How Trump Plans to Crack Down on Drug Companies

Written by adminMay 9, 2018
Saving

One of President Trump’s big promises on the campaign trail was to reform the prescription drug industry. For most Americans, the cost of lifesaving prescription drugs is way too high.

We already know that these companies value profit over lives. All we have to do is look at the recent case of EpiPen, who raised the price of their pen to unfathomable levels.

The cost of epinephrine per box: $1
What EpiPen rose the price to: $699

Why did they do this? The answer is simple: profit. Despite the protests and the anger this caused, the manufacturers defended their position. They proved they didn’t care about the numerous people who depend on this product to save their lives.

This is just one example. It was such a huge issue that Trump vowed to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Why Americans wish he had tackled this problem sooner in his administration, it was finally announced that he will release his strategy this week.

Alex Azar, Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, said that the president’s approach will be to take a ‘tough stance’ on drug makers. This declaration alone led to the stock of these major companies to fall.

According to Aetna, one of the country’s largest insurance providers, the cost of prescription drugs rose in price nearly 25% over the last four years, with the prices already been too high to begin with. This is why Trump made the cost of drugs an important issue during his campaign.

Here are some of the issues expected to be brought up in the coming days:

Price Rebates

When you look at the dealings between drug makers and insurance companies, you’ll start to see how they prop each other up. Drug companies will give large discounts to insurance companies, but many wonder if those same discounts are passed down to the consumer.

In most cases, they’re not. Trump’s plan hopes to change that by ensuring more of the discounts is given to the people, especially those on Medicare.

Promoting Increased Competition

President Trump continues to strongly believe that increased competition between drug companies will force them to lower the cost of drugs to stay competitive.

Once a new drug is released by a major manufacturer, generic drugs aren’t far behind, so the Trump team hopes to allow for faster review of generic drugs to get them into the market quicker.

For example, if a competitor to EpiPen kept the price at $1, then consumers have options and EpiPen is less likely to obscenely raise their prices.

They also plan to identify more drugs as over-the-counter medicines to make them easier to obtain without having to get a doctor’s prescription, saving consumers times and money.

These are just a few of the ways Trump plans to tackle the drug industry. We look forward to seeing what the rest of his ideas are in making prescription drugs cost effective for everyday Americans.

Read More

Why You Should Consider Using Your Tax Refund to Pay Off Debts

Written by adminMay 3, 2018
Saving

We understand the temptation. From the moment you send in your taxes, your mind goes straight into thinking about how you want to spend that money.

Did you want to put that down payment on a new car? Are you thinking it’s time to upgrade your wardrobe? Are you going to sock it away for that family vacation?

Hey, you won’t receive any judgment from us! We completely get it. Yet, we’re here to advise you that maybe there is a better option for that money than buying more stuff, which is to put it towards your debt.

It’s certainly not the sexiest of options, or the most fun, but it can certainly save you a lot of heartache in the long run.

Here are three excellent reasons why you should put your tax refund towards your debt:

1) It Will Show You’re Serious About Your Debt

If you have debt, then you know that the quicker you pay it off, the less you’ll pay on it over time. The longer you have the debt, the more interest you’ll have to pay on it. The difference between paying it off early or not can be thousands of dollars in additional interest added. That means you’ll have more money in the long run.

If you have a lot of debt, it doesn’t make sense blowing your refund on a large vacation or adding to your debt by getting a new vehicle. Not to mention, paying a large chunk of it down can only help your credit score. Putting your refund towards your debt shows you’re becoming financially responsible.

2) Savings Might Get Spent

Putting money into your savings or rainy-day fund is always a good idea. You never want to go without an emergency fund stashed away. If you have no emergency savings, then it’s a decent option, but what you put into savings might be difficult NOT to spend. People have a difficult time saving money because the temptation is there to use it on frivolous things.

If you put it towards your debt, then it’s spent and a large chunk of your debt is gone, which is ultimately the best option. It might sting a little bit right now, but later on, you’ll save more money in the long run getting your debt paid off sooner.

