A few years ago, a friend of mind retired after his retirement plan was fully vested.

If you listen to the TV and radio advertisements you would think you can and should borrow money for just about anything.  Credit card companies and banks encourage this by constantly sending you credit card offers and increasing the limits on your existing credit cards.  They use compelling arguments to try to convince you that you owe it to yourself to borrow money.  You deserve to live a better, more fulfilling lifestyle.  It's the American way!  As a result, many people are sucked deep into debt by borrowing money for things they should have never gone in debt for in the first place.  So when is it a good idea to borrow money?

A number of years ago I read a delightful story about a highway traffic problem in which an 18-wheeler truck became stuck under an overpass, creating quite a problem for the city transportation department. 

We need to understand our relationship with money and buying habits to discover any hidden issues that may need improvement.

At some point in your life, I'm sure you have said to yourself, "I wish I was really wealthy," or "I would like to live like a millionaire." In your mind, you visualized living in a palatial mansion surrounded by lush gardens. Inside all the comforts you could dream of: a spacious kitchen decked out with state-of-the-art appliances, a luxurious master suite and a closet filled with the latest fashions, a bathroom furnished with massage tub and bidet. Housed in the twelve-door garage, a dozen choice automobiles await your command to tour the town. Best of all, this mansion and all its amenities come equipped with gardeners to tend the gardens, chefs to prepare scrumptious meals, maids to tidy the rooms, and chauffeurs to care for the cars.

For the first time in a number of years, the American Congress has recently passed new reforms for credit cards under the Credit Card Act of 2009. This month, to see if you completely understand the new rules, as well as what is happening in general concerning plastic cards, I have developed a quiz. See how many you can answer correctly.