Meghan Alard is a guest contributor for Debt.com. She’s been a staff writer for ten years at one of the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofit credit counseling services—Consolidated Credit. She’s a PFE-certified debt management professional, specializing in content that helps consumers manage debt, improve their credit, budget, and save for long-term goals.
Meghan has also worked closely with Consolidated Credit’s housing counseling team. In that role, she’s contributed newsletter content for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“I take pride in helping people achieve those big financial goals that we all dream about, like becoming debt-free and buying a home. They’re dreams that I was excited to achieve, so it feels good to help others reach them, too.”
Before joining Consolidated Credit, Meghan worked as a staff writer for a consumer products company, writing for brands such as Black & Decker Home and George Foreman Grills. In that role, she found a love for testing products and then writing about the experience for consumers. You can find her financial product reviews on moneytips.debt.com
Settling a collection account for less than the full amount owed can be a godsend when you’re overwhelmed with debt. But the downside is that you incur credit damage for each account you settle. Tricks like “pay for delete” may sound like they can help you avoid that credit damage, but the reality often isn’t […]
If you’re facing debt collections, there’s one little-known, crucial step you need to take before you deal with any debt collector. It’s called debt validation and it’s a legal right that you should absolutely be using anytime you get a call from a third-party collector. Because if the collector can’t validate the debt and verify […]
Don’t let a debt collector overcharge you with interest and fees that you don’t owe! Having a debt in collections is stressful enough, but when a collector tacks on interest and fees it makes a bad situation worse. But can a debt collector charge interest and fees that weren’t part of the original debt? Unfortunately, […]
Have you paid off a big credit card balance or multiple balances, only to find yourself deep in credit card debt again later that year? If so, you’re a debt repeat offender, but you don’t have to live the rest of your life in and out of the prison of debt shame. If you struggle […]
Most people think that you need good credit to buy a house. But that’s really only true for traditional, fixed-rate mortgages. If you want a 15-year or 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, then you generally need a FICO score of at least 620 or above. More high-end lending tools, like balloon mortgages and jumbo mortgages, generally require […]
If you have multiple credit card balances that you need to pay off, debt consolidation can help you get out of debt faster. You find a way to roll all your balances into one monthly payment. The goal is to reduce or eliminate APR, so you can focus on repaying what you owe instead of […]
College is supposed to be a stepping stone to a better career and a bigger salary. But it’s also notorious for creating debt that can be almost impossible to eliminate. Avoiding crushing student loans and credit card debt that can lead to serious life delays takes careful planning. That’s why our team at Debt.com created […]
Everything Auto Learn how to buy, lease, refinance, and manage auto loan debt effectively. As debt goes, auto loans tend to be much less of a hassle than other debts like credit cards and student loans. But you still want to put as much thought and consideration into a car or truck purchase as possible, […]
Only 10% of the $46.5 billion that Congress has allocated for emergency rental assistance has been distributed. Use this guide to learn which programs are available in your area and how to get the right help to expedite your ERAP application.
The IRS will begin disbursing advance payments on the expanded Child Tax Credit on July 15. Learn who is eligible to receive payments, how much they can get, and how to avoid delays. We have the latest updates from the IRS.