3) There Are Better Ways to Save for a Vacation

One of the top ways people spend their refund is on a vacation. There’s no doubt that you deserve one after working hard all year, but there are just better ways to pay for it. A vacation is fleeting and won’t be something tangible to invest your money in. You might get a sick tan, but you’ll still have the same amount of debt as you did when you went in.

The best option is to pay off a chunk of debt and find another option for a vacation. Maybe take a shorter weekend trip somewhere until you have your debt paid off. Your vacation doesn’t have to be super expensive. Maybe pick up a small side job for a few months and sock away the money for a nice trip or save as much money as you can throughout the year

Either way, going on vacation while you have a ton of debt isn’t the most responsible decision someone can make. Adding to your already significant debt isn’t good either. The best thing you can do is buckle down until your debts are paid off. You’ll have a lot of time in the near future to enjoy debt-free living!

Read More

5 Money Saving Tips for Buying a Car

Written by adminApril 24, 2018
Saving

Buying a car is a huge step for most people. Whether it’s your first adult car or you regularly seek out new leases every few years, it can be a frustrating (and quite expensive) experience. It’s especially troublesome if you go in not knowing how to find the best deal for you.

If you’re in the market for a new car or truck, this blog with share with you some money-saving tips that will keep you from making a huge mistake, while hopefully saving you a bundle.

1) Wait Until the End of the Month/Year

I know, I know. The thrill of buying a new vehicle is incredible! We want nothing more than to walk into a dealership today and walk out driving something with that new car smell. But if you wait until the end of the month, you can potentially get a bigger bang for your buck.

Most car companies pay their employees through commissions. The successful sellers often get perks and bonuses for selling the most cars. As the month goes on, a salesperson will get increasingly hungry to keep up with their quota, so they offer huge discounts, perks, and incentives to get you to walk away happy.

If you can be patient, end of the year deals can be really awesome as well.

Do your due diligence and visit several dealerships at the end of the month and compared which ones seem the most desperate to make a sale. You can also look for quarterly bonuses and special holiday events. The savings can total in the thousands.

2) Do Your Research Online

If you wait until you’re at the dealership to look around and do research, you run the risk of being strong armed or being swarmed with salespeople pushing you into a vehicle that’s not the best fit for you. Sometimes dealers have a vehicle they want to get rid of. They’ll try their hardest to convince you to buy something other than what you want.

Before you go to the dealer, you can do all the same research online. Look at the various models, sizes, colors, and prices you want to pay. There are a ton of resources online to help you, like Kelley Blue Book, Auto Trader, Carfax, and so much more.

A lot of dealerships even have a way for you to check out prices on their website and get a quote all without walking in the door. So, when you are ready to buy, you’re well-armed with tons of great research, ultimately saving you time and money later.

3) Shop Around for Trade-Ins

There’s no rule (written or unwritten) that says you absolutely have to trade in or sell your old vehicle at the same place you buy your new one. It may be more convenient to do it at the same dealership, but it can cost you money.

The trick is to take your car around to different places and write down the quotes you get. Once you’re at the dealership of your choice ready to buy, you have a nice tool in your pocket to start the negotiations.

The best way to go about it is to negotiate the price for the new car first, then mention you have a trade in and see what kind of deal you get. If it’s not as good as the deal another dealership offered, you have a great negotiation weapon. They’ll be eager to get your sale after already agreeing on a quote, so they might be more inclined to increase their offer.

4) The Best (and Worst) Time of Year to Buy

Spring is the worst time to buy a car. A lot of people get excited after getting tax returns and are ready to buy. Dealerships are prepared for that and prices will be inflated. They can afford to charge more as their buildings are often full during this time of year.

The best time to buy is in the fall. This is usually when the new model years come in, so they have a lot of the ‘older’ models taking up room on the lot. They’re more likely to give you a great deal to free a spot for the newer car, which can save you thousands for virtually the same vehicle.

5) Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate Down Fees

You can bet your bottom dollar, when you receive your itemized bill, there will be a lot of additions to it you didn’t think you’d have to pay. Fees for this, taxes for that. Some dealers will charge you simply for doing paperwork. Yes, that’s a real fee that can hit as high as $800! Some states do cap the fee to keep it as low as possible.

In this case, if you get hit with a huge fee, try to negotiate them. Be willing to walk away, because it might take you threatening to leave if they don’t remove it. Some of the fees can get so ridiculous it’s not even worth entertaining doing business with them.

In the end, the best thing to do if you’re in the market for a new car is to wait. Experts say to start research at least 6 months ahead of time so you can be aware of all the great deals, sales, holidays, and times of the year when they’re a lot less expensive.

Read More

How A Little Financial Spring Cleaning Can Improve Your Bottom Line

Written by adminApril 19, 2018
Saving

Spring often feels like the beginning of a whole new year. After a cold, long winter of being stuck inside with nothing to do, we begin to emerge like bears waking from a several-month hibernation.

Spring is also the start of the active season. From now until Christmas, busyness will consume you. Life will be full of activities, repairs, vacations, weekend trips, decorating, and so much more.

Are you prepared?

Most people go into the summer season unready for the expenses sure to come. It’s not just the summer busy season that can be expensive. A lot of hidden costs can be lurking that will cost you more in the long run because you weren’t ready for them.

Let’s take a look at several ways you can Spring Clean your budget today to keep it looking healthy for the rest of the year.

1) Check Annual Expenses and Create a Plan

Memory can be a fickle thing. You might have some vague idea in the back of your mind of stuff you want to do or fixes you need to make, but by not planning for it and putting it down on paper, it can turn into an unexpected problem later.

Sit down and carefully write a list. If you want to repaint the deck, add it to the list. Planning a vacation to Fiji? Great! Add it to the list.

Walk around the house and do a little inspection. Better yet, hire someone to come out and see how your home/property is holding up. If there’s a problem that needs addressing, like the roof needs to be replaced, add it to the list.

Once you can see all the different things you need to do, spend time thoroughly researching every point. Take a lot of notes if necessary. For example, that trip to Fiji. What are the costs? Hidden costs? Will you have to put down a deposit ahead of time? What time should you buy the tickets for the best deal?

When you see it, all laid out for you, you will get a bigger picture of what you can afford and what you should probably save until next year.

2) Don’t Forget to Keep an Eye on Your Debt

If you made the resolution at the beginning of the year to pay off your debts and improve your credit score, then you need to take that into consideration before spending tons of money on vacations or other big purchases.

If you’ve been steadily paying down what you owe, then your credit score is improving. Instead of taking that family trip to Fiji, maybe decide to take it easy this year and put the extra money into your debts. Then, if you’re out of debt next summer, you can afford to do a lot more without jeopardizing your credit score and/or adding to your debt.

Also, maybe it’s time to check out other options you might have at conquering your debt once and for all. We can help! Give us a call today at We’d love to hear from you!

3) Remove the Clutter

It’s a good idea to periodically look over your books. The best idea is to be a stickler for keeping the books clean, but it can be time consuming and a lot of people just wing it.

By looking over your financial statements, bank accounts, and other bills, you can check for added payments, extra fees, or even subscriptions you just don’t need or use anymore.

Maybe you only watch HBO for Game of Thrones. Well, as of this writing, it’s going to be at least another year before the final season hits, so stop paying for it until then.

It’s so easy to get caught up paying for services we barely use, simply because we think we need them. If you want to save good money throughout the year, this is a great way to do it.

Read More

Teaching Kids about Financial Responsibility

Written by adminJanuary 16, 2018
Credit & Debt Settlement , Personal Loans , Saving

It happens in a blink of an eye. We spend our childhood getting just about everything we could ask for. Our parents worked very hard to give us a good life and to make us smile. If you were like me, you had a room packed full of toys, most of which you didn’t even play with. No matter what toy I had, my mind was always on the next thing. Then one day, it all changes.

