Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt Free

by Jordan E. Goodman, Bill Westrom

Overview

Strategies and tools to live debt free

The world of borrowing and debt management has changed dramatically, leaving people confused about how best to secure their financial future. This book is the only guide with detailed advice to help you become debt free or master the debt you have, based on the latest laws and new government programs and policies implemented under the Obama administration.

Is the information and advice on debt management different than in years past? Definitely. In this savvy, engaging guide, bestselling financial expert Jordan Goodman will tell you how to

• Win the mortgage game: avoid foreclosure, obtain the best refi, and modify your mortgage even if it is "under water"
• Clean up your credit report and dramatically boost your credit score
• Negotiate new terms and payments for burdensome medical bills, student loans, and credit cards
• Protect yourself from the devastation of identity theft
• Master the new credit card rules, and avoid the rate and fee traps
• Learn a revolutionary strategy that will help you become mortgage free in 5 to 7 years, change the way you pay all your bills, and save hundreds of thousands of dollars

Master Your Debt recommends many pioneering strategies as it lays out an innovative plan for achieving the elusive goal of financial success. The book is filled with helpful web sites, toll free numbers, associations and government agencies, and vetted companies and services to help you implement this advice. In today's volatile economy, getting out of debt is the key to surviving and thriving, and author Jordan Goodman provides you with the strategies and tools to live debt free.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470484241
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/26/2010
Series:	Lynn Sonberg Books
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

JORDAN E. GOODMAN is a nationaly recognized expert on personal finance. He is the author of the bestselling Everyone's Money Book and twelve other books. For eighteen years, he was the Wall Street correspondent for Money magazine and also served as a regular commentator for NBC News at Sunrise and Mutual Broadcasting System's America in the Morning. Today, Goodman appears regularly on many radio shows, including public radio's Marketplace as well as on TV programs on Fox, CNN, CBS, CNBC, and MSNBC. He also speaks regularly to large groups such as the Harv Eker wealth seminars. Visit Goodman's Web site: www.moneyanswers.com.

BILL WESTROM is a consumer advocate and veteran mortgage professional who has become a critic of the traditional banking system. His own businesses, IFS Development Group and TruthInEquity.com, focus on educating and empowering homeowners so they can make smarter choices about mortgages and employ an innovative mortgage reduction strategy; equity acceleration. Westrom's mission is to "change the financial landscape of this country by helping homeowners get more out of what they own and what they earn."

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction Master or Victim? You Decide ix

Chapter 1 How Did We Get Here? And Where Are We? 1

Chapter 2 Find Out Where You Stand 11

Chapter 3 Other People Are Grading You, Too 25

Chapter 4 Avoiding a Modern-Day Identity Crisis 45

Chapter 5 Win the New Mortgage Game 55

Chapter 6 Mortgage Free in Five to Seven Years 73

Chapter 7 Credit Cards: Just Because It’s Called MasterCard Doesn’t Mean It’s the Boss of You 85

Chapter 8 Car Deals: Making Sure You’re in the Driver’s Seat 113

Chapter 9 An Education in College Costs 127

Chapter 10 Don’t Let Bad Luck Derail Your Finances 145

Chapter 11 Surviving Bankruptcy 169

Chapter 12 Debt Strategies for Every Age 177

Chapter 13 Permanent Mastery, Going Forward 183

Appendix Resources 189

About the Author 203

Index 205

Editorial Reviews

Goodman (Everyone's Money Book), former Wall Street correspondent for Money magazine, offers a lifeline to Americans drowning in debt—with attention to explaining the new rules that the government has put in place since unveiling its stimulus package, including new borrowing guidelines by banks and new policies to avoid mortgage foreclosures. After a brief sketch of the origins of the credit crisis, the author provides a way to determine just how much debt one is in and shares tips on negotiating various payments. Addressing refinancing and paying off mortgages, avoiding identity fraud, selecting the right car deals and student loans, and surviving bankruptcy, the book covers virtually all the debt bases with hard-hitting advice. Goodman offers a detailed appendix with contact information for further reading as well as various resources to empower readers and help them regain their financial footing. (Feb.) (Publishers Weekly, December 21st, 2009)

From the Publisher

Goodman (Everyone's Money Book), former Wall Street correspondent for Money magazine, offers a lifeline to Americans drowning in debt—with attention to explaining the new rules that the government has put in place since unveiling its stimulus package, including new borrowing guidelines by banks and new policies to avoid mortgage foreclosures. After a brief sketch of the origins of the credit crisis, the author provides a way to determine just how much debt one is in and shares tips on negotiating various payments. Addressing refinancing and paying off mortgages, avoiding identity fraud, selecting the right car deals and student loans, and surviving bankruptcy, the book covers virtually all the debt bases with hard-hitting advice. Goodman offers a detailed appendix with contact information for further reading as well as various resources to empower readers and help them regain their financial footing. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly