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You gotta love America´s education system: 12 years of primary and secondary schooling and most of us never learned to budget our money. It´s not rocket science, but it´s one of those things that just aren´t very fun, almost like starting a diet plan or attending traffic school. What´s more, many banks and credit card companies pounded consumers with aggressive marketing campaigns to try to convince them to sign up for their cards, oftentimes using an assortment of gift incentives and bonus reward programs. So don´t feel bad if you got yourself into a credit card nightmare. You´re certainly not alone. But what´s important now is to figure out a plan to get out of debt. Here are seven easy steps to jumpstart your debt reduction plan. Step 1: Make a list, check it twice Get a blank piece of paper. On the left hand side, write down how much money you earn each month. For spouses, this may include both of your “take home” payment amounts. On the right hand side, list of all your cr...

Experian, Equifax, TransUnion are the three major credit bureaus in the United States.  Each bureau collects information on your accounts and payment habits from individual creditors. Some creditors report information to all three credit bureaus, while others may only report to one bureau. So, your credit files at each bureau often contain different information. It's important to check your credit files at all three bureaus regularly to ensure that all the information contained in them is accurate. Checking your own credit report can not hur your credit score.  Personal inquiries are not included in your credit report and therefore are not part of your credit score. So when you check your own credit report, you will not be hurting your credit score. An employer can not get a copy of your credit report without your permission.  A prospective employer can only get a copy of your credit report if you give your permission. The Fair Credit Reporting Act restricts access to...

Try the credit card companies' dedicated help lines to get your rate lowered. Each of the major credit card companies has a dedicated help line that is devoted exclusively to assisting customers who are having problems with credit card debt.  If calling the company directly does not get you a lower interest rate, the people on the dedicated help line may be able to do better.  There's no harm in trying. Here are the key phone numbers.  (You can also find them on http://www.helpwithmycredit.org/ ). 1.  Bank of America:  (800) 500-5306 2.  Capital One:  (866) 929-5303 3.  Discover Card:  (866) 567-1660 4.  FIA Card Services:  (888) 635-0776 5.  Citi:  (866) 936-4814 6.  Citi, for your Sears Card:  (866) 532-9532 7.  Citi, for The Home Depot Credit Card:  (866) 532-9689 8.  Citi, for your Macy's Credit Card:  (866) 785-1079 9.  Citi, for your retail and gas cards:...

If your answer to the above question is "Yes!", then it's time for you to learn more about "It's Not About the Money: How to Live a Financially Conscious Life.  Jame Honeck's empowering presentation will help you solve those problems once and for all.  Jane's proven methodology for how to cultivate clear visions and realistic financial plans has worked for thousands of individuals and small businesses, and her talks show how to make it work for you, too.  Jane's presentations include: It's Not About the Money! Access to Credit, Doorway to Debt Money Makes the World Go Around Hush Money Jane is a Certified Public Accountatn, Personal Financial Specialist, and Certified Empowerment Trainer specializing in personal and small business financial and tax consulting.  You can reach Jane at http://www.janehoneck.com/ or via e-mail at jane@janehoneck.com . Tax season is here. Until Next Time, Jeane' Bennett