Plain Advice

For those of you who have been following the series on Rebuilding Your Credit, I ran across a great resource at Millionaire Mommy Next Door. It is titled“14 Ways to Improve Your Credit”. Several of the items listed have been discussed in my series, but there are also a few valuable tips that I have not talked about. My personal favorite is number 13:

If you must, make it difficult to use your credit cards. Put them in a water-filled container and freeze until your score is back on track.

I wish I would have thought of that!

Not only is the list a great resource, but so is Millionaire Mommy’s entire site. Go check it out, and let me know what you think!

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Are you an impulse buyer? Do you often leave the store after making a purchase with an unsettled feeling that you can’t quite put a finger on? Do you ever buy (blank) because you want it, need it, gotta have it, or simply because it’s on sale, only to feel uncomfortable as you walk out of the store? Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Well, it is certainly familiar to me. Fortunately, I learned a while back that this uncomfortable feeling was, and is, pretty important to listen to. If I pay attention, and heed the nagging feelings not to buy, I have never regretted my decision. On the other hand, the times I ignored and went ahead with the purchase, it has not been in my best interests (or good for my financial goals).

Intuition is not only important for the big things, like figuring out the meaning of life. Your inner voice is an important guide through day to day decisions big and small. Following that guide will bring you the best possible outcome in any area of your life, if you follow it.

My recent series of articles (Rebuilding Credit) is geared toward those who have made mistakes with money, with poor credit to show for it. If you want to rebuild your credit, be aware; it will be impossible to obtain and maintain a good standing without changing your spending habits. There are many good resources out there to help you with this issue. Spending plans, ways to trim expenses, budgeting, etc…

Sometimes, though, it can be overwhelming when you are trying to figure out how to change your ways. It can be confusing to know which approach to use, whose method to try.

My advice here is as simple as it gets. Listen to your inner voice. Get to know how your intuition sounds and feels to you, and follow. You will be amazed at the wisdom you will see com ing through if you will make this a practice and priority in your life. If you apply this principle while making even minor financial decisions, you will see that your spending will become more congruent with your long term financial goals. And you will feel good.

For a more in-depth discussion about intuition, you may want to refer to the previously posted article, “Your Inner Voice”.

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In the article titled “Rebuilding Credit Part 2: Pay Down Debt”, we talked about decreasing the amount you owe as a first step toward improving your credit. As I stated in that post, it is not necessary to get rid of all your debt before you start working on improving your credit. The important thing is to get it down to a manageable level, a level where you can reasonably meet your obligations. Until you get to that point, no further steps can be successfully implemented. Lowering your debt will also help you improve your debt to income ratio, which has a postive effect on your credit score.

Make Payments On Time

The second step is simple, yet extremely important. I hesitate to even call it a step, because it is an ongoing process that you must continue to do on a regular basis. The step I am talking about is developing a habit of paying your bills on time. There are several things I have implemented to help me do this.

First of all, realize that it is crucial to your credit health that you pay, at the very least, your minimum payments on time. It is not ideal to make only a minimum payment, but neglecting to do at least this much reflects very poorly on your credit. Just do it. Over and over, month after month. Punctual payments made over time have a drastic positive impact on your credit.

Something that helps me make my payments on time is writing down in my planner (which I look at often for work) when they are due. I am terribly forgetful when it comes to due dates, so this helps to clue me in when a due date is coming up.

Continue Using A Credit Card

If you have paid down your debt so much that you no longer have balances on credit cards (CONGRATULATIONS!), don’t cut up all your cards just yet. Continuing to use one or two cards can help to build your credit. Use your card(s) knowing that you will be able to pay off the balance from month to month. Some financial experts may disagree here, as creditors like to see that you carry some type of balance. There may be some merit to this, however I generally choose to zero my balance out monthly for the following reasons. By paying off the entire balance (on time), my debt will never get out of control or beyond my means to pay off. It also means that I will not be paying interest on those purchases I make with the credit card.

Obtaining a Credit Card with Poor Credit

If you have already burned your bridges with your credit card company, you may need to apply for a new account. With a poor credit score, you will most likely have to settle for a less than ideal card for the time being. Don’t worry… as your credit improves, so will your options of credit card terms. When I was at this step, I started my search for a new card by applying for attractive credit terms (low interest rates, cash back incentives, high credit limits, no monthly fees). I quickly learned that these types of terms are not offered to the credit challenged. If you have extremely poor credit, you may only qualify for a secured card. This means that you give the company a certain amount of money which amount is your credit limit. If you do not meet your obligations, they simply keep the money you have already put down as a deposit.

