The Athens Township Sewer Authority is currently looking to refinance a number of loans in its possession, which could ultimately eliminate any impact felt in the sewer rates of Athens Township customers by the mandated upgrade of the Valley Joint Sewer Plant, according to ATA President Dave Steiner.

Kari Schoeneweis will face more than $60,000 in student loan debt when she graduates from Carlow University in spring. he plans to do what her older siblings did and consolidate her loans to reduce the monthly payments.

Machinery makers such as Caterpillar Inc. and Deere & Co. may become buyers of smaller companies amid a wave of consolidation after the liquidity crisis eases, an analyst said Monday.

A year ago, Sarah Leineke had 150 clients. Now, she has more than 450.

Loan consolidation options are more limited now than they were for students who graduated college a few years ago. The U.S. Department of Education is nearly the only loan consolidator in the nation as many lenders have suspended consolidations because of the credit crunch.

Mounting debt can put ever-increasing pressure on a household’s finances and lead to possible long-term credit problems. Finding a solution to personal debt is not always easy. But it can be done, often through a careful debt management and consolidation program. Several Web sites provide insights on how to manage and consolidate debt: Bankrate.com ( ...