Debt Problems Help

Some of the greatest concerns relating to debt stem from the reality that plenty of people choose the convenient way out an ignore the problem, hoping it's going to go away. This nonetheless, is one of the worst steps you're able to take. Sadly, ignoring debt will only produce the scenario worse. Depending on your individual instances as well as the nature of your debts, ignoring them might possibly lead to a seriously damaged credit rating or even losing your household.

Have your finances have spiraled out of manage and you have to have to eliminate your credit card debt concern? First, though issues may possibly seem just a little bleak for you in your circumstance, you might take a small amount of comfort in knowing that you simply aren't alone. There are in all probability a whole lot of individuals who are in an even worse scenario compared to yourself. And just about all of those individuals are searching a remedy simply as you are.

Second, you ought to at the same time take a confident mental attitude and comprehend there's a solution. You will be able to solve your credit card debt concern and no longer have to worry and anxiety around your finances. It will take determination, complicated work and effort, even so it is easy to do it!

Remember this is just 1 of the numerous approaches you may use to get rid of your credit card debt issue. You can start out be utilizing the above advice after which evolve and re-devise the plan based on your needs. Any plan or method you decide to make use of is wonderful as long as it fulfills the goal - to get rid of credit card debt issue.

There are so loads of techniques in which it is easy to tackle your credit card debt issue. Many different people have recommended quite a few methods based on what solutions have worked for them. However, there is certainly a easy step by step process with which you'll be able to use to get rid of your problem.

Whether you are creating late repayments or unable to produce any at all, this negligence is often logged on your credit report, and will make it highly difficult for you to accomplish credit in the future. Naturally, your lender is going to do every thing in their power to find their money back for those who're failing to comply

Degree in Finance

A specialist masters finance degree might develop all the difference between struggling to beat off candidates for a job position and standing head and shoulders above the rest. It is right now widely considered an important step towards a career in company and finance.

There are masters finance degree courses available touching upon a host of specialist fields, from investment management to banking & international finance. The majority of MSc finance courses are produced using the needs of employers in mind and usually put theories towards the test in practical, actual life enterprise situations.

Masters finance degree scholars have the ability to move into a unique wide variety of financial sector careers, from investment banking and hedge funds to private banking and credit risk management respectively. London small business schools supply connections with huge conglomerates for practical function experience as portion of a working module

The biggest priority as soon as deciding upon and because your masters degree is to make certain which you appreciate the a good number of dynamic connections with company and economic corporations. Business schools objective to integrate their professional practical instruction with the highest standards of theoretical teaching.

It is possible to apply for a postgraduate course all-year round, with various institutions operating on a rolling admissions basis. Nevertheless, it is vitally crucial that applications are submitted when achievable to stay away from the disappointment of courses closing.

Finance degrees attract students on a global scale and as such lots of postgraduates need to have student visas to be accepted into the country. Postgraduate studies set students apart, helping to distinguish them from the competition in such a competitive sector as finance.

Free Your Mind and Check Your Credit Scores Online

by: Deborah Lee

When people hear that some items are sold for credit, they would leap for any opportunity that will come their way. It's not surprising to note that there are a lot of people who do not have enough cash on hand to handle all their expenses. And getting them on credit is the best possible way.

But it should not just end there; you have to know that when you get things on credit, you have the responsibility to repay what you've purchased, only it is at a later time like the end of the month. The lender expects that you make payments on a specific date, which you should not forget or overlook. Otherwise, you will be marked as a person with a bad credit reputation.

With how things are going now, credit is the best option for almost anybody, so you should exert more efforts to maintain a good credit reputation if you want your credit applications approved.

Once you've started to build your credit history, you must see to it that you maintain a high credit score. This will be of great use when you apply for loans, mortgage, credit cards, and other credit transactions.

There are three agencies responsible for gathering people's credit reports. Most establishments offering credit transactions rely on these agencies for credit reports of different people. So you have to make sure that you're building a good report, and not a bad one.

All of us are just human beings that constantly make mistakes, but it is not a valid excuse for not paying your dues on time. For those who already have a bad credit reputation, you can re-establish it through credit repair. And it is equally important to keep track of your credit scores contained in your credit report, at least on an annual basis.