The card I ended up settling on was not secured, but it did require a $4 monthly fee whether I used the card or not. It also had a very low limit of $300. I accepted this based on the knowledge that it was only temporary, and that I was going to use it as a stepping stone.

How to Use Your Card

Using credit cards to rebuild credit requires a shift in thinking. Instead of mindlessly using the card, or using it for money you don’t have, you must now use it in a very calculated and planned way. It is simply a vehicle to get you where you want to go. However, if you revert to old habits, it will take you even further in the other direction.

Decide what you will use the credit card for. Something you already have room for in your budget. Something you would buy whether you had this card or not. Maybe you decide you will use it only for gasoline purchases. Set aside the money in your bank account that you would normally be using for gas. Use the credit card as planned. Mark in your calendar that due date for the payment and PAY IT. Its really that simple. Do this month after month, and you will see that this is a powerful tool for rebuilding your credit.

Tips for Those Living Paycheck to Paycheck

If you are living paycheck to paycheck, making your payments on time can be challenging simply because your paycheck may not coincide with when your payment is due. This problem plagued me for a long time. However, the solution again comes down to planning. I started writing on my calendar when I would get paid, and then I would scan the calendar for what was due before I was getting paid again. I would then write in the items that would need to be paid out of this paycheck. You should ideally make the payments as soon as you get paid, to ensure that you are using your money for the important things.

If, on a particular payday, my due dates on bills exceeded the money in my check, I would prioritize the payments. Keep in mind that in general, being 2 weeks late on a utility payment may cost you a few extra dollars , but paying even one hour late on a credit card will usually cost you a hefty late fee ($30 seems to be pretty typical). Those late fees can really start to add up, and before you know it your credit card becomes unmanageable again. Remember, once you incur a late fee, it is added to your principal balance and you start paying interest on it.

Also keep in mind that being a month late to a utility company will not usually hurt your credit, but passing that 30 day late mark with a credit card is highly significant to your report. I am not advising that you ignore your utilities and other similar bills; just pointing out that in general, they are much more flexible and workable than credit card or mortgage companies.

Conclusion

The importance of establishing a track record of paying your bills on time cannot be overstated here. It is the most important step to take toward rebuilding your credit. Although it takes discipline to plan and execute this plan, you will see that it is all worth it when your credit report starts reflecting that you are acting responsibly with regards to your financial obligations!

Your comments are valued. Please take a moment to leave one if you have any experience, tips, or questions on this topic.

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If you have poor credit, you probably know it. This knowledge may be based on a hunch (you know you haven’t honored your financial obligations). You may have applied for a loan, a credit card, an apartment, or a job, and been turned down based on your credit. If you are like me, there is a part of you that wants to hide under a rock and never face the credit challenges you have. However, if you choose to do this, I can guarantee that things will never get better… in fact, they will probably get much, much worse.

Avoiding vs Facing Credit Problems

Avoiding problems is something that I have spent a lot of time and energy doing, especially when it comes to finances. For example, there have been many times that I have avoided looking at my bank account, or balancing my checkbook, because I knew intuitively that something was wrong. The crazy thing is, the more I avoided, the more stressful the situation became to me internally. When I would finally face up to the situation, I felt better, no matter how bad things actually were. For example, knowing that my bank account was in the red, and how far it was in that direction, felt much better than just feeling like I probably spent too much money. I felt empowered to actually take steps to rectify the situation when I was willing to face it.

Knowledge is power. This is especially true when it comes to your credit. I want to tell you a few ways that you can gain solid knowledge about your credit status. It may be embarassing and painful to initially find out exactly where you stand. However, once you are armed with this information, you will be able to make goals and plans for where you want to go.

Over the years, I have checked my credit report and credit score many times, and I have never paid a dime to do it.

Free Credit Reports

First of all, Americans have the legal right to receive a free copy of their report from each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies (Transunion, Experian and Equifax) one time per calendar year. The process is simple and can all be done online at AnnualCreditReport.com . In my opinion, the best way to take advantage of this service is to request only one report at a time (ie from one agency), quarterly. This way, you will be able to get a free report every 4 months to keep tabs on what is on your report. Some might feel they need or want to compare the reports from agency to agency. I however have not found a huge amount of variance between the Transunion, Experian, and Equifax, so I do not feel a need to get all my reports at once.