Kids have virtually no concept of money. If they want or need something, it’s often provided for us. As we get older, we start to pick up a little more responsibility. Whether it’s your job to clean up after dinner, take out the trash, or vacuum the floors, we start to learn about work for the very first time.

A lot of parents will teach their kids that if they want that new toy, then they must earn it. But often, the biggest lessons of all are rarely taught. We all know as we get older that we must work for our money, but the concept of saving is seemingly lost on younger generations. Whatever they get in, they must spend immediately.

Spending Less than You Earn

According to Forbes, most 20-year-olds aren’t saving their money. They live right at where they can afford, opting for the more expensive car or apartment rather than living under their means and saving that money for later. Forbes also suggests, in their article 20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don’t Get, that young adults should learn how to spend 25% less than they make.

This is especially important when you consider that teens and young adults hop from job to job. They don’t have a steady work or credit history, yet they are at risk of making their financial life much more difficult if they don’t get spending under control earlier in life.

Here are several ways to help your child prepare for adult by teaching them financial responsibility.

1) When they’re younger, buy them a piggy bank.

A lot of kids already do have a piggy bank, but not a lot of parents use it as a method of teaching about savings. Once they start being able to help out with chores around the house, having them earn an allowance. When it’s time to get paid, it would be beneficial for you to sit down with your kid and go over their ‘budget’.

Yes, give your kids a budget! Do they want that new toy? Find out how much it costs and create a goal for them to save at least half of its value. When it’s ‘payday’, show them the money they earned. Discuss with them about how much they want to use right now (let’s say, for the ice cream truck? To get a dessert after dinner?), and how much to put in the piggy bank for the toy.

2) Offer a bonus for extra work.

The idea isn’t just to teach them how to save money, but how to have a good work ethic. Reward them for doing extra work around the house. If their only job is taking out the trash and keeping their room clean, but they start helping do the dishes and taking initiative, don’t be afraid to give extra.

In the real world, they’re going to have to hit the ground running. There will be no laziness on the job or slacking off. Once they know the value of hard work, they will be prepared to go to the extra mile for what they want in the future.

3) Show them how to budget for expenses,

A lot of kids love to go shopping with their parents. You can use this to your advantage by getting them involved in the shopping process. Disclose to them what the budget will be for that particular shopping trip. Sit down and go over what you need to buy. Show them how to clip coupons and find the better deal on items.

4) Teach them how to balance a checkbook.

This is one lesson that rarely gets taught to children. It can be a good way help them understand the importance of having good math skills. When they decide what they want to do with their allowance money, teach them how to keep track of the amount of money they have in their piggy bank and how much they’ve spent on junk.

It can be quite eye-opening for them to see how much money they wasted on things that could’ve gone to better uses. Not to mention learning a basic skill everyone will need to know.

5) Don’t forget about credit.

At every college around the country, credit card companies line up ready to get your kid to sign up. In fact, one of my closest friends told me about how he got into major credit card debt. It started the same way it does for a lot of students. His first year in college, they had tables everywhere for students to sign up.

Of course, he didn’t know a thing about credit cards, minimum payments, interest rates, or building credit. He was young and all he knew was he had a card with a certain limit on it. Before he knew it, he was thousands of dollars in debt and now in his 40s still trying to pay that off. It’s a warning to every parent who sends their kid off without knowing how credit works.

Read More

10 Steps for Obtaining Financial Freedom in 2018

Written by adminJanuary 4, 2018
Credit & Debt Settlement

The New Year is finally here!

As the holidays wind down to a close and the earth completes yet another rotation around the sun, we tend to get sentimental about starting the new year right. It’s easy to reflect and see the things we want to improve upon while correcting the mistakes we did make.

Weight loss is usually at the top of all resolutions, either from the holiday gravy train that wouldn’t quit, or it’s the few pounds you quietly put on throughout the year. It’s not difficult to see the problem, but fixing it something else altogether.

The same goes for deciding to get your finances in order and obtain TRUE financial freedom!

