Archive for the ‘Bad Credit’ Category

Have More by Choosing Less

As I search for simplicity in my life, I’ve realized that it’s not just about purging Stuff. Stuff is simply the physical representation of an overall pattern of clutter. In order to accomplish what I want to accomplish, I need to sort and purge the mental mess, too.

Over at Unclutterer yesterday, Erin shared her guide to “having it all”. She explains how she’s able to lead a full life without getting bogged down by Stuff — both physical and mental. Her eleven tips are all worth reading, but they basically boil down to:

  • Prioritize. Determine what matters most. Choose the objects and obligations that bring meaning to your life, and make those your focus. Learn to say “no” to the things that don’t matter.
  • Minimize. Eliminate the non-essential. Pursue activities

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Control Debt After a Job Loss


In this economy, it’s not uncommon to hear someone tell you that they have lost their job.  While this can be very depressing for some, you can’t let this bother you, because no job is guaranteed in life!  As the unemployment rate soars, it can back down just as quick as it went up.  I’d love to tell you bad new after bad news story just like the media does, but let’s face it, there are always jobs out there!

So, what happens when you lose your job and you’re already in debt?  What are some of the options that you can use in order to fight your debt with no money coming in?

Start by looking for any job

Unemployment isn’t going to cut it forever and while you can sit there and milk the system, does it make you feel any better about yourself?  Instead, go out there, provide for your family, and find a job.  If you have an education, you’re going to have an easier time finding a job.  For those that don’t have a college degree, I hate to break it to you guys but the $45 a hour factory jobs won’t be there anymore.  I would recommend that you either go back to school, or follow your dream into potentially starting a business that follows one of your hobbies.

Sell off some of your items in the house

I don’t care who you are because we all have junk laying around the house.  I’m sure you’ve heard of that old saying, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”  Look around the house and either have a huge garage sale, or start selling on .  I love Ebay because you’re reaching the world and you’ll definitely get what your item is worth.

Cut back on services ASAP

If you don’t have any money coming in, I’m sorry but you can’t afford these luxuries anymore.  Of course, you can start back up when you go back to work, but in the meantime, don’t put yourself into debt even more.  This means that you should cut back on your gym memberships, cable TV, and other bills such as that.  You can then make it an incentive to find a job to get some money coming back in.

Your job searching is your full time job

If you have the Internet and a few newspapers, your new full time job is to job search.  If you’re not searching for a job every day for at least 4-6 hours, you’re not trying hard enough!  I don’t want to hear any excuse such as there are no jobs out there, because there are!  Search job websites, go to corporate websites, and remember that no job below you, especially if you don’t have a college education, because it’s very easy to go from a $45 a hour job to McDonalds.

These tips sound harsh but it’s reality, I’m sorry.  There are many great people out there that have lost a job that they couldn’t control.  It’s your duty to provide for yourself.  You can’t blame your employer, you can’t blame the government.  Set the excuses aside and get to work right now.

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Tags: Job, Job Loss

How to Tackle Debt Head On

One of the biggest problems facing Americans today is debt. Millions of people are weighed down with the heavy burden of debt, and overcoming debt problems can seem like an insurmountable task. Unless you win the lottery, debt problems are impossible to overcome all at once. But with strict discipline and a well thought out plan, seemingly impossible debt problems can become much more manageable.

Take Responsibility: One of the keys to overcoming debt is to realize and admit that you are responsible for the debt burden you’re carrying. In most cases, your habits got you into the trouble you’re in, so the only way out will be to change those habits. Too many people blame their creditors for their debt problems. You

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Is The Housing Meltdown Ending?

Good news from the housing market got the week off to a good start Monday when the National Association of Realtors reported that pending home sales rose unexpectedly by 3.2% in March. This jump in pending sales also made the annual number positive. Home prices were strongest in the Western and Southern parts of the country. There are three factors being credited with home sales starting to pick up: falling prices, low interest rates, and tax credits.

Falling Prices: Home prices have been falling steadily across the country over the past couple of years. As prices fall, eventually the potential buyers on the sidelines have to pay attention.

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Tags: Ending

Where Has All The TARP Money Gone?

This is a question that regulators have been asking regularly for the past several months, and with the results of the stress tests slowly beginning to emerge, we’re starting to get an idea of where all that cash is going. The money was injected into banks to kickstart lending again, helping banks to keep business flowing and giving consumers access to credit in an environment where no banks felt comfortable lending. Unfortunately, a lot of the cash is still sitting on balance sheets with major banks.

As banks have reported their results for the first quarter, many of them beating expectations, we’ve gotten a glimpse into how their balance sheets have changed. One

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Best Debt Ebooks Online

If you’re the type that loves to read and prefers a good old e-book rather than a hard cover book, I have a few that you may want to check out.  No, we haven’t wrote one yet but maybe we will consider it!  With thousands of e-books online, I know it can be tough to find one that works and one that’s not going to steal your money.

Well, I did some hefty research online and found a few that you may want to check out.  Yes, most of them cost a few dollars but the information you get inside may be worth it to you, you’ll never know until you read it.  If it makes you feel any better, most of them will give you your money back if you’re not 100% satisfied.

-Debt Free in 3 looked like it was one of my favorite books on the market.  You’ll learn how you can get out of debt in 3-5 years, guaranteed.  You won’t have to declare bankruptcy, avoid bills, live on ramen noodles, etc.  It gives sound advice that you can use to get rid of those pesky negative bills.

- If you don’t want to file bankruptcy and you want to find quick ways to get out of debt, this may be the guide for you.  You’ll get effective techniques that are guaranteed to work for you so that no matter how much you owe, you can become debt free in no time.

- If you want a simple financial guide that gives the answers straight to you, you may want to check out the practical guide to debt.  Here, you’ll learn how you can get rid of your credit card debts, mortgage and have enough money to live off of for a while.  Learn how to make a part time living online while learning some of God’s views on money.

With so many ebooks online, I would give these three a shot and see if they work for you.  These are some of the most popular debt relief books on the Internet today.  Remember, a small investment for one of these books can open up a lot of secrets and show you how to fight debt fast and easy.

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Politicians Fighting Against Credit Card Abuse

In an effort to protect American consumers against abuse from credit card companies, President Obama spent time this week meeting with executives from more than 10 different credit card issuers. The executives came from major issuers including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, along with executives from large banks that issue these cards to customers. Credit card companies have made negative headlines the last few months as a result of altering terms and interest rates associated with consumer credit card debt.

Lawmakers in the House Financial Services Committee approved a bill this week that would impose limitations on the ability of credit card issuers to alter terms and conditions for credit card customers.

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Credit Card Numbers Improve In Spite Of Rising Default Expectations

The statistics surrounding credit card usage and payments were released for the month of March this week. There was a great deal of apprehension about these numbers, with many worrying that in the wake of dramatically rising home foreclosures, credit card defaults could be the next shoe to drop. The numbers for March were a mixed bag, with reasons for optimism being released side by side with some of the highly anticipated bad news.

American Express released numbers this week and, as expected, they increased their annualized net charge off rate. This is the number that estimates the amount of outstanding credit card debt that will never be collected. American Express estimates that they will never collect on 8.8% of their outstanding receivable s, up from 8.6% a month earlier.

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