Gold Diggers and Deadbeat Dads

Few people other than close friends and family knew that I suffered a financial disaster after loaning money to my husband's startup business. Plus, I uncovered a shocking secret he kept for a decade. I felt stupid, ashamed, and embarrassed. Gold Diggers and Deadbeat Dads includes riveting, true stories of real people who, like me, faced financial hardships thanks to someone else’s wrongdoing.

Few people other than close friends and family knew that I suffered a financial disaster after loaning money to my husband's startup business. Plus, I uncovered a shocking secret he kept for a decade. I felt stupid, ashamed, and embarrassed. Gold Diggers and Deadbeat Dads includes riveting, true stories of real people who, like me, faced financial hardships thanks to someone else’s wrongdoing. • Did you co-sign a car loan for an underemployed boyfriend who left you with lousy credit? • Did you discover after the wedding that your fiancée hid piles of debt? • Does your sister take advantage of your elderly parent? • Will you inherit nothing if your second husband fails to update his will? • Did your partner waste your household savings on gambling or drugs? Meet characters like the Singing Co-Signers, Credit "Cads," and Sugar Babies. Hear from victims infected with Sexually Transmitted Debt® and Empty Accountitis. Get common-sense tips to prevent financial calamities and deal with the aftermath. Dozens of anecdotes from ordinary people will keep you spellbound, while also giving you hope for recovery if you’ve had your assets kicked by friends or family members.

During a hiatus from a career as a corporate attorney, Valerie Rind worked for a county housing authority, where she created its pilot personal finance program for 300 low-income individuals. Under a pseudonym, Ms. Rind was a founding volunteer moderator for the myFICO community forum. The rest of her resume is a checkerboard with gigs like sailing on Caribbean yachts, running the office of a TV and film casting company, and negotiating megabucks contracts for a Fortune 200 technology company. Irrelevant credentials: BA in Russian Language & Literature from Duke University. LLB and LLM from the University of Sydney. Yes, in Australia. She writes about personal finance at Valerie Rind [dot] com and contributes to other media outlets.