Is such a thing possible?  YES! Here are ten ways for you to find financial freedom in 2018:

1) Determine where you’re at right now.

The simple fact is, you can’t figure out how to get to where you want to be if you don’t know where you’re currently at. Sit down at the table (with your spouse, if applicable) and go over everything. What are you worth? Are you in debt? Are you paying off your mortgage? How long until the car is paid off?

Go through your assets, subtract liabilities, and find out your overall net worth. It can be difficult to see any issues with your budget when you’re not proactive about seeing it all listed together. If you see you’re spending more than you’re bringing in and relying on credit to get by, then you have some important decisions to make.

But you won’t get there until you figure out this step first.

2) Exchange credit for debit

Unless you’re working on building better credit, your credit cards are only holding you back. We get into the cycle of buying everything on credit and paying MORE for it later with interest and fees. Is the convenience really worth spending more in the long run? Try to spend only what you can afford to right now, rather than borrowing.

3) Give yourself an allowance.

Even though step #2 says to use your debit card rather than your credit card, you can take things a step forward by using cash more often than cards. Determine what you need ahead of time for regular expenses, pull out the cash, and put the rest into savings. It’s easier to spend, spend, spend when you have a card, but can’t track what you have left like you do with cash.

4) Cut spending!

I’m sure you knew this was coming, but it’s true! Right now, in this modern technological age, we spend a lot of money on gadgets and plans. They are all convenient, but do you really need them? Can you survive on Netflix and Hulu while cutting the cord? That’s potentially $100 per month savings right there.

Look at your phone bill. Do you need unlimited everything, or can you survive perfectly fine with a cheaper plan? Can you plan to eat in more often and save more throughout the year? These are all conscience decisions you can make to drastically improve your bottom line. The only way to lose weight is to eat less. The same lesson applies here.

5) Plan your goals.

You probably have the same big goals I do. It’s one thing to have a dream in the back of your mind, and another to actually sit down and do the math. You can’t hope your goals into existence. No, you must plan for it and scrape together everything you can. It will be a journey getting from Point A to Point B, but it should be an enjoyable one.

Where do you see yourself next year? In 5 years? In 10? Think of all your short-term AND long-term goals and write them down.

6) Strategize your plan of attack.

The great thing about writing down your expenses and figuring out what to cut is you can actually see your plan coming into fruition. If you know you can cut “X” amount of dollars from your budget and stick that into a savings account, you’ll have an approximate idea on where those savings will take you.

You may not save a ton, and that’s perfectly fine! It’s always good to have a bit of extra saved in the bank, which brings us to the next point:

7) Have an emergency fund.

It was said recently that most people don’t even have access to $400 if they needed it for an emergency. That’s a sad statistic! We’re so busy living above our means and charging everything to credit (and paying more for it later) that we don’t actually think about our safety. It’s a good idea to have at least $1,000 in savings for an emergency.

8) Check your taxes.

I know in the previous points, where I say you should look at cutting your spending habits, you didn’t think I was going to suggest hiring a tax accountant, but it might very well be worth it in the long run!  Let’s face it, most of us are clueless and do our best to file as accurately as possible. Because we’re not experts, so we could be missing out on huge deductions we had no idea were possible!

9) Start paying off small debts.

Think of debt as the amount of weight you need to lose. You might step on the scale and see a large number, causing you to panic. How can you possibly lose all this weight?! The answer is simple, one pound at a time. The problem is, we think about ALL the weight we need to lose rather than the short-term progress and results we’ll experience.

Start cutting into your smaller debts and get those out of the way first. It will build your confidence and allow you to see yourself slowly gaining control of your finances. It’s a cool feeling to free yourself out from under its worrisome burden!

10) Keep your plan with you at all times.

Once you get all your numbers organized, write up your goals, and make a plan of action, turn your notes into canon. Officially recognize your plan as the way to move forward and stick with it. It will be difficult. There will be unforeseen events that pop up. Do not fret! The plan is solid and it will get you through!

