Spring Cleaning for Your Finances

I recently read a very good article by Dave Ramsey that I would like to share with you: "Spring is in the air.

The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the temperatures are warming. Who doesn't love this time of year? Not only does spring remind us of the beauty of the outdoors, but it also reminds us to get our homes organized—in other words, to do a little spring cleaning.

This year, though, while you are cleaning the garage, shampooing the carpet, and organizing the closets, we suggest that you do a little spring cleaning in another area of your life—your money. Regardless of what baby step you are on and where you are on your journey to financial peace, you've got to stay organized to win with money.

So what exactly does a financial spring cleaning look like? We have some suggestions:

Clean out file drawers

Do you really still need that cable bill from August 1999? Seriously? You need to keep old bills, bank statements, tax documents, and other important papers for varying lengths of time. But utility bills, sales receipts for minor purchases, and ATM and bank deposit slips can be shredded after a few months.

Prune unnecessary expenses

Are you really getting your money's worth with that gym membership? Do you really need 250 cable channels? Is it necessary to have a landline and a cell phone? While you're organizing your file drawer this spring, take an in-depth look at your finances and see where you can cut back costs. This is especially important—and should be a top priority—if you are still working your way out of debt.

Update important documents

When was the last time you checked your car insurance? Your home insurance? Tax withholdings? Your will, 401(k) or Roth IRA? If it's been awhile, then now is the time to make sure you have all the coverages and investments you need. What made sense two years ago might not work for you today. In the middle of all this spring cleaning, make sure you are protecting yourself, your family and your future!

Spring is a great time to get re-energized and refocused on your financial situation before summer and all its distractions get here. The small amount of time you spend now getting your financial house in order will pay off for you in the long run."

Feature HOPE Credit Experts at Your Next Event

Credit Experts....At Your Service!

We are currently scheduling speaking engagements for HOPE director and leading credit expert, Ron Lambright, and there is still time for you to get involved! Ron and our HOPE staff specialize in credit related seminars which are sure to enhance your next staff meeting, church event, home buyers training session, etc. Seminars can be customized in length to meet your specific time needs and seminar topics include:

*Credit Myths Exposed! *Credit Basics *Budgeting Bootcamp *How to Read a Credit Report *And much, much more!

Our HOPE staff has 35 years of combined experience in the field of credit education!  We would be thrilled to share our expertise with your group at your next event.  Please call 704-499-9696 today to reserve a spot on our calendar. Ron has been traveling nationwide holding these exciting credit seminars, so available times are going fast! We hope to hear from you soon.

When Collection Agencies Attack

When Collection Agencies Attack!How to Protect Yourself from Harassment

It is 10:00 pm, you are getting ready for bed after a long day of work, dinner, homework, and finally getting the kids to sleep.  The phone rings, you answer, and the voice you hear on the other line immediately causes your blood pressure to spike and your pulse to race.

Does this story sound familiar? For many Americans calls from collection agencies and creditors is an all too familiar burden.  With unemployment rates soaring, the current state of the economy, and the rising expense of every day living you may find yourself in the uncomfortable and very stressful situation of being unable to make ends meet.  However, just because you cannot afford to pay your past collection debt right now does not mean that you have to endure these harassing phone calls.  You still have the right to be treated with respect!

The good news is that the Federal Trade Commission, most States, and the Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCA) can all help to protect you from collection agency/creditor harassment.  The FDCA has very clear rules which regulate what debt collectors can and cannot do. For example, according to the FDCA, a creditor cannot:

1.  Threaten violence or threaten to harm you and/or your family in any way. 2.  Use obscene/profane language. 3.  Repeatedly use the telephone to annoy a consumer. 4.  Make false statements such as -falsely claiming they are attorneys or government representatives -falsely claim that you have committed a crime -misrepresent the amount you owe 5.  Say that you will be arrested if you do not pay your debt. -Note: There is no debtor’s prison in the United States! 6.  Call your employer. 7.  Call you before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM.

So, what is the secret to stopping collection calls?  There are actually several options available to you.  Here are a few:

1.  Negotiate and settle the debt. -Once an account is paid the collection calls will, generally, stop.  However, it is very, very important to have a debt negotiations specialist (like HOPE) assist you while settling your old debt to insure that you receive the lowest settlement possible, to be sure that your credit report is updated properly to show a zero balance on your settled account, and to hold the creditor responsible to keeping his/her word and not changing the settlement terms in the middle of your negotiations process.

2.  Request for the calls to stop.

-If you simply are not financially ready or able to settle out your old debt at this time you still have rights! Many times simply mentioning the Fair Debt Collection Act will stop a creditor’s calls. Also, when a creditor calls you can:

a. Ask the caller to identify themselves. b. Ask him/her to provide you with their agency’s address. c. Send a certified letter to the agency asking them to stop calling.

Now, it is important to remember that while you can legally stop collection phone calls, just because the calls stop does not mean that you no longer owe the debt.  Whenever you are ready to deal with your past debt and begin working to restore your credit scores we invite you to give HOPE a call.  Our caring credit specialists can provide you with a detailed analysis of your current credit report, show you how the HOPE Program can help you to address any negative accounts on your report and work to help you achieve the healthy credit scores you desire to have.

There is truly no such thing as a hopeless situation!  HOPE has helped clients with as many as 86 collection accounts and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to turn their credit situation around and become homeowners!  In fact, HOPE has had over 70 graduates in the past 4 months to complete our program with credit scores healthy enough to purchase a home!  If you would like to schedule a personal credit analysis, or just learn more about the awesome membership benefits offered through HOPE, please give us a call today at 704-499-9696.  We can’t wait to hear from you!

Your Tax Refund Could Equal Healthy Credit If Invested Wisely!

Every year at tax refund time we have many clients wisely choose to  invest part of their tax refund check towards achieving a healthy credit report. Wouldn't you love for 2011 to be the year when you finally reach the higher credit scores you desire? Wouldn't it be wonderful if 2011 was the year when you were finally able to stop those pesky collection calls and possibly even become a homeowner? HOPE would love the opportunity to help you reach your goals! You can join the ranks of the 70+ HOPE graduates who have completed the program with credit scores healthy enough to purchase a home in just the last 4 months! Call or email us today to schedule your own personal, no obligation credit analysis with one of our credit experts to see if the HOPE Program is right for you. We can't wait to hear from you soon!

New Year's Resolution Contest!

What is your New Year's Resolution for 2011? Do you want to have clean credit or pay off your credit cards? Do you want to finally put an end to those pesky collection calls?  Maybe you want to become a homeowner and stop throwing away money on rent every month. Whatever your goal, HOPE wants to know! HOPE is sponsoring a fun contest for you to share your New Year's resolutions and maybe even win a fabulous prize! Simply click here to tell us your resolutions for the upcoming year. One lucky person will win a FREE, personalized credit analysis with a HOPE credit specialist who will help show you how achieving healthier credit can become a reality for you in 2011!  We can't wait to hear about your goals for the new year!