Debt-related stress affects everyone in a family — adults aren’t the only ones who feel that anxiety. Children pick up on stresses around them, even if you think you’re hiding your own anxiety well. Keep in mind that just because you speak about your situation in hushed voices doesn’t mean your child doesn’t hear and understand. Children are much more astute than we realize and pick up on all the little changes in our manner, speech, and...

More and more people are getting into debt because of how easy it is to get a credit card or to switch credit companies. Most people don’t want to be in debt, but sometimes circumstances are out of their control. Let’s say you’re in a two-income household and your partner loses his or her job. You still have car payments, house payments, daycare, and other bills to pay. These don’t stop when you lose your job. You may be able to defer...