There’s no better time than the present to alter your financial situation, and consumers can cement their futures financially by adopting smart habits.
“Being mindful of your financial goals and knowing how credit works are important tools to effectively managing personal finances,” says ACA International CEO Pat Morris. “Good financial habits can help ensure a sound financial future, and being armed with knowledge can help you maintain that all-important good credit score.”
To practice better money management, ACA International recommends the following:
- Protect personal information. Be cautious when giving out credit card, bank account or Social Security information over the phone or online. Require a certain level of authenticity from the third party. Monitor accounts and immediately report any suspicious or unauthorized purchases to your bank or credit card provider. If you believe your identity has been stolen, check your credit report for activity and contact your local police department.
- Understand credit and use it wisely. When used properly, credit can be helpful when determining eligibility for things like home mortgages and auto loans. Too often, it becomes a difficult burden for households struggling to make payments. Know the terms and conditions of your credit cards, shop for low interest rates, make payments on time and understand the ramifications of making a late payment or missing a payment. Learn the ins and outs of credit reporting and its impacts on building a good credit score.
- Communicate with creditors. Don’t ignore calls or letters from creditors or debt collectors. If you are having trouble making payments, contact the creditor to discuss alternative payment arrangement options to make things more manageable. After confirming with the debt collector that the debt is indeed yours, discuss applicable repayment options. Don’t be intimidated – legitimate debt collectors want to help you.
- Know your rights. Consumers have important rights when contacted by a creditor or debt collector. Visit www.askdoctordebt.org, a free and anonymous resource for more information about credit.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved.
Debbie Woolard Group
(757) 288-0194
www.DebbieWoolard.com
Excellent Service – Excellent Results
Buyers Agent/Sellers Agent
Our focus is helping people find and exchange dream homes. We are seeking buyers and sellers that desire concierge level service including great communication, extraordinary representation and a continuing relationship for years to come.
You and your referrals will be provided with a great team of professionals to help with each step of the process. We are committed and passionate about negotiating the best possible terms and serving our clients at the highest level. Our goal is to create memorable real estate experiences where our clients become raving fans.
Our clients benefit by having a Certified Negotiation Expert on their side. This provides them with better results, a smoother process and greater satisfaction.
Whether a person is looking to buy or sell a starter home or a multi-million dollar estate, Debbie Woolard produces great results for her clients. She gives clients what they expect and deserve, an experienced realtor skilled in marketing and negotiations.
With Debbie Woolard, you will receive personal service as well as exceptional professionalism. She is well qualified for her work with her strong background of sales and marketing. Having been born here and continuously living in the area, she is familiar with the entire Hampton Roads region.
She has earned the professional designations of Certified Negotiation Expert, Certified Residential Specialist, and e-Pro. In addition she is also a Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource with extensive training in short sales and foreclosures. This uniquely positions her to help those in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. It has also proven to be beneficial to the buyers that are seeking to purchase a short sale or foreclosure.
She is well qualified to help professionals, business owners, military personnel and other clients with their real estate needs. She has been selected to work with both the Military Team and Relocation Team. She is consistently producing outstanding results in real estate.
Her first year in real estate she was awarded Listing Rookie of the Year as well as Sales Rookie of the Year. Her sales and loyal following of satisfied clients have grown each year she has been in business. She is in the top 1% of the agents in the area based on sales volume. Her practice continues to flourish thanks to clients recommending her to friends, family members and business associates.
Her clients state that her actions and attitude are best described with the word “integrity”.
Realtors with the Debbie Woolard Group service Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News & Portsmouth with specialist in seller representation, buyer representation, military relocation, first time home buyers, short sales and real estate investment.