Here I am with another addition of, be smart with your cash man! Lol. But seriously, why are you always falling for all of those credit card offers that you see floating all around the internet. I was literally on a website just trying to read an article then a pop up came up. It was for some credit card offer, I think it was chase or something. So then I closed the pop up.

Then another one. I closed it. Want to know how many more offers came up within the next 10 minutes?

Like 7!

This was pretty annoying. I was upset but then I took some time to think. First off, this is some very aggressive advertising. But then I realized why people get caught up for a lot of these offers.

You see, I would consider myself a savvy internet searcher. I usually know when a spam is around the corner or someone is trying to sell me something. It just comes with the territory I guess. Anyway, after thinking it through, many people don’t think this way though, all they do though is just click on whatever they find and if they see that they are

APPROVED for a specific type of loan…they jump aboard!

Not the right thing to do. You want to first make sure the company is established.

Also you want to make sure you are just not opting into to something known as a CPA. What a CPA simply is, is basically an affiliates way to make money off of you. They tell you to put your name and email or whatever in so you can qualify for the card application. Usually it’s not what you think it is, and they just got paid!

And you didn’t! Didn’t know that huh?

I told you I have learned a few things when it comes to the internet and that is one of the biggest ones.

So try not to fall for that. If you REALLY want to sign up for a credit card offer, I would just suggest you go over to an OFFICIAL site for a credit card and do it straight from them. This way you have a less of a chance to get scammed or anything ugly like that.

Take care

I’m out.

A big question that I get throughout the days is about starting a home based business. If you haven’t noticed the economy is in shambles right now. Many people are losing their jobs and they are not able to even feed their families. They are pretty much living off of their bank credit cards and continuing to build up debt.

Well you do not have to do this. What I think you should do is make the choice to try to slowly become your own boss.

Why? Well the answer is pretty simple actually when you think about it.

1. You get to make your own hours

2. You get to dictate how much income you can potentially make. Your income usually is based on the amount of work and dedication you put it. It will come down to your eagerness to learn the craft. The more you learn the more you can potentially earn!

3. Pay raise anyone? I am sure in your job you needed to wait a while for a pay raise. And then when you got they pay raise, it felt like it wasn’t even much. Well when you start a home based business usually they will raise your pay on performance, which is spectacular.

4. Residual income is the bread and butter. I LOVE this part about most home based businesses. They pay you every month for the work that you have already did. Let’s say you bring a customer in and they remain a customer, you will continue to be paid since you brought them in. It might sound confusing at first, but when you get the gist of it, it’s pretty exciting stuff. This reason alone is ne of the biggest reasons I would get involved with one and have been with many businesses in the past.

Do you have any reasons that I missed out you want me to share?

Ok relax….take a deep breath…don’t panic! I know that might be very hard to do since you might have lost or had your credit card stolen. But please don’t get to scared.

Why?

Well first off you should make sure you contact your credit card company. Make sure you tell them what exactly happened and if it was stolen, you see charges on your card that normally would not be there. This is why when you first even get a credit card you need to make sure you choose from one of the best providers and cards available.

For example when I ended up getting a Freedom card I unfortunately misplaced it and once I noticed it someone had put a charge on it. My provider was very helpful and they got the problem resolved as well as the money back from that unauthorized purchase.

That is the KEY though, you need to make sure your provider is reliable. Also either way you need to tell them ASAP. The earlier you notify your credit card provider and let them know exactly what they need to know. I believe you need to tell them at least 2 days since the incident, but I could be wrong there. Make sure you check the terms of your provider.

Also, there are SO many camera around in every store, people are not stupid…well some aren’t anyway. If they get busted using someone else’s credit card they can get into some very serious trouble. And that is NOT trouble that I think is worth it no matter what the purchase is.

What most card companies do is they will CALL YOU if they see some sort of weird transaction. They will notify you usually once it happens. My story is someone made a purchase in another state for a VERY big amount.

Does that sound like something I would do?

Totally not…any they knew it. From there all that needed to be done was some investigating and they knew something was up.

Thankfully all went smooth and I was able to get everything back in order.

So make sure you always know where your cards are and you keep it safe at all times. You will regret it if you don’t. I guess it is just part of being a mature adult. Comes with the territory.

So remember, don’t panic. Make sure you get in contact with your credit provider and let them know exactly what is going on. Stay calm. Even if you don’t have a great card like the you can still count on the provider you have to help you out with any incidents.

Here is a helpful video with some warnings and tips to help you prevent this from happening:

Just take action to make things right and you will be ok.

Hope this post helps when it comes to stolen credit cards…

Bye bye…

Though I am rather young, I am learning a bunch about the financial world. I am learning that it is really not easy at all. Many people tell you that life is a cake walk, but the truth is that it is not. The funny thing is that when you turn 18, you get the secured credit card offers rolling in. Seriously though, you will see tons of offers on your doorstep. So many that you won’t even know what to do with them all.

But why do they do this? Why are they sending me all this “junk” mail?

Well I think the answer is simple when you step back and look at it from their perspective. Since I am young, I will probably have a higher tendency to spend on things I don’t know. Just like my parents told me, it is probably part of the maturating process. We are the easy customer to the big credit card companies that deal in finance, never forget that.

Also, you need to save you cash. Don’t spend on anything and everything…because you will want to save up some money for the rainy days.

Are you into saving your money? I sure hope so. You do not have to be cheap or some type of hoarder…no way am I trying to tell you to do that at all. All I am trying to say is that you need to understand that sometimes, saving is crucial.
Some of my friends always laugh at me because I do not get the new sneakers that come out that are priced crazy expensive. Or I do not get the new jeans that are in style. Maybe because the jeans cost around $150 bucks! For jeans…common get real.

