"Adding Your Two Cents" Lessons In Debt, Credit And Home Ownership

You have probably heard this old saying before, if not, ‘adding your two cents’ is simply giving your opinion, your views, your ideas, or sharing your experience. And that is what Spectrum Resources is looking for from you – for your to add your two cents to our blogs ! We will post on all four blogs the best submitted money saving tip, PLUS the winner will receive two hours of free counseling in issues of debt, credit or home ownership – PLUS a hand autographed book titled “Hey! Where’s My Money” authored by Janet Shore

The media gurus paint a beautiful rosy picture showing the world is healing, and it may on the top side. But on Main Street, the picture appears differently. It is a time of self evaluation, to re-think our sense of direction and perhaps re-prioritize our objectives.

E ach of us as individuals have something of value to contribute to our fellow man. Economically we have come to realize just how closely we are connected to each other. Everyone’s job depends upon someone else having a job, drawing a paycheck, and who can pass the money on to others. The economy depends upon that connection for money to keep moving.

Spectrum Resource’s mission is to provide education and resources on how to live INSIDE your income. To help us help others, we need your two cents. You are the one who lives on Main Street USA, the gurus on Wall Street live not only on a different street, I believe at times they must live on a different planet.

Survival entails understanding that only by sharing can we ALL grow. You are facing financial challenges everyday, and you have developed some tricks of the survival trade to maintain your head above water, we ask that you share with our readers your best money saving experience. It’s easy, on each of our four blogs shown below there is a ‘comment box’ to use. Don’t duplicate your money saving idea, each idea must be different. Please submit what has worked best for you to cut cost, overhead expenses, or to survive easier on less money and less stress. Please use it to help us help others.

The best judged money saving tip will be posted in all four blogs and you will have as an addition prize two hours of free consultation. Along with a personally autographed book titled “Hey ! Where’s My Money ?”by Janet Shore.

Call Spectrum Resources (863)967-0660 or email: SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com
Visit our blogs, each one with different lessons with debt, credit and home ownership tips:
http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/ and
http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ and
http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ and our newest
http://womantowomanmagazine.ning.com/
Your tax exempt donation is always appreciated to help with our educational fund, mail to:
S.R.D.C. 2014 Brentwood Dr. Auburndale, FL 33823

"Maximizing Your Greatest Asset" Lessons In Debt, Credit And Home Ownership

You may be wise to follow the bankers lead in assessing your strengths and weaknesses when faced with adversity. Now is the time to cut losses or dead weight and focus on what works best ! At this point, you are probably muttering to yourself about your income being cut and the fact that it feels as if everything on your back is dead weight.

Take a deep breath, it’s really not all that bad. Sit down at the table and make a list of not only all your physical assets such as your house, your car, boat, motorcycle, time share / condo, retreat cottage in the mountains, etc. . Also write down your personal attributes, your assets as a individual, yes, now is the time to look at what you excel in. Evaluate yourself from an employer's perspective. You are not your job, you are a human who has special abilities that brings life to a job. You know your strengths, so write down your talents, and your skills, also a list of things that make you happy such as a hobby or special interest. Now is the time to maximize YOU ! What makes you unique ?

You may not see the qualities that others see, ask a friend who is always honest with you to help. Big corporations use committees, boards, and other resources to evaluate their possibilities. Then they put together a marketing strategy to maximize on the most profitable option. You can do the same. First research online to see what professions, or categories would fit your talents, skills and special interest or you can tap a vast resource as well. The local state employment office will provide a free assessment of your interest, abilities, and match the professions best to utilize your skills, abilities and interest. You will probably have to ask for an evaluation test to be done. But can even tell you the salary range, and the likely employers in your chosen area to call upon.

Take a hint from the big corporations, remove the stress by downsizing the non-essentials in your life, cut out the frills exploring new ways to entertain yourself on less money. The objective just like in business, is to get yourself to the point where you can concentrate on your greatest asset = you ! Now may be the time to go back to school and expand on your natural talents and interest, or to expand on your years of experience in a field you still enjoy. By concentrating on the solution, you will see the opportunities that have opened up to you. Remember when one door closes, another opens. Look for the openings that can bring positive changes in your life.

Spectrum Resources counsels in debt, credit and home ownership. A support system that can help you see that there are always options. Call today: (863) 967-0660 or email SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and please visit all our blogs, each one has different lessons to share with others: http://fiancialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/ http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ & http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ also http://womantowomanmagazine.ning.com/ our newest. Visit our resource for credit repair or credit card modification program: http://CreditJusticeServices.com/?ccc=1242

"Can You Read It Now ?"

You maybe one of those people who once you pull your credit report all you know how to read is the three digit score. You are told to pull all three of your credit reports a minimum of once a year. Since identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, it wouldn’t hurt to pull it every six months, but you still need to understand what you are reading.

Even though the three main credit bureaus are different, they basically provide the same data but format it differently. In this lesson, to help you familiarize yourself with some common terms used by all three.

