Category: Credit Score & Credit Repair
Six Categories Where Saving Can be Maximized
Opportunities for Saving money is everywhere. Whenever you pay for a good or service, thee is an opportunity to save. Using coupons, discounts, bargaining, deferring buying decision, etc. can be used almost every time you pay. But saving money when there’s little or no possibility can be sometimes taxing for people around you.They may not like the idea of you bargaining everywhere you go out for shopping or asking for discounts. also saving money works best when you do budget for some fun. While having fun while you save, it’s perhaps wise to think about putting your best effort towards the spending category that can result in maximum saves. Trying to save money on your coffee may not bring the best result as saving
83 Questions Successful People Ask Themselves
One of the things that stood out from my Rich Habits Study was how important thinking was to self-made millionaires. I tracked 10 different types of thinking habits these millionaires engaged in frequently, if not daily. From my research, it was so evident that thinking was fundamental to their success that I decided it needed to become one of what I call the 10 Keystone Rich Habits. When self-millionaires think, they do so in isolation, closed off from the world. Most engaged in their daily thinking habits in the morning, some during their commute in their car, others in the shower, and still others at night. Morning seemed to be the most dominant time frame, however. Typically, immediately upon waking, these self-made millionaires would find a
Are Debt Collectors Sending You Texts? Here’s What You Need to Know
Debt collectors reportedly have a new strategy to get consumers’ attention: text messages. “YOUR PAYMENT DECLINED WITH CARD ****-****-****-5463 . . . CALL 866.256.2117 IMMEDIATELY,” reads one such text, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The agency has temporarily halted three debt collection operations that allegedly misused texts and is attempting to permanently ban the activity as part of its “Messaging for Money” enforcement sweep. New York-based Unified Global Group sent the text above, and others like it, the FTC says. Some consumers who received such texts hadn’t set up any card payment with the firm; and the firm failed to identify itself as a debt collector in the message, a violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, according to the FTC. “Legitimate
Financial Stress: 5 Things You Can Do to Ease the Tension
When it comes to sources of stress, finances are constantly cited as one of the top contributors. There are tons of people out there who are faced with a daily sense of anxiety or fear about their financial wellness. Luckily, there are some things you can do to ease the burden of financial tension and get yourself back on the right track. To help you get started, here are five steps you can take to help ease your money stress. 1. Diagnose Your Money Troubles Are you afraid that you don’t have enough saved for retirement? Are you worried that you won’t be able to make the next payment on your credit card bill? Are you concerned that you aren’t making the right investments for your future? The
5 Little ID Theft Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
While you secure your identity by password-protecting your accounts and only giving your information to organizations that need it, there are still ways that identity thieves can steal your personal data. Not only can you go long periods without noticing you’ve been a victim, criminals could ring up excess charges that could damage your credit for years. Although it’s easy to think that a billing company made a mistake, you should follow up on any late payment notices or other red flags that could indicate you are an identity theft victim. Here are five little warning signs of identity theft you shouldn’t ignore. 1. Overdraw Fees Although you might regularly check up on your bank account, there’s a chance that identity thieves may
Help! Workers’ Compensation Wrecked My Credit
A reader, “Anngie,” recently contacted us to ask what she could do about credit damage from a bill that should have been paid by workers’ compensation. Here’s what she told us: “A workmans comp claim not paid from 2012 is on my credit report. I am working with all parties to resolve…but how do I remove the negative impact on my report….I don’t want it to look as if I paid it & it was my responsibility & allowed it to remain for 3 years unpaid. Can I have the company fax somewhere to validate this was not my collections? If this is accomplished — will my credit score reveal a pre-collections score?” The answer isn’t simple, unfortunately. We
How to Get Financially Ready to Be a Stay-at-Home Parent
While many American households feature two working parents, there are plenty of expectant mothers and fathers who want to stop their traditional jobs to care for children — at least for a time. Whether it is the mother or the father who will be focusing primarily on child care, there are some big financial issues that come with this lifestyle change. Here are some tips on how to prepare your family’s finances for having a stay-at-home parent and (primarily) living off of one income. 1. Discuss Becoming a stay-at-home parent may seem personal, but it is a major family decision. It’s important to brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages together, think about the emotional and financial repercussions and how both partners’ roles and responsibilities will
How to Graduate From a Secured Credit Card
When you have bad credit, it can feel like no one will give you a loan, even though you can’t rebuild your credit history without one. Secured credit cards can offer a way out of this conundrum because issuers typically approve nearly all applicants for these kind of cards, regardless of credit history. But in order to open a secured credit card account, you first have to submit a refundable deposit, which typically becomes your credit limit. Naturally, many secured card users look forward to later opening a standard credit card account, and receiving their security deposit back. Here are some important steps to take in order to graduate from a secured credit card to a standard one. 1. Make Every Payment on Time Your payment history
51 Cost Effective Things to do This Memorial Day
Every year, Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May. This day is observed in order to honor, remember and celebrate the soldiers who have lost their lives in the line of duty to serve the United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day is also marked as the start of summer. Many people use this as an event to both celebrate Memorial Day and also to welcome summer. This is one of the long-awaited holidays we have. For me this is the first holiday of the year as I haven’t taken any paid leave so far. Planning to celebrate the day by doing some fun activities with friends. What will you be doing? There are many things a person can do to celebrate Memorial
4 Tips for Breaking Your Apartment Lease
One attractive aspect of renting vs. owning a home is the lack of a long-term commitment. While it may seem that renters can pick up and go at the drop of the hat, there are still usually agreements in place. You may not be able to sneak away from a lease in the middle of the night without consequences, but there are steps you can take to minimize the penalty of leaving your rental agreement early. You’ll also want to be aware of any potential impact on your credit. 1. Know Your Rights & Your Lease Before you get started on the process, it’s a good idea to look over your lease and see what exactly you have legal responsibility for if you leave the rental
5 Tricks to Get Discounts on Everything You Buy
There is no reason to ever pay full retail price for anything you buy in a store — ever. With the rise of online shopping, which allows for instant price comparison, brick-and-mortar establishments must go the extra mile to earn your business. All you need are the tools to pay less for what you want. Read on to fill your toolkit: 1. Learn to Negotiate Most people are uncomfortable haggling; we’re used to opening our wallets and saying “here.” But you are likely to find it’s worth it to try your hand at bargaining. A Consumer Reports survey shows 89{7dabfd103aa443fce219eea47f0f346a11a54ce587a1a0cbb74f06b9f7a304ca} of hagglers were successful at least once. And the savings can be substantial. People who questioned health care charges or furniture prices saved an average
