Penny Was Approved for a Home with a Great Interest Rate!
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When we first started with you guys we weren’t able to get qualified for a home. Now we have been able to not only purchase a home, but we closed on it December 20th. We were able to get an extremely low interest rate.
At first I was skeptical about your service, but I am so glad that we enrolled as members because you guys have just done an amazing job with our account. For anybody that is leaning towards doing this type of service, we highly recommend it, so thank you again.”
Protect Your Credit While Traveling
Let card issuers know your plans
It’s a good idea to tell the card company in advance. If a pattern of unusual charges appears, some credit card issuers may suspect fraud and try to protect you by shutting down that card.
Make photocopies of important documents
Having copies of your credit cards, driver’s licenses and passports will make the replacement process much easier. Add a list of emergency contacts to this folder including the phone numbers of your doctor, banks and family members. Leave a set of these documents at home with a friend and store one in a separate piece of luggage.
Avoid late payments
Plan ahead so you won’t miss any bill payments while you are away. Online bill payment systems now make it easy to schedule a payment in advance. A little preparation will help you avoid expensive late charges and unnecessary damage to your credit report.
Set a limit on your credit usage.
Make a budget before you go. If you are going abroad to a country where it will be hard to access ATM machines, take travelers checks with you in case you can’t get to your cash. Keeping a record of your expenses and cash withdrawals can help you keep your spending under control while on vacation. Debt problems are not a fun souvenir to bring home from your vacation.
Find out if credit card issuers charge fees for overseas use
Some credit card companies charge either foreign transaction or currency conversion fees. So do the math and figure out whether ATM/debit fees would be lower than fees for using a credit card, or vice versa, and pay accordingly.
Know your expiration dates and limits
If your credit card has expired, you don’t want to find out when you’re trying to pay your hotel bill in Hawaii. The same is true for knowing how much you can charge; in case of an emergency, know how much cash you’ll be able to access and how much you can charge.
Check that the cards you want to use are accepted
Some cards are more widely accepted than others, so do a little homework in advance about which cards to take. Also, if you’re traveling overseas and see a credit card insignia on the door of a restaurant and store, double check that they accept the card, anyway. Some merchants have been known to post the logos but not take the cards!
Keep an eye on your identity when you return
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, “I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along” . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Herschel Bentley is the Executive Director of National Credit Federation. He has 30 years experience in the credit, mortgage and real estate markets and loves helping people improve their credit and seeing referral sources grow their business.
Lawrence M Law is CEO of Vantage Credit Alliance and has over 25 years of experience in Credit and Financial assistance. If you would like a free credit or cash flow analysis, contact him at 801-769-9443 or Click Here to set an appointment online.
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