Be aware that if you are turned down for anything based on your credit, you have a right as a consumer to get a free copy of your credit report. When you are denied access to the service you have applied for (whether it be a loan, credit card, apartment, job), the entity that has denied you is required to send you a letter stating that you are entitled to view your credit report. Follow the instructions on this letter to access your information. On the letters I have received, there was always a way to either access my report immediately online, or send a request through the mail.

Obtaining Your Credit Score

Note that obtaining a credit (or FICO) score is not the same as obtaining a credit report. The report is often provided free of charge (as explained above). Usually, when you look at your free report, you will be given the option to purchase your credit score. Usually the price range is anywhere from $5-10. I personally have never purchased my credit score, but I have checked it many times.

I frequently receive e-mail ads offering me a 30 day trial on various credit monitoring services. Often, they offer to provide me with a free credit score and 30 days of free credit monitoring. To do this, I am required to give my credit card information, although nothing is actually charged until the 30 day trial ends. In the past I have signed up for the trial, obtained my credit score, and cancelled within the same hour. I have also gone the route of using the monitoring service for the trial period and then cancelling the service. Either way is free, but with the latter, it is important that you remember to cancel if you don’t want to pay for the monitoring services.

If you don’t receive direct offers from the credit monitoring companies, they are easy enough to find if you do a google search for “credit monitoring”,etc. One site that has offers along these lines is Free Credit Report.

Interpreting Your Credit Score

Once you obtain your credit score, it is important to have an idea of what the number means. A very generalized description of scores is:

• Above 650 People with these scores will usually find obtaining credit quick and easy, and will have a good chance to get it on favorable terms.
• 620-650 Indicates basically good credit, but also suggest to lenders that they should look at the potential borrower to assess any particular credit risks before extending a large loan or high credit limit. People with scores in this range have a good chance at obtaining credit at a good rate, but may have to provide additional documentation and explanations to the lender before a large loan is approved.
• Below 620 May prevent a borrower from getting the best interest rates, as they may be considered a greater credit risk (obtained from ConsumerInfo.com).

Make Sure Your Report is Accurate

The way you can most quickly affect your credit score is to make sure your credit report is correct. As you review your report, look for the following:

• Be sure all the accounts listed on the report are actually your own.
• Dispute negative information if it is wrong.
• If positive information is missing, insist that your creditors to report it.

You will find instructions on the credit reporting bureau websites regarding how you can dispute information on your report. Once you make a dispute, the credit bureau must open an investigation on all non-frivolous claims within 30 days. They send your challenge to the creditor that gave them the disputed information. Within a specified amount of time, you will receive information as to whether the disputed information has been confirmed and changed on your report or not.

I have challenged some of the items on my reports in the past, and as a result, the credit agency has corrected the items in most instances.

Conclusion

The first step toward better credit is knowing where you stand right now. Take my advice and do your homework. Armed with the knowledge of your current strengths and deficiencies, you will be able to make informed decisions and set concrete goals for the future!

Keep checking back for more advice on rebuilding your credit!

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My article titled “What Is Your Credit Saying About You?” is currently featured in the Carnival of Credit Report Stories at How I Save Money.net. For those of you who are following my series on rebuilding credit, there are some excellent resources included in this publication about various aspects of credit and debt.

Click on the link, and go check it out!

Thanks for stopping by…

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I have shared my story and some insights regarding my history of bad credit. Now I want to share with you some of the ways I have turned things around. I will share my strategies in sections over the next few posts.

Keep in mind that I am not a financial advisor, or anything of the sort. I am sharing things I have learned from personal experience.

No Quick Fixes

First and foremost, something you need to know up front is that the only real way to improve your credit is by establishing a good track record over TIME. I don’t think that can be emphasized enough. Sorry people, there are no quick fixes. Anyone who tries to sell you “instant credit repair” is selling you a load of crap. In some instances their methods may work as far as raising your credit score. However, the practices they employ to do this are often dishonest and unethical. Maybe even illegal. And here at Plain Advice, that is not what we are all about!

Paying Down Debt

Step number one in rebuilding your credit is knowing where your credit stands . Keeping that in mind, we are ready for step number two, which is paying down your debt .

