InCharge News & Media

News and Recognitions


Feb 21, 2013 |
Keep Your Personal Life Personal - And Protect Against Identity Theft
Despite warnings, some users will share their high school information on their profiles. That information can be seen by over 20,000 people if your privacy settings are set to “friends of friends,” according to Karen Carlson, director of education and creative solutions at InCharge Debt Solutions in Orlando, Fla.
Feb 04, 2013 |
How Mobile Devices Can Help You Control And Save Money
Karen Carlson, director of education and creative programs for InCharge Debt Solutions, a nonprofit based in Orlando, Fla., says money apps aren't the biggest change in how people interact with money. The biggest change is the shift in thinking about money as something tangible to thinking about money as something digital, something that is more an idea than something real.
Jan 28, 2013 |
Financial Flashback: U.S. News Money
INFOGRAPHIC: When American credit card debt stood at $1.4 billion in 1967, unemployment was only 3.8 percent and a gallon of gas cost just thirty-three cents. By 1987, credit card debt hit topped $169 billion and things have only gotten worse. Take a look at this financial flashback, courtesy of InCharge Debt Solutions.
Jan 23, 2013 |
Put Your Money Where Your Dreams Are
Call me a savings evangelist. I love to save. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember, and I’m not shy to talk about it. Luckily, my position at financial literacy nonprofit InCharge Debt Solutions gives me plenty of opportunity to teach workshops on saving, blog about saving, create YouTube videos on saving and build website portals about (what else) saving.
Jan 22, 2013 |
Debt Counseling: How It Can Help You
If you’re among the millions of Americans struggling with consumer debt, a debt counselor may be able to help you get your finances back on track. Dafne Torres, director of customer care at the Florida-based nonprofit InCharge Debt Solutions, says debt counselors work with clients on a variety of financial issues.
Jan 14, 2013 |
Payroll Tax Hike To Hit Consumers
This hike in the workers’ portion of the payroll tax will be felt by all earners. “For the average American family with a household income of $50,000, the payroll tax hikes could mean the loss of about a thousand dollars a year,” said Etta Money, president of InCharge Debt Solutions. “That kind of income loss requires some planning early in 2013 in order to cut expenses or increase earnings.”
Jan 14, 2013 |
Industry Trying To Rekindle Romance
Home prices should also rise in 2013, a trend that began last year, said Karen Carlson, director of education for InCharge Debt Solutions, a consumer-credit operation based in Orlando.
Jan 04, 2013 |
5 Great Online Money Management Tools
Online money management tools can also help you avoid racking up late charges. "A lot of people who make late payments do it because they simply forget," says Karen Carlson, Director of Education for InCharge Debt Solutions, a credit counseling organization in Orlando, Florida.
Jan 02, 2013 |
Think Twice Before Using Store Cards To Make Holiday Purchases
“If you have your financial ducks in a row, I have no problem with it,” said Karen Carlson, director of education and creative programs for InCharge Debt Solutions, a financial literacy nonprofit organization. “If you’re going to get a winter coat and you’ve got your finances in order, go for it,” she added; you can benefit from a great discount.
Jan 02, 2013 |
Five Dumb Excuses For Ditching A Checking Account
People who restrict themselves to cash also give up a myriad of features and functions that come with a checking account. Karen Carlson, director of education and creative programs at InCharge Education Foundation, an affiliate of InCharge Debt Solutions in Orlando, Fla., points to text alerts as one example.
Jan 02, 2013 |
Financial Advice For New Military Members
“These include financial education and services provided by personal finance managers (available on many bases), participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and mandatory interest rate reductions to 6% for active duty military under Service Member’s Civil Relief Act,” said Karen Carlson, Director of Education and Creative Programs at InCharge Debt Solutions.
Dec 05, 2012 |
InCharge Debt Solutions’ Holiday Budgeting Tips For 2012
SUNNY Across Central Florida host Felix Albuerne spoke to Mark Hoewing and Karen Carlson from InCharge Debt Solutions about the pitfalls of holiday spending and how best to avoid them. In particular, Mark and Karen talked about how essential it is to create a holiday budget and stick to it, to find ways to save for holiday shopping throughout the year, and to be creative and come up with alternative means of celebration aside from purchasing lavish gifts.
Dec 04, 2012 |
Money Fix: Is 0% Really A Credit-Card Deal?
"On small balances it may be more expensive to transfer the balance to a 0 percent card than to keep your old card, because of high annual and balance transfer fees. Cards that default to a high APR after the introductory rate may cost you more than staying with a low-moderate interest rate on your original card," says Karen Carlson, director of education at InCharge Debt Solutions in Orlando, Fla. Balance transfer fees are about 3 percent of your balance.
Nov 29, 2012 |
Best Money Management Apps
"Smartphone apps are not only changing the way we communicate, they’re also helping us regulate our financial behavior," said Karen Carlson Director of Education & Creative Programs, InCharge Education Foundation. "We lead increasingly complicated financial lives. Most people have debit cards, checking and savings accounts, several credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, student loans, and an investment portfolio."
Nov 29, 2012 |
Need Money Now? Here's How To Make Some Money Today!
When money is tight, tapping your equity in your home – so often our major asset – can seem a fast way to make money. But is a home equity loan for you? Is it the best way to make some money when you need money now? We checked with an expert to find out. Karen Carlson is the Director of Education and Creative Programs for InCharge Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to financial literacy. "We are the emergency room for finances. We help people who have overwhelming credit card debt, or are facing foreclosure or bankruptcy." Carlson says.
Nov 20, 2012 |
Demystifying The Popularity Of Prepaid Cards
“Consumers like prepaid cards because they are a low commitment product, when compared to a checking account: something akin to casual dating versus marriage,” says Karen Carlson, Director of Education at InCharge Debt Solutions. “For someone unable to secure a credit card or open a checking account (due to being blacklisted), prepaid cards offer much fewer roadblocks.”
Nov 19, 2012 |
Creditworthiness: Do You Have It?
What makes you appealing to one makes you appealing to all, noted Karen Carlson, director of education at InCharge Debt Solutions, a non-profit credit counseling agency in Orlando, Fla. If your credit has been damaged, Carlson suggests ensuring that fresh information about you is reported to credit agencies.
Nov 07, 2012 |
Firms Pump Up Employee Financial Fitness Programs
“Somebody that’s really out of shape, you wouldn’t put them straight in a marathon,” says Karen Carlson, director of education at InCharge Debt Solutions, a nonprofit organization that provides credit counseling and financial education. “Big thinkers” in the field of financial education “are saying it needs to be a holistic approach in order to get people in a better state so they can save for retirement,” she says.
Oct 25, 2012 |
More Americans Walk Away From Their Mortgages
More consumer education can also help would-be defaulters make better choices, advises Billie Passmore of Orlando-based InCharge Debt Solutions, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved financial counseling agency. She’d never advise a client to default — the consequences for their credit are too dire.
Oct 25, 2012 |
The Psychology Of A Cheapskate: Can You Be Addicted To Saving Money?
“While much attention is focused on consumption, saving can also deliver joy and satisfaction: The feeling that financial security is not a destination, but a lifetime journey with a positive trajectory,” shares Karen Carlson, Director of Education at InCharge Debt Solutions. ”Happy savers are typically independent and unconcerned with social pressures to drive a flashier car or have the latest gadgets.”
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