Identifying the kind of credit reported:
R=Revolving ( this is your credit cards )
I= Installment ( this is your house, car, furniture loans )
M=Mortgage
O=Other ( this could be personal loans, non-traditional credit)

Now the very important indicator of your timely payment habits is the one digit number:
1= Paid on time ( Excellent ! )
2= 30 Days Late
3= 60 Days Late
4= 90 Days Late
5= 120Days Late
8= Voluntary (Bad )
9= Charge Off / Loss ( VERY Bad )

History is reported on the individual, not couples. If the debt is in one name, the history is reported as ( B = Individual Borrower ) or it may show as ( S= Signer ) . IF the debt is in two names, both signed an agreement to pay then you will see it as ( J = Joint Account)

Another very important indicator is the ‘DLA’ = Date Of Last Activity. This is the last time you made a payment on the account. ‘OPENED’ = The date the account was opened originally, and ‘LAST REPORTED’ is when the creditor last reported activity to the credit bureau.

To raise your credit score is disputing any inaccurate information that you see, including the indicators shown here. The law governing the credit bureaus is basically is they can’t prove it, they have to remove it. Credit Justice Services is one of Spectrum Resources as one of the nation’s top credit repair companies. If you decide not to repair your own credit and decide to seek professional help study the website: www.CreditJusticeServices.com/?ccc=1242 and their 75 Day Credit Makeover program. You will be working with a paralegal and a trained certified credit counselor. 390

Contact Spectrum Resources for personal counseling in debt, credit and home ownership issues
( 863) 967-0660 or email: SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and please visit our blogs: http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ & http://womantowomanmagazine.ning.com/ & http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/

"Start At The Beginning" Lessons In Debt, Credit And Home Ownership

You have become ever so aware of your need to either add to your income or delete some of your expenses. You have become also aware of all the money manager gurus on talk shows and evening news with the helpful hints, but you still don’t know how to get started making changes in your own personal money management.

When you don’t know, then it is time to start at the beginning with education. Seek professional help from a trained and skilled counselor who can provide the education, resources and options you need. It is the smart thing to do. In today’s economic crises, the changes are continuous and harder for the average person to stay knowledgeable. It takes someone who is in the credit, debt and home ownership industry who stays plugged into the industry to be truly beneficial to you.

You could learn in personal money management classes the basics in budget development covering your perceived values make a difference, the process in structuring a personal spending plan and educating you on how you can make better choices between wants and needs.

Your education in personal money management classes should include how to track your spending, recognizing the kinds of expenses, the logic behind the different kinds of savings, and a process of how to get out of debt and raising your score at the same time.

Your skills learned through personal money management classes should empower you to recognize the different kinds of credit, the true cost involved, the methods used to calculate the charges, and the importance of ratios and how to use them as tools to keep you on track.

Your consumer rights should be covered in personal money management classes so you can exercise them to lessen stress, and deal more efficiently and effectively with your creditors.

Your life is made of up different episodes and with each one, you actually do start at the beginning, a place where you grow learning the differences. Spectrum Resources understands your need to learn and has been counseling and teaching individuals for seven years who are facing the same challenges.

Call Spectrum Resources (863) 9 6 7 – 0 6 6 0 to register for our next class,
Or email:SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com
for more lessons visit our other blogs:
http://womantowomanmagazine.ning.com/ & http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/
http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ come back here often, refer others to our blogs.
If you enjoy our blogs please send your tax exempt donation to: SRDC 2014 Brentwood Dr. Auburndale, Fl. 33823 to help us continue to help others through financial literacy.

"Looking Good During The Bad Times" Lessons In Debt, Credit And Home Ownership

"Looking Good During The Bad Times” is not a lesson in fashion, but one about making the most of what you have in regards to your largest investment – your home ! Your home may have dropped in value like your neighbors, but it doesn’t have to look like it. IF you have found more time on your hands due to employment cut backs, take advantage of the time. Structure a “To Do List”, every home owner should have one of these stuck on the refrigerator even during the best of times.

You’ve probably heard your Granny say, “No matter how broke you become, you can always be clean.” Old wives tales do hold a bit of wisdom in them. The fact remains, clean, shiny and pretty is better than dirty, ugly and unwanted. If you are facing any kind of financial crises at all, you must protect your largest asset. If any equity is to be realized, more will come from your home looking good than neglected and dirty.

It’s called ‘ROI’=Return On Investment. You can experience in the worse of times a positive ROI in your home by taking little actions that can produce big reactions and
profitability. Increase the curb appeal on your home by removing outside clutter. Sweep the walks and driveway. Cut grass and trim out dead wood in trees and bushes. Pressure wash your shutters, window sashes, and trim. Put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and perhaps a shiny new kick plate at the bottom. Clean the light fixture of birds nest and cobwebs.

Next walk through your home. Really look at it as if you were to buy it today. The stained flooring, the soiled wall paper, chipped paint, hand prints on the cabinets, broken tiles, hardware loose, uneven and cluttered pictures or wall hangings and all waiting to be put your ‘To Do List”. The biggest challenge is eliminating clutter. If you can’t bring yourself to make all of those tiny decisions, call in your toughest friend and give the ‘OK’ to be strong for you. The point of this lesson is to maximize what you have in time, and assets. You will feel good about your ‘ROI’ while making your house a more comfortable home. Clean is good and it’s affordable !

