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Consumers use the Federal Trade Commission as a sounding board for their complaints. A few years ago, many consumers saw an advertisement for a free credit report and then got stuck paying a monthly fee for a service, and the FTC received a high number of complaints. As a result, the Fair Credit Reporting Act was changed so that consumers can receive a free credit report from TransUnion, Experian, and Eqiufax each, the three national consumer reporting agencies, annually.

There are many websites that advertise free credit reports if you agree to test out their services. The only place online where you can find a truly free credit report is the American government’s website, www.annualcreditreport.com. You can apply for you free credit report online, by phone, or by mail.

Although these credit reports that have been apportioned for consumers by the federal government are completely free to use, a rather large number of consumers fail to avail themselves of this service. Since it does take some time to fill out a request form and send it in, some people don’t want to take the time to do it. Other people, though, simple are not aware that they can get a credit report for free.

In order to stay on top of your credit, you should get a credit report once every four months. This schedule works out well with the arrangement that has been established by the US government. Since each of the three national credit reporting agency is required by federal law to give consumers a free credit report once a year, you can request one from each agency every four months and thus maintain a watchful eye on your credit without having to pay anything.

Beware of the extras that they will offer you when they get ready to send you the free report. Each company wants to make money, so they will provide you with a chance to sign up for a credit score, a monthly service, or other amenities. It is not necessary to have any of these things to keep an eye on your credit history.

Knowing your credit score is not necessary if all you want to do is check on your credit history. It is good to know, however, if you are interested in applying for a loan sometime soon. If your credit score shows up low for some reason, you will be able to prepare an explanation to the loan officer that you will speak to regarding why your credit score was low and what you have done to change your financial situation.

Credit watch services can also be beneficial to some people. For example, if you are concerned that your current or former spouse is causing damage to your credit score or if you are worried that your identity will be stolen, credit watch services will help you stay aware of what is happening with your credit.

Remember that you can indeed receive a no strings attached, absolutely free credit report online at www.annualcreditreport.com.

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If you had financial problems in the past and are eligible for checking account anymore, take heart. There is such a thing as a “second chance” checking account. Having bad credit or a report to TeleCheck or to ChexSystems can keep you from having a checking account, certainly, but a second chance checking account can be the answer to your difficulties.

Although information usually stays on these reporting agencies for five years or longer, there are steps you can take to obtain a second chance checking account. Often it only takes one financial problem to start a whole chain of events that can cause problems when it comes to opening a checking account.

Since there are banks that are beginning to realize this, they have started second chance checking accounts for people who may have had problems in the past. When you look for a bank that offers these types of checking accounts, make sure you check to see if they charge a fee for this. Some banks will charge a fee, sometimes up to $300, for their approval of your checking account.

Nevertheless, a second chance checking account is a real bank account. As with regular checking accounts, they have a debit card or checks available with them. The same benefits with your old checking account are available with your new one, too. You’ll still have a routing and account number, so that you can have your paychecks direct deposited if you wish. You’ll also likely have available to you a true debit card that works at any ATM, usually with a Visa or MasterCard logo. These, as with any other debit card, work anywhere that MasterCard or Visa credit cards do.

If you opt for just the debit card, a voided check will be included in your set-up so that you can have your paychecks direct deposited. There will be no credit checks or verification through either ChexSystems or TeleCheck. Whereas others offer you a prepaid card, this is a regular debit card.

If you’re tired of having to pay fees to have your check cashed and having to buy money orders to pay bills, this might work for you. Most people have made mistakes whereby they need a second chance simply to prove themselves. Today, at detecting account is almost essential; of course, having one allows you to have direct deposit for your paycheck, and most people need to pay at least some of the bills by check. Most people take this convenience for granted, but if you are someone who’s had financial difficulty and no longer are allowed to have a checking account, you know the problems not having a checking account can cause you.

Many people do a majority of their banking online. This is impossible to do if you do not have a checking account. Many employers are requiring a bank account rather than paying with paper checks. This eliminates many problems and makes it easier for their payroll department. So today, you need a checking account. Yes, you can open a savings account and have everything deposited there, but this entails having to go to the bank to take money out.

A second chance checking account gives you the opportunity to start fresh. Many banks also realize that this was a temporary problem, perhaps the fault of the account holder and perhaps not. This is why a second chance checking account is being offered. It might just offer you a second chance, too.

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Studies prove it; people with high levels of credit card debt do indeed enjoy life less. In fact, levels of happiness seem to be directly related to levels of debt for married couples. Believe it or not, reducing credit card debt is an effective way to make your love life better.

The most efficient way to reduce your credit card debt is to find an area of your budget where you spend an amount of money that is more than what is necessary. Then, cut back your spending and use the money you save to pay off your credit card debts. One area of the budget that nearly everyone spends a lot of extra money on is foods and drinks outside of the house. Remember, though, that you need to use the money you save to pay off debts, not on something else.

Be Aware of How Much You Spend on Food

You need to be aware of just how much money you are in the habit of spending on food on a monthly basis. Doing so will make you realize just how much money you could be saving if you spent just a little bit less on snacks and convenient, ready-prepared drinks.

The easiest way to make these changes is to make them one at a time. Drastic cutbacks will leave you feeling deprived, but if you gradually change the way you spend money, you will gain a sense of pride and accomplishment in your achievements.

Cut Back On Coffee Drinks

There is no denying it, coffee shops like Starbuck’s have become a strongly entrenched part of modern American culture and breaking the cycle of high priced coffee spending is anything but easy. Buying a five dollar coffee, tipping the employees, and then adding a specialty pastry like a bagel, scone, or croissant is an expensive morning routine.

Reduce credit card debt by making coffee at home and skipping the stop at the coffee shop. You can buy a coffee brewer and a pound of coffee for about the same amount you spend on coffee drinks in one week.