Read More

10 Ways to Save Money Every Month

Written by adminOctober 26, 2017
Credit & Debt Settlement

Most Americans are interested in ways they can save money every month to pay off debt more quickly or put savings aside for their futures. Here are just ten ways you can save a little each month.

1. Keep a Budget

The first step in saving money is tracking how you spend it. When you start keeping a budget, you can begin to see where you’re spending too much. You may find you could cut back on eating out, start clipping coupons or skip that morning coffee habit to save some serious cash.

2. Consolidate Your Debt and Student Loans

The next step in saving is to track all your debts. Once you have a handle on how much you owe and what your interest rates are, it may make sense to consolidate your debts at a lower interest rate. This saves you money in the long term on interest payments and cuts down your minimum monthly payments.

3. Shop Around for Auto Insurance

Auto insurance companies will raise your rates every year. It’s a good idea to switch providers regularly to negotiate for lower rates. Also consider paying quarterly or annually to save money in the long run.

4. Decrease Your Monthly Car Expenses

Now that you’re tracking your budget, you may find you’re spending too much money on your car – either in monthly repairs, gas or your monthly payment. Consider making a change to your auto expenses by buying a different car that won’t cost as much in those categories or driving less to save on your gas bill.

5. Cut Out High-Interest Credit Cards

After you’ve tallied all your debts and interest rates, you may find some of your credit cards come with high interest fees. On top of that, your minimum payment covers mostly interest, which means your principal balance could take a very long time to pay off. Consider moving your credit card balance to a provider who will offer you a lower interest rate.

6. Enter Into a Credit Repair Program

If your credit is in bad shape, you may want to look into applying to be in a credit repair program. These programs allow you to get lower interest rates on your debt so you can work on rebuilding your credit score. Overall, you could save money and be in a better place financially to make important purchases down the road.

7. Lower Your Health Insurance Costs

Health insurance costs can be costly expenses. Talk to your HR representative at work (even if you only work part-time) or shop around online if you have insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace. There may be a tax incentive or benefit you’re missing out on that could save you money.

8. Implement a 30-Day Rule

The biggest way to save money each month is to not buy things you don’t need. If you’re trying to get control over a shopping habit, try a 30-day rule, where you don’t buy anything until you’ve wanted it for 30 days. Keep a list of purchases you’d like to make and evaluate them over the next month to see if they’re things you really need.

9. Consolidate Your Student Loans

If you’re one of millions of college graduates who feel overwhelmed by your student loan debt, consider consolidating your loans. Through this process, you can merge multiple balances into a single balance to lower your monthly payment, interest rate, or both. It’s a great option for graduates who are struggling to make a dent in their overall loan debt.

Stick to a Grocery List

Rather than buying without a list and when you’re hungry, plan your weekly meals and stick closely to your list to avoid overspending at the grocery store. Also try sticking to the perimeter of the grocery; produce, dairy and proteins are both healthier and more cost-effective than processed foods in the center aisles.

If you’re looking to trim your budget, consider trying one, two or all ten of these simple money-saving hacks.

Read More

10 Easy Ways to Keep More Money in Your Pocket

Written by adminOctober 16, 2017
Saving


When you’re already living paycheck to paycheck, it can seem impossible to save money. The usual sites offering financial advice aren’t too useful either with their suggestions for better stock investments and squirreling away hundreds of bucks a month. Well, we’re here to help with a few of our favorite tips you can actually use. They won’t make you rich, but they’ll help you stretch your dollar a little bit further and give you some breathing room.

1. Student Loan Consolidation

If you have multiple student loans from different years, reach out to your lender or one that specializes in refinancing and consolidate them into one. You’ll usually get a lower interest rate that will allow you to pay down debt faster.

2. Credit Card Debt Consolidation

Look around for a new credit card with a balance transfer promotion of 0 percent or very low interest for a set amount of time. Transfer all or part of a balance from your highest APR card and pay it off. Just be sure to transfer only what you know you can pay off before the promotional period ends.