Spectrum Resources provides counseling in daily money management, providing education, resources and options to those seeking financial self sufficiency. Debt, credit and home ownership issues always comes back to you setting priorities that make a positive difference in your life. Only you can make the decisions which truly make a difference.

Please leave your comments and questions, your input is important to us.

Call ( 863) 967-0660 or email: SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and visit our sister blogs: http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ and a new one http://womantowomanmagazine.ning.com/ and http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/

"The C.A.R.D. Act Is Coming"

You don’t want to be pinched by credit, creditors or extenders of credit in an economy working to recover. The credit problems of recent years have been addressed in new regulations and rules in the coming C.A.R.D. Act (Credit, Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act) that will affect you. Aspects of credit will change under the new rules as of January 2010 including fees, credit reports, terms, minimum payment, who will and who won’t get credit and on what terms !

You can ignore changes or you can learn how to effectively and efficiently face the challenges, issues and toxic habits found inside yourself that keep you a hunted prey by the credit card companies. They feed on your ignorance. Yes, by law, you will receive notices and inserts in your billing envelope, however, they don’t include a magnifying glass for you to read the tiny and confusing language.

You can work with a trained counselor who stays abreast of the changes by staying plugged into the credit industry. You can learn what to do and most importantly, what not to do. Not to long ago, seeking advice of a debt counselor was seen as a ‘very personal problem’. Now it's seen as smart to seek out the advice of a trained credit risk assessment planner to help you make informed decisions. And who can see objectively your underlying issues preventing you from reaching your goals !

You can learn your consumer rights in the C.A.R. D. law and how to exercise them. There are good points such as the credit card companies must provide at least 45 days notice of interest rate increases on future purchases. And your existing balances will generally be protected from interest rate increases. IF the interest rate goes up because you have not made the minimum payment within 60 days after the due date, the rate must go back to the original LOWER rate IF you make on-time minimum payments for six months. They will count on you NOT keeping count of your on-time payments.

To help those who have not figured out how to live INSIDE their income, the C.A.R.D. Act will require issuers to review your ability to pay BEFORE raising your rate limits or issuing you a new card. This will help those who can’t help themselves. The new law carries many new changes, however it is ultimately up to the consumer to understand what the terms are BEFORE agreeing to them, and most importantly, know how to live within those terms, seek professional advice.

Call Spectrum Resources (863) 967-0660 or email SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and visit our blogs, they all have different bits of wisdom for your benefit. http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/ and http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ & http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ Help us help others with financial literacy. Please mail your tax exempt donation to: S.R.D.C. 2014 Brentwood Drive, Auburndale, FL. 33823

"One Man's Trash Is Another's Treasure"

You may have seen the national TV show recently where well known financial advisors were giving advice to a unemployed couple on how to survive this recession. What I really found interesting is how by going through this family’s home they were able to turn their excess ‘stuff’ into over a $4000.00 treasure !

Hence, the title of this lesson, “One Man’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure” for each and everyone of us could hold a sale of household and personal items that we have purchased and no longer are using. We are surrounded by treasure and simply not accessing it.

They first went to their closet and thinned it out considerably. Next to the shoes and were told to select only five pair from the stack of many. After that they thinned out furniture, knick knacks, and decorative items that ‘cluttered’ the house from years of accumulation, gifts, and souvenirs. From there to the children’s room where floors were littered with an abundance of toys, corners were stacked with toys and collectibles they had out grown or lost interest. The kitchen had gadgets, odd collection of dishes and rarely used items. And the garage was stacked to the brim many unfinished projects, tools and saved ‘stuff’.

We are a society of ‘stuff’. Blessed, spoilt, over indulged, whatever words you wish to use. Most of us have money tied up in things that we no longer need, or want but because of whatever psychological reason we hold onto it. Few of us have the discipline to purchase and keep ONLY the necessities. The counselor helped the family organize with large bins. Things that were in excellent shape and perhaps unique such as clothing, jewelry, household items, tools, etc to be sold on eBay or Craig’s List. A bin for things to sold at a yard sale, used but still good and would sell such as furniture, decorative items, bikes, and everyday clothing. Then a bin for items to be donated which included ANYTHING left over after the yard sale. And last, the damaged or broken items that someone was going to fix someday, but that day never came.

$4000.00 was raised from inside their house to be put into an emergency fund. Not to be used as ‘found money’ for a dinner out, but to sustain the family during a period of emergency. My suggestion would be that you too look around the house at all the ‘treasures’ that you have stored that could be turned into money. Isn’t it better to sell things now while you have the leisure to do it out of want instead of need ? I promise you, having an emergency fund will bring you more emotional satisfaction than having a bulging closet, a over stacked garage, and a living room cluttered with years of collectibles. 470

Contact Spectrum Resources (863)967-0660 or email SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com to learn how you can live INSIDE your income. Please come back to this blog and visit our others as well: http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ & http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/If you appreciate our efforts, please help us help others with financial education by mail your TAX EXEMPT donation to: SRDC 2014 Brentwood Dr . Auburndale, F