike Sante is the managing editor of Interest.com, a website that helps consumers make smart financial decisions. He previously spent 13 years as the business editor for the Detroit Free Press. He joins me to explain what retirees are up against when it comes to retirement income.

The Baby Boomer generation grew up feeling powerful, relevant and able to effect important change. The future looked good -- if they worked hard and did all the right things they were guaranteed a comfortable life. But for many of us, things did not go as planned. Converging forces - the recession, longer lifespans, and the disappearance of traditional retirement funding - have forced many to face a very different reality than the one they expected. George Schofield, PH.D. and author of After 50 It’s Up to Us, Developing the Skills and Agility We’ll Need joins me to share his insights for those feeling lost and overwhelmed. We discuss how many of us over 50 are pioneers without role models for the interruptions we have experienced. Why it can be so hard to know who we are independent of our roles. The difference between lifelong learning and lifelong development and why it’s so important to distinguish between the two. This episode aired live June 24, 2013.

Medical bills are one of the leading contributors to bankruptcy, and even those with good insurance aren't immune to the financial stress these bills can create. Ariana Vargas of GiveForward.com joins me to share the unique way this site is helping people raise money to help friends, loved ones - and in some cases complete strangers - get the financial help with medical bills they need. Find out how it works and how it may help you or someone you care about. This episode aired live April 22, 2013.

In her early 20's Jill Beirne Davi found herself deep in debt, living in one of the most expensive cities in the country: New York City. She had $30,000 in debt and no idea how she would pay it off. But she did, and today she lives debt-free, while helping others through her website AbundantFinances.com. In this interview she talks about: How she took that first (difficult) step toward conquering her debt, Her strategy for making her budget work all month long, Why flossing her teeth helped her finances! (And that's not just because it saved her money on dental bills.) Jill's advice is both practical and inspiring so be sure to listen. This episode aired live April 22, 2013.

Sandy Smith is digging out of debt - a lot of debt. More than $100,000 in fact. Here she shares how she's tackling it. She explains how she went from barely making a debt in her balances one year to wiping out a huge chunk the next. She also shares her experience with going radically cashless; paying cash for everything, including her bills! Be inspired and get great tips on how to get out of debt yourself from the founder of YesIAmCheap.com. This episode aired live June 10, 2013.

Are you ready to buy another car or truck? Of course you'll want to make sure you get the best deal and Mike Rabkin, professional vehicle negotiator, will help you do just that. Here he shares some of his best strategies for buying a car or truck. He explains what invoice and sticker prices really mean to car buyers, and shares ways that dealers make money even when they sell below those prices. He shares his insights into the best way to test drive vehicles, and what to look for when you do - including things you might not automatically think of. We also discuss the monthly payment trap and why it can sink your deal from the start if you're not careful. Finally, he shares resources and tips you can use to make sure you are getting a great deal when you shop for a vehicle, including a resource he likes for getting top dollar for your trade in. This episode aired live June 3, 2013.

Online identities are being compromised every day. Mark Fawcett from iVerifly.com joins me to discuss some of the most pressing online security issues facing consumers and introduces his company's online privacy tool to help consumers protect themselves. This episode aired live May 20, 2013.

Warren and Betsy Talbot are living the life many of us only dream about - traveling the world! They share how they managed to save the money for a year-long world trip then turned it into a full-time life on the road. Find out how much it really costs to travel internationally (a lot less than you think!), how to save money for a really big goal and what to do when things don't go the way you planned. This episode aired live May 20, 2013.

If you've ever decided to cosign for a loan, or if you are thinking about asking someone to cosign for a loan, you will want to make sure you listen to this interview with attorney Cathy Moran where she shares the real risk of cosigning. She'll also explain what your rights are when you cosign and what happens when you want to remove a cosigner from the loan. In the second half of the interview we discuss why some lenders refuse to report mortgages after bankruptcy. This episode aired live April 15, 2013.

Do you and your partner have somewhat different views on money? Oh yeah, most of us have been there. Joining me to share her strategies for getting on the same page about money with your honey is Deborah Price, founder of the Money Coaching Institute. Deborah has many years of experiencing coaching individuals and couples, and has trained others to do the same. This episode aired live October 27, 2013.

A mortgage is the largest debt many of us will ever have. How do you know when to refinance that debt to save money - without going deeper in debt? And what about those who have tried to refinance in the past few years, but haven’t been able to due to their home’s value. What options do they have? Joining me in this interview to share his expert insights is Joe Kelly from YouCanRefi.com. This episode aired live March 5, 2013.

