This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series
Question: I’m in my 40s and have for the past 15 years saved a sizeable amount, however, in one bad investment lost nearly all of it. I even lost my job, now I’m in a low paying job (secretarial), please advise how I can start again. Just thinking of all the meticulous saving and budeting I did all these years leaves me depressed! Carmen
Answer: Hi Carmen, my condolences on the …

This is part of our Pay Debt Quickly series sponsored by
PDQ Pay Debt Quickly kit.
Question: Can I stop all those credit card offers I receive in the mail? ~ Ron
Answer: Yes. It’s really easy to do – just phone 1-888-567-8688 and follow the prompts and provide the requested information including Social Security number, date of birth, etc.
Do this for every adult member of your household, including college students. Your “opt-out” status will be sent to each of the four credit bureaus (Equifax, …

This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series
Question: How do I go about creating a budget for my family on a straight commission job? What figures do I base it on. Thanks. Todd
Answer: Hi Todd, that’s a great question. I call that “Roller Coaster Income”. Realtors, doctors, sales people and self-employed or small business owners often run into this situation.
Most people with Roller Coaster Income spend the money or pay off old bills when they have high income and starve when …

This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series

Question: I’ve saved up $25,000 to invest but I also have credit card debt.
Should I invest? ~ Terry
Answer: Hi Terry, great question. I recommend that you stabilize your current situation before you invest. What does that really mean for you?
Before you consider investing in any type of market, you should really take a long hard look at your current situation. Investing in the future is a good thing, but clearing up bad …

This is part of our Financial Literacy Month Question and Answer series
Question: Can I still get my 2005, 2006 or 2007 refund?
Answer: If you didn’t file a tax return in 2005, 2006 or 2007, there’s still time.
But, for 2004, it’s too late because there’s a 3 year statute of limitations on refunds from the date it was originally due.
So you have until April 15, 2009 for a 2005 refund and April 15, 2010 for 2006. But why wait? The IRS isn’t paying interest!
This is …