Dear Debt Adviser: Twelve years ago, my daughter was offered numerous credit cards, even though she was only an 18-year-old student. Her story is the familiar one of too much credit and no way to pay it all back. ... She has at least one account that was delinquent and closed more than 10 years ago. She has started getting calls from a collection agency asking for payment. In an earlier article, you indicated these debts should no longer be on the credit report. However, are collection agencies still allowed to pursue payment?

Dear Debt Adviser: How do I find out the timeline on my debt? I know after six or seven years the debt is taken off. I would like to know if there is a way to see if it is gone. -- Mark

New York -- Every January, it’s the same drill. This is the year you will cut your debt, save money and spend more wisely.

The Wall Street Journal Sunday, The Weekly Guide to Managing Your Money

Dianne Cutter doesn't swipe her credit card at the gas station anymore. She became a cash-only customer after her card was skimmed from the credit card reader and a thief made charges to her card.

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard: Some new year promises are harder to keep than others. Here are eight consumer resolutions that should be easy to maintain and will serve you well in 2010.

It's always a good idea to be vigilant about your credit score, but even if borrowing loosens up a bit in 2009, you still need to do everything necessary to keep your credit score high.

Rebecca Warren: If you're planning to buy a home or a car in 2009, the process is going to be a lot tougher without an excellent credit score and a significant down payment.

PHOENIX - Arizona consumers are gaining a new shield from identify theft: the ability to impose low-cost freezes on their credit reports.

According to the government, 8.3 million Americans fell victim to identity theft in 2005. Estimated losses surpassed $15 billion. Fortunately, you can protect yourself from identity theft.

I think someone has taken over my Gmail account and has changed the password. What can I do? - Lloyd

Monday’s “The Montel Williams Show” focused on identity theft nightmares, and featured LifeLock CEO Todd Davis as an identity-theft expert.

Arizona consumers could soon have a new weapon against identity theft.

Qualifying for a home loan just got trickier. With defaults and foreclosures still plaguing the mortgage industry, lenders are evaluating how risky potential borrowers are by heavily weighing credit scores.

With Wall Street investors suddenly feeling squeamish about risk in the wake of the mortgage crisis, lenders are returning to prehousing boom qualification standards — including requiring borrowers to have good credit.

Bad credit should not be a source of embarrassment, and those with it are far from alone. “The stigma that sort of goes along with bad credit, we don’t feel it should be there,” said Rob Anderson, co-founder of Livingwithbadcredit.com, an education Web site for people with credit problems.

NEW YORK - The three major consumer credit reporting agencies announced Tuesday that they have created a new credit scoring system aimed at simplifying the loan process for both lenders and borrowers.

NEW YORK - You may not be able to keep hackers or dishonest employees out of your credit card processors' office, but you can keep thieves from filching your credit card information from the garbage.

Andrea Esquer figures she was among the first of thousands of Arizonans who logged on to the Federal Trade Commission's new Web site to retrieve her free credit report.

NEW YORK - Millions of Americans are about to get free annual copies of their credit reports.

NEW YORK - Little by little, a weapon against identity theft is gaining currency — but few people know about it.

Q. Is it true that the floppy disk is being phased out? What should I do with all the data I have saved on floppies?

After the champagne, confetti and noisemakers, the new year offers an opportunity to make a fresh start financially so there’s more to celebrate a year from now, according to Valley financial planning experts.