Swindled by a Sweetheart

There were some who empathized with victims caught in the subprime crisis:

"What has happened to folks, particularly minorities, with this subprime crisis, is morally reprehensible," wrote Margaret Murphy of Cape Cod. "I can understand how people could have been talked into deals that eventually proved totally unrealistic."

"In our highly technical society, we do rely on what the salesperson says, from buying a TV to a washing machine," wrote Clare I. McGuinness of Cleveland. "Why then wouldn't an ordinary person buying a house believe and trust the expert who's helping him/her through the complexities of [the process]?"

Casting Call For "Singletary Says"

I'm still looking for guests for a mortgage special for my TV One show, "Singletary Says." If you or your family fit one of the profiles listed below and live in the Washington Metro area, send an email to colorofmoney@washpost.com. In the subject line, put "TV One Guest."

In search of:

* An individual or couple whose loan has been reset to an interest rate that you can no longer pay.

* An individual or couple who is facing foreclosure and needs advice on how to weather the storm.

* An individual or family who has been through a housing crisis, such as a foreclosure, and has come out on the other side.

Financial Bootcamp

This past Sunday, I enlisted three couples to participate in my Color of Money Military Challenge. Throughout the year, I'll help them through their fiscal pitfalls. I've started by creating an outline for how to achieve their financial New Year's resolutions. All of the couples are in debt and were in need of a plan. Take a look at each of their profiles:

* The Bathiches have only $1,500 in emergency savings and owe about $27,600 on six credit cards. With a second baby on the way, they need help paying down debt and building up emergency savings.