BOGUS DEBTS, BOGUS COLLECTIONS Assistant Director, Division of Financial Practices, FTC At the FTC, we sue abusive debt collectors and try to do right by people who’ve been harmed by unlawful practices. But we also try to protect people from being harmed in the first place. That’s exactly why I’m here: to warn you about

SCAMMERS OFFERING TO HELP WITH DISABILITY APPLICATIONS Scammers are trying to get personal information from people by pretending to help with applications for disability benefits and claims. A recent alert from the Social Security Inspector General warns of this phishing scam, and —whether or not you’ve started an application for benefits — these scammers could

OOH, A SALE! OR IS IT? You’re scanning the shelves at a local pharmacy, grocery, or convenience store, and your eyes land on a sales tag. At first glance, it looks like you can get a product for a deep discount. But take a closer look. Will you get a discount today? Or will you

HOW TO HELP THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN ECUADOR AND JAPAN The devastation caused by earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan have left people asking how they can help.  If you’re looking for a way to give, the Federal Trade Commission urges you to do some research to ensure that your donation will go to a reputable

71 PERCENT BELIEVE STUDENT DEBT DELAYS HOMEOWNERSHIP, NAR FINDS Seventy-one percent of non-homeowners repaying their student loans on time believe their debt is stymieing their ability to purchase a home, and slightly over half of all borrowers say they expect to be delayed from buying by more than five years. This is according to a new

  5 OUTSIDE-THE-BOX WAYS TO COMBAT WORK STRESS THAT REALLY WORK 29-Sep-2016  Back in the day, unwinding once the clock hit 5 P.M. meant a pow-wow with coworkers at a local watering hole.    But as work pressures have exponentially increased—admit it, you check office email in bed—lowering your cortisol levels requires more than just

CREDIT BUILDER BLUEPRINT® What is missing in the credit credit service organization industry? Communication… And not the standard communication concerning an update on a file and the dispute process. I am talking about REAL communication, consulting, advising, coaching, however you want to describe it.  You need communication. Communication that is inspiring… cultivating accountability. There are

A LITTLE ABOUT ME Strategic minded individual with a keen sense of competitive intelligence and market analysis. Highly experienced in driving sales initiatives to boost sales in order to meet objectives. Proven ability to work independently and in a team setting with equal ease. My mission is to help people. I found my passion surrounds

CREDIT BASICS FOR YOUNG ADULTS! Educate yourself now and enjoy a more secure financial future. As a young adult, in most cases, the initial step to building credit will be to obtain a credit card that reports to all three national credit bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. This can be a major step for your

TOP 5 CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE PERSONAL DEBT Excessive debt is the biggest worry of most people. Financial issues are one of the leading contributors to divorce and suicide. We are provided with many opportunities to increase our debt, but getting out of debt can be especially challenging. Think about all the credit card offers and

SEVEN QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU SNIFF OUT A DEBT COLLECTOR SCAM A “debt collector” call can arrive at any time for just about anyone. Even if you’ve never missed a payment on a bill. There’s only one way to protect yourself: Know what questions to ask. Debt collector telemarketing scams are incredibly persistent because they

OTHER DEBT SETTLEMENT PROGRAMS Debt settlement programs typically are offered by for-profit companies, and involve them negotiating with your creditors to allow you to pay a “settlement” to resolve your debt — a lump sum that is less than the full amount that you owe. To make that lump sum payment, the program asks that

EASY WAYS TO AVOID INTEREST AND PREVENT ENDLESS DEBT Interest can really wreak havoc on your financial position! It’s so easy to end up in constant debt because of interest applied by your financial institutions and other organizations. Fortunately for you, it’s fairly easy to avoid interest in most cases, as it essentially relies on

CREDILIFE DEBT MANAGEMENT Credilife® works to empower consumers to take back their buying power. When it comes to active revolving debt obligations we can help you to put a plan in place that will positively impact your personal credit profile while at the same making the best choices when it comes to addressing excessive debt obligations.

