In honor of Financial Literacy Month, we created a microsite that offers 30 simple steps to financial wellness–one for each day of the month. To enrich the experience, we asked some amazing people to guest post during the month on a topic that is related to the day’s step. Their dedication to financial literacy is truly inspiring! Today, Wise Bread blogger Julie Rains talks about the cost of credit.

Calculating your net worth is the best way to know exactly what your starting point is, in any financial plan you develop. It's essentially the foundation of your financial plan and goal setting, and needs to be updated at least several times a year so that you can track all of your progress. Putting together a balance sheet is quick and easy, even if you aren't a finance expert!

A while back, I participated in a televised call-in show about kids and money with members of the Jump$tart Coalition . In preparation, I posed questions to a group really talented, dedicated people from organizations like Young Americans Bank , The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants , and the Financial Planning Association . The result is one heck of a resource on kids and money with topics covering budgeting, credit, cars, school/college, and jobs.

I recently met a 30-something woman who was selling her home so that she would have more money to repay her student loans. As she put it: "I finally realized that this debt was not going to go away." She's right—there is no statute of limitations on government-guaranteed student loans, giving Uncle Sam unlimited time to collect.

Getting your head around exactly how credit works can be intimidating. Here's a rundown of what goes on a credit report, how long each piece of information stays there, and how it might impact you.

Consumer protection attorneys specialize in helping consumers who’ve been wronged by a business, but knowing where to look for an attorney who specializes in this type of law, and digging deeper to make sure they’ve got the expertise for your particular case, isn’t always easy. Here’s what you need to know.

Weddings are wonderful, but they are almost always incredibly expensive. Increasingly, couples are taking out loans to finances their dream nuptials, which raises the question: How do you throw a wedding you’re excited about without putting yourself in debt before your new life has even begun?

MMI offers nonprofit financial education and counseling to Florida consumers struggling with debt, budgeting, housing, and student loan concerns.

MMI offers nonprofit financial education and counseling to Miami, FL consumers struggling with debt, budgeting, housing, and student loan concerns.

MMI offers nonprofit financial education and counseling to Orlando, FL consumers struggling with debt, budgeting, housing, and student loan concerns.