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Showing posts from December, 2019

5 New Year's Resolutions To Raise Your Credit Score

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MoneyTips You're determined to make 2020 the year you raise your credit score. Why not get off to a good start with these five New Year's resolutions to send your credit score in the right direction? 1. Resolve to Check Your Credit Report – All your efforts will go to waste if identity thieves have already ruined your credit by opening accounts in your name and racking up unpaid bills. Check your credit report and look for any errors, rogue accounts, or fraudulent charges on your existing accounts. Address any problems as quickly as possible with the credit reporting agencies to limit the damage. Monitor your credit score regularly to gauge your progress and follow up with at least one more credit report check during the year. You can check your credit score and read your credit report for free within minutes by

11 Tips To Avoid A New Year's Credit Hangover

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MoneyTips Can you avoid a New Year's Day hangover? We're not referring to the traditional hangover that comes from too much alcohol, but the financial hangover that comes from too many charges on your credit card. Of course, you can avoid a New Year's credit hangover – especially with some help. Consider these eleven ways to keep holiday purchases under control. 1. Set a Holiday Budget – Review your overall budget , and then decide how much you can afford to spend for holiday gifts given your other expenses (including end-of-year expenses like property taxes and annual subscriptions). Don't let gift expectations drive your budget – let your budget set gift choices. 2. Make a Gift List – Divide up your gift budget among all your recipients and find gifts that fit within the desired budget. Start early, so you have time to look for the best pri... from MoneyTips https://ift.tt/2zTPhzM

11 Tips To Avoid A New Year's Credit Hangover

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MoneyTips Can you avoid a New Year's Day hangover? We're not referring to the traditional hangover that comes from too much alcohol, but the financial hangover that comes from too many charges on your credit card. Of course, you can avoid a New Year's credit hangover – especially with some help. Consider these eleven ways to keep holiday purchases under control. 1. Set a Holiday Budget – Review your overall budget , and then decide how much you can afford to spend for holiday gifts given your other expenses (including end-of-year expenses like property taxes and annual subscriptions). Don't let gift expectations drive your budget – let your budget set gift choices. 2. Make a Gift List – Divide up your gift budget among all your recipients and find gifts that fit within the desired budget. Start early, so you have time to look for the best pri... from MoneyTips https://ift.tt/2zTPhzM

Stop The Onslaught Of Credit Card Offers

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MoneyTips The signs of the holidays are all around us. The weather has changed, pumpkin spice has been added to everything imaginable, and your mailbox is bending under the weight of catalogs – and unsolicited credit card offers. Credit card solicitations certainly aren't limited to the holidays, but the intensity of offers tends to pick up during this time because your spending tends to pick up. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that holiday retail sales will approximate $730 billion, excluding typical purchases like dining out and filling your gas tank. What retailer or card issuer wouldn't want a piece of that spending pie? Most credit card solicitations are pre-approved or pre-screened offers, where the card issuer has done a cursory check of your credit already – without your request or knowledge – and considers you low risk. (These are different from pre-qualified offers, where you have agreed to provide credit information to lenders in order to shop for

7 Tips To Buying A Home During The Holidays

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MoneyTips Moving during the holidays can be a headache with all the seasonal activities and obligations – not to mention unpleasant weather in many locations. However, there are plenty of positives to buying a home during the holidays that may make the headaches of moving worth the effort, including the seven listed below. 1. Less Competition – The same issues that make holiday moving a hassle tend to keep people from shopping for homes at that time. While there may be fewer homes available, there are also fewer homebuyers – and that should equal less competition for any home that fits your needs. 2. Motivated Sellers – Home sellers don't enjoy moving over the holidays any more than homebuyers do. It's likely that people who are selling their homes over the holidays are highly motivated to do so. Perhaps they must relocate for a new job, or their home has been on the market for a long time and they need the money from a sale before the yea... from MoneyTips https://i

Now Is The Best Time For A Rewards Credit Card

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MoneyTips Do you have a rewards credit card? If not, now is the perfect time to consider one. The holiday season provides two motivating factors – special rewards offers from credit card issuers and the increased spending necessary to take advantage of those offers. Many cards offer signup bonuses of hundreds of dollars, or the equivalent in points or miles, if you make a certain dollar amount of purchases within an introductory period – for example, a $500 bonus if you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months after opening the account. You may find an offer with a 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR), furthering your benefits if you will carry a balance from holiday purchases. According to the National Retail Foundation, the average consumer is expected to spend almost $1,048 during the 2019 holiday season. Extra holiday spending may put tempting bonus offers within your reach. However, to make the most of a

9 Easy Ways To Save At Christmas

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MoneyTips Does your Christmas season usually lead to the January blues due to excessive holiday spending? It doesn't have to be that way. With a combination of planning and willpower, you can enjoy a festive holiday without starting the New Year in a big financial hole. Consider these nine ways to celebrate while staying fiscally responsible. 1. Limit Gift Spending – Start by establishing a shopping list and a budget for all of your items. Track special holiday online offers. Consider using price comparison apps and websites. Take advantage of any coupons . Large families can save by drawing names for a gift exchange instead of trying to buy multiple smaller gifts for every family member. If you want more credit, check out our list of credit card offers . 2. Reject Impulse Buying – Retailers expect you to impulse buy... from MoneyTips https://ift.tt/2BSGXC7

7 Tips For Selling Your Home During The Holidays

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MoneyTips Are the holidays not hectic enough for you? Put aside your gift list for a moment; how about adding a home sale to your to-do list? Most people avoid selling their homes during the holidays, but you may not have any choice in the matter. If you need to sell your home around the end of the year, here are seven tips to help your sale go smoothly. Minimize Holiday Decorations – Not everyone has the same love of holiday decorations, and poorly maintained, tacky, or overly religious displays can be a turnoff for potential buyers. Keep the seasonal decorations simple and easy to maintain. That applies to the outside as well as the inside of your home – avoid browning out the neighborhood with your awesome light display. Keep It Clean – Keeping the home free of tracked-in mud, snow, and other debris is even tougher in the winter months, and arguably even more important. Vacuum well and vacuum often. ... from MoneyTips https://ift.tt/2Efs3Y8

You Should Freeze Your Credit Here, But You've Never Heard Of It!

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MoneyTips Credit freezes are one of the most valuable tools in your identity theft protection toolbox. When a credit freeze is placed on your account, lenders can't access your credit history to assess your risk and are unlikely to approve loans or other forms of credit. You're in control. Unfreeze (thaw) your accounts whenever you want to apply for credit and re-apply the freeze when you're done. Thanks to recent legislation, all credit freezes and thaws are now free of charge , making them convenient for all consumers. You probably know that you must apply individual freezes with each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). You may also know to place a credit freeze with Innovis, the fourth and less-publicized credit reporting agency. Did you know there's a fifth location where a credit freeze should be ap... from MoneyTips https://ift.tt/2qlqzqC

9 Scams To Watch Out For This Holiday Season

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MoneyTips Holidays are supposed to be a joyous time – but scammers can replace the joy of the season with the headaches of fraud. Help yourself and take some simple precautions to keep the Grinches out of your bank accounts during the holidays. Phishing emails – Phishing, or emails with fake links designed to get your personal information, often ramps up at the end of the year. Fake delivery confirmations are an annual favorite. Popular ones include the personalized letter from Santa to your child, solicitations from unknown third parties that offer gift cards or discounts in exchange for taking a survey, and fake renewal requests for things like insurance coverage. Fake Charities – Unfortunately, fake charities often pop up during the holidays to take advantage of people’s generosity. Social media has become a popular method of attack for these scammers. Please support your favorite