Debt Information for Teens, 3rd Edition, offers updated information about economic fundamentals that impact personal finances and ways to manage money. It explains how to develop a personal budget, save for future goals, and make purchasing decisions. It also discusses establishing and using credit, the basics of borrowing, the purposes of credit reports and credit scores, and some of the most frequently encountered types of loans, including installment, vehicle, and education loans.

Table of Contents

• Preface
• Part One: The Economy And Your Wallet
• Chapter 1— Overview Of American Currency
• Chapter 2— Financial Capability And Literacy
• Chapter 3— The American Experience With Money
• Chapter 4— The State Of The Economy In The United States
• Chapter 5— A Look At The U.S. Economy
• Chapter 6— Understanding U.S. Monetary Policy And Interest Rates
• Chapter 7— U.S. Public Debt
• Chapter 8— Federal Borrowing And Debt
• Part Two: Personal Money Management
• Chapter 9— Managing Money In The Real World
• Chapter 10— Budgeting Basics
• Chapter 11— Spending Money Wisely
• Chapter 12— Saving Money
• Chapter 13— Saving For College
• Chapter 14— You And Your Bank
• Chapter 15— Electronic Banking
• Chapter 16— A Guide To Checking Accounts
• Chapter 17— Protecting Yourself From Overdraft And Bounced-Check Fees
• Chapter 18— Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft
• Part Three: Establishing And Using Credit
• Chapter 19— What You Need To Know About Credit
• Chapter 20— Borrowing Basics
• Chapter 21— Credit Reports And Credit Scores
• Chapter 22— Your Access To Free Credit Reports
• Chapter 23— Loan Basics
• Chapter 24— Subsidized And Unsubsidized Loans
• Chapter 25— Beware Of Predatory Lending Practices
• Chapter 26— Installment Loans
• Chapter 27— Vehicle Financing
• Chapter 28— Financing Your Education After High School
• Chapter 29— Educational Loans
• Chapter 30— Private Education Loans
• Chapter 31— Planning For Independence
• Part Four: Credit Cards
• Chapter 32— Basic Facts About Credit Cards
• Chapter 33— Important Differences Between Debit And Credit Cards
• Chapter 34— Choosing And Using Credit Cards
• Chapter 35— Using Credit Wisely
• Chapter 36— Avoiding Credit Card Pitfalls
• Chapter 37— Understanding The Extra Cost Of Minimum Payments
• Chapter 38— How To Rebuild Your Credit Score
• Chapter 39— Protecting Your Plastic: Don't Be A Victim
• Part Five: Identifying And Resolving Debt-Related Problems
• Chapter 40— Federal Consumer-Rights Laws
• Chapter 41— Knee Deep In Debt
• Chapter 42— Consolidating Credit Card Debt
• Chapter 43— Student Loan Consolidation
• Chapter 44— Repaying Your Loans
• Chapter 45— Facts About Credit Repair And Debt Relief Services
• Chapter 46— How To Dispute Credit Report Errors
• Chapter 47— Dealing With A Debt Collector
• Chapter 48— Vehicle Repossession
• Chapter 49— Bankruptcy: A Last Resort
• Part Six: If You Need More Information
• Chapter 50— Interactive Tools, Online Calculators, And Other Web-Based Resources
• Chapter 51— Additional Resources For Learning More About Money