How do you pay down a lot of debt? Ben Edwards has a lot of ideas for you! He interviewed many people who successfully paid off - get this - a total of $1.7 million in debt for his new book, Debt Heroes, and he's here to share what he learned in his research. Get tips for sticking to your goal. Learn why cutting expenses may not be enough. Find out how some borrowers pay off very large amounts of debt fast, including one who paid off more than $90,000 in student loan debt in less than a year! This interview aired live March 25, 2013.

Are you looking for relief from student loan debt? Overwhelmed? Not one, but two, consumer law attorneys join me to explain your rights and options if you are having trouble keeping up with your student loans. We talk about forbearance, bankruptcy, servicer abuse and class action lawsuits, and where to find affordable help. This episode aired live March 25, 2013.

What does it take to get the highest credit score? Anthony Sprauve from myFICO joins me to explain what high scorers - FICO calls them high achievers - have in common. You'll learn ways to help your credit scores, including how your debt affects your rating, the influence your payment history has on your score, and what you can do to make - and keep - yours strong. This episode aired live October 27, 2012.

Credit report judgments can not only kill your credit scores, they can also put you at risk of having your wages garnished, bank accounts seized etc. What happens when you can't find the creditor to pay the judgment so you can get it off your credit reports? Maybe the debt had changed hands or the creditor or collector has gone out of business, What then? He explains: -How to find a judgment creditor that has gone bankrupt, -Why disputing it with the credit reporting agencies probably won't make it disappear, -How old judgments can be a ticking time bomb -Your options for resolving these debts And more! Ginsberg is one of my most popular guests. This episode aired ive November 3, 2012.

You've heard that you should track your spending. Maybe you've even tried it a few times. But you probably don't know how it can change your life - in more ways than you realize. In this interview with Mikelann Valterra, money coach and cofounder of MoneyMinderOnline.com we explore the research and even neuroscience behind tracking. If you're ready to change your financial life, you'll want to hear this interview! This episode aired live April 8, 2013

If you’ve ever had trouble opening a checking account, it may be because you are in Chexsystems. Most people don’t even know this database exists until something negative happens to them. My guest, Franklin Ross from KnowYourBank.com experienced firsthand what can happen if you are reported to their database. He went through the process of clearing up his report, so he knows how it works. He explains what this company does, how banks and credit unions use these reports, and what your rights are to dispute a ChexSystems report. He also shares how to get information on banks that don’t use ChexSystems. This interview aired live on November 7, 2012.

In this second interview I talk with Ginger Chouinard. She is currently a 2nd year law student at University of New Mexico. Before law school, she worked 25 years in the credit union industry, primarily in marketing and business development. Ginger Chouinard talks about account screening reports such as Chexsystems and Telecheck; How they work and what consumers need to know. A second-year law student, she has worked in the financial services industry for over twenty-five years. This episode aired live March 11, 2013.

Foreclosure numbers are down. That should be good news, and in some cases it is. But it’s not all rosy. In some states, like Florida for example, foreclosure numbers are actually going up. In this interview with Jim Carr from The Opportunity Agenda, he shares concerns about the housing market recovery and delves behind the headlines to explain some of the latest news, including: • How a lot of foreclosures are being replaced by short sales, which may bring the banks more money, but may not be the best thing at the community level. That’s because neighborhoods may move from being owner occupied to renter occupied. • Why the most recent foreclosures are happening to people who were doing everything right, including getting stable thirty-year fixed-rate loans. • The big problem: people are still not buying homes and in part that’s because they can’t get the loans they need to buy homes. It’s often too difficult to get financing, and why we need to make fixing that problem a top priority. • Misconceptions abou

Are you inheriting an IRA or are you planning on leaving your loved ones an IRA? Then be sure you understand the tax implications of inherited IRAs. Here to explain them is Joe Taxpayer. founder of the popular blog by that name. • Why you must have a designated beneficiary for your IRA and why it must be updated. • How your beneficiaries may wind up paying more in taxes if you just leave the IRAs to the will, rather than naming beneficiaries. • Why you can’t just transfer the IRA to another IRA. • How to pay less tax when you inherit an IRA. You have a couple of options. • The common misperception about the estate tax and how it applies to IRAs. (This one tripped me up!) • What you’ll learn in Publication 590 from the IRS. • How to get free answers to your tax questions – you’ll love this one!