Not me…no way!

Growing up has taught me that finances and managing them can be card, but just as anything else you will learn in your life it can be done. I know if you are older reading this it probably means nothing because you know all of this already..lol.

This post is more geared towards the younger generation.

Keep smart with your finances. Believe me it will pay off big time in the long run.

Most people when it comes time to do their taxes the #1 one thing they think about is their tax refund. I been there myself since it is money you get back which can serve as a much needed extra financial help in these tough times.

BUT…

What most people are not aware of is how they can get the most out of their tax refund. They simply assume what they get is what they would get anyway and that there is nothing they can do to increase it. Well here is an excellent video I came across that is full of tips in regards to increasing and getting the most out of your refund.

Check it out and enjoy!

Do you want some smart tips for saving nice money? Well obviously you do because if you didn’t you wouldn’t be reading his article. So anyway, first this is first, do not spend money you don’t have. I see people using things like their Chase card and going on a spending spree. This is not the way you should be approaching your finances. It really does not make sense. What you need to understand is that the more interest you accrue over a period of time, the worst it is going to eventually be for you.

They love when you build up that balance so you find it hard to pay off your debt.

Well I think you should do some things to make sure things don’t get out of control. Here are a few things that I think you start doing ASAP.

1. Only spend what you can afford – Whether you are using a secured credit card or you are using any other type of credit card you need to make sure you have the money you are going to spend. It’s not worth it to pay the price later on life.

2. Make sure the card is secured – This one is important because with so many hackers out there nowadays, its soooooo easy to mess up and have someone steal your identity. I know someone that this happened to before and trust me it was not fun at all! Took a long time to get everything back in order and took them a few bucks to clear their names.

3. Let the points add up – Yep, cards offer points so much sure you use them! Different cards offer different things but for the most part when a card offers you points, you can cash them in for some type of reward. Make sure you do that. It will sure be worth it. Even a gift card is something good in my opinion…lol.

A resource where I found some info on a chase secured credit card was over at http://www.mrsjan.com/.

Later gator!

=)

If you are planning to buy a house then you better be ready to pay big time because of the high mortgage rates. Buying a home has always been one of the main parts of the typical “American Dream” but now it has become a challenge. Some even call it a for sure financial suicide because you simply get into debt not knowing if you will be able to pay it off. When you add to the mix the insecurities of jobs it becomes too risky to buy a home.

Unless…

You either have huge tons of cash saved up or you are smart and learn all you can on how to take advantage of low mortgage rates. Here is a pretty good and information video I came across with that focuses on 5 tips that will surely help you get the best mortgage rates available.

Check it out!

So we are all human therefore we make mistakes and are not perfect. When it comes to money management there are some common mistakes you should be aware off and this way you can avoid them. I thought this video was pretty cool in illustrating the common money management mistakes.

Check it out and share your thoughts!

Hey guys!

So for the past few years the talk of the town has been all about the economy and how bad it is. People going crazy complaining that there are no more jobs available and that the jobs that are available are not paying enough. Everywhere you look someone is getting laid off.

Now guys I understand this sounds terrible but you have to ask yourself are things really bad or are they just being exaggerated? Ok, ok I know we have a humongous national debt but still that doesn’t dictate your personal finances, does it? Do you have to personally pay it back out of your back? (we all have been from, you got it…Taxes!)

I started asking myself this question and really wanted to figure out how people are doing in this economy in the year 2012. I started digging up information and asking around in my neighborhood.

After a few days I must have talked to about 30 something people and out of those 30 something there were 2 who had been laid off, 3 actually quit and the rest are still working, earning a good living. The economy may be bad but people are still working.

I came to the conclusion that jobs are out there people just tend to give up too easily after being laid off and get use to the whole unemployment idea. Who wouldn’t want to earn doing nothing?

BUT…

You have to remember where that unemployment money is coming from, it is from your own money which has been taken from your paycheck all these years to put towards your social security. So you really are being lazy on money that was yours to begin with.  Times are tough but this is when the tough get going so don’t settle for unemployment and do not let failure in finding the job you want be an option. Keep on searching, keep on applying and keep getting interviews.

The more you keep doing this the better your chances will be at finding a job, I bet you can go on craigslist.org right now and find a job. Also when it comes to your living expenses many people tend to spend more than they make and never ever save money for a rainy day.

Make sure that when you have a consistent flow of income you save for a rainy day and also work on spending less. Just because you make a lot of money doesn’t mean you have to go spend it all. Get in the habit of saving, investing and spending less.

By doing this you will be more prepared to deal with situations like many people are in now, whether is jobless or low income cash flow. Alright guys, so be smart with your finances and avoid getting into debt.

Don’t blame the so called “bad economy” and understand that you have full control of your own finances and your financial choices will dictate the outcome of your financial future.

It is that simple =-)

Share your thoughts below!

Hey guys, Welcome!

So you got to our site and are wondering, what can you expect to read? Well we have a lot of topics to discuss that not only will be interesting but they will definitely be helpful in getting your finances straighten out. Many of you know the importance of education and we do agree, education is important.

BUT…

There is a huge difference between the “general” education you get at school and financial education. Understanding the basics of your own finances will help you live a better life, have more control of your money and how you handle making purchases, saving and even investing. Most people live life without understanding the world of finances only to be drawn into debt and hardship.

Our personal goal with this site is to provide the financial education that many people lack. We will be discussing a range of topics within the financial field. You can expect to read on methods to pay your taxes, the best tax companies to go to, how to save on your taxes, what type of credit cards have less interest, which credit card companies are legit and much more.