"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/

"Is Your Bank Ripping You Off ?"

The entire globe is in a tail spin economically due to fraud involved in American bank mortgages. The government, controlled by those who have the most to spend is providing the golden parachutes to those who committed crimes against the American home owner. Yet consumers are left with only the new awareness of all the unsuspecting frauds, and the ability to exercise extreme caution. Financial literacy does pay !

Banks will not offer anything that will benefit you unless prompted, no matter how high your credit score. The best customers with clean credit ratings, ongoing relationship with the lender and adequate collateral still have to ask for the loan rate to be lowered by one-half to one percentage point. It is your financial life, it is up to you to be prepared to go in fighting for the best deal you can get. And you must be prepared with knowledge and options to negotiate any terms to your benefit.

When taking out a loan, tell the loan officer you don’t want ‘Credit Life and Disability Insurance’ on your loan. This insurance cover’s the bank’s interest – not yours. While not required, such insurance is often slipped into the loan, increasing its cost, without the customer knowing or understanding that it is a charge that can be refused. This added premium is then subject to hidden finance charges over the entire life of your loan. Check with your own personal insurance man for his opinion of what will cover your needs.

Bank’s marketing strategy is to collect as many fees as possible. Overdraft checking fees is their favorite! They will allow you to even over charge on your debit card, of course, you find out later when you receive the notice of the fee. Ask your bank to ‘red flag’ your account, usually a no cost service. With the account red flagged they should call you to notify of the overdraft. IF you can cover the overdraft that day, the bank normally waives any overdraft fees.

Shop and compare banking fees and options when considering opening up a checking account. One I found even charged you to close the account. Please be aware of the small print, ask and compare before signing anything.

Please contact your personal credit risk assessment planner at SPECTRUM RESOURCES to learn more ways to live inside your income. Call 863-967-0660 or email: SpectrumResources@tampabay.rr.com and visit all our blogs to learn more: http://moneysavingtips.polkvoice.com/ and http://spectrumresources.wordpress.com/ and come back to: http://financialeducationandoptions.blogspot.com/

Tax exempt donations are always welcomed to help us help others with financial education. Mail 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