Tip no 1 – If a settlement company asks you to pay an upfront fee, don’t work with them.

As per the new settlement laws, the debt negotiators can’t charge an upfront fee. FTC has prohibited the settlement companies from charging advance fee all together. FTC has made this decision after receiving thousands of complaints from the consumers in the last few years. If you really want to get debt settlement help for paying off unpaid bills, then work with a company that does not charge upfront fees. If any company asks you to pay a fee before negotiating with your creditors, then it is better to not work with them. Read the rest of this entry »

Like most of the people, you must have also learned about the basic principles of budget planning and house maintenance from elder people. However, things have changed now. Time and people have changed. So, some age old traditional financial wisdom may not help you save dollars any more. Rather, you may end up wasting money by following the wisdom. This in turn can create damage to your financial health.

Traditional wisdom may not help you save dollars

Go through the following lines to know how traditional wisdom can make you lose money in the 21st century.

1. There is no need to turn off the fan in a vacant room.

It can’t be denied that ceiling fan is a cheaper alternative to air conditioners. It helps you save on your utility bill. However, ceiling fan won’t help you save extra bucks by keeping it on, in an empty room. Keep it in mind that ceiling fan helps to cool people and not the room. So, if you leave the ceiling fan on, and think that your room will become cool, then you’re mistaken. Ceiling fan is not an air conditioner, which helps to drop the temperature in a room. It only creates air movement which makes your skin feel cool. Read the rest of this entry »

The 5 financial tips for the first week of February 2012 are given below:

Tip no 1 – Before getting married, open your communications regarding money.

Marriage is a life turning event. It changes your life dramatically. If you want to lead a happy martial life, then discuss about the financial matters before walking down the aisle. Explain your income, expenses, debt obligations, financial goals and mistakes to your spouse. This will help your spouse to know you better. Both of you can work to achieve individual financial goals. Another advantage of having an open discussion about money matters is that it can help you avoid financial disputes. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you on the verge of retirement or have you said ‘good bye’ to your job already? If yes, then you must be well aware that some extra cash can help to stretch your budget significantly. Read along to know about some career options which can enable you to earn some extra dollars after retirement.

Jobs that can help you earn money in your golden years

Check out some part-time jobs that enable you to stretch your budget: Read the rest of this entry »

Check out the 5 financial tips for the 4th week of January 2012

Tip no 1 – “Shop till you drop” is not the mantra you should follow if you want your credit card debts to drop.

If you want to reduce your credit card debt burden, then you’ll have to stop chanting the mantra “shop till you drop“. In fact, you’ll have to reduce your shopping endeavors. You need to visit your favorite shopping stores for purchasing only the necessary items. Plan your shopping trips in advance so that you know about the items which need to be purchased. You can’t afford to waste money on useless shopping. Curtail your luxury expenses by all means, and make it your goal to save money. Use it to pay off your debts. Read the rest of this entry »