A credit card is a double-edged sword. One edge offers convenience and security when making purchases. You’ll even find some transactions (renting a car, reserving a hotel room) can get tricky without one. So yes, a credit card has a useful side. But it can also have a second edge, a dark side. It’s all too easy to find yourself in trouble with debt, fees and finance charges (not to mention a shrinking credit rating) if you allow easy access to credit to get the best of your budget.

Let’s play a short little guessing game. We’ll provide a few statistics, and you tell us what those stats represent. Ready? Here we go...

• One in 10 U.S. citizens has been personally affected by this.
• Nearly 26 million Americans carry insurance against it.
• Those involved lose an average of between $851-$1,378 in expenses.
• Worldwide losses associated with this are $221 billion a year.

Alright, what are we talking about? Natural disasters? Vehicle accidents? No. It’s identity theft. It’s you having your good name stolen and used for someone else’s benefit. Here are some other numbers to consider:

She’s been a good friend, but her mood’s been a little temperamental lately, and she’s let you down on more than one occasion. Not that looks are important, but she’s getting a little long in the tooth as well. Yeah, she’s lost her luster in more ways than one. For better or for worse, there comes a time when you just have to know when to cut the ties. It’s time for a new vehicle.

Before you go out kicking tires and wasting pricey gasoline running from one auto dealer to the next, why not just boot up the ol’ computer and do a little shopping from the comfort of home? Vantage offers our Direct Dealer network, a collection of nearly 250 local vehicle dealers, most online. From A (Ackerman) to Z (Zeiser), from east (O’Fallon, IL) to west (Warrenton) to north (Florissant) to south (Festus), we have you covered when it comes to shopping for a new or used vehicle.

Insurance is a lightning rod in a storm of questions, especially when the topic is auto insurance. Why do I need it? How many kinds are there? Why is it so expensive? Because most of us drive, the topic is always relative in one way or another. So, you have questions. Here are some answers:

Q. Why do I need auto insurance?
A. First and foremost, in many states, it’s the law; you must maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage. For example, the minimum insurance requirements for the state of Missouri are:

Old Man Winter has finally packed his bags and taken his cold weather show on the road, and that usually means many of us are ready to pack our own bags and hit the road as well. While some of us like to plan a trip down to the last detail, others prefer to point their vehicles in no particular direction with little more than an inclination. The method isn’t nearly as important as the results. And for best results, whether driving or flying, be sure you take care of pre-trip business before setting off. It can save you time and headaches down the line.

Bills, bills, bills! And the biggest budget buzz saw usually involves keeping the roof over your head––the mortgage. Ever fantasize about what it would be like to not have a monthly mortgage payment? It could be like winning the lottery, having all that extra money at the end of the month to use for other purposes.

Some people take the fantasy a step further and devise a plan to pay down their mortgages early. While it sounds like a good idea, is it something you should really consider? As usual, there are a number of things to think about. Here are a few:

In the church of finance, personal responsibility is the high priest. It’s true that outside forces will affect your situation to a point, but only you can dictate how your financial life will proceed. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five “debtly sins” that can misdirect your financial well-being.