Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I have  been noticing  commercials  for companies  where they can take your debt  and basically make it  go away . Like, if you have a bunch of  credit  card debt, the companies can reduce  the amount you owe  and get creditors  off your  back .
I have  a mound  of debt  and can't figure  out how  to get free of it . I'm wondering  if I  should  try one of these things .
Dump Debt    South  Florida
Dear Dump Debt ,
Things that seems too good  to be true  tend to be exactly that . Debt settlement  companies  are popular  in that they do help consumers  to reduce their  credit card  debt , but  typically  the consumer  is  left with the plummeting  credit scores .
What experts  recommend  instead  is to work  with a federally  accredited company  that is affiliated  with the  Independent  Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies . I advice you to work  with a reputable  company  that can help  you create  a budget  and strategically dig  yourself out of debt . Typically these  nonprofit  companies  support  free of  charge  . To learn more  about  the support you can get through these agencies, visit  aicca.org/.
Maxy

Dear Maxy,
I'm a 59-year-old non-working  female  who has  been married  for  20 years . I thought my husband  was a wonderful man , but  10 years ago, he removed  my name  from our joint bank accounts . I worked  for 30 years . I have  to depend on my husband  for everything . He doesn't  give  me money unless I beg  for it .
Is there anything  I can do  legally  to persuade  him to  give  me an allowance ? He says  he pays all our  bills, so I don't need any  money . Our children agree  with him . For health reasons, I cannot  return to work . What can I do ?
Confused
Dear Confused,
Because  your  husband and your children all believe  you should not handle  money, I have to ask  whether there is a reason . Do you gamble ? Do you overspend ? Even so, you still should  be allotted  a small amount  of  money  for  personal use .
The other  possibility  is financial  abuse . Many people  think abuse  is predominantly about  physical harm, but it  comes in many  guises, one of which is controlling all the money in the relationship, making one  partner completely dependent  on the other . If this  is what is happening  in your marriage, please  contact  the National Domestic Violence Hotline ( thehotline.org )
at 1-800-799-SAFE.
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
My husband is addicted to political TV  shows . From the moment  he wakes  up  until  who  knows  when, after  I go to sleep  at night , he is listening to these cable shows, talking to  the TV  set  and filling  the house with political arguments . I used  to  like this because  it showed he was  paying attention  to what was going on in the news . Now I realize that it's way too much . There is never a neutral  evening in our  house if there is  a volatile political topic  in the news . Frankly, this is getting  old .I am tired of hearing it . I need to know how I get my husband to dial it back a little  ?
Overloaded
Dear Overloaded ,
Tell your  husband that you appreciate  his political  enthusiasm, but  that it is  taking  over your household . Ask  him to agree  to a few hours  each day  without any TV stimulation . Suggest  that healthy  family  time  includes  talking to  each other  free of outside  distractions. He loves you and I am sure he will listen to reason.
Maxy