This is not to say that you need to get completely out of debt to improve your credit. (In fact, some debt is good to establish a track record of you being reliable in your obligations). The point here is to get your debt to a level that you can reasonably manage. If you cannot manage your debt, you will never be able to raise your credit score no matter what else you try.

Liquidating Assets

About a year and a half ago, Jorge and I decided to sell our house because he was applying to graduate school out of state. It also so happened that we had debt that we were having a hard time managing (ie making only minimum payments, sometimes late because we were living paycheck to paycheck). We sold the house and received enough cash to pay everything off except our student loans. After all this, we still had money left for a downpayment on our next house.

I am not advocating that everybody sell their home to get out of debt (especially in the current real estate market!). For us, it was a very convenient side effect of something we were planning to do anyway.

What I am suggesting is that you look creatively at any assets you might be able to liquidate to put toward this step. Do you have an extra vehicle you can sell? What about a boat or RV? These types of items can make a big dent in decreasing your dent if you are willing to liquidate them. Even small things can add up when you sell them on e-bay.

Apply Windfalls Toward Debt

Another thing to consider is your yearly tax refund. Most people I know spend it before it even comes. Maybe next time, you could consider using it to pay back your creditors. It may not be as fun as a vacation, but the relief that comes with paying off what you owe is huge. Take this into consideration anytime you receive a windfall of money (ie bonuses, cash gifts, etc).

One of the biggest keys to success in managing finances is being able to afford your financial obligations . If you have credit problems right now, you are probably in over your head. It may be uncomfortable to think about liquidating assets, but doing this really will help you get to a much better position financially.

Credit Counseling Services

If you don’t have assets to liquidate, you might want to consider credit counseling services. These companies can help you lower your monthly payments and also decrease the interest you are paying. Sometimes they can even negotiate with the creditor so you pay less than you actually owe when all is said and done. Be very careful and make sure you thoroughly review the comany you are considering. There are lots of scams out there. About 5 years ago, I employed the services of a company of this type. I made payments to them for some time and thought they were paying my creditors. It turned out that my creditors were not receiving timely payments, and I ended up losing money because I didn’t do my homework before sending my money to this company. My credit was worse at the end of this episode than it was before I contacted the company for help.

Also be aware that if you are deeply in debt, but have maintained a decent credit score, debt management services can have a negative impact on your credit. If you already have poor credit, this isn’t so much a factor. The main thing in this situation is to just get out from under your debt, and then you can work on improving the credit.

Bankruptcy

In extreme circumstances, you may want to educate yourself about bankruptcy, and consult with an attorney who specializes in this. While it is true that declaring bankruptcy will negatively affect your credit for at least the next 7 years, for those who have heavy debt that there is no other way out of, it is truly a merciful alternative.

Paying Down Debt Gradually: Doable but Challenging

Of course, there are methods for paying down debt by applying as much as you can toward the principle in monthly payments. This is the most difficult way to get out of debt when you are in over your head, if not impossible. If you have a difficult time making minimum payments, how are you going to make more than the minimum over time to pay off the debt? It’s a vicious cycle, and exactly the reason I am encouraging you to look at other methods that can have a greater immediate impact on your financial profile.

If any of you have any other ideas on how to knock down debt, please leave a comment! Your insight and feedback is a valuable part of this site.

Check back soon for more tips on how to improve your credit.

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I have had credit problems in the past.

After a few years of acting irresponsibly with money, I started to experience some unpleasant consequences. One of the first experiences hit home when I decided to move into my own apartment. I was still single, and up until that time, had always lived in student housing near my school. But as a new college graduate, I wanted to branch out and live on my own.

I went into the rental office of the apartment I decided on, and filled out an application. I received a sobering phone call a few days later; I did not qualify to rent because of some negative items on my credit report. Talk about humiliating. The only way I was able to get the apartment was by having someone co-sign with me.

Why Me?

The reason for my poor credit was due to some bad decisions, and negative patterns I established in college. By the time I graduated, I carried with me some debt that I got really good at avoiding. I dodged calls from creditors. I also became proficient at avoiding the mail they sent me, sometimes never even opening it. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

When the creditors did get a hold of me, they weren’t very nice. It got to the point that they were often unwilling to work with me because I had such a poor history of following through on payment arrangements. I would feel victimized and angry when I would get off the phone with them. Why were they picking on me ?

