debt

People carry a large Puerto Rican flag as they protest looming austerity measures amid an economic crisis in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Monday. The May Day demonstrations come as the island faces a Monday deadline for reaching a deal on debt payments, or en

National

Puerto Rico Eyes Options As It Faces Debt Deadline — Again

7:42pm May 01, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

The island has been struggling with a massive debt burden for nearly two years, and protection from lawsuits are about to expire. An oversight board could initiate a bankruptcy-like process.

Regulators Draw Up New Rules To Stop Abusive Practices By Debt Collectors

5:22pm July 28, 2016

by Jim Zarroli

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau receives more complaints about debt collection than any other issue.

Mosaic seized about $20,000 from Keith Herie's wages over the course of eight years. When NPR and ProPublica published their story in 2014, he still owed $26,000. Mosaic later offered to settle for $8,300, and Herie accepted.

Nonprofit Hospital Forgives Debts And Stops Suing So Many Poor Patients

8:00am June 02, 2016

Scrutiny by Sen. Charles Grassley and an investigation by NPR and ProPublica led a Missouri hospital to give $17 million in debt relief. Will other nonprofit hospitals follow suit?

Puerto Rico faces a financial crisis with a debt of $72 billion.

As Debt Talks Hit An Impasse, What's Next For Puerto Rico?

8:19am January 25, 2016

by NPR Staff

Negotiations to restructure the U.S. territory's significant debt hit a speed bump Friday. As Congress considers its next step, economist Rosario Rivera explains the origins of the financial crisis.

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Harold Pollack's index card of finance tips.

Can The Best Financial Tips Fit On An Index Card?

2:01pm January 08, 2016

by Chris Arnold

Yes, according to an economist who wrote a blog post that went viral in 2013. Now he has expanded the basics in a book, The Index Card.

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Puerto Rico Says It Will Miss $37 Million In Bond Payments This Week

10:18pm December 30, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The island's government warns that time is running out for Congress to address its fiscal problems. Puerto Rico has been reeling from the effects of declining population and a long recession.

Radwan Mahmoud, a Syrian refugee, works as a laborer on a construction site in Lebanon. He's supporting 12 family members and earning about $16 a day. With a population of just over 4 million, Lebanon is host to more than 1 million Syrian refugees.

As War Drags On, Syrian Refugees In Lebanon Sink Into Debt Trap

3:27pm December 10, 2015

by Alice Fordham

Barred from legal work in Lebanon, Syrian refugees are accumulating huge debts as they struggle to pay for rent and other necessities.

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Shares of households with debt, by generation

From The Silents To Millennials, Debt Burdens Span The Generations

11:00am October 12, 2015

by Yuki Noguchi

The silent generation is still paying off mortgages, and baby boomers aren't done with student loans. A new study by Pew Charitable Trusts also shows fewer millennials are taking on mortgages.

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A woman looks on at the U.S. Capitol in 2013 after the most recent government shutdown. Congress has made no progress toward avoiding a government shutdown when it will run out of funding Sept. 30.

Iran Deal Looks Like A Done Deal, So Here Are The Next Crises For Congress

1:10pm September 03, 2015

by Ron Elving

President Obama may have secured enough votes to keep his Iran deal intact, but potential problems loom for Congress on the debt ceiling, highway funding and a possible government shutdown.

About one-third of households carry credit card debt over from month to month, down from 44 percent in 2009.

Watchdog: Consumers 'More Responsible' With Credit Card Debt

1:43pm August 12, 2015

by Susanna Capelouto

Before the Great Recession, many Americans piled up too much credit card debt. Now, they seem to be a little wiser about using plastic, says the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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