Category Archives: Debt

Three Small Things To Improve Your Finances – Today!

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We tend to start with lofty goals but can sometimes end up disappointed when we fall short. So instead of trying to do a total overhaul of your finances, let’s start small first.

If you have a 401K, good for you, now increase your contributions by just ONE percent. That’s all it takes but you’ll be pleasantly surprised that 1% can go a long way.

Decrease your spending in TWO categories. Maybe cut out that expensive treat at the grocery store. Only eat out once a week instead of twice. You’ll find out by the end of the year there’s extra money in your account towards savings or a vacation.

If you have credit card debt with an interest attached, make a THREE percent increase on debt payments. This deceases the interest and will pay off your debt much faster. Or the best advice – pay off your credit cards balances in full every month and think about how all that interest you were once paying is now available to you for something else.

To Be, Or Not To Be… In Debt.

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You don’t need to be a detective to figure this one out. In order to build up your credit score you actually need to have reasonable debt, like a mortgage or credit card, and show that you can manage your finances by paying them off in a timely manner. Once you establish that you’ll be able to negotiate lower interest rates. Remember, it’s always better to keep that money in your pocket.

What To Do About
Excessive Debt

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Frank Money here – your very effective money detective….

If you have excessive debt, you should take a deep breath and realize you do have options.

Millennials in general have the lowest credit score and most problems managing their debt, compared to prior generations. But the good news is you have the lowest number of credit cards and lowest debt total compared to other generations.

However, the bad news is that you use credit cards a lot, and make a lot of late payments. Late payments mean lower credit scores.

Additionally, millennials tend to use costly alternative financial services, such as auto title loans, payday loans, pawnshops, rent-to-own loans and tax-refund advances.

Here are some steps you can do to help you get control of excessive debt:


1 – For credit cards, get a lower credit card interest rate as soon as you can – Call up your credit card company and ask for a lower rate.

2 – If you can’t make the minimum payments on time, call your credit card company and work out a payment plan.

3 – Allocate a larger portion of your income to reduce debt. This will be painful, but over time it will work.

4 – Limit your spending. If you don;t have a budget plan in place, now is the time. Limit your spending to only the essentials, and make paying off your debt the number one priority.

5 – Motivate yourself. Reach out to friends or relatives who have been through similar problems. This is a process, and it helps to have support during those low times.

Need more help? Then why not reach out to the NFCC (National  Foundation for Credit Counseling – the nations largest and longest-serving non-profit financial counseling organization.

http://www.nfcc.org/

So don’t fret the debt – instead take some steps to help yourself and sleep easier.