3. Get a Card with a Lower APR

Get a credit card with the lowest APR possible. Whatever you do, don’t get behind on it; that can trigger late fees and a penalty APR that could even affect your card rates with other lenders.

4. Repair Your Credit

The better shape your credit report is in, the better credit card terms you can expect. This means lower rates, higher credit limits and sometimes extra perks like cash back. If your credit could use some help, look into a credit repair program to help get your credit back on track.

5. Reduce Health Insurance Costs

Generally speaking, the healthier you are, the less expensive you are to insure. Doing things like stopping smoking and drinking and losing weight make you a better bet for insurance companies. Make sure your progress is noted in your annual physical and then contact your insurer for a review.

6. Reduce Car Insurance Costs

The safer you drive, the better your insurance rates will be. If it’s been a while since your last accident or traffic violation, contact your insurance provider to negotiate a better rate.

7. Refinance Your Car Loan

If you’re still making payments on a car you bought when your credit was worse, contact your lender to ask about refinancing your loan at a lower APR. If they won’t play ball, threaten to refinance through another bank. If that doesn’t work, take your business elsewhere.

8. Buy a New Car

Let’s say you’re not actually making car payments. Instead, you own a beater you’re dragging into the shop every week. It sounds counterintuitive, but you might look into buying a brand-new car. Not only will you have a much more reliable ride, but new cars will stay under warranty for a number of years, meaning less money you have to shell out for repairs and routine maintenance.

9. Get a Prepaid Phone

Traditional cell phone contracts often include all sorts of unnecessary extras you never use, so why are you paying for them? Prepaid service is just as reliable and often much cheaper than a contract. You do have to pay for the phone upfront instead of getting it free with a new contract, but you’ll save money in the long run by only paying for the services you actually need and use.

10. Cut the Cable

You’re paying a premium for all those cable channels that never show anything you want to see. Well, it’s time to break up with your cable company. You can keep it for internet service, but cut out the TV subscription. Sign up for online streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and others to watch what you want at a fraction of the cost of a monthly TV cable bill.

Read More

10 Quick Ways to Save Money Each Month

Written by adminOctober 16, 2017
Saving


Getting into debt seems like it is something that is easy to do. When you try to get out of debt, that is when the real work starts. Here are 10 ideas to help you reduce your expenses when it is time to take control of your finances.

1. Consolidate your debt into a lower monthly payment

Consolidating your debts into a lower monthly payment can save you money. Instead of having to try to pay multiple payments, everything that you include in the consolidated payment will be paid with one convenient monthly payment. In most cases, this can help you score a lower interest rate than what you would pay on individual bills.

2. Refinance your car loan

A refinanced car loan starts out at a lower amount than a new car loan. This can automatically lower your monthly payments, especially if you are able to extend the life of the loan some.

3. Lower your auto insurance payment

Take a look at the car insurance payment you are making. You might be able to increase the deductible or decrease the coverage to lower the payments. Shopping around for car insurance might also be beneficial.

4. Consolidate your student loans into a lower monthly payment

If you have multiple student loans, you can likely get them all transferred into one monthly payment. Some federal repayment plans are based on your income so this might help you out if you are at a lower income rate.

5. Enter into a credit repair program

A credit repair program is a good idea if you have already missed some payments. These programs can often help you to get a lower interest rate, especially if your debt is at a high-interest rate, such as 25 percent or higher. You should make sure that you are working with is a legitimate company by checking with the Better Business Bureau and other agencies.

6. Lower your health insurance costs

If you don’t have any health issues, lowering your health insurance costs can help you to save money each month. Get a policy that has a higher deductible or one that has only basic services covered. This isn’t a good idea if you have health issues since you might end up with uncontrollable medical debt.

7. Buy a new car

Car repair bills can get expensive. If you are spending more on repair bills than you care to admit, it might be time to get a new car. This might seem more expensive at first; however, you might find that a car payment is less expensive. Plus, you will have a more reliable way to get to work and run errands.

