Did anyone see Oprah on Tuesday?

[cheles2kids]

I saw the episode yesterday and she had Suze Ormon (I hope I spelled that right) on and she was talking about this "meltdown" going on and basically what it spells out for us.
I found her laymen explanation to it, pretty interesting.
Suze is usually not "my cup of tea", but yesterday I felt like she was pretty well spot on with everything she said.

Also they had a couple on there that were $90,000.00 in credit card debt and as Suze always does, she basically told them the cold hard truth, that they cannot afford to keep their home, they need to sell it as quickly as possible.
That poor couple look like they had been punched in the face, when she told them this.
Even after being that far in cc. debt, and with the wife laid off, they still couldn't understand the reason behind the suggestion of selling their home.

If you saw it, I'm curious to hear what everyone here thought of it?

[northernmom2boys]

I know she makes sense most of the time but her voice just irritates the crap out of me

[Jeanna]

I too am not an Oprah fan or Suzi fan but I did watch the show because of the subject. I was amazed at the couple who were $90,000 in debt on 29 credit cards. This made me mad. Not just because the couple had made such bad decisions but also because giving anybody that many credit cards is just one of the problems with this countries financial problems. I really thought the show was very good overall though. I think Suzi told people how it is and wasn't afraid to say to pull out your money if you were going to need it. As she said over the long haul people will be ok but the next few years will really be trying.

[cheles2kids]

I know she makes sense most of the time but her voice just irritates the crap out of me

Maybe that's what I dislike about her?
I dunno. But there's something, I just can't put my finger on it.

But man, she was REALLY fired up yesterday and I think it kinda caught that couple off guard a bit.
'Cause she was really just letting them have it, which is probably what they needed, but they needed to hear it a looong time before they decided to write into the Oprah show, and Suze said as much.
Something along the lines of if they had tried to get help MUCH earlier that they probably wouldn't have been sitting there now, kinda thing.

[Russ]

Also they had a couple on there that were $90,000.00 in credit card debt
If you saw it, I'm curious to hear what everyone here thought of it?

What I think...? I think their problems with debt make mine look a WHOLE lot easier to handle.

[cheles2kids]

I too am not an Oprah fan or Suzi fan but I did watch the show because of the subject. I was amazed at the couple who were $90,000 in debt on 29 credit cards. This made me mad. Not just because the couple had made such bad decisions but also because giving anybody that many credit cards is just one of the problems with this countries financial problems. I really thought the show was very good overall though. I think Suzi told people how it is and wasn't afraid to say to pull out your money if you were going to need it. As she said over the long haul people will be ok but the next few years will really be trying.

I agree. I about choked when they said they had *29* credit cards, good grief!!!
At what point, did they not realize that they needed to stop applying for them?

It is frustrating! I was just discussing the other day with a friend of mine about how "appearances" are so important to people.
Sad, really.

That everything is so centered around where you live, what you wear, and what you drive, that people feel the need to get that far in over their heads.
Being able to go to bed and sleep at night means alot more than a name brand outfit or driving a brand new car, at least to me anyway.

I can't imagine the stress & sleepless nights that they have been going through.

I don't normally watch Oprah, but was just clicking through the chanels taking a break from the fiasco on CNN, when I happened upon her show.

I will say that I think Oprah made a great comment about how at some point, our country really needs to return back to a cash system, instead of a credit system.
She made a joke about how everybody used to pay cash for everything and if you didn't have the the money, you just didn't buy it, or else you put it on layaway.

But it's true. I can remember, actually not that many years ago, that people didn't carry credit cards, or take out line of credits, or this & that.
You saved for large purchases, or you just didn't make them.

Now it's all about "getting financed".

That was another thing that I noticed, that they kept talking about this couple's *credit card* debt, not anything else. What about car payments, the house payment, etc.? It's not yours if you don't have the title, people!
Having something financed does not mean that you own it, kwim?

Anywho.
I just thought it was a pretty interesting episode.
I always like to pick people's brains here, to get different perspectives on things like that.

[cheles2kids]

What I think...? I think their problems with debt make mine look a WHOLE lot easier to handle.

I know.
Sadly for that couple, me too.