It is not that difficult nowadays to keep track of your credit report. In fact, there are now services online which offer free credit score information directly from the three credit reporting agencies or bureaus.

The Internet is a great tool to obtain credit information. If you have an Internet connection, you don’t need to go to physical offices of these credit agencies just to check your credit report.

TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax are the three major credit reporting bureaus/agencies responsible for gathering your credit information. Different websites have different offers. You can find sites which offers a free copy of your credit score. The credit scores are simple to understand, and some even provides detailed explanations to help you in understanding your credit score better.

Getting a copy of your credit report online is the most accessible way; and it is delivered to you quickly, securely, and safely. With the Internet, you can have access to your credit report and credit score twenty-four hours a day.

Get a copy of all your credit reports in the three agencies for not more than forty dollars. Though it might cost a little, it helps a lot in keeping track of your credit standing especially if you need to make a loan in the future. Aside from that, you can easily see and check if there are mistakes in your credit report, so you can report it to the agency fast and easy.

Credit scores are important, and it's just like getting a high grade when you were still studying.

Finance Career Auto Insurance Quote

by: Aaron Smith

So you decided to start a finance career offering auto insurance quotes. With the proper training, you will be able to give a reasonable amount to the client.

Some of the things you have to consider will be the type of car that person is using. For that, you need to get information about the vehicle including the sticker price, the cost of repair should it be damaged, its replacement value, safety features, its ability to withstand an accident and crash tests.

Most insurance companies approve quickly vehicles that are big because they do not sustain that much damage in an accident. However, this changes if your vehicle caused serious damage to another vehicle.

This is why you will also need to review the client’s driving history. If their record is clean, then there won’t be any problems offering an affordable insurance quote and then later on approving it.

A few examples of the inexpensive vehicles that usually get a low auto insurance quote are the Buick LeSabre, Chevrolet Astro, Jeep Wrangler, Oldsmobile Bravada, Mercury Grand Marquis and the Pontiac Montana.

The most expensive ones are the Audi S4, BMW X5, Jaguar X-Type, Land Rover Discovery Series II, Lexus IS 300, Mitsubishi Montero and the Toyota 4Runner because these vehicles are considered to be luxury cars.

But how can your finance career selling auto insurance quotes succeed? The key to this is the proper training from your employer and then your attitude towards it.

When customers file for auto insurance, they will be going to various offices to see which one will give them good value for their money. On your part, you can do well here by offering them discounts should they pay the amount in lump sum. Most companies do this so it is just a matter of selling your point to the customer.

You can also offer advice to the person by suggesting to them acquiring additional safety features in their vehicle to prevent it from being stolen or from injuries that may be occur during an accident. While cars may have some of these already installed, older models don’t especially when manufacturers are only required to put air bags in the front and not on the back.

Another suggestion will be encouraging the driver of the vehicle to take defensive driving courses. Although accidents do happen when we least expect it, proper training could avert physical injuries and damage to property.

There is nothing you can do if the customer who wants to apply for auto insurance has a bad credit history. However, if they are able to keep themselves clean, they will no longer be considered as high risk drivers so they can come back later on and get a good auto insurance quote from you.

Being helpful to the client will surely make you succeed when you decide to pursue a finance career offering or selling auto insurance quotes. This is because you will probably do better than your colleagues as you bring in more money to the business that could mean a promotion and an increase in your salary.

You just have to play it smart when you are starting out and then keeping up the good work because even if the cost of auto insurance increases, drivers still need to get their vehicles insured.

Steps Towards an Insurance Agent Finance Career Change

by: Aaron Smith

Everything changes. Nothing in this world is permanent except change. The dream of an insurance agent finance career change may not be just a dream. It is possible and will come true if one knows what to do in order to achieve what they want to happen.

Insurance Agent 101

Who are these people who are known as the insurance agents? They sell policies that have something to do with insurance to different individuals. This is why they are also known as insurance sales agents.

These agents are classified according to groups. They may be captive agents. These agents work for one insurance company and their job is to sell the products of that company. The brokers, also known as independent agents of insurance are affiliated with different companies.

The clients for this workforce are the families, even individuals and certain businesses. It all depends on the type of policies that they are selling. Some examples of these policies are health or life insurance, property, even casualty, disability and those that cater to long term care. These agents may also sell variable type of annuities, or mutual funds and other kinds of securities.