8. Get a payday loan advance

A payday loan should be one of the last things that you consider if you need to come up with money fast. These loans often come at a higher interest rate, so carefully consider your other options. Of course, if you have an emergency, this might be a feasible option for quick cash if you know you’ll be able to repay it quickly.

9. Get a new credit card with a lower interest rate

A new credit card might seem counterproductive when you are trying to reduce your monthly bills, but it really isn’t. Many new credit cards have a 0-percent interest rate during the introductory period or for balance transfers. This fact alone might be able to save you some serious cash each month.

10. Reduce your employment costs

They say you have to spend money to make money, but you shouldn’t have high employment costs when you are working for someone else. Reducing the costs of your job can entail bringing your lunch instead of eating out and hitting up second-hand clothing stores for things to wear. If you need transportation to work, see if a co-worker will get you instead of shelling out money for transportation costs.

Read More

The Plight Of The Middle Class And How Credit Repair Can Help

Written by adminApril 24, 2017
Credit & Debt Settlement

*This is an advertorial*

Life can be filled with limitations when you have bad credit, and I recently learned how to screw and un-screw myself out of credit nightmare. Putting everything on a charge card turned out to be a terrible decision, and when the government threatened to start garnishing my wages, I was forced to pool everything I had to make a one time payoff on one of my student loans, which actually had a negative impact on my score because I settled. I was bankrupt and I was just starting out. As my score dropped, the banks sent cancellation notices for all of my credit cards—even the ones I always paid on time. It seemed like big banks had just turned their back on me.

My husband was forced to face his credit barriers when his car transmission died out of warrantee. When the car salesman pulled his credit to see if he could get approved for a lease, he shook his head in shame. It showed a score in the low 500s, a high debt to credit ratio, and poor payment history because of medical bill charge-offs from when his appendix ruptured. 

We needed better credit, which I thought meant waiting 7-10 years for negative items to be removed. As it turned out, fixing our credit was painless because there are services out there, like CreditRepair.com, that are meant for people like us. CreditRepair.com works directly with the credit bureaus and your creditors to help you get unfair items removed from your report and get you back on track for a clean financial future. They understand that life can get out of hand, and that sometimes, trustworthy candidates can get screwed out of good credit scores in the process. Plus, they do all the legwork for you.

I signed up for CreditRepair.com just two months ago. On my consultation call, Skye, my personal CreditRepair.com representative, worked with me through the process, answering my questions with patience and knowledge. She made me feel confident that together we could accomplish everything I’d sought out to achieve. She explained that for most items she saw on my report, they would send their lawyerly “challenge letters”, to which creditors have to respond or refute, or the items get removed. CreditRepair.com has methods of getting creditors to exercise leniency as well. For example, if you have issues with high student loans, bankruptcy, an expensive divorce, or high medical bills, Credit Repair will alert creditors of this as they did when they mentioned my outstanding student loans in challenge letters so that creditors would potentially give me more leeway.

During just the first month of my subscription, I received my frist 3 removal emails from CreditRepair.com! (It means they got 3 negative items removed from my report.) My credit score shot up 22 points immediately as a result, and continues to climb as I follow along on my Score Tracker, the chart which displays your credit score progress each month.

As for my husband, he started receiving removal emails from CreditRepair.com just two days after I did, and within just the first 45 days of his membership, CreditRepair.com had already gotten 44% of the negative items on his report removed. And he got approved for that car lease from the dealership that scoffed at him less than two months prior! Incredible, and fast results.

Turns out, this is the norm. While individual experiences may vary, on average, CreditRepair.com subscribers see increases in their credit scores month after month. And it’s been giving us the fresh start we need to rebuild our future.

Update: The folks at CreditRepair.com are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link, or call 1 (855) 969-4469 for a free credit consultation including your free credit report summary and score!

Call 1 (855) 969-4469 anytime between 7am and 11:59pm EST for a free consultation including your free summary credit report and score!

Read More
  • 1
  • 2