http://blog.familycredit.org Your Source For Objective Financial Advice Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:28:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en School is almost back in session and although it’s an exciting time of year, it’s also an expensive one. How can you make sure your children are prepared to hit the books without draining your family’s resources? Here are some helpful tips to make sure everybody wins: -Once you ... http://blog.familycredit.org/money-saving-tips/its-that-time-of-year-how-to-save-money-on-back-to-school/ As the cost of cable TV continues to rise and cable companies ignore calls for pay-per-channel packages, a growing number of consumers are dropping their cable providers in favor of these cheaper online alternatives: Network Freebies Major television networks are making their programming available for free once a show has aired. Visit ... http://blog.familycredit.org/budget/credit-counselors-are-thrilled-to-see-clients-reduce-their-cable-bills/ Here is another good reason to keep your tax records on file and in a safe place. Housing Counseling agencies that are providing foreclosure prevention usually need to see your most recent tax return and will keep a copy on file for reporting purposes or to prove your income to ... http://blog.familycredit.org/taxes/stressed-over-missing-tax-records/ Federal regulators have decided to step in and stop some of things credit card companies are able to do when it comes raising interest rates and changing your accounts’ conditions. The new regulations will make it much easier to understand the terms and conditions of your account and formulate finance ... http://blog.familycredit.org/credit-cards/new-regulations-on-credit-cards-are-coming/ It was about 5 months ago that oil prices set a record $147 per barrel. Today, they're less than $45, thanks to reduced demand. Meanwhile, gas prices fell from a painful $4 a gallon to around $1.66 in the U.S. (And some analysts think they're heading to one dollar ... http://blog.familycredit.org/credit-counseling/it-looks-like-things-will-be-looking-up-in-2009/ Credit Counselors urge you to take charge of your holiday spending plan! By planning ahead, you can celebrate the season in style without ending up in credit card debt. Here are ways to limit spending and stay on track. • First, make a holiday spending plan. Make sure you include all holiday ... http://blog.familycredit.org/debt/is-debt-ruining-your-christmas-make-a-holiday-spending-plan/ During these unsettling times, many of us watch everyday as the stock markets fall (seeing all time record losses in some cases) and while we may not all be stock brokers, it seems simple enough to understand that some of our investments may not be looking their best right now. ... http://blog.familycredit.org/finance/tough-times-call-for-tough-choices/ According to Credit Counselors, Americans get more and more in debt each year due to bad spending habits. It is hard enough just paying for the necessities these days but that is not where the true struggle is. We have fallen into the habit of wasting money. Most of it ... http://blog.familycredit.org/money-saving-tips/15-little-saving-tips/ Many seniors are struggling today due to the rising costs of food and medical supplies. Furthermore, people are living longer which means they have to stretch their retirement savings even further. Thankfully, some public benefits may be able to help. Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) Each state has made information available ... http://blog.familycredit.org/finance/are-the-senior-citizens-in-your-life-struggling/ You may know a late payment or high outstanding balance can hurt your credit. However, what about shopping at a massage parlor, retreading a tire or visiting a marriage counselor? Credit Counselors warn (according to a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission against card issuer CompuCredit) such activities can ... http://blog.familycredit.org/credit-cards/your-spending-habits-may-hurt-your-credit/