There is really no educational requirement to be able to succeed in this type of work. A person needs to be able to strategize on their selling skills. There are some companies that require their agents to be college graduates. Others may even prefer those with a degree in business. But for other firms, a high school diploma would suffice.

There are different processes regarding the renewal of license for the agents in different US states. All these states oblige every insurance agent to have a license. They need to get different licenses depending on what kind of policies they are selling. Many states even require these sales agents to fulfill a pre-licensing course and then pass the examinations prepared by the state where they are.

Decided to Move On

Being an insurance agent is a profitable career, especially if you are good in sales. But if you are really decided to make the move for a career change, then here are some tips for you to think about.

First, think hard. See if the other opportunities are really better. Weigh every option. Finding a new job may be easy. But finding the job that would really fulfill you may be the harder part. So think about everything and decide on your own if you really need to make the leap.

You also have to see the world in general. What are your options? Do you think it will be easy to penetrate that other field? Do you think that you can handle the sudden diversion of things after making the move towards the other career? If so, then maybe you really are better off with that especially if you are no longer being fulfilled by your current job.

You better have a list of goal. Include on that list the ways in which you would like to attain those goals. It will be easier for you to shift if you have other plans that you can fall back on if you did not succeed with the first action.

An insurance agent finance career change is an achievable aim. All you have to do is persevere and know what you are getting into before deciding to get out to where you used to be.

Banking and Finance Careers

by: Zaki Maulud

We all use math daily. While many of us just use the basics to keep track of how much money we gave and the change we should get, those who want to purse banking and finance careers do more than that to keep their clients happy.

People who work in banking and finance are paid well for the work that they do. Four of the fields that many professionals get into include accountancy and tax, Insurance, investment banking and retail banking. Let’s talk about each of these.

For people to work in accountancy and tax, you need to graduate and get your CPA or certified public accountancy license. To learn more about what you will be doing, many have to complete an on the job training with a legitimate accountancy firm.

The training period is about three years and afterwards, you can continue on staying with them, working for another firm or going into private practice.

Insurers just like accountants need to be licensed. This varies from state to state so you have to study and then pass the exam. Once you do so, your career may get you to sell property or casually insurance and life or health insurance.

You should also take further classes in the future because although you have your license already, rules change and you have to be aware of them.

Perhaps the biggest challenge selling insurance is deciding whether to work for an insurance company or doing this on your own. There are advantages and disadvantages doing both. When you are employed, you get a basic salary while those who decide to work for themselves can only make money earning commissions when a sale is made. How well you do is entirely up to you.

Investment banking is different from regular banking because you are there to raise capital for a company by issuing shares or bonds. Later on, you may even work with a team that advises companies regarding mergers and acquisitions.

Also under investment banking is capital markets. Here, the professional is tasked with trading bonds stocks and other financial products to increase the portfolio of the client.

But before you get into that, most entry levels personnel start out doing research first about certain companies and who are their competitors. Their information is then passed on to the account managers who will then advice the client.

Lastly is retail banking which many of us are aware of because these are the people we meet in the bank from the teller to the bank manager when we need to deposit or withdraw cash and apply for a loan.

Unlike accountancy or insurance, you don’t need to get a license to do this kind of work. You just have to be customer oriented with strong interpersonal and communication skills since you will be dealing with people.

Tax and accountancy, insurance, investment banking and retail banking are the four basic types of jobs for anyone that wants to pursue a banking and finance career after graduation from college. Career progression in any of them is excellent and this can only happen with additional training and at times a license.

This can be achieved by part time study so all you have to do now is weigh your options and then go for it.

Kill Bills!

by : Samuel Junkies

Bills are like warts. They pop up when least expected, they’re ugly and annoying and seem to stick around forever. This article suggests various ideas to help eliminate those extra bills from cluttering your finances.

Get Rid of Some "Extras"

The key to financial freedom is building wealth. The key to building wealth is eliminating all your extra bills so you have money to save. The average consumer's credit report carries quite a burden from these bills as well. Let's start with what hurts the most. Eliminate any habits you currently have. Most habits cost money and if it's a habit it can't be healthy for you in the long run anyway. Smoking, drinking, candy, coffee, collecting junk, etc. You will be surprised how much cash you pocket if you just quit 1 or 2 of the above (if any apply of course). By giving up a habit you are not only saving money and maybe even your health, but you are also gaining self-discipline helping you mature financially.

