Holidays are for Making Happy Memories!

I absolutely love the holiday season and the happy memories I associate with it: baking, decorating, and family time!

And, there are the favorite movies and songs that you have to hear at least three times...who can resist Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Adam Sandler, Chevy Chase?

The one thing I don't want to remember, for certain, is spending more than I had when the envelopes come in January!

How you handle it today is going to be determined by the current situation of your finances and what you believe is in your future. SO, what happens when the envelope comes and your expectations are a little shorter cash-wise?

Your first inclination is to probably pay the minimums. I bet you put "getting out of debt" in your top three on your New Year's resolution for 2010, didn't you?

Well, here's a little something to help you with that resolution: "Ignore the Credit Card Minimum Payment".

I've shared a lot of the concepts in this article, over the years, with my clients, high school classrooms and community groups to help them put together a debt-freedom plan, so you know I use them in practice and not just repeating this!

If you don't know where to start, I have a recommendation to give you as well! In a partnership with Equifax, Primerica has designed a very easy, affordable and completely secure program for you to design and implement your own freedom card! This program is also including up to $25,000 of Identity Theft protection. Here's your link: DebtWatchers.

The DebtWatchers program allows you to monitor your credit report, check who's looking at your credit and improve your FICO.

From my family to yours, I wish you the best holiday season with the warmest and best memories yet!

We love comments so you can leave one here or email me at dfebtcure123@gmail.com.

Happy Holidays! ~ Jax

Wow! What Will They Think Of Next?

Just read this little post of Yahoo! Finance and, boy oh boy! They keep finding new ways to stay in black while customers are still in the red!

Who is "they"? The banking industry...you know, the ones who are also charging debit card users and online banking users astronomical account fees to cover purchases and payment. Take a moment to read this article, if you please; I think it's important you know what's happening: "5 Evil Things Credit Card Companies Can Still Do".

This is what's happening - there is legislation that limits some of the fees and rates charges on existing balances, protections for new account holders and how often increases on rates can occur on older accounts. There are still late payment fees that will apply and any other action a bank may have to take on delinquent accounts.

But, in light of the legislation that has been signed into law, our friendly bankers will now be able to charge for not using your card in 12 months, for not carrying a minimum balance or even for not charging enough in a 12 month period!

This is outrageous! I think we don't really need the banks to tell us they want us broke anymore, do we? They have no interest in how you and I live as long as they can charge us for ridiculous and, in many ways, frivolous fees so they may make money.

Obviously, no amount of law-making is going to protect us from these guys so I think it's time we look to alternative ways to bank utilizing more local banks & credit unions since the top players are just going to keep abusing our relationship with them.


Let me know your feedback via email debtcure123@gmail.com