Getting a loan with a payday lender could send you down a deep hole that may take years to get out of.

Here’s how payday lenders catch and hold consumers:

Black Friday is fast, furious, and sometimes dangerous. It’s dangerous because Black Friday is a day when stores give away great deals on certain things, but also try to trap you into buying full-priced items.

To buy what you want and still keep a few dollars in your pocket, here are two things you should do:

It's time to start thinking about your year-end money strategy. Christmas and New Year's are closer than you think. Use the following strategies to make the rest of the year count.

The beauty of the Internet is that anyone can start a blog. The ugly truth about the Internet is that anyone can start a blog. And no, that's no typo. There's a lot of content floating out there about how to manage your money and build long-term wealth, but not all of it is good.

Ever wonder why the used-car industry is such a big hit? The price tag attached to a used vehicle is usually several thousand dollars less than for new cars. If you buy a new car, it typically depreciates about 20% in value the minute you drive it off the lot.

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial service cooperatives, owned and controlled by their members, and operating in a democratic way. What difference does that make?

Co-ops are businesses, in many ways like any other business. But a cooperative operates solely for the members' benefit. All co-op businesses run in accordance with seven basic principles, many of which have been part of the co-op philosophy from their beginnings more than 150 years ago.

If you want to be the master of your credit card debt load, follow these key rules:

If there's ever a time that "millennials" need cooperatives, it's now.

The last ten years have been quite transformational for this generation of young adults. Younger millennials just graduating college likely saw their parents lose jobs, benefits and pensions while bank executives lost nothing. According to a study by Filene Research Institute, millennials make about as much (rather, as little) as previous generations, but factor in the average student loan debt of $27,000 and that take home pay is quickly eaten up.

Are you thinking about how you're going to pay for your first car? You could get it:

* As a gift or hand-me-down within your family
* With cash you earned from your job
* With an interest-free loan from your parents

But what if none of these options are open to you? You could get a loan. Here's how:

Graduating college is a huge milestone, but moving out on your own, away from dorms and comfortable college-town apartments can be an even bigger step.

If you've recently graduated, here are five things to consider before making the big move.