Food: Dine In or Carry Out

Let's look at the two separately AND together. If you eat out once a week, even at $25 you are spending $100 a month. Pretty simple math. Let's say you get carry-out (drive-thru) 3 times a week at $5 per visit. This equals $60 a month. These figures are below average, but even so, this is $160 in 1 month that could be used to eliminate some smelly debt. Pack a lunch for work. Try cooking at home. It's a fraction of the cost, it tastes better than "fast food" and it is usually healthier. If you can't eliminate eating out then try cutting it in half for starters.

Grocery List (or lack thereof)

Many consumers head to the grocery store with no plan or list. BIG mistake. This is what grocery stores are designed for. Go ahead, walk down each aisle and tempt yourself with row after row, shelf after shelf of junk food, extra stuff that you don't need. A list could save you 50% alone - that much more to wipe out those irritating loan payments. A grocery list serves two purposes. It saves you quite a bit of money which you notice immediately. Secondly, it allows you to be more prepared for the upcoming week, month or however often you shop. You can make out a daily meal plan ahead of time so you know exactly what you need to purchase and approximately how much cash you will need.

Sell Some Stuff

Everyone has stuff lying around collecting dust. Remember the saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure."? You could probably knock out a couple of stagnate bills with some of those collectibles sitting in a box in the closet. You would be surprised to know that an object you have absolutely no interest in could sell on an auction site and pay off that hospital bill that's been chasing you around like a mad hornet.

Cash, Cash, Cash

Only buy with cash. Plastic looks the same when you spend it. Dollar bills disappear and you will feel the impact when you start to get a shortage of it. Start a cash envelope system - at least one for gas, food and clothing. Like any new system, it will take a few times before you get the right amount in the envelopes. You will start to notice a large impact on your budget though and will find it worth while. If you buy something with cash you don't owe on it. You might think a little longer about it too when you hold on to that $100 bill. If you apply the various techniques and ideas in this article you will start to knock chunks off your overall debt. This will get you closer to achieving financial freedom and your credit report will begin the long awaited healing process. Start today!

Going Global Through Mutual Funds

by : Marrie Shogun

There are more than 13500 different publicly traded companies in the world today, and there are over 700 more companies expected to go public within a year. In addition, every major developed country offers investors various bonds to invest in. All of this makes for a lot of different investments and plenty of choice. Investors can take advantage of this choice through a good global balanced fund that invests in bonds and stocks or a global equity fund that invests in stocks all around the world.

A global equity fund invests in stock markets around the world. These funds will have a portion of their investments invested in North America. Europe, and Asia. Some of these funds will own hundreds of securities in order to participate in the growth prospects of many firms while diversifying the risk associated with investing in different companies. A good global equity fund will be a foundation for a well-diversified mutual fund portfolio for almost any investor. Investors could consider including the AGF International Value Fund, the BPI Global Equity Fund, or the Fidelity International Portfolio Fund in their portfolios.

A global balanced fund is a fund that invests in both stock and bond markets around the world. These funds will also always have a portion of their investments invested in stock and bond markets located in North America, Europe, and Asia. They are more conservative than global equity funds because they invest in a combination of stocks and bonds, which affect the fund's performance. Over the long term these funds will provide a lower rate of return for investors but they will also exhibit a lot less risk than a global equity fund. They exhibit less risk because bonds are less volatile than stocks; they do not decline in value to the same magnitude or at the same time as global equity funds. A conservative investor should find a good global balanced fund that will serve as a good foundation for a diversified portfolio.

Forward Mortgage Basics

As the real estate price are booming up for the last five years, homes are selling for 33% higher than the last few years, this has made more difficult for the home buyers to purchase the homes by making huge payment as lump sum. Over these years many mortgage options are available for the home buyers that reduces the burden of purchasing the home.

Forward mortgages are also known as traditional mortgage that are used to buy a home, so this also creates debt against your home you purchase, and this affects how much ownership value or equity you have in the home you have purchased.

