Ways to borrow money!

Borrowing money is always a last resort, but for anyone who's been in a pinch between paychecks, sometimes it's a necessary evil. But who or where you choose to borrow from can take your predicament from a temporary dollar dilemma to a long-term financial nightmare.

Credit card interest rates rise steady!

The national average annual percentage rate (APR) on new card offers climbed to 14.97 percent Wednesday -- the highest it's been since March. This is just the fourth time this year that average interest rates have spiked.

Changes by Chase and Capital One spurred the jump in rates. Chase raised the APR on two of its business credit cards -- the Chase Business Ink card and the Chase Ink Cash card. Both cards previously featured a flat APR of 10.24 percent. Applicants are now offered a 13.24 percent interest rate, which is a full 3 percentage points higher.

People are keeping debt levels down, number of consumer bankruptcy filings plunged by 14 percent.

Tighter credit in years past means fewer need debts discharged today

The tightening of consumer credit during the economic downturn may be paying off now, as the number of consumer bankruptcy filings plunged by 14 percent during the first half of the year, continuing the steep decline that began last year.