"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/

"A Bubble Or A Snowball ?"

"A Bubble Or A Snowball ?" You would have to agree both are messy when they burst ! Today's internet headlines are filled with news about "The Credit Bubble!" as if this is new news ! This is not news to debt and credit counselors who are in the trenches attempting to clean up the mess.

Credit card delinquencies rose from 5.52 percent to 6.6 percent (measured on a "percentage of dollars outstanding" basis). And people ask WHY ? Americans have created the biggest Credit Bubble of all time! Who is it that doesn't realize that American's have been on a spending spree since the early to mid 2000's ? Consumers thought that their ever rising home values would be there to bail them out IF they got in trouble. Well, they were wrong, and terribly misinformed.

You see, it's my opinion that the problem is more like a big snow ball rolling down a steep hill rather than a bubble. As everything in the form of money sticks to the snowball creating an even larger one as it heads down hill. Now we have slumping rents and rising vacancy rates that is playing havoc on the entire commercial real estate sector. The snowball has hit a wall called reality with pieces of these collected particals splattering out on everyone and everything in its path. Messy is a gentle word in comparison.

I see the credit card holders are victims of fraud. First, few know their consumer rights. Few know that National Banks are not allowed to lend credit. Few consumers realize how much our law makers turn their heads to the corruption of the banks. The lending industry actively egged consumers on into a web of false security just as much as policymakers at the Federal level who kept interest rates too low for too long. Virtually every corner of the credit market is connected to this snow ball growing in size !

Don't believe debt collectors who start pestering you about nonpayment of credit card debt from long ago. There are statutes of limitations in each state, after which debt my no longer be collected. Find out your state's rules at www.fair-debt-collection.com/SOL-by-State.html.

Even if a debt collector offers you a discount for prompt payment, DO NOT agree to pay. Insist that the debt collector give you, in writing, the name and address of theoriginal debt holder, the account number, the date of the last transaction AND the amount of the original debt. You have a right to this information and cannot be required to pay what you no longer owe.

Spectrum Resource’s mission is to teach you how you can live inside your income. Please add our link to your favorites and come back often to : http://moneysavingtips.wordpress.com/ and visit our sister blogs, each with different articles offering resources and options: http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/ and http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ or email us at SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com or call (863) 967-0660Help Us Help Others with a $10.00 tax exempt donation to our financial education fund. In appreciation of your contribution, we will send you a FREE COPY of a book on daily money management from local author Janet Shore titled “Hey ! Where’s My Money ?”. Use the online check processor www.Checkman.com/pay4it/12985 or pay by money order mailed to: SRDC 2014 Brentwood Dr. Auburndale, FL. 33823

"He Who Hesitates Loses"

You may or may not have heard this saying "He Who Hesitates Loses", but as a credit risk assessment planner counseling individuals in debt, credit and home ownership issues I see it as an important warning. Your ability to think and consider your options and take action quickly can be the determining factor in the amount of your savings.

Here are some money saving tips:You now see empty store fronts while driving down Main Street due to companies that have filed bankruptcy or simply liquidated their assets and left for parts unknown.
1. Use your store gift cards fast while they are still worth something.
2. If the store holds a 'liquidation sale' skip the first few weeks of the sale. Wait until week four.

"He Who Hesitates Loses" warning also applies to identity theft.
1. You will be happy you took this warning if your wallet/purse is ever stolen. Make copies of all contents in your wallet front and back and record credit card phone numbers to report a loss. But if you have not, then look on the last statement and contact the credit card company as soon as possible. With identity theft, the sooner the better applies.
2. You should also report immediately to all three credit bureaus your cards have been stolen. this could be a savings of thousands of dollars.
3. You will also have to have a police report filed, again, timing in this particular process is important from your creditor's point of view.