Debt is nothing but the amount you borrowed from the lender and this includes cash advances that is made to you or made for your benefit along with the interest. Home equity means it is the actual value of your house less of the debts you owe it, incase if your home value is $150,000 and you owe mortgage of $30,000 then the home equity would be $120,000 only that is Rising equity and falling debt.

When you have purchased the home by making a small down payment and mortgage the rest of the amount you require to purchase it, then you must be repaying the forward mortgage loan every month for many number of years, while making the repayment of forward mortgage your home equity gets increased and your debt gets decreased

With forward mortgage you would be using your income for the repayment of debt and this will increase the equity of you home ownership. For borrowing forward mortgage, the borrower has to sign on dotted line for a huge amount of money and should make repayment monthly for a fixed period of years that reduces the amount he owed. To qualify in this forward mortgage the borrower should present his income proof or any kind of asset requirement to prove that he can afford to make repayment, the younger the owner the more amount he can mortgage.

As and when you make your forward mortgage repayment the amount you owe that is your loan balance or your debt gets decreased, but at the same time the value of your home that your equity or home ownership gets increased, ultimately when you finish your final mortgage payment you owe nothing to the lender and the value of your home is equal to the home equity, In brief the forward mortgage is “rising equity and falling debt”

Mortgage And Their Debts

Purchasing a house has been a vision for many. But it is impossible for an average man to possess a huge sum of ready cash to procure the property; the only remedy here is, going for mortgages. Mortgage can be defined as a loan which will provide monetary help to purchase any real estate property. The borrower can make his payments regularly to the lender. In this kind of arrangement the property itself acts like a collateral security, so the lender has full rights over the property until the borrower has finished his payments. If the borrower does not pay the loan properly and if he becomes a defaulter, the lender can repossess the property and sell it to someone else.

Mortgage debts arise when the borrower fails to make his regular payments; these failed payment amounts accumulate and rise up as a mortgage debt. The mortgage debts can be categorized under the priority debts list, because you will lose your valuable property if the debts are left unpaid.

It is rightly said that a man in debt is a slave to it. Mortgage debts are no exception, and the finances involved in this debt are more when compared to all other kinds of debt. And mortgage debts tend to be very complicated too. So to get rid of this debt it is necessary to finish it of by making regular payments.

Nowadays borrowers tend to elongate their period of debt. And studies have reported that some borrowers have no idea of repaying, and some others have an idea of reselling their property. People should not possess such negative attitude towards mortgage. So to avoid such critical conditions, borrow only an affordable amount, which can be repaid. Borrowing huge sums of unaffordable money could only be disastrous. It is best to pay a decent down payment amount.

Do not fall a prey to the misleading services offered by the lender, like the cashbacks, where a small percentage of your borrowed amount is paid back once in a year. The lender may attack you with high interest rates and other kinds of mishaps.

Mortgage debts are increasing because; sometimes due to unavoidable circumstances borrowers become defaulters. To avoid these conditions choose the best mortgage plan which will suit your requirements, avoid the interest-only mortgages where you pay the interests first in installments and then later you pay the capital. The plan is not very amiable because after you finish your interest payments you will still have lumps of money to be paid as capital.

To escape from the mortgage debts follow the traditional regular payments and do not fall for the high rated home loans. Thus lead a debt free life.

Men, Women and Their Finances

by: Sharon Alissa

What do you worry about most when it comes to your finances and debt or your credit card repayments? It seems that men and women have different outlooks and think differently about their finances. A survey was carried out to see whether men and women thought differently or the same about their finances.

Women tend to look at their current levels of debt while men tend to look to the future and are more likely to plan ahead when it comes to their finances. Women worry more about how they are going to pay off all their current credit card bills, store cards and loans along with their mortgage, shopping and living expenses with three quarters of women doing so, meanwhile less than 50% of men worry about the same thing. Only 13% of men know what their current debt levels are.

While men are laid back about their current debt levels they are better prepared for the future. Men are better at investing their money with half of all men investing in an ISA while only 35% of women are doing the same. Only five out of ten of women have a savings account with men in the lead with six out of every ten. Three quarters of men are paying into a pension for when they retire while only half of women are preparing for their retirement.

