Defaulting on federal and private student loans can result in negative personal and financial consequences. For most borrowers there is no escape from education debt.

The Yoders share reader comments from recent columns.

Your FICO score can help or hurt your when you really need it. Find out ways to improve your score.

If the bear market has kept you from saving for your child's college education, you're not alone. A recent survey showed 47% of parents are saving less or aren't saving at all for their kids' education.

Students shopping for college loans shouldn't settle for private loans until they have exhausted all options for federal loans, which usually come with lower, fixed interest rates and more flexible payment plans.

Steve Yoder and his son Isaac discuss the balance between saving for retirement early and avoiding mounds of student loan debt.

Students are borrowing more to pay for college, leaving many to struggle after graduation with excessive student loan debt.

The financial value of a college education outweighs the cost even when one considers the cost of attendance, the interest on education debt and the opportunity cost of skipping several years of income from a job.

Student loan reform, new business classes and other personal and family finance stories from FiLife and around the Web for the week of August 21.

Shelley Saunders of American Student Assistance takes a look at the administration's plan to shift all student loans to the Direct Loan program.