When brainstorming financial goals, many educators and businesses use the SMART goals concept, which was created by Paul J. Meyer and spelled out in his book Attitude is Everything. We think the SMART goals system can be a good tool for debt counseling; any financial goal we recommend should be SMART. SMART stands for Specific,…
Posts Categorized: Credit Counseling
When we talk about homeownership, and how that impacts the health of your credit, we’re usually talking about the mortgage loan. And while a mortgage loan is vitally important to your overall financial health and creditworthiness, there are many more factors involved with homeownership that can affect your credit. Mortgage and other financial data that…
Credit.org is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved housing counseling agency. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies help empower homeowners, homebuyers, and renters to make well informed housing decisions. We have HUD certified housing counselors ready to help. Even if you’ve been previously rejected or denied for assistance, you can and should apply again….
It’s important to prepare thoughtfully for any interaction with a pawn shop. By understanding how that kind of business operates, you can have a successful negotiation if you need to take advantage of that kind of service. Before you consider using a pawn shop to borrow against or sell some of your property, do a…
California’s legislature has passed Assembly Bill 832, which brings relief for renters in California who were exempted from paying rent or being evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic. AB 832 Extends eviction protection for qualifying renters. Now renters are protected until September 30th, 2021—so long as they make a formal declaration of financial hardship and pay…
We’ve produced a series of articles to help our clients and the public at large to opt out of unwanted marketing communications and protect their privacy. No matter the kind of communication method, there’s a way that spammers and marketers take advantage of the convenience and low cost of communicating to flood you with advertising…
We want everyone to learn how to read a credit report, and to get in the habit of checking their own credit regularly. You can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. But when is the right time to check? Here are 3…
When it comes to boosting your credit score, there are a lot of myths floating around. It’s important to be skeptical and proceed with caution because your financial health is at stake. If you are influenced by the wrong myths about credit cards, you can actually suffer from poorer credit, because you might be avoiding things…
Your credit score is vital for your financial life. It’s what lenders will look at when deciding whether to offer you a loan or credit, and it will impact the terms they offer. As you can see from our “What is a Good Credit Score?” infographic and video, credit scores range from 300-850, with general…
When it comes to improving one’s credit score, there are few shortcuts to make note of. The best way to improve your credit is to make every payment in full, on time. Do this, and your score will show improvement within a very short period of time. So are there any things that can be…
One way people seek to address their debt is by transferring balances to a new credit card. They might be consolidating multiple cards into one debt, or combining different kinds of debts under a new revolving credit card account. This kind of strategy isn’t for everyone, and like any debt repayment strategy, has upsides and…
We recently wrote about 5 things to know about paying off a credit card. While we coach people to pay off their debts and live more on a cash basis, we recognize that credit cards also have some very important benefits. There are, however, some risks that can be a serious threat to your personal…
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