Financial News Features

“If you want to build trust, don't try so hard. Your best clients have wealth to invest because they didn't fall for smooth talk and easy smiles. They want accurate projections, measurable results and personal responsibility. In other words, consider yourself one of their trusted senior managers. You've got the job as long as you deliver. Stop lobbying for it and just excel at it.”

“Best of all, there's no obligation. You can hang up and walk away with that debt analysis, which can help you figure out your next steps,” "I've been a debt counselor for three decades now, and retirement debt is one of the saddest situations I see. There's simply no time for any other solution except hiring a professional to help.”

"A debt consolidation loan is ideal for someone whose debts are annoying but not scary," says Howard Dvorkin, a personal finance expert and chairman of Debt.com. "For instance, if you earn a good income but run up your credit cards during the holidays, a debt consolidation loan can save you a lot on interest. Instead of paying 20% on several credit cards, you take out a personal loan at 10%."

“Creating a monthly household budget sounds so obvious as to be ridiculous, but I know many seven-figure earners who get into serious financial trouble because they’ve budgeted carefully for their business but not themselves. With secure online tools that do the math for you, there's simply no excuse for going into the new year without a personal budget.”

"Can they get the money out of you? Not really. Is it annoying? Yes," Dvorkin says.

Waiting it out could also allow you to better "focus on your debts without distraction" in the new year, says Howard Dvorkin, chairman of Debt.com. "It's hard to deal with debt during the holidays," Dvorkin says. "That's like saying you'll start your diet on Thanksgiving day. Most Americans deal with their weight and their debt in January. That's when they step on the scale and get their credit card statements. In both cases, they're horrified by how big the number is. That's when they get serious."