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Benjamin R. Matthews and Associates, LLC Move forward again with Benjamin R. Matthews and Associates on your side. South Carolina bankruptcy lawyer.

10/09/2026

Here is your official October reminder before you start your Christmas shopping: not everyone on your list needs another candle and a throw blanket.

December feels like snowflakes and magic, but January always brings the reality check when the credit card statements show up.

A massive chunk of holiday debt does not come from buying meaningful gifts for the people who matter most. It comes from panic buying obligation gifts for distant relatives, acquaintances, and gift exchanges just to avoid showing up empty handed.

We take on real financial stress to purchase random clutter that the receiver usually does not even want or need.

Think about how this cycle usually plays out:
- You spend money you would rather keep in your savings.
- They receive a generic gift that ends up sitting in a closet or getting regifted next year.
- By January, the decorations come down, but your high-interest balance stays.

The holiday season is meant for genuine connection, not for putting yourself in a financial hole just to satisfy a social obligation. It is completely acceptable to scale back, set clear boundaries, or simply focus on the people closest to you.

Before you start tapping your card this fall, pause and ask yourself: Are you buying this because it brings genuine joy, or are you just trying to check a box?

10/07/2026

Owning a home is often treated like the ultimate financial milestone. But is buying always the smarter move?

In South Carolina, about 71.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, so homeownership is certainly the norm. But buying a house comes with costs that go well beyond the purchase price. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median value of an owner-occupied home in South Carolina is $259,000, and homeowners with a mortgage have median monthly housing costs of $1,529. Those costs include things like mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, utilities and certain other housing expenses.

For comparison, the state’s median gross rent is $1,180 per month. That doesn’t automatically make renting cheaper, renters and homeowners have very different expenses and benefits, but it does show why the answer isn’t as simple as “renting is throwing money away.”

Homeowners also take on repairs, maintenance, transaction costs and the risk of unexpected expenses. At the same time, ownership can build equity and provide long-term housing stability.

The point isn’t that renting is better than buying. It’s that homeownership isn’t automatically the best financial move simply because we’ve been taught to view it as the next step.

Sometimes renting gives you more flexibility, fewer surprise expenses and the ability to put your money toward other goals.

The better question: Does buying a home make financial sense for you right now?

Types of Federal Student Aid available.
10/06/2026

Types of Federal Student Aid available.

10/05/2026

A recent Fortune article brought up the classic “marshmallow test,” take one now, or wait and get two later, and connected it to the way adults make financial decisions.

The idea is simple: short-term wants can become long-term debt.

A car payment that stretches the budget. A credit card balance that keeps growing. Another monthly payment because it feels manageable right now. Individually, they may not seem overwhelming, but over time those obligations can leave very little room for savings, emergencies or an unexpected change in income.

Of course, not all debt comes from poor spending decisions. Medical bills, job loss, divorce, business struggles and other circumstances can put people in financial trouble quickly.

But if your income is increasingly going toward debt and the balances aren’t getting smaller, ignoring it usually doesn’t make the problem go away.

Bankruptcy may be one option for creating a more manageable path forward.

Congress has passed the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act, which would permanently increase bankruptcy debt limits to ...
09/30/2026

Congress has passed the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act, which would permanently increase bankruptcy debt limits to $2.75 million for Chapter 13 and $7.5 million for Subchapter V small business cases. The bill is now awaiting the President’s signature.

These changes could open the door to additional bankruptcy options for individuals, families, and small business owners who previously exceeded the eligibility limits.

Current limits remain in effect until the bill becomes law. We will continue to follow the status and share updates as they become available.

09/28/2026

Is your daily coffee actually costing you more than $6?

Suze Orman recently made headlines by saying she refuses to eat at restaurants or buy coffee out, not because she can't afford it, but because she doesn't think the habit is worth the money.

And while you don't have to give up your morning coffee, there’s a bigger point worth considering:

Small expenses become meaningful when they repeat.

A $6 coffee five days a week is about $1,560 a year. Add one $25 restaurant meal each week and you're at roughly $2,860 a year before taxes, tips, or other spending.

That money could instead go toward an emergency fund, paying down high-interest debt, retirement savings, or simply giving you more breathing room.

And restaurant prices have continued to rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food purchased away from home was 4.1% more expensive in December 2025 than a year earlier, compared with a 2.4% increase for food at home.

The point isn't that buying a coffee makes you bad with money.

It's that your everyday habits matter more when your financial margin is already thin.

Before cutting out every little thing you enjoy, take a look at the bigger picture. Sometimes the goal isn't spending nothing. It's making sure the money you're spending is actually going where you want it to go.

09/21/2026

Homeowners are tapping into their equity again.

HELOC balances increased by $13 billion during the second quarter of 2026, reaching $459 billion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

That's significant because HELOC balances are now $142 billion above their low point in 2022.

Using home equity can make financial sense in some situations. But there is an important distinction between carrying unsecured debt and putting debt against your home.

A lower interest rate doesn't necessarily mean lower risk. Before moving credit card debt onto a house, it's worth understanding exactly what is being gained, and what is being put at risk.

Budgeting from an average month can create problems when your income rises and falls throughout the year. Looking at you...
09/18/2026

Budgeting from an average month can create problems when your income rises and falls throughout the year. Looking at your actual deposits and building fixed expenses around a realistic income floor can make slow months easier to manage without relying on credit cards. If variable income and growing debt are becoming difficult to balance, contact Benjamin R. Matthews and Associates, LLC. We can review your financial situation and help you determine whether budgeting, bankruptcy, or another debt-relief option makes sense. https://bit.ly/4yPDXjz

09/18/2026

Have federal student loans? September 30, 2026 is a date worth knowing.

The U.S. Department of Education announced that borrowers who enroll in autopay by September 30, 2026, or who are already enrolled, can receive a 1 percentage-point interest-rate reduction through June 30, 2028.

It's not a huge change on its own, but on a large student loan balance, even a small interest-rate reduction can matter over time.

Student loan borrowers have a lot of moving pieces right now. Repayment plans, forgiveness rules, and loan terms are changing, which makes keeping up with your actual loan status more important than ever.

09/14/2026

South Carolina's unemployment rate fell from 4.4% in June to 4.2% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For comparison, the national unemployment rate was 4.1%.

While unemployment remains relatively low, employment numbers are only one piece of the household financial picture.

A person can be employed and still be struggling with high debt, rising expenses, or a loss of financial breathing room. On the other hand, even a short period of unemployment can quickly change a household's ability to keep up with existing obligations.

The broader economy can look stable while individual households experience very different financial realities.

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Columbia, SC
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