Portrait of pretty student looking at camera while working in college library YOU WANT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS? DO THIS ASAP! As if dealing with student loans wasn’t tough enough, now getting them forgiven is a hassle. A new report found that borrowers trying to qualify for forgiveness have had to put up with a plethora of loan

THE STUDENT LOAN ZONE Student loan debt has soared to $1 Trillion in the United States. With the cost of higher education rising every year, student loans are the only way many students can afford college. If you are one of the nearly 40 million people with student loans & need help, seek out the

STUDENT LOANS 101: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REFINANCING YOUR DEBT Brought to you by First Republic Bank With the price tag on higher education growing steeper every year, it’s become routine for most graduates to head into the real world not only with a degree, but also with about five figures of debt.

PRIVATE VS. FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS For most families, student loans are a big part of financing a college education. While student loans are quite easy to get, they aren’t as easy to understand. There are so many payment plans, variable interest rates, consolidation, and other options that muddy the waters. One common source of confusion

HOW TO GET STUDENT LOANS FORGIVEN The college years can be among the most fun years of your life, even with all that hard work and studying, the all-nighters and the exam anxiety. But if you’ve taken out student loans to help you get through the college years financially—and many students have—your future financial burden

HERE’S EXACTLY HOW STUDENT LOAN INTEREST WORKS Back when you signed the dotted line and took out your student loans, how well did you understand the terms? Maybe things were a little fuzzy, but you knew you needed them to pay for college. Student loan interest is one of the more complicated aspects of student loans.

CREATE YOUR FEDERAL STUDENT AID ID In 2015, FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) switched from using a four-digit PIN to a more secure Federal Student Loan (FSA) ID. If you haven’t already, you’d be well advised to create your FSA ID for imediate access to Federal Student Aid’s online systems. It also serves as a

5 TIPS TO PAY OFF YOUR STUDENT LOANS IN RECORD TIME It can be quite difficult for students to put themselves through college because of the costly tuition fees. Most students will take out private or public loans to help pay for their studies. However, the drawback to these loans is that it can often

4 MUST KNOW FACTS ABOUT OBAMA’S NEW STUDENT LOAN PLAN Student loan borrowers affected by the changes proposed for 2015 should still be research repayment options and choose the plan that best fits their budget. President Barack Obama announced some big news this week that stands to help many student loan borrowers. Most people met

YOUR 4-WEEK GUIDE TO SETTING (AND STICKING TO) A REALISTIC BUDGET There are few of us out there who would attempt to build a house without following a blueprint. And for good reason: one poorly placed beam, and your home could come crashing down. Yet when it comes to our finances, so many of us

WHY HAVING A HIGH CREDIT SCORE DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN YOU’RE FINANCIALLY HEALTHY Originally posted by Vickie An at LearnVe$t There are few numbers that can make you feel prouder of your money-management skills than a strong credit score. And for good reason: Lenders use credit scores to determine everything from the interest rate on your mortgage

WHICH CREDIT CARD SHOULD YOU PAY OFF FIRST? Whether from some unexpected, big-ticket costs or just a steady lifestyle creep, it’s easy to turn to a credit card (or two, or three) to bail you out in your time of financial need. But while this seems like a quick and painless fix in the moment,

WHERE YOU SHOULD REALLY CUT BACK ON YOUR BUDGET A lot of traditional budgeting advice tends to focus on eliminating the little luxuries in life that can add up over time, like that morning latte or weekly happy hour. It’s true that you can save more by cutting out these types of costs, but there’s

SAVING FOR COLLEGE VS. RETIREMENT Which comes first? If you’re a parent, you very likely want to give the world to your children. If money really did grow on trees, you’d be out there in your backyard on a daily basis, ensuring your child could experience all the things that life affords—a fully-funded college education

MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN TEACHING YOUR KIDS ABOUT MONEY Scroll through any parenting site and you’re bound to find lessons on teaching your kids about the A-B-C-s, 1-2-3-s, or maybe even the birds and the bees. But money? Not so much — even though it’s just as important to their well-being. Teaching kids about money

GOOD REASONS FOR GOING INTO DEBT We’re usually led to believe that debt is bad. Carrying a large load of credit card debt is something that just didn’t happen a few generations ago. Older individuals might say something like, “If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.” That’s usually good advice. It isn’t a good

FUN WAYS TO TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT EARNING, SPENDING AND SAVING Of the many lessons we want to teach our kids, money is at the top of the list. It’s an easy one to forget, so consider Financial Literacy Month your yearly calendar reminder to make money lessons fun for both you and your little ones. 1.

