Download Free Financial Resources from DFA
Know what you are looking for? Use the links below to download these free resources below.
Not quite sure? Browse the summaries on the right.
Credit and Debt Dictionary
Learning about ... can be like learning to speak another language. Our credit and debt dictionary will help you to become comfortable with the language of personal and corporate finance. Click here to use the Credit and Debt Dictionary.
College Planning Tips
According to Bankrate.com, the average cost for one year at a four-year public school is more than $16,000 today - and a private school costs about twice that. An Ivy-league school can top out at more than $40,000 a year. With the costs of college totalling $64,000-$120,000 a year, planning is a must.
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Creative Home Loan Funding
If you have low or bad credit, or not much of a down payment, buying a home is not out of the question. It is always a good idea to do your research when looking into any major purchase or obtaining a major loan, but we can help you figure out where to start.
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Debt-Free America Knows Budgeting
Do you find that your paycheck runs out before the next pay day is near?
This booklet will provide advice for figuring out where your money is going and provide tips on
keeping your records organized. Remaining organized and keeping track of what you spend each
month is a good way to save money and ensure you do not overextend your budget.
Download DFA Knows Budgeting
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Debt-Free America Knows Credit
Credit card statements can be extremely confusing, but they provide a lot of important
information each month that you should learn to understand. Just like people, creditors make
mistakes, and you could save yourself money in interest charges and fees if you understand
your creditor’s monthly statement.
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Debt-Free America Knows Debt Management
We applaud the creditors who designed Debt-Pooling and support it by the concessions they offer. Creditors are in the “for-profit” business of credit, but when that causes undue burden or stress on families and individuals, the Debt-Pooling plan is there to offer appropriate relief.
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Identity Theft: What's it About?
Identity Thieves don’t steal money from the local liquor store at gun point, nor do they break into jewelry stores at night and steal precious stones and gold… ever so quietly, they steal your identity. These thieves obtain some or all of your personal information and use it to open credit cards, buy cars, go on shopping sprees, etc. Things like your bank account number, your credit card numbers, your social security number, name, and address are all pieces of sensitive information that can be used to commit fraud or theft.
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Newlyweds on a Budget
Forty percent of Americans stress over their finances. Ninety percent of arguments in marriage are related to finances. Remember to work together! You are life partners, but you are also business partners —now the finances you are sharing and your credit affects one another.
Download ‘Til Death Do Us Part
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Service Members Civil Relief Act: Do You Know about Your Benefits?
Enacted in 1940, the origins of the Soldier’s and Sailors Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) can be traced back to the Civil War when Congress passed a total moratorium on civil actions brought against Union soldiers and sailors. Basically, civil litigation was put on hold until the soldiers and sailors returned from war. In 1918, a new version was enacted for WW1 servicemen and again in 1940 for WWII. Effective December 19, 2003, the Act was again revised and renamed the “Service Members Civil Relief Act” (SCRA).
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Spending Your Tax Refund
First things first, you should not be receiving a refund at all because it means you are over withholding from your payroll taxes. But, alas, millions of Americans over withhold every year and then receive a refund.
If you receive a large refund, you should talk with your tax professional about what he/she recommends, then change your W-4 to the appropriate filing status. If you over withhold, you are essentially allowing the government to borrow money from you interest free! You could be using that money each month to pay down debt, put away in an emergency fund or save for a vacation.
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Tips For Graduates
You’ve pulled your last all-night cramming session, you’ve sold your books back to the book store and you’ve walked across the stage in your square hat with a tassel hanging in your face. Then reality hits – now you owe $20,000 - $45,000 in student loans, which doesn’t even include the credit card debt, private loans and home equity loans that were also taken to pay for college.
ARGH!
Unfortunately, for college graduates of today, reality is harsher than years passed. Graduates across the nation are finding their post-college income is not what they expected. And, with things like home prices increasing 26% in the last five years, and income increasing only 10%, or the price of education rising at double the rate of inflation over the past decade, graduates are finding it more and more difficult to stay on their feet once they graduate.
Download COLLEGE GRADUATES IN FOR A REAL SHOCK
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Using Your Home As Collateral - Refinancing
When you purchase a home and start to pay down the what is owed against it, a gap is created between how much is owed on the home (the balance due on your mortgage) and how much it’s worth. This gap is called equity. People take out home equity loans for various reasons; home improvements and debt consolidation are the two biggest. This brochure reviews the pros and cons of using your home as collateral.
Download Home to Pay Off Debts
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What are the Bankruptcy Laws?
In 1999, 1.3 million people declared bankruptcy, four times as many than in 1980. In 2001 personal bankruptcies went up again to a record 1.5 million; in 2003 another 1.6 million people filed; and in 2004 another 1.5 million.
“Bankruptcy Reform” is the biggest overhaul of bankruptcy laws in the past 20 years, and is aimed at stopping consumers from dissolving debts the government believes they can afford to repay. Two of the major changes to the laws are highlighted in this document, along with many other highlights of the bankruptcy reform.
Download THE NEW BANKRUPTCY LAWS
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What to do if a Bill Collector Crosses the Line
It's stressful to be unable to pay your bills on time. It's even more stressful to hear from a bill
collector about those overdue debts. Although bill collectors can be persistent (that's their
job), many are careful to follow the law when contacting you. Unfortunately, some are not. If a
bill collector oversteps the bounds of the law, you can take action.
Download What to do if a Bill Collector Crosses the Line
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