Our goal is to educate the consumer on how they can maintain good credit and more importantly be debt free. Following is a list of resources that are helpful in understanding the rules around credit counseling, collections and other credit related services.
What Financial Health Means to Me How the talk from my parents saved my financial health By: Alex Minton alex@creditadvisors.org The summer before my freshmen year of college my parents sat me down and had the talk. Now, as you can imagine, this was just as uncomfortable for them as it was for me. They warned…
In the coming fiscal year, caps on federal discretionary spending will be about $3 billion less than the year before. This means that without an increase in the spending caps, Congress will have to cut funding for discretionary programs, meaning affordable housing programs administered by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture are…
Identity thieves are ready and waiting to take advantage of financially distressed consumers in 2009. Current economic trends have created the perfect atmosphere for identity thieves. People are struggling to pay their bills, save money, obtain credit, and afford other basic necessities. Identity thieves take advantage of worried, stressed consumers, and with the added current…
The income-based repayment plan (IBR) will be available on July, 1 2009 to graduates with Direct or Guaranteed loans. Repayment on private loans or Parent Plus Loans is not included. IBR will figure monthly loan payments using a sliding scale based upon income and family size. Based on the required annual applications, some individuals will…
Survive the Holidays During the Economic Slowdown Americans plan on spending about $833 on the holidays this year. This figure has not changed much in the last 3 years although it is up 9% from last year’s $752. Even though the predicted increase is small, people still seem pressured to spend more on the holidays…
Flu Prevention Practices Could Save You Money By now you’ve heard a lot about flu prevention practices to help avoid getting sick, but did you know those same prevention practices could save you money? Consider the following: Cold and Flu medicine for over the counter products such as cough medicine, decongestant, cough drops etc. can…
Decoding Debt Settlement Debt settlement companies promise to “reduce debt up to 70 percent,” “negotiate with creditors,” and “help avoid bankruptcy.” Their promises sound too good to be true. The truth is that while debt settlement agencies sometimes accomplish what they promise, it comes with a price. Debt settlement is a form of debt arbitration.…
Credit Report and Credit Score Monitoring Plans – Are They Right for You? Congratulations on managing your credit and debt. It is a great relief to be in control of your credit and debt and it takes commitment and attention to detail to accomplish. It’s that attention to detail that will help you decide if…
Secure Your Deposit Security Deposits are a large part of the expense of moving. Since they usually equal one month or more in rent, it is worth taking a few precautions to ensure you get your deposit back when you move out. Check with your local Fair Housing authority or use the search terms “tenants’…
Need to Reverse the Equity Out of Your Home? More and more consumers are retiring or nearing retirement age with inadequate retirement funding. Increasingly, seniors face financial difficulties and many are searching for new ways to relieve the pressure. While reverse mortgages are not new, they are becoming more commonly the answer. Credit Advisors Foundation…
End of Year Checklist Just when you thought you had crossed all of the last minute items off your “to-do” list here are a few more to check off before years’ end. You don’t need to get them all done before the end of this year but now is the time to schedule your planning…
Holiday Shopping Tips While you are making your holiday shopping rounds, do your budget a favor and keep in mind that it is better to give than to receive. When they holidays come around keep this in mind: While 53% of the average shopper intends to spend for holiday gifts is $800, 30% will spend…
Check Your Withholdings Nobody likes writing a check to Uncle Sam in April. This is the result of under-withholding. A healthy refund check is more fun to anticipate! However, receiving a refund check is not necessarily good for you. Whenever you receive a tax refund it means you paid more taxes out of every paycheck…
Before Borrowing from Payday and Auto-title Lenders Press Pause and Consider All Your Options In 2017, it has been reported that 25% of U.S. households have no emergency savings. With emergency funds nonexistent for so many, more consumers are turning to payday and auto-title lenders as an alternative resource for quick cash. Payday loans are…
Stretch a Dollar in Tough Times The experts may never agree whether we’re officially in a recession. However, if your wallet is short of cash or you’re seeing your budget go haywire it doesn’t really matter what the experts are calling the situation. Tough economic times may make the going difficult but we can fight…