The Best Way to Pay Off Credit Cards

Credit card debt is at an all-time crisis. With compounded interested levels of up to 20 percent, it can quickly spiral out of control. Getting the credit cards paid off should be every family’s number one financial goal. It is the first step in living debt free. The are right ways and wrong ways to pay off your credit cards. Taking out a second mortgage or home equity loan is probably not the best idea, although some others may advise such actions. The same goes for borrowing from your life insurance policy or from friends and family. The key is … Continue reading

Credit Reporting Agencies

Often in financial advice, you will see the three main consumer reporting agencies mentioned. However, you may not know who all three are or how to contact them. In the United States, there are three national consumer reporting agencies who determine most of your credit reports and scores. Each one is slightly different and contains different information, but all of it should be 100 percent accurate. The following are these three agencies and all their contact information. Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc. http://www.equifax.com/home/ PO Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 303374-0241 Place a fraud alert call 1-888-766-0008 Order a credit report call … Continue reading

Stemming Credit Card Debt

Do you need to get a hold on your credit card expenses? Credit cards are one of the leading causes for financial problems. I can’t say enough about paying them off as soon as possible and not racking up new debt. Here are some ways to get the outward money flow under control. Many experts tell you to freeze that credit card in the freezer or leave it at home so you won’t be tempted to use to to spend, spend, spend. But, what if you have an emergency that requires a credit card while you are out? Perhaps your … Continue reading

More Tips on Repairing Credit

To continue our discussion from yesterday, you have lined up all your important credit documents and set up a reasonable budget. The next steps are some specific tips you can do to get that credit score up a little quicker. With a goal of 720, your score is best improved by regular full payments to all your accounts, ON TIME. Even one late payment can dramatically affect your score and take months or years to remedy. Always, always pay on time… even if all you can do is make the minimum. Pay on time! In addition, a few other factors … Continue reading

Credit Freeze

What is a credit freeze? No, it is not a Dairy Queen shake or a snowman in the shape of your credit card. It is a newer system enacted by all three credit bureaus to help those who are no longer using credit to preserve their reports and scores. The best candidates for a credit freeze are retirees or those who have so much income they will no longer need to borrow for any purchase. Having a credit freeze does not limit your ability to use credit cards or current loans; it simply restricts the creation of new accounts. This … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week In Review January 9-15, 2007

It’s been a busy week for so many people in the United States. The weather has been a huge problem with snow, ice and unusually cold temperatures. Get ready to pay a lot more for Oranges and Avocado’s after the deep freeze in Southern California. Many homeowners have suffered the Midnight Disaster, including my little brother. Caught completely off guard with freezing temperatures and a ruptured pipe in the attic. Thankfully, he was able to Ask Anna (or sissy) for help in this matter! When my brother woke up to find boxes falling out of his attic and water flooding … Continue reading

What to Do When Your Pipes Freeze–Mitigate Your Losses!

Frozen water pipes aren’t life threatening, however frozen or broken water pipes do cause damage to homes each winter. Homeowner need to take steps to avoid freezing damage to their house, inside and outside. For information about steps homeowners need to take to avoid the possible catastrophic losses caused by broken water pipes be sure to read the Blog, Don’t Let Your Pipes Freeze-Tips to Avoid Home Water Damage. When the pipes in the walls of a house aren’t properly insulated, they can and often do freeze and rupture. Ice expands and needs more space then water and a small … Continue reading

Don’t Let Your Pipes Freeze-Tips to Avoid Home Water Damage.

Most homeowners don’t consider the damage from frozen and broken water pipes as catastrophic as a natural disaster, but the damages caused from water pipe failures are one of the most common and least recognized catastrophe losses homeowners suffer every year. Second only to hurricanes, frozen and broken water pipes cause more losses in terms of the number of homes damaged and the total amount of claims paid by insurance companies in the U.S. Repair costs of $50,000 are very common for homes that suffer damage from frozen and broken water pipes. These damages can be a homeowners worst nightmare. … Continue reading

How to Be a Hero Mom on a Budget

Sometimes I don’t feel like a hero mom. Such as yesterday. It was very late, and my tween and I were in the grocery section of Target looking to pick up just a couple of food items to help us make it through a long week, since we missed our scheduled food shopping.  As we passed the frozen case on our way to hunt down cheese, my child asked me if we could get ice cream. Apparently he and his siblings already went through the one gallon container, the one quart container, and the box of ice cream sandwiches that … Continue reading

Simple Teacher Gifts For Christmas

The carols are blaring and the decorations are out, and I am tempted to put my head under something minty-scented until January. Although I love the giving aspect of the Christmas season, its commercial bent gives me a strong desire to flee. But then there’s the problem of homemade. In this world of busy and this world of “but I don’t know HOW to make things,” how can you create homemade Christmas items for teachers, friends, and family and have them delight in what you have made? Over the next two weeks, I’ll explore some super simple ways to create … Continue reading