This one number makes all the difference to identity thieves… your social security number. When you apply for a job, the application asks for your social security number. When you apply for a bank account, they want your social security number. When you file a tax return, apply for a loan, get medical treatment, apply…
Posts Categorized: Consumer Tips
As you start the home buying process, it’s fairly common to begin researching available homes through the internet and to understand how much buying power you may have through mortgage pre-qualification. We suggest adding one more invaluable component, investing your time in Pre-Purchase Coaching, provided by a certified coach from a U.S. Department of Housing…
Warm weather may inspire you to fling open your windows and tackle some serious spring cleaning. Why not channel some of that fresh-start energy into your finances? Just like clutter accumulates at home, bad spending patterns can creep up bit by bit, making them hard to spot. Commit to dropping a few of these bad…
The Home Buying Process The home buying process can be overwhelming, especially for first-time home buyers. We want to give you a quick overview of the process, including some important steps you should do at the beginning of the process. 1. Attend a pre-purchase education course This is a very important first step that too…
“Get your tax refund fast” sounds like the best sentence you could hear that still has the word “tax” in it, but don’t take the marketing bait. You’re better off waiting for your IRS refund check than taking out a potentially costly refund anticipation loan. What Is a Refund Anticipation Loan? A refund anticipation loan…
For most Americans, owning your own home is a dream that can come true. At credit.org, we’ve always advocated that homeownership should be part of your long-term financial plan, helping to build overall wealth and stability while improving your financial security during retirement years. Making the decision to pursue and ultimately become a homeowner is…
The new car you bought 3 years ago for $30,000 is worth just over $15,000 today, and you’re thinking it might be time to trade it in before its value vanishes completely. While getting rid of that used vehicle might seem like the smartest move, you shouldn’t use the last couple of years of depreciation…
We wrote yesterday about the pros and cons of going paperless, and switching from mailed bank & billing statements to electronic ones. If you do decide to make the switch, we’ve got some advice for how to do it: Save a permanent copy. Paper statements are permanent, but some creditors and banks won’t keep your…
February is American Heart Month, and we’d love to help you find ways to improve your heart health without jeopardizing your financial fitness. A gym membership can be a great way to keep active and do heart-healthy exercise, but we know from over 40 years of financial counseling that gym memberships can be a painful…
A lot of budgeting for the holidays centers on buying gifts and the like, but holiday meals and gatherings can present a real challenge for those who are trying to get by on a tight budget. We’ve got 6 tips for saving money on this year’s Thanksgiving Dinner: Borrow what you need. Check with your nearby…
It can be tough for military members to transition to civilian life. Letty Stevens suggests a military approach to this problem through Military Saves. Our focus is on financial literacy education, so we want to help everyone who needs this kind of help to transition without excessive debt. Servicemembers are used to a steady paycheck,…
How often have you checked your mail or answered your phone only to find another prescreened credit card offer? Blank envelopes and phone calls from unnamed phone numbers may seem like official notifications. More often than not, answering these notices leads you to find yet another offer claiming that you have been prescreened for a…
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