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Have you ever dreamed what life would be like without a mortgage payment? This used to be just a dream for many until recently with the introduction of a money merge account. The money merge account can shorten your mortgage and reduce the amount of interest you pay over the course of the loan.

Banks are earning obscene amounts of money from the interest on open mortgages. Both you and the bank own your house until your mortgage is completely paid off, and they can repossess you house if you fail to make your mortgage payments. A money merge account can help you become the true owner of your house a lot sooner. They reduce the amount of interest you will pay the bank.

Money merge accounts accelerate your equity position or pay off your mortgage in just one-half or one-third the time, which means you have much, much of your payment going to the principle and much, much less going toward interest. There’s no need to refinance your existing mortgage, and you don’t have to have any change in lifestyle.

Christopher Cruise, a former mortgage broker who now trains people who write home loans, says, “One hundred percent of the people I teach in their late 20s or 30s have no idea what a mortgage burning is. This whole attitude of paying off the mortgage and owning the home free and clear is disappearing from the country…increasingly, it is a milestone that people do not expect to reach. A new AARP national survey, for example, found that among workers 55 and older with mortgages, about half doubted that they could pay them off before they retired.” This is a very sad situation. It’s deplorable, in fact. However, the money merge account makes this formerly common dream of the day of the holding of the mortgage burning ceremony a reality once again.

Currently checking and savings accounts tend to earn very little in interest. The money merge account uses an advanced line of credit, (ALOC) to to cancel interest at a higher rate than it could have earned in the checking and savings accounts. This creates a financial benefit for you. Now your money is working for you instead of working for the bank, allowing you to pay off your mortgage in one third to one half the time. The computer software shows you the effects of your financial decisions, as well as the time and interest savings.

While the results of the money merge account are quite impressive, it will not work for everyone. You need to meet specific financial guidelines to qualify for the program. Many people can take control of their financial lives in a way that they have never experienced before and never would by using the money merge account.

Homeowners in Australia and the United Kingdom have used this system for the last 12 years. and now it is being well received in the United States and Canada. Anyone who owns a home, owes it to them self to see if they qualify for a money merge account.

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It’s been a tough year, and then some, for those who have lost jobs for whatever reason. If you’ve been in a job search for more than a few weeks you may be experiencing the feelings of defeat and despair, not to mention the urge to give up. Interviewing with no second interviews or offers coming in begins to wear thin – very fast.

How to keep your spirits up when you’re feeling down during this process.

1. Don’t give up.

Some of these stories have been repeated many times, but they remain inspirational.

Thomas Edison patented 1,093 inventions in his lifetime, but it took him 10,000 attempts to make an electric light bulb work.

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse series failed to become an instant hit, but he kept trying and in 1928 he added sound and made it an electrifying success.

Milton Hershey failed several businesses before he became the “Chocolate King” and built Hershey town. He even went bankrupt in his first business venture.

(Source “Milana Leshinsky” – http://www.accpow.com.)

Anyone can give up — that’s easy! The challenge is to pick yourself up after a failure and move forward. That is what will set you apart from “the pack.” These are great “successes-after-failure stories” that couldn’t have happened if these people hadn’t continued to pursue their dreams.

2. You will experience ups and downs

Accepting the fact that this is a stressful time you are going through and that a great deal of it is out of your control will help you put things into perspective. It’s not unusual to have highs and lows during your job search. Some days you may even feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster. Everything looks hopeful one moment with a job prospect ahead, and then it changes to dark and dismal in the next moment when you receive a rejection.

3. Give yourself permission to fail.

Remember, you are interviewing “them” as much as they are interviewing you. It is very disappointing when you feel like you “aced” the interview and then wait for the promised call that never comes. Be realistic – you aren’t going to get a job offer after every interview. Think of it this way, you didn’t marry every date you ever dated (at least most of us didn’t), and you aren’t going to get a job offer after every interview. And maybe that’s a good thing, at least some of the time.

4. Work on controlling stress

Don’t let stress become a problem and be careful not to let it affect your lifestyle and health. Are you waking up in the middle of the night or skipping meals because you are feeling really down or upset? You may need to talk to someone who is a professional to get some advice about relaxation techniques. Park and Recreation departments in most cities offer relaxation courses of some kind — yoga, pilates, aerobics, or stress control exercises — for a nominal fee, that could assist you in getting back on balance.

5. It is important to continue to get “out there”

Study after study published continues to indicate that “networking” is still the number one way to land a job. Take advantage of every opportunity to be with groups of people. This encompasses everything from your child’s soccer game to a Chamber of Commerce event. Informal networking can happen at any moment and when you least expect it. An example is of a man waiting for a bus. He struck up a conversation with another man also waiting for the bus and ended up getting a job lead and an eventual offer. No one can predict when an opportunity might come your way.

6. Prepare yourself for the job interview

Preparing ahead of the interview will give you a definite advantage. What this means is getting focused about what you want the interviewer to know about you. You are presenting a picture of you with words. It is important to identify what makes you unique and what added value you can bring to the position. Reading through the job posting you are applying for and getting a sense of what it will take to do this job will help you look at the process from the interviewer’s point of view. You want to let the interviewer know that you are the “solution to the problem,” and the best person for the job.

7. You are not alone

It is an extremely tight job market and that for every job opening there are four or five equally qualified candidates standing in line behind you. It is essential that you are prepared, focused, and able to tell the interviewer what makes you unique and why you are the best person for the job.

Bringing confidence and energy to the interview are the two most important ingredients to connecting with the interviewer. Keeping upbeat is a part of your job right now. When you begin to give into the dark side you will project that to others. You want to stay as upbeat as possible, particularly while interviewing.

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Filed under: Networking