I’ll tell you why they were picking on me (its obvious, I know, but I really didn’t want to face it at the time)…

I owed them money, and I was not following the agreements I had made with them! They had every right to come after me with the phone calls, and I deserved the lack of trust they had in me. At that time in my life, I was not showing a whole lot of integrity or character when it came to my financial obligations.

Credit Defined

The concept of “credit” is simply a system that tags you as a person who can generally be trusted to follow through on your obligations, or not. The former has “good credit”, while the latter is considered to be a financial risk and liability (and therefore, carries “poor credit”).

It took me some time to realize what my credit problems were saying about me. It didn’t matter how dependable I was as a friend, or how great I was as an employee. All my creditors could see was the side of me that didn’t do what I agreed to do. And I was labeled as such.

My Motivation

When I came to understand that my bad credit was not only limiting me financially, but was actually earning me a label me as an unreliable, even dishonest person, I was spurred to change. Because at my core, I am a person of high integrity and I can be trusted.

I decided I wanted my credit to reflect who I really was, and am.

I know there are plenty of people out there who have poor credit due to circumstances beyond their control; divorce, death of a spouse, medical bills, identify theft, etc… If you are one of those individuals, maybe this article doesn’t apply to you.

But let’s get real. Are you really one that has had no control over your financial matters? Are you making excuses?

I was discussing these ideas with a friend of mine. We were disagreeing on the point that credit is usually a reflection on character. She said something along the lines of “I would pay my bills if I had the money”. She felt that the fact that she doesn’t have enough money to pay all her bills meant that she was off the hook when it came to the character issue.

The flaw in this way of thinking (and I told her so) is that if you are acting with honesty (to yourself and others), you won’t make financial commitments that you can’t afford to keep. So the fact that you can’t pay your credit card on time because you don’t have the money doesn’t mean that you are innocent of wrongdoing. It means that you made a promise without a way to follow through on it.

Understanding How the Creditor Feels

How would you feel if you went to work for somebody, but when payday arrived, your employer told you “I’m sorry, but I don’t have enough money so you won’t be getting paid”?.

You would be mad, and feel betrayed. You may be in financial crisis because you were expecting to receive that income. You wouldn’t care why your employer had no money. The fact that the employer is short on cash wouldn’t help the situation at all, no matter how sincere he was in his apologies. He made a commitment to you that he couldn’t keep! That is a seriously dishonest thing to do.

Even worse, imagine the above situation, but instead of telling you up front that you wouldn’t be paid, imagine that your employer couldn’t even be reached to explain where your (non-existent) paycheck was. What if she wouldn’t answer your calls and ignored any other attempts you made to communicate with her.

I imagine this is how it is for a creditor (on a different scale of course) who lends you money and then gets the shaft from you when it’s time to pay them back.

Getting to the Point

My point through all this is not to say that if you have bad credit you are a terrible person. I have had a bad credit history, and I am one of the best people I know!

My problem was that I was not not living congruently in all areas of my life. For me, coming to this realization motivated me to change my behaviors regarding credit.

If you have bad credit, take a good, hard (sometimes painful) look at yourself.

Who are you, really ?

Who do you want to be?

The wonderful thing about life is that you can change, and that is especially true when it comes to your credit. My credit has improved dramatically and continues to do so every time I keep my financial commitments. You can do it too.

Even more than the practical financial limitations your credit is having on your life, dig deeper to see what your credit might be saying about you . What you find could very well be the motivating factor in helping you change your financial behaviors for the better.

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I want to talk about money. I have had some significant problems in this area of my life, and I have learned quite a few things. I am still not where I want to be financially, but I am in a better place than I was even a year ago. So I want to talk about some of the issues I have faced, and what I have done to resolve them. I want to share the things that have and haven’t worked for me.

This topic will most definitely have to be presented in a series, because there are so many subtopics to be addressed. So be aware that this post is only the beginning of many articles sharing my ideas and experiences regarding money.

My Background

First of all, let me give some background. I was raised in an upper middle class family. My father is a lawyer. For as long as I can remember, he has worked as a court administrator. We were not “rich”, but he brought home a decent salary and there was never any financial stress that I was aware of growing up. If we needed something, we always had it. If we really, really wanted something, we usually had it also. My parents talk about being poor when they were students, and living on army rations that my grandparents gave to them. I was five when my dad graduated from law school, but I don’t remember anything like that.