Father training the son to the finance. Series EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO RAISE FINANCIALLY FEARLESS KIDS: 12 WAYS TO INSTILL MONEY CONFIDENCE AT EVERY AGE Money-minded moms and dads take heart: An H&R Block study revealed that 75% of teens rely on you as their primary source of financial information. That’s promising news—especially given that money management

BUDGETING THE EASY WAY: THE ONE-NUMBER STRATEGY Preface by Brian Del Terzo for Credilife™ In this article, you will be introduced to the essence of purpose for a budget. By becoming conscientious of what you have available to spend each month, or each pay period, you are much less likely to jeopardize your ability to pay for

8 MONEY TIPS FOR YOUNG ADULTS Personal finance still isn’t required in high school or college. This results in many young adults not having a good foundational knowledge of how to manage their personal finances. Fortunately, this subject isn’t complicated. A willingness to learn and do a little reading is all that’s required. With a

7 SIGNS YOU’RE HEADED FOR FINANCIAL DISASTER Many of us are good at ignoring the negative trends in our lives. Maybe we refuse to acknowledge a growing waistline or a relationship that’s slowing deteriorating.Many people also ignore the signs of impending financial disaster. Most personal financial meltdowns happen over time. They’re rarely the result of a

6 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT FINANCIAL PLANNING—BUSTED In this era of DIY, we’ve grown accustomed to doing professional-level work on our own, whether it’s concocting “Top Chef”–worthy weeknight meals, renovating our homes or crafting up a storm. After all, can’t you learn most things nowadays by pulling up a YouTube tutorial? But not everything can be

4 EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO REGAIN CONTROL OVER YOUR SPENDING Losing control is an awful feeling. Have you ever felt that way about your spending habits? At first, you had them under control. But, little by little, that control may have seemed to go by the wayside. The good news is that with some slight adjustments

3 PERSONAL FINANCE APPS THAT HELP YOU KEEP TRACK OF SPENDING $5 here, $10 over there, and a fistful of change slapped into the palm of a department store employee. Before you know it, all of that hard earned cash has disappeared, and your wallet is a mess of receipts and lint. Wouldn’t it be

10 WAYS TO SAVE WHEN YOU’RE MAKING MINIMUM WAGE Is your income too low to use any of the typical money-saving strategies? Here are 10 ideas that take cost-cutting to a whole new level. By Maryalene LaPonsie on March 2, 2016 / Photo (cc) by stevendepolo Are you squeaking by on minimum wage? If so, it might seem like there is little hope

STEP 6 – SECURE EVEN MORE FUNDING FOR YOUR BUSINESS Once you finish your business credit building in step 5 you are exposed to more funding programs in step 6. Many of these funding programs will allow you to qualify using your newly established business credit profile and score, so you can get approved with

STEP 5 – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS CREDIT TO $50,000 OR MORE It only takes a few months to build your initial vendor accounts in step 4 and have them reporting on your business credit report. Once these 5 new accounts are reporting, you can then start securing revolving credit cards in step 5. Much of

STEP 4 – START GETTING APPROVED FOR BUSINESS CREDIT In Step 4 we help you get approved for new credit in your business name that reports to the appropriate business credit reporting agencies. Much of this credit can be obtained with no personal credit check, and with no personal guarantee required from you eliminating your

STEP 3 – ACCESS YOUR BUSINESS CREDIT REPORTS Once you have been approved for business funding, we then help you begin the process of building your business credit in Step 3. The first step in building business credit is to see what is on your business credit reports now. The Funding Suite makes this very

STEP 2 – GET APPROVED FOR FUNDING One of the most important differences between our system and every other business credit building systems is the cash money you have access to, and how fast you receive it. Our clients love the idea of building business credit and limiting their personal liability. But even more important,

STEP 1 – BUILD BUSINESS CREDIBILITY Meet Lending Guidelines Before You Apply Almost all lenders keep their underwriting guidelines secret. As a result most business owners who apply for financing are denied as they don’t meet some of the lenders requirements for approval. In step 1 we actually reveal the lenders secret formula for approval.