[grneyegrl]

i love suzy..i think most dont like her because she thinks women should be indepentant...by that i think she means all women should know the family finances and have a way to support their family if the main bread winner dies, leaves ect..

but i saw the show and couldnt believe that couple.. i have some debt,,,,about 300 in credit cards and 19,000 in student loans... but i have a budget and stick to it..i dont own a home yet but when i do it will be by putting 30% down..oh and i have a car loan that i will be adding 100.00 a month extra on..

im doing so much better than many of my coworkers..most are deep in debt and not doing anything to dig thems selve out..
i try to only buy items on sale and with coupons..bed bath and beyon has great coupons and i have them.. they also take competors coupons..i love yankee candles and have been able to get them 60% off with clearance and copons..so i have enough for all winter,, i also got a warmer that burns tartlets... but i dont buy them.. i just chop up my old left over candles...to my bff and she thought it was a good idea

[McD]

I didn't catch the show--not a big fan of Suze or Oprah. I wasn't a fan of Suze when I read an article somewhere about she doesn't follow the investment advice she gives. I definitely wasn't a fan of Suze when I read a her book aimed at 20 somethings, I think it was the Young Broke and Fabulous?. While I liked that she advocated finding the job you loved, I wasn't a fan of her advocating living off of credit cards while doing it.

I found this article regarding her interesting: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...607265,00.html

Anyhoo--I think that they were on target with this. How do you get 90K in credit card debt and still get more cards? I mean really, how do they find companies willing to give them more cards??

Oh and the Tyra Banks show is having something similar on today.

[elphie]

Love Oprah, Love Suze, Loved this show. I really liked that she tied everything back to honesty and integrity at every level. If everyone, from me buying school supplies to CEO's buying out other companies is honest about what they truly have and has the integrity to put people first then we don't wind up in these messes. Nothing, including an ecomomy, can stand for long when it is built on lies and deception. I thought that was the best point made on the show. I also loved that even though the couple was slapped with the hard truth that they are going to get the help they need to get out of this mess RESPONSIBLY (ie; without filing bankrupcy or defaulting on those CC's). Just because they have been irresponsible in the past doesn't mean its too late for them to change and get on the right track. That's a good life lesson, not just finacially but overall.

ETA: Did any of you DR fans shooting for a credit score of zero notice that Suze said that a drop in your FICO score would cause your insurance rates to raise?

[monkeywrangler71]

I don't like Suze Orman or Oprah, but I'm curious enough this week to check it out. We have a channel here that runs Oprah a day behind so I'm taping it at 1.

[C@rol]

While I like Oprah I don't watch her show daily and appreciate all her philanthropy. Suze Orman I like as well, but take what I need and leave the rest. I do learn a lot from Suze Orman.

I didn't feel sorry for the couple in $90,000 of credit card debt. You don't get into that kind of debt blindly. They were living the fantasy life as many Americans are. Live now, we'll figure out how to pay for it later.

While I wish them well I don't feel bad for them. Their mortgage is $3,000 a month. Sell the house and get one with a $1,500 a month mortgage with lower expenses and set up a plan to pay off those credit cards. NOT bankruptcy!

The other couple was to be commended they are/have been doing it right. Two incomes, saving one, planning for the future, weighing all the variables. I think they are a model couple and will always do fine.

[Michelle]

I think the reason I don't like watching/listening to Suze Orman is because of the way she enunciates everything...and the way she talks down to people sometimes.

She *was* all fired up yesterday. I like that she pointed out that owning a house vs. renting an apt isn't always the best solution because it costs so much more than just the mortgage payment every month. Too often people don't take into account all the other expenses associated with owning a home (homeowner's insurance, property taxes, etc).

I kind of laughed at the couple who are driving around in their RV for their retirement and wondering if they should stop due to the rising costs of everything and their retirement funds decreasing at a more rapid rate than they had anticipated.

I laughed at Oprah who acted like she's never even seen the inside of an RV. And then said she'd like to own one

[DJ1972]

I know she makes sense most of the time but her voice just irritates the crap out of me

Me too! Like fingernails on a chalk board.

[Katybird]

I think Oprah said the most remarkable thing in the entire show when she said that we needed to go back to primarily a cash society and away from a credit society.