The only things that were found to be very little difference in when it came to our finances was the fact that both men and women have little knowledge of credit reports and how they work, although we think we do. Three quarters of men and women said they new what affected credit scores and how companies make their decision but nearly all got at least one question wrong when asked about credit reports. Only 5% of men and women have inspected their credit report in the last year.

1 in 4 of people asked did not realize that late payments affected your score; just over 40% of people did not know that if you have asked for credit regularly then this can also affect your credit score. Three quarters of people wrongly thought that if you had unpaid household bills that this would affect a decision made by lenders. Unbelievably, 60% of men and 67% of women thought that credit reference agencies make the decisions about credit applications, whereas it is the credit card companies, banks and other lenders that make the decision.

Knowing your credit score and understanding how credit scoring works is the only way to fully know where you stand financially and help you make better decisions about how and when you apply for credit.

Home Buying Advice For First Timers

Purchasing your first home is an exciting and scary time. For the most part, new home buyers are unfamiliar with the home buying process. Before accepting a mortgage loan, it is important to educate yourself on various loan programs. Furthermore, first time home buyers should be aware of factors that improve and decrease their chances of getting a good loan package.



How Much Can You Afford to Spend?

The biggest mistake that some home buyers make is purchasing a home they cannot afford. Many assume that since their mortgage application was approved, they can meet the expenses of home ownership. On the contrary, some lenders regularly approve questionable loans.

Obtaining a pricier home may sound appealing; however, the risk of foreclosure is higher. Aside from affording your monthly mortgage payment, you must have the funds for utilities and unexpected expenses that arise.

Get Pre-Qualified for a Home Loan

Getting pre-qualified for a mortgage before beginning your search will speed up the home buying process. A pre-qualification provides an idea of an affordable mortgage amount. Thus, you avoid touring homes and neighborhoods outside your budget. A pre-qualification letter from a lender does not guarantee a loan. The loan amount is contingent on income, employment, and credit verification.

Fix Your Credit before Applying

Although it is very possible to get approved for a first time home loan with poor credit, a good credit rating will open the doors for low rates and better financing options. Improving your credit is a slow process. To begin, strive to pay all creditors on time and avoid skipping payments. A key to increasing credit scores is maintaining a good credit standing. Secondly, reduce your debts. Maintain credit cards at half the maximum limit. If possible, payoff balances monthly.

Select a Good First Time Home buyer Loan Package

Working with a mortgage broker is the best way to locate excellent first time home buying loans. Many first time home buyers do not have extra cash for closing or down payments. A mortgage broker has access to several lenders that are willing to offer assistance for down payments and closing fees. Furthermore, if you have bad credit, a broker can match you with a bad credit or sub prime mortgage lender. The advantage of working with brokers is that you receive multiple offers. After receiving the loan application, your broker will send you up to four offers from prospective lenders

Logbook Loans

Logbook loans are best suited for taking a low cost finance in a very easy manner as the loan is given on your car or any vehicle logbook. Compare different lenders before making a deal. Logbook loans are also a good choice for individuals with bad credit histories since they do not involve any credit checking. Individuals who are facing bankruptcy and CCJ’s can also apply for the loan. Logbook loans are appropriate to satisfy loan demands ranging from £500-£50,000. Depending on the lender and the vehicle, the amount of logbook loans can stretch to larger amounts.

Logbook loans are quickly deemed suitable. This is because there is no minute assessment of the car involved in the supply of loans and logbook to the approval almost immediately. Logbook loans are the easiest way to get money by keeping logbook as security. As, Collateral for logbook loans is the logbook of your car. Logbook loans are secured on just the logbook of the vehicle the borrower owns. Logbook is the legal document bearing the proof of your ownership over the vehicle.

Logbook loans are also preferred for the promptness with which they are approved and sanction the loan amount. A borrower needs to fulfill certain basic criteria for availing logbook loans. Logbook loans are considered as fast loans. This is because there is no minute valuation of the car involved in offering logbook loans and so the approval is almost instant.

In conclusion logbook loans are a quick and easy way to borrow against your car.

10 Easy Ways To Organize Your Business Finances

Whether you are a new entrepreneur or a more experienced business owner, taking control of your finances can feel like a part-time job. Some simple tips can help you streamline your time, organize your finances and reduce the stress of business money matters.

