Bond ETFs pay out interest through a monthly dividend, while any capital gains are paid out through an annual dividend.

FORBES: An Easy Way To Add Fixed-Income To Your Portfolio

Li explains that borrowers must pay not only interest but principal on every monthly payment. (Bank loans first charge interest and then principal).

FORBES: Banking 2.0: New Capital Connections For Entrepreneurs

To pay off his debt, Trim worked out interest-free monthly payments with the doctors and hospitals that treated him and his son.

CNN: Five mistakes that will land you in medical debt

Set as goals for this negotiation a pay-back plan centering on your feasible monthly minimum and a restructuring of interest rates.

FORBES: Simple Tactics For Climbing Out of Credit Card Debt

It shows you how long it will take to pay off your balance if you make only the monthly payment and the amount of interest.

FORBES: Ridding Yourself of Credit Card Debt

Because Ms. Hansen's student loans are accumulating interest at a lower rate than the mortgage, she should only pay the monthly minimum there.

WSJ: Game Plan: Planning for a Family

If you meet these criteria, consider becoming a homeowner again when the monthly cost of renting exceeds what it would cost to pay a mortgage's PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance).

WSJ: When to Buy After a Foreclosure��WSJ House Talk