Even though my dad made good money, I was not spoiled in the sense that I didn’t know how to work for things. I had a job starting at the age of 14. I worked as a courtesy clerk in a grocery store, and eventually became a cashier. The money I made was mine to use as I wanted. Of course my parents encouraged me to save money and be frugal, but I don’t think I actually ever saved any significant amounts.

When I turned 18, I went away to college. The first year, my parents paid all my expenses. For my second, third and fourth years, they paid my tuition and books, and I got a job to pay for my rent, food, and other living expenses.

My financial problems started early on in college. Looking back at how easy I had things financially as a student, I regret many of the unwise choices I made regarding money. There are two mistakes I made while in college that I can see contributed significantly to my financial problems:

1. When I received offers for credit cards in the mail, I took them. I used the cards as if they were free money. I did not really take into account how I would pay them off as I used them.

Because the cards had low limits, I felt they were manageable. I got 3 or 4 cards that I used regularly when I was in school. Each card had a limit of approximately $500, which I regularly maxed out.

These cards are not a direct problem for me now (they are long gone), but with them I created a pattern where I was using credit for unnecessary purchases, and I was often late on the payments. A few of the cards went to collections when I was unable to make the payments. This was the beginning of my bad credit.

2. Because I changed my major midstream in school, it ended up taking me 5 years to graduate. My parents had budgeted to financially support me for 4 years of college. Therefore, I was responsible to pay my tuition and books my fifth year, something I had never done.

This was the year I decided to take out a few student loans. This, in and of itself, was not a bad decision. The mistake I made was in taking the maximum amount that was offered to me, even though I did not need that much. For only one year of tuition and books, I ended up taking out about $12,000 in student loans. My tuition that year was approximately $3000, and my books were about $800. I took $8000 above what I needed! I have nothing to show for that money, except a payment I have to make every month to pay it back.

It has been almost 9 years since I graduated from college, and these loans are still not paid off. I am not even close to having them paid because I have taken forbearances (allowed breaks from making payments) for various reasons. During these breaks, the interest has compounded. I now owe roughly $20,000 on these loans.

By the way, just so you know, it is not easy for me to write about all this… to put it all out there for people to read. It’s embarrassing to air dirty laundry, especially when it comes to finances. So many people are “hush hush” about these things. But I truly feel that others may be able to learn from my mistakes. If that is the case, my temporary discomfort will be worth it.

So what can you learn from these mistakes I have made?

If you are a young person, with a fresh clean financial slate, CONGRATULATIONS! I would love to be able to go back in time, and be in your position, knowing what I know now.

Start by educating yourself all you can about the world of credit. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the decisions you make now regarding money will affect your life for years to come. I know many mothers of young children who don’t want to work, but are forced to put their children in daycare just so they can make monthly payments to creditors for purchases they made long ago. It is tragic, and far too common.

Also, know that damage you do to your credit now will show up on your credit report, and affect your score for years to come. When you damage your credit report, it is much more difficult to buy a house, car, or any other large purchase. It may even make it difficult for you to get a job!

A third thing to realize is that right now you are establishing patterns of behavior in your life. It is much easier to start doing things right, and maintain that direction vs making lots of mistakes now and having negative behavior patterns to change later.

If you are a parent, teach your children all you can about how to manage money and credit. Regardless of what type of financial failures or successes you have had, your children deserve to be armed with the knowledge that will help them avoid costly mistakes. Don’t assume that they will automatically understand and know all about this when they turn 18. They will be bombarded by creditors who want to loan them money. Talk to them and teach them about it before this time comes.

My parents are wonderful, and they did a great job raising me. They managed their own money well and always provided a good example of financial stability and security for me. My grandparents have also been wonderful examples of perfect integrity when it comes to money and credit.

Even though I was surrounded by financially successful people, I do not remember ever specifically learning how to handle credit and debt. I now believe it is one of the absolute most important things parents should be teaching their children. So make it a point to talk about these things with your kids!

If you are like me, and have already screwed up, have hope! It is not an easy process, but things can turn around! Stay tuned for further articles in this series, which will address things that have and haven’t worked for me as far as improving my financial situation, and more specifically, my credit profile.

As always, thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment if you have anything to add!

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