"He Who Hesitates Loses" can apply to so many aspects of your daily living from the stock market to business opportunities. But our mission is to encourage you to think, learn your options and take action quickly because some savings just will not wait. There are expiration dates that you must heed to save. Most people would think that any investment that brought you a return of 20% was good, but in your local grocery are you taking advantage of the 10-20% savings offered through coupons ?

Coupon usage has become more popular as an effort to survive this depression. Coupons can easily save you 20% on your grocery bill. Groceries are not the only place to save with coupons. Your pharmacy, hardware store, home stores and online retailers are offering big savings such as www.Coupons.com and www.RetailMeNot.com and www.SelectCouponProgram.com. Come back and look for my lesson on "HOW TO Make Money Without A Second Job".

Spectrum Resource’s mission is to teach you how you can live inside your income. Please add our link to your favorites and come back often to : http://MoneySavingTips.PolkVoice.com and visit our sister blogs, each with different articles offering resources and options: http://FinancialEducationAndOptions.blogspot.com and http://SpectrumResources.wordpress.com or email us at SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com or call (863) 967-0660

Help Us Help Others with a $10.00 tax exempt donation to our financial education fund. In appreciation of your contribution, we will send you a FREE COPY of a book on daily money management from local author Janet Shore titled “Hey ! Where’s My Money ?”. Use the online check processor www.Checkman.com/pay4it/12985 or pay by money order mailed to: SRDC 2014 Brentwood Dr. Auburndale, FL. 33823

"4th Of July And (Financial) Freedom"

You have just celebrated another year of freedom in the United States of America with fireworks, cold drinks and a hot dog or two. Filled with patriotism the cry was heard from coast to coast "Let Freedom Ring !" America has come a long way, as seen upon reflecting back. Also seen are many different cycles in our history . There are great debates going on regarding just how fiscally free the United States is at this point in time compared to our past. The cycles of spending, debt and rebuilding is not new in America. This article is not about America's debt, but your debt, and your personal freedom.

You also have a cycle in life going on. You started as a young person learning what money could do for you. If lucky, someone taught you how to make appropriate decisions in handling money. Sadly not many have been so lucky and they are in bondage, slaves to debt. Just as our forefathers took drastic measures to free themselves from the bondage of England, now is the time for each individual American to take drastic measures to become free. Slavery exist in every home in America where there is debt. You are not free to live by your choices when you are committed to a contractual agreement to pay for privileges and use of the many things that fills your environment.

You can break the chains that bind you to debt by taking a serious look at yourself, your priorities, and your personal values. You determine your self worth. If your self worth is about the amount of holdings that is tied to your ankle with a chain locked by a contract then perhaps you should re-evaluate your values. What do YOU really have, nothing ! The man holding the contract and who receives money from you has something, but you don't. Do a personal audit, for a reality check to which of your debts are based upon 'NEEDS' and which are based upon 'WANTS' .

Make the next 4th of July your celebration of personal financial freedom ! One that supports the real meaning our of nation's founders, for The People to be free. Our nation as a whole will take generations before it can celebrate fiscal freedom. However, you and your family can start today by making better decisions, structure a plan, putting more value on people than things. You can choose NOT to be a slave to a master that holds you down with a little 2"X3" plastic card. You can be financially free by seeking financial education and making better daily decisions because of your empowerment.

Our mission is to teach those who seek financial self sufficiency. We counsel to those with debt, credit and money issues. If you feel we can help please come back to: http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/ or visit our sister blogs: http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ , http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ . Email us at SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com or call (863) 967-0660.

If you find Spectrum Resource's information educational, motivational and/or insightful, please help us help others by making a tax exempt donation of $10.00. To show our appreciation, Spectrum Resources, a tax exempt educational organization will send you a book as a FREE GIFT titled "Hey! Where's My Money ?" authored by Janet Shore. A little 128 page book with a big message. A great gift for a college student or young couple just starting out, and others who are starting over. Please send tax exempt donation as a money order to 'SRDC' 2014 Brentwood Dr. Auburndale, FL.33823 OR use the online check processor: www.Checkman.com/pay4it/12985