1. Keep Your Bills in One Place

When the mail comes, make sure it goes in one place. Misplaced bills can be the cause of unwanted late fees and can damage your credit rating. Whether it's a drawer, a box, or a file, be consistent. Size is also important. If you get a lot of mail, use an area that won't get filled up too quickly.

2. Pay Your Bills on Schedule

Bill paying can be simplified if it's done at scheduled times during the month. Depending on how many bills you receive, you can establish set times each month when none of your bills will be late. If you're paying bills as you receive them, chances are you're spending too much time in front of the checkbook. Although bills may state "Payable Upon Receipt", there's always a grace period. Call the creditor to find out when they need to receive payment before the bill is considered late.

3. Read Your Credit Card Statements

Most people take advantage of low interest credit card offers but never read their statements when paying the bill. Credit cards are notorious for using low interest as bait for new customers then switching to higher rates after a few months. Make a habit of looking at your statement carefully to see what interest rate you are paying each month and if any transaction fees have been applied. If the rate increases or a transaction fee appears on your statement, a simple call to the credit card company can oftentimes be beneficial in resolving the matter. If not, try to switch your money to a more favorable rate.

4. Take Advantage of Automatic Payments

Most banks offer a way to automatically deduct money from your account to pay creditors. In addition, the creditors usually offer a lower interest rate when you sign up for this payment option because they get their money faster and on-time. Consider it as one fewer check to write, envelope to lick and stamp to buy. Just make sure you record the deduction when the automatic payment is scheduled or you run the risk of bouncing other checks.

5. Computerize Your Checkbook

Using a software program is a handy way to organize your finances. Whether it's Quicken(r), Microsoft Money(r) or another package, these easy-to-use programs make bill paying and bank reconciliation a cinch. Computer checks can be ordered almost anywhere and fit right into most printers. Once the checks are printed, all of the information is automatically recorded in your electronic checkbook. Furthermore, many banks have direct downloads into these software packages so when money is deposited or withdrawn, the transaction is entered immediately onto your computer. And, when it comes time to do taxes, it couldn't be easier.

6. Get Overdraft Protection

Most banks have a service where, if you run the risk of bouncing a check, the money will come from another source. For a nominal fee, the bank will link your checking account to either a savings, money market, or credit card so the embarrassment of bouncing a check will be avoided. Call or visit your bank to learn about this convenient feature.

7. Cancel Unused Accounts

Whether it's a credit card or bank account, write a letter requesting that the account is formally closed. Not only will this improve your credit score, it is a useful way to avoid money from being scattered all over the place. Don't let department stores and credit card companies lure you into opening new accounts by offering favorable interest rates and purchase discounts. It's easy for credit to get out of hand by taking advantage of every credit offer that comes your way.

8. Consolidate Your Accounts

If you have several credit card accounts with outstanding balances, try to consolidate them into one. Be careful and check the balance transfer interest rates and one-time fees. Also, make a list of all your open Money Markets, Savings, CDs, IRAs, Mutual Funds, and other accounts to see if any consolidation can be done. Keeping your money in fewer places eliminates all of the guesswork involved and reduces errors.

9. Establish Automatic Savings

Create a link from your checking account into a savings account that will not be touched. This can usually be done through the banks and automatic amounts will be transferred over each month. Most people will not put money into a savings account on a regular basis. They may wait until a large tax refund check arrives or some other event to actually deposit money into savings, retirement or other accounts. If you establish an automatic savings deposit every month, your accounts will begin accumulating money faster than you think.

10. Clean up Your Files

Make sure your paid bills are organized in a filing cabinet. Keep individual files for paid bills. Go through your files at the end of each year and throw out bills and receipts no longer needed for auditing purposes. Contact your local IRS office to see how long records need to be kept for audits. Usually federal tax return audits can be done three years back but cancelled checks may need to be kept for seven. Consult the Internet for auditing and records-keeping procedures for your state or region.

Michael G. Peterson is the Vice President of American Credit Foundation, an IRS 501 (c)(3) non-profit consumer credit counseling organization that has assisted thousands of individuals and families with their financial situations through seminars, education, counseling services, and, debt management plans. For more information, and free consumer resources visit http://www.debtguru.com.