Every small business owner has dealt with his or her share of debt, but with tighter lending rules some borrowers are struggling to stay out of bankruptcy court. It seems like since the "official" end of the recession, everything from health care to raw materials have been getting more expensive, which has placed an undue strain on entrepreneurs. The New Year is a good time to take a long hard look at where your business is financially and what you can do to dig out of debt. Thankfully, the need for bankruptcy protection has decreased significantly since 2010, but a…

As we close in on the holiday season, it's easy to get in over your head with credit card spending. According to Yahoo! Finance ("Top 5 Reasons Why People Go Bankrupt"), poor use of credit is the third most likely cause of bankruptcy. When credit comes easy, some people just cannot control their spending. Before they know it, credit card bills, installment loans, car payments and "same as cash" plans become a burden too heavy to carry. If the borrower is unable to make minimum monthly payments on this debt, or secure a debt consolidation loan, bankruptcy becomes the inevitable…

As people enter into adult life and take on new responsibilities, finances can be one of the most intimidating and confusing things to deal with. Not only will financial rules vary from state to state, but you will have financial advisors telling you to do vastly different things with your money. For one reason or another, consumers find it hard to make smart financial decisions, yet the importance of these decisions cannot be overemphasized. Learning the ins and outs of household finances and retirement planning is something that should be done early and often, however sometimes these lessons are only…