Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question

Credit card companies are on a tear, raising rates, slashing credit lines, increasing minimum payments and closing accounts in advance of the new credit card legislation that will restrict their more outrageous behavior. Today, Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com help a WalletPop reader decide if she has any recourse against her credit card company's latest trick.

Dear Ken and Daria,

We got a letter from our credit card saying they were changing the terms on our card. We still have a balance on the card, but we opted out and closed the account. They STILL upped the minimum payment required on our balance. Can they do that?

You'll find simple, proven solutions for managing your credit card debt at Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Can you please help me understand how my bank calculates my mortgage interest and principal? Even when I pre-pay my mortgage, they seem to put most of it toward interest.

--Penny

For more answers to your debt management questions, visit Dolans.com

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Thanks to rising unemployment and an economy stuck in neutral at very best, more consumers than ever are struggling to pay their debts. Credit card delinquencies and charge-offs are both at record highs. Today, Ken and Daria help a WalletPop reader understand how debt charge-offs impact his credit and share solutions for managing his debt.

I heard that once your debt has been charged off, that your credit score never gets any better.So, is it a good to accept the offers I get to settle my debt by paying off 60-to 70% of it in exchange for charging off the rest?

--Hector

Looking for debt help? Visit Dolans.com to learn more about debt settlement and other debt management options.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Dear Ken and Daria,

How do I find houses that are in foreclosure through a U.S. agency? I tried one given on TV, but every lead I get is a company looking for money to give you a list, or they want your personal information. Can you help?

--Carole

Let the Dolans help you with debt management, smart investing and retirement planning at Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday. Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Dear Ken and Daria,

If you use a debt counselor, and agree not to charge anything else to your card, is it true that the bank is required to lower your interest rate?

--Freeman

To learn about debt management strategies that really work, visit Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Your credit score is more important than ever. But how can you make sure you have good credit when you don't use credit cards? Personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan help a WalletPop reader facing this dilemma.

Visit Dolans.com for more simple, proven ways to improve your credit score.

More than 11 million families are saving for college using a 529 savings plan. Those plans have suffered big losses along with the rest of the stock market, creating a dilemma for parents whose kids are headed to college in the next five years. How do you invest your 529 funds today to make up for recent losses, yet not put yourself at risk of losing even more as college fast approaches?

Today, the Dolans help one family decide the best way to invest in their 529 savings plan.

Dear Ken and Daria,

We've lost a great deal from our 529 College Savings Plan during the recent recession. What are the best ways to recoup some of the money before our child goes to college?
--Janet

To learn more about how to use 529 college savings plans, visit Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Money is the #1 topic of arguments among married couples. Unfortunately, that pattern holds true when a marriage ends in divorce. If you aren't careful, divorce-related money problems can haunt you for years. Today, Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com help a divorcee' deal with credit problems being caused by her ex-spouse's debt hurting her credit. Watch now.

Dear Ken and Daria,

How can I get my ex's debt off of my credit report?

--Karen

To learn how to fix errors on your credit report, visit the Dolans.com Credit Center.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Americans have lost trillions -- with a "T" -- of dollars in the stock and housing market collapses. The average person with a 401(k) plan has lost five years worth of their savings! No wonder people are nervous about whether they have enough money saved for retirement. Today, Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com have a surprising answer to the question "How much money do I need in retirement." The conventional wisdom is dead wrong, they say -- listen to it and your retirement dream could become a nightmare.

Dear Ken and Daria,

How can i figure out if I have enough money to retire?

--Mary

Use our retirement planning worksheet to figure out how much you need for retirement. It's not too late to rebuild your retirement savings!

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Money is the number one source of arguments among couples, and those disagreements only get worse when times are tough. Many couples are in serious trouble today because one spouse blames the other for the financial losses they have suffered. Today, Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com try to help a couple avoid that same fate as they decide where to invest their money in today's tricky market.

Dear Ken and Daria,

My husband and I have a small amount of money we would like to invest but know nothing about such things as we have never had much money. The amount would be as much as $10,000 or as little as $5,000, depending on how safe the investment could be. He wants to do something in the stock market but I'm afraid. If we lose this money, we have lost our savings with no way to replenish it.

--Shirley

For more money advice for couples, visit Dolans.com.

You can now add Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to the long list of the the rich and famous who have been victims of identity theft.

It's just been revealed that while Bernanke was in the throes of dealing with the financial crisis and Wall Street collapse last summer, he was faced with his own financial crisis at home. He and his wife were one of hundreds of victims of a $2.1 million identity theft scheme.

While at a local coffee shop, a thief had swiped his wife Anna's purse off the back of her chair. Her purse contained her wallet, driver's license, their joint checkbook, four credit cards and her Social Security card. Unfortunately for her and Ben, their home address and telephone number were also printed on their checks.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

When money is tight, it can be tough deciding what your money priorities should be. One of the biggest challenges can be balancing short-term vs. long-term needs. Watch Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com help Joe, a WalletPop reader facing a money dilemma that pits his retirement vs. his debt.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I lost my job last year and have accumulated substantial credit card debt. I have over $600,000 and am 58 years old. Should I take money out of my 401(k) and pay off my debt?

--Joe

If you are in over your head, don't panic! Learn about all of your options for getting out of debt at Dolans.com.

After a sleepy start, the 2009 hurricane season exploded this week with Ana, Bill and Claudette.

As Hurricane Bill churns across the Atlantic, this is a good time to make sure your family has an emergency plan -- and don't think you can stop reading if you don't live in a hurricane prone area.

Mother Nature wreaks havoc from coast to coast with devastating and deadly fires, floods, mudslides and more. No matter where you live, you must make sure you and your loved ones are prepared to deal with a natural disaster.

It won't take much of your time and will be worth every minute of it. Here are four simple steps to take now:

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Credit is by far the number one topic we get questions about. Many are about how to build, keep and protect good credit. To answer today's question, we'll expose one of the biggest credit myths when it comes to how your credit card balances impact your credit score.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I just got my first credit card and it's a gas card. My first bill is about to arrive and I want to know what's better to help build my credit card: should I pay it off in full or carry a balance?

--Thomas

Learn simple ways to boost your credit score 100 points at Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

There are billions of dollars worth of E and EE savings bonds tucked away in safety deposit boxes and laying at the bottom of drawers around the country. There is more than $700 million worth of savings bonds out there! Savings bonds used to be the investment of choice for people who had a small amount to invest or who wanted to give a small gift. Find out if yours are still paying interest, what they are worth and whether you should cash them in.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I have some EE savings bonds from 1986. I'm wondering, do these still pay interest? If I cash them in, will I have to pay any taxes? Please tell me if you think these are a good investment. Thank you.

--Gene

Visit Dolans.com for more answers to your money questions.