MMI offers a wide variety of financial services to help improve your financial life. No matter what you financial situation, we can help you to establish an plan of action for achieving your financial goals.
Knowledge is the key to successful money management. Our resources are designed to inspire and assist you as you begin to make positive changes in your financial life.
We offer resources in a variety of formats to suit your preferences. Quickly and easily find the topic you’re looking for, in the format you’re most comfortable with.
Interact with MMI in a variety of formats including email, videos, tweets, blog posts, and pictures.
Since 1958, MMI has been a leading provider of financial counseling and education services. We invite you to learn more about the organization and its leadership.
Would you believe that more than 2 million marriages take place in the U.S. every year—that equals close to 6,000 a day! Unfortunately, many marrying couples spend more time talking about their wedding than about their financial future.
We all know that communication is crucial in developing a healthy financial relationship, yet it’s sometimes hard to know where to start. Since taking the time to talk is a great investment in your financial future, consider starting with the following 10 topics.
Start by asking this question: Is the way your family handled money an inspiration or did they make mistakes you’d like to avoid repeating?
Start by asking this question: If you suddenly received an unexpected $1,000, what would you do with it?
Start by asking the question: If you had to choose between a new car and a month-long exotic vacation, which would you choose and why?
Start by asking the question: How would you feel if you received a collection notice in the mail for a bill you overlooked paying?
Start by asking this question: Is there anything about your current financial situation that makes you uncomfortable?
Start by asking this question: Is there anything on your credit report that would prevent you from purchasing a car or home?
Start by asking this question: Can you commit to communicating well enough and frequently enough to make individual accounts work for your joint situation?
Start by asking this question: What dollar amount do you feel constitutes a “large” expenditure?
Start by asking this question: How long has it been since you’ve reviewed your retirement strategy?
The burden of repaying student loan debt is overwhelming for many college graduates. According to Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid.org, there is an estimated $730 million in outstanding federal and private student loan debt and only 40 percent of it is actively being paid. What’s even worse is that most people will spend 10 years or more repaying their debt.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 67 percent of students graduating from four-year colleges have student loan debt. That’s approximately 1.4 million students graduating with debt. Common types of loans include subsidized (where the government pays the interest while in school) and unsubsidized (where interest accrues while in school) federal loans.
In addition to federal loans, the National Consumer Law Center reports that the number of private loans taken out has increased over the last few years. Unfortunately, private loans are often more expensive than federal loans and there are typically fewer options for repaying the loans.
Repayment is the only option for getting out of student loan debt. Most student loan debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Even after death, lenders can seek repayment from your estate. While student loan debt may feel like a never-ending nightmare, refusing to repay the debt can lead to dire consequences. Some include:
If student loan debt repayment is weighing you down, contact your student loan provider and ask about different repayment plan options. You can also research your options online. For example, YouCanDealWithIt.com offers excellent solutions for repayment help. Some common options include:
Level repayment schedule - The monthly amount remains the same throughout repayment.
Graduated repayment schedule - Monthly payments are expected to increase as borrower advance in his or her career.
Income-based repayment - Plan is for borrower who is experiencing extreme financial hardship. Monthly payments are extended past the standard 10-year payment schedule.
Income sensitive repayment - The monthly payment amount is based on borrower’s gross monthly income and student loan debt.
25-year extended repayment – Payment option for borrowers whose balance is at least $30,000. The first loan must have been disbursed on or after October 7, 1998.
There are additional options to dealing with student loan debt such as delaying payments through deferment or forbearance. Under rare circumstances, loans can also be discharged. To see if you qualify for the Loan Forgiveness program visit, FinAid.org.
Blogging For Change explains exactly what you can expect on a day-to-day basis: ideas and information to help you make positive changes. We look forward to reading your comments and encourage you to take advantage of our feeds and social bookmarking features to keep up to date and spread the word. We will also be using twitter to communicate on a more micro-level.
Kim McGrigg,Community Manager
Interested in following trending twitter topics about all things financial? If so, check out TweetForChange.com.
Credit Reporting , Loans & Credit , Mortgages , Auto Loans , Budgeting Advice , Bankruptcy , Credit Cards , Consumer Protection , Credit Scores , Cutting Costs , Debt Repayment , Economy , Education , Events , Extra Income , Family , Financial Crisis , Financial Literacy Month , Frugality , Holiday , Homeownership , Identity Theft , Kids & Money , Reflections , Saving , Shopping , Taxes
Credit & Budget Counseling
Debt Management
Foreclosure Prevention
Reverse Mortgage Counseling
Bankruptcy Counseling
Bankruptcy Education
Financial Workshops
Homeownership and Home Loans
Family Finances
Money and Budgeting
Loans and Debt
Bankruptcy
Credit Reports and Credit Scores
Financial Crisis
Savings
Calculators
Answers
Articles
Lesson Plans
Tools
Videos
Webcasts
Webinars
eBooks
Gift Certificates
Web sites
Quizzes
Blogging for Change
Ask The Experts
Share Your Stories
About MMI
Leadership
Locations
Partners
Press Room
Careers
Contact Us