15 WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS You probably went out on a limb to create the business you now run. You probably took risks to get where you are. You may have never thought you’d make it this far. But now that you have, you’re ready to grow your business even more and take it to

Interesting TransUnion History Most consumers are familiar with TransUnion. But there are a few interesting tidbits that most people don’t know about the company. Here are a few interesting facts about TransUnion: Unlike the other two Big Three credit firms, TransUnion is privately held so they don’t have to declare much in the way of

Interesting Experian History Most consumers are familiar with Experian. But there are a few interesting tidbits that most people don’t know about the company.  Here are a few interesting facts about Experian. The Experian Group employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries, supporting clients in more than 65 countries around the world. Total Group revenue

Interesting Equifax History Equifax is the oldest and largest credit bureau in existence today. They were originally founded in 1898, 70 years before the creation of Trans Union. Two brothers, Cator and Guy Woolford, created the company. Cator actually got the idea from his grocery business, where they collected customers’ names and evidence of credit

SHOPPING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARD Although it’s wise to pay off all your credit card debt, it’s also practical to have one or two good credit cards. When you travel or want to order something online, it makes good sense to have a credit card. Plus, using your card responsibly will positively contribute to

MAKING THE DECISION TO RENT OR BUY Buying a home is exciting. It’s also one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make. Choosing a mortgage to pay for your new home is just as important as choosing the right home. You have the right to control the process. Becoming a homeowner can be a

HOW DID THAT GET ON MY CREDIT REPORT? First, there are three basic categories of information included on a credit report. These are: Basic Personal Information: This is pretty self-explanatory. Included on your credit report is your full name, date of birth, current address, social security number, and employment information. Collection and Accounts: This is the information

HOW BIG DEBTS AND BAD CREDIT IMPACT YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH If you are struggling with big debt, you most likely are focusing on the financial consequences of your predicament. According to Credit Sesame’s 2016 proprietary data, those who have lower credit scores and more debt are less likely to log in to their accounts than

Watch our short video to learn what to consider when choosing how much to put down. DETERMINING YOUR DOWN PAYMENT Watch our short video to learn what to consider when choosing how much to put down.

BASIC CREDIT DEFINITIONS WE ALL SHOULD KNOW Going to grad school. Buying a home to call your own. Landing a dream job. These are major milestones that many of us have on our #lifegoals list, but they also have something else in common: You’d probably have a much easier time accomplishing them with good credit.

ANNUAL CREDIT REPORT: SMALL CHANGES MAKE BIG IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUR CREDIT Your credit report paints a picture of your financial history by detailing your experience with credit cards, loans, and other financial vehicles. Your credit score is a number that comes from the information in your credit report. Three different credit scores are available through

9 STEPS TO REMOVING CREDIT REPORT ERRORS Checking your credit reports on an annual basis can be a great idea. A study done by the Federal Trade Commission found that 25% of all consumers have an error on their credit report that negatively impacts their credit score. There’s a good chance that your reports have

8 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR CREDIT SCORE The first step to improving your credit score is to obtain a current copy of your credit report. Once you have something to work from, you’ll know where you stand and you can take action to improve your credit and raise your score. There are many systems and

7 CREDIT SCORE DESTROYERS Your credit score not only determines whether or not you can get a credit card, mortgage, or auto loan, it’s also a critical factor in determining the interest rate you have attached to those items.A low credit score can cost a lot of money over your lifetime. Not everyone is aware

happy young woman tourist tunis travel on road trip 6 TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU BUILD—AND KEEP—GOOD CREDIT6 TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU BUILD—AND KEEP—GOOD CREDIT Having “good” credit sounds like something you don’t really need to be concerned with until you’re ready to pony up a down payment on a home or need a