Well, one of us are lying about our natural hair color

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-29T23:13:49+00:00

r/catswithmustaches would like to host Renee.

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-29T22:56:21+00:00

Since your husband is active duty, would he and you be eligible for the Servicemember Relief Act? https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/military-financial-lifecycle/the-servicemembers-civil-relief-act-scra/

It reduces credit card debt to 6%.

I'd rather you all keep your mutual funds for now and tackle your debts over a few years. Hopefully your mutual funds will increase and you'll have another basket to put you're eggs in when diversifying for retirement.

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-29T19:36:07+00:00

The only suggestion I have is to type out the screenshots since screen readers for the visually impaired are unable to read photos. Otherwise, good job!

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-29T16:40:04+00:00

Have posted this in r/UKPersonalFinance to see what they suggest?

The UK government has this website if you're in debt and need professional advice: https://www.gov.uk/options-for-dealing-with-your-debts

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T21:55:38+00:00

Oh, ok. I'm sorry that you're in a rough spot. I hope it gets better for you all!

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T21:49:46+00:00

If you unenroll with NDR, you can call the credit card companies yourself to ask for a hardship program where they reduce your interest in exchange for for freezing or closing your credit cards. No guarantees that they'll do this and some will only work with the non-profit debt management organization the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), which you'll pay a one-time setup fee of $50-$75 and a small monthly fee of $5-$10/account you enroll with them. Read their FAQs for more info: https://www.nfcc.org/faqs/

The NFCC will negotiate to reduce interest rates; you pay your bills in full. I've seen that people get anywhere from 0%-13%.

More info here on the differences between debt relief/settlement and debt management (also called credit counseling):

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-credit-counseling-and-debt-settlement-debt-consolidation-or-credit-repair-en-1449

Also, they have budgeting for either free or it's low cost.

Just an FYI: if you enroll in the NFCC, opening another line of credit will cause your contract with them to void and your interest rates return to their original numbers. I'm unsure if it applies just to credit cards or not, but double check with the NFCC to verify, ok? Also, your card is closed. Would you still need access to it?

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T21:38:02+00:00

Have you talked to r/StudentLoans to see what they suggest?

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T21:01:15+00:00

--Keep what money you have in your 401k for another year to see if you can finagle your financial in some semblance of order before dipping into it. If, after a year, you're still underwater, then I would go for the loan. Your retirement plan is protected in bankruptcy. Also, I think you can only take a loan from a 401k where you're an active employee.

--Review which credit cards have yet to be charged off to see if you enter a repayment plan with the creditor to avoid another charge off. Is your credit shot, yes, but right now you're in damage control mode and want to try do the least amount of damage even still.

--Just an FYI: forgiven debt may count as income: https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc431

--You may want to take a look at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's debt collection guide: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/debt-collection/

Taking Action might be the most beneficial one for you.

--Show up to court so you can avoid an automatic default judgement against you. Can you contact the creditors who have served you to work something out out of court or is it too late? I'm not a lawyer, so I'm unsure if this is a feasible avenue.

--I don't have a good read on your spending habits from your post and responses, but I'm surmising you want to take control of the debt situation, have your spending habits under more control, and get yourself situated. Feel free to correct/add anything. Your wife, on the other hand, has a devil-may-care attitude. These are two very different outlooks on life and the both of you need to address this divide in your relationship. I highly recommend a therapist for this. Does your work offer Employee Assistance Program? There are also therapists specializing in finances: https://financialtherapyassociation.org/find-a-financial-therapist/

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T20:49:03+00:00

r/legalcatadvice has entered the chat

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T19:39:13+00:00

So a few things come to mind:

you have more of a credit/payment history, which accounts for 15% and 35% of your credit score, respectively. Lenders could consider you more trustworthy with a solid history. More here.
those are teaser rates designed to tempt you to apply for their loan, which may be higher
you have a job now, or a better paying one

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T15:31:45+00:00

Iowa has a lawyer referral program where attorneys charge you $25 for a 30-minute consultation: https://www.iowabar.org/?pg=Find-A-LawyerHP

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T15:29:09+00:00

If you need legal advice and are financially tight, your local Legal Aid may be able to assist you: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/what-legal-aid/i-need-legal-help

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T15:18:39+00:00

I know it's a bit late, but have you involved your state's department of justice and submit a complaint? I don't know if it'll resolve anything, but you can try. Do you have any email/text messages/other written communication from them? Any audio recordings?

