More than eight out of every 10 Americans have a credit card, according to the United States Federal Reserve. So, it's more likely than not that you have one of these plastic cards in your wallet.

Debt is a burden that can weigh heavily on your mental well-being. The weight of those nagging bills and interest can sap your energy and optimism. But don’t lose hope–there are bright spots that signal you’re making progress toward becoming debt-free.

Do you want to live to be 100? If so, join the crowd. More than half of Gen Xers and boomers, and about 6 in 10 millennials and Gen Zers, hope to reach age 100, according to a recent study by Houston-based Corebridge Financial and the Longevity Project, an organization that promotes research on the effects of longer living.

With tax day just around the corner, you still have time to fund an individual retirement account for tax year 2023. Retirement savers who want to invest in an IRA have a window of roughly 15 1/2 months to make their contributions, which can be done all at once or over time.

When you're over the age of 65, it's more important than ever to make smart money decisions. This may mean managing investments, delaying social security benefits for a bigger payout, or continuing to earn some form of income into your senior years.

In the U.S., credit card debt is commonplace. In fact, household credit card debt across the country totaled $1.13 trillion during the fourth quarter of 2023. And, credit card balances increased by $50 billion from Q3 to Q4 2023, according to the Federal Reserve.

A controversial new proposal could help save Social Security, but it would come at the cost of current retirement plan tax rules. Economists Andrew Biggs, who is a Social Security Board nominee, and Alicia Munnell have proposed a plan that could offer more funding to the Social Security Administration, which is largely predicted to become insolvent by 2033.

Debt settlement programs are centered around negotiations with your creditors, which are done in an attempt to get them to accept less money than you owe on your debt. During the process, part of the debt is settled and forgiven — which is why many call debt settlement a debt forgiveness program.