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When the economy is going well, people buy a lot on credit and keep current with their credit card debt. When the economy stinks, people still buy a lot on credit but fall behind in their payments. By that measurement, we're in a lot of trouble. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia published a study showing that the rate of credit card delinquencies — 30, 60, and 90 days past due — rose to a level not seen since 2012. And it gets worse. "Fourth quarter 2023 featured the worst card performance in the series," the report said. "All stages...

Angela Dean spends at least $200 a month to cover after-school care for her 5-year-old son. Getting back and forth to work — and making sure she picks him up in time — costs another $200 just in tolls.“If I didn't take toll roads, my commute would be an hour-and-a-half or more depending on traffic,” Dean said. “I get off work at 5:30 p.m. and I have to pick my son up by 6:30 or pay crazy late fees. When I take the toll roads, I get there with about 15 minutes to spare.”The North Texas suburbanite uses the President...

Five years after Blockbuster announced in a massive marketing campaign that it was getting rid of late fees, they're back. MSN Entertainment: Academy Awards coverage In an effort to to compete with rival Coinstar's (CSTR) Redbox vending machines and mail delivery service Netflix (NFLX), the video rental company is returning to charging customers for returning movie rentals late. As of March, Blockbuster is charging $1 per day for up to 10 days after a rental is overdue. If the rental is 15 days late, the customer will be charged for the full price, which could be as much as $29.99...

Hey, DVD slackers: Cops are onto you RICHFIELD TOWNSHIP THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION Monday, January 30, 2006 By Ken Palmer kpalmer@flintjournal.com Forgot to return that "Hitch" DVD that's been gathering dust under your couch for months? Be careful. A cop might be on your doorstep looking for it. That's what happened when Deborah Gorney of Burton answered her door just before Christmas to find a Richfield Township police officer. He wanted to speak to her daughter, Colby, 20, who had two overdue DVDs from Paradise Video, 3058 N. State Road. Gorney was confused about the doorstep service, but then...