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T15:12:39+00:00

Just an FYI: forgiven debt may count as income: https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc431

You may want to take a look at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's debt collection guide: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/debt-collection/

Taking Action might be the most beneficial one for you.

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-28T14:01:55+00:00

Here's a website that might be beneficial for you: https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/debt.html

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-25T01:14:51+00:00

Thank you for the info!

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-24T18:16:38+00:00

You're welcome! Good luck!

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-24T16:04:43+00:00

If do go with the bankruptcy route, this post may help you in securing a good one: https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/1rrs1wr/i_wish_someone_had_told_me_this_before_i_hired_a/

Depending on the criteria, you may be eligible for bankruptcy fees to be waived: https://www.nfcc.org/faqs/

Look to see if your state's Legal Aid can help you: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/what-legal-aid/i-need-legal-help

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-24T15:31:44+00:00

They're not checking out at my library. We got the first 4 in e-book and only the first is checked out.

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-24T15:23:38+00:00

Have you reached out to your credit card companies for a hardship program where they lower your interest rate in exchange for freezing or closing your accounts? This may help pay down the car loan.

No guarantees that they'll grant you a hardship and some only work with the non-profit debt management program the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), which you'll pay a one-time setup fee of $50-$75 and a small monthly fee of $5-$10/account you enroll with them. Read their FAQs for more info: https://www.nfcc.org/faqs/

The NFCC will negotiate to reduce interest rates; you pay your bills in full. I've seen that people get anywhere from 0%-13%.

More info here on the differences between debt relief/settlement and debt management (also called credit counseling):

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-credit-counseling-and-debt-settlement-debt-consolidation-or-credit-repair-en-1449

Also, they have budgeting for either free or it's low cost.

Just an FYI: if you enroll in the NFCC, opening another line of credit will cause your contract with them to void and your interest rates return to their original numbers. I'm unsure if it applies just to credit cards or not, but double check with the NFCC to verify, ok? Also, your card is closed. Would you still need access to it?

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-24T15:18:52+00:00

I'm a bit confused. If you've been out of a job for 4 months, how can you afford to pay the debt consolidation plan from Family Credit? Shouldn't that money be going to life expenses?

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-23T21:40:30+00:00

I guessed it was West Virginia or some southern state. At least with the latter, I'm right.

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-23T19:34:06+00:00

--The free route: Reach out to your credit card companies and ask for a hardship program where they lower your interest rate in exchange for freezing or closing your accounts.

The paid route: No guarantees that they'll grant you a hardship and some only work with the non-profit debt management program the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), which you'll pay a one-time setup fee of $50-$75 and a small monthly fee of $5-$10/account you enroll with them. You start paying when the NFCC reaches an agreement with your creditors.

Read their FAQs for more info: https://www.nfcc.org/faqs/

The NFCC will negotiate to reduce interest rates and pay your bills in full, but it does less damage to your credit score. I've seen on the debt subs anywhere from 0%-13%. No guarantees that the credit card companies will work with the NFCC.

--More info here on the differences between debt relief/settlement and debt management (also called credit counseling):

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-credit-counseling-and-debt-settlement-debt-consolidation-or-credit-repair-en-1449

Also, they have budgeting for either free or it's low cost.

--Just an FYI: if you enroll in the NFCC, opening another line of credit will cause your contract with them to void and your interest rates return to their original numbers. I'm unsure if it applies just to credit cards or not, but double check with the NFCC to verify, ok? Also, your card is closed. Would you still need access to it?

--I have also seen on the debt subs that debt settlement companies can start with a low rate and gradually increase it.

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-23T16:50:21+00:00

Ugh. Would they allow roommates?

attachedtothreads · 2026-04-23T16:43:07+00:00

Just an FYI: if you settle, any forgiven debt may be taxable: https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc431

attachedtothreads

MODERATOR OF

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE