Back in March, I read and raved about James Scurlock's book Maxed Out, which was written based on the upcoming documentary of the same name. I then promptly forgot about the movie and just got around to watching it now. So here is my much-belated review of Maxed Out, a movie that every American who wants to understand the subprime and consumer credit industry absolutely must watch.

Scurlock looks at the issue of maxed out Americans on the brink of bankruptcy with a mix of compassion and tough love. Interviews with the owner of a pawn shop show the conspicuous consumption that has been a major contributor the current mess. Dave Ramsey offers advice on a tough, rugged-individualist way to turn your life around: Cut up your credit cards, live like a pauper, and get yourself out of debt.

But there's another side to the story and Maxed Out tells it well: the credit card companies that shamelessly exploit college students and even the mentally disabled, and bankruptcy reform bill written by the credit card industry.

Maxed Out could well be called the movie the consumer credit industry doesn't want you to see, and that's all the reason you need to see it.

Movie Review: Maxed Out originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If the Suze Orman Show is a little too cute for you, you may want to listen to the Dave Ramsey Show, which can be streamed live on the website or listened to at your convenience in the archives. While Suze provides warmth and emotional support, Dave Ramsey is tough. The show's slogan pretty much sums it up: Where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice!

Ramsey provides an entertaining style, and takes personal-finance questions from people in serious need -- his callers seem to be much worse off than Orman's callers. On the most recent episode, an illiterate woman called in to explain she had overpaid for a car because she couldn't read the contract she signed. He also rips into payday lenders, whom he describes as "scummy."

Ramsey's story, like that of most self-styled gurus, it seems, is inspiring: At age 26, he was a millionaire. But his lavish lifestyle caught up with him, and he went broke. Now he's rich again, and providing financial advice on his radio show and in books.

Much of his stuff seems overly promotional, and the Biblical angle may turn off some listeners. But Ramsey provides strong, no-nonsense advice on personal finance, and his show is worth listening to.

Listen to this: The Dave Ramsey Show originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.