If you’re needing some motivation on your own journey, this interview is sure to deliver.
Alicia and Ralston Vaz have cut their debt by $255,000 in five years!
[Read more…]
Commit. Plan. Take action.
If you’re needing some motivation on your own journey, this interview is sure to deliver.
Alicia and Ralston Vaz have cut their debt by $255,000 in five years!
[Read more…]
Though it doesn’t happen often, there are occurrences where an item a debt collector is asking you to pay is past its statue of limitations. If you feel like the debt you’re being asked to pay isn’t valid you can choose to send a debt validation letter to the collector.
If you’ve never heard of a debt validation letter before, don’t worry. It isn’t an extremely common thing. Debt validation letters, as previously stated, can be used to asked a debt collector to verify your debts.
These items usually won’t appear on your credit report because they’ve already fallen off due to the statue of limitations. Sending a debt validation letter requires the collector to either verify whether the debt is within or past the statue of limitations.
First, check your credit report. If the item you’re being asked to pay isn’t showing up there it is likely past the statue of limitations for that specific kind of debt. Whether or not you’ll need to send a debt validation letter depends on the statue of limitations on the debt you are carrying. Medical debts, for instance, have a different statue of limitations (oftentimes longer) than, say, credit card debt (seven years). The statue of limitations on debt collection is determined by the Federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act or the law in your individual state.
If there is an item that appears on your credit report that does not belong there you do not need a debt validation letter. What you’ll want to do is dispute the information on your report with the credit bureau.
If you’re interested in more information about paying off debt, check out these great articles:
If it turns out that you do need a debt validation letter you’ll need to know how to go about sending one. In the letter you’ll want to include important information up front, such as your name, address (city, state and zip) as well as the collection agency’s name and address.
Once you’ve provided the important information at the top of the letter, provide a subject line. For example, most people write “Re: Account Number.” Within the letter you will want to be sure that you are clear that you are not refusing to pay the debt you simply want validation. A great example of a debt validation letter can be found here.
Having to deal with debt collection agencies and debt validation letters is nerve wrecking but if it helps you to better your credit (or get those collectors off your back) it is totally worth it.
Have you ever had to use a debt validation letter? What was the outcome?
Photo: Graham Legal PLLC
Toy R Us and Babies R Us both announced they will be closing their doors, kicking off some seemingly great going-out-of-business sales. For growing families, these sales may be tempting. However, most people are better off just staying home.
Our Debt Free Family’s sister site, Saving Advice, had a colorful description of zombie toys in the back of liquidated stores. What you should really be scared of is the impact wasting money on a going-out-of-business sale might have on your wallet.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, many of these businesses have ways of making you spend more when all is said and done. If it is a large retail chain, like Toys R Us, the sale is most likely being handled by a liquidator. This also means there will be huge discounts advertised, but you may not be getting that great of a deal. In many cases, liquidation sales are marked down from seriously inflated prices. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before heading to any liquidation sales.
No matter what kind of sale you’re headed to, price comparison is the best way to protect yourself from false discounts. Know what you are purchasing and what the average price is before going crazy at a sale.
Readers, have you been tempted — or even tricked — into buying items at a going-out-of-business sale?
Spending plan, cash flow plan, budget.
I don’t care what you call it.
You need to have a plan for your money.
[Read more…]
Many people think that they may have forgotten to pay something off and panic, however, the debt may not be valid if it isn’t appearing on your credit report. If that is the case you may need to draft and send a debt validation letter to the collection agency.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires debt collectors to provide you validation of debt within five days of contacting you. It is your right to receive this information. If you do not receive it you can send a debt validation letter to the collection agency. You must send a debt validation letter within 30 days of the initial contact with the collectors though so it is a time-sensitive action.
If you’re wondering if you need to send a debt validation letter, ask yourself the following:
Is the debt yours? If the debt isn’t yours you may have had your identity stolen or the debt collectors could have incorrect contact information. Debts that aren’t yours should be reported to the credit bureau directly. A debt validation letter won’t be necessary.
How old is the debt? If the debt is yours, how old is it? It may be past the statue of limitations which will make it no longer appear on your credit report. Collection agencies are also prohibited from asking for payment on any account past its statue of limitations. You will need to write a debt validation letter if that is the case.
Those who feel they need a debt validation letter will be pleased to know it is a relatively simple task. Every debt validation letter needs to be direct and straight to the point. Below you will find a sample text.
Date
Your Name
Address
City, State Zip
Debt Collector’s Name
Address
City, State Zip
Re: Account Number
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you in response to (phone call/letter) received by you on (date). Though I am not refusing payment, I am requesting that you provide validation of this debt.
If you do not meet this request, I will file complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the [your state here] Attorney General’s office and both civil and criminal claims will be pursued.
Sincerely,
Your Name
If you’re interested in paying off debt, check out these great articles:
Once you’ve drafted and sent your debt validation letter you’ll wait to hear from the debt collector. All debt collectors must cease attempts to collect debts until your debts have been verified.
Collection agencies are also required to provide specific information to those who ask for validation of their debts. If you are waiting for a response to your debt validation letter, be sure you receive all of the following information:
If you do not receive any more information from the debt collector and continue to receive calls you can pursue criminal and civil claims, as outlined in the sample text. Most of the time if a debt validation letter is sent and there is no response the collector could not verify your debt and dropped the account.
Whatever you do don’t ignore the problem. Ignoring debt collectors and debt in general can hurt your credit score and your overall finances in the long run.
Have you written a debt validation letter? What was the outcome?
Photo: US News
January 29 is my birthday. Every year, I take a moment to reflect on the previous year, how I grew, changes that happened, and so on. This year’s birthday reflections left me feeling thankful and glad for the life I have.
Many people take the time to reflect at the end of the year and the beginning of the next. While I do love to reflect around January 1 like everyone else, reflecting around my birthday has always been important to me. Every year, the number associated with how long I’ve been on this planet goes up. People often associate your age with certain milestones. Next year, the year I turn 30, is a big one for many people. You’re “supposed” to have met so many milestones by the age of 30. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind peers your age.
That is one of the biggest reasons I sit down and reflect every year: not to compare myself to others but to compare myself to who I was last year. It gives me a version of myself to say, “Wow, I’ve come a long way.” My 28th year of life was kind of crazy, but in the most special way. I grew closer to my husband, we grew in our careers, and we welcomed our daughter into the world. It was truly an amazing year, but how have I personally changed?
This year was definitely one to remember. Now granted, I spent most of the year pregnant and preparing for the birth of my child. However, that experience and other things I went through last year have completely changed who I am fundamentally as a person. I grew in more ways than one. Last year, I started practicing yoga, which has become an important part of my life. I did a lot of things that made me uncomfortable to improve myself as a person (including taking new classes, meeting new people, and going to the doctor more).
Financially, I’m nowhere near where I’d like to be, but our finances grew in 2021. We were able to save, set up everything for the arrival of our baby, and spend a solid eight weeks with her after she was born without having to work. That was fantastic. Honestly, money has become less important to us as a whole. Spending time together is where we’ve been focusing our efforts.
The biggest change for me this year was the idea of family was altered in a huge way. I’ve always had a large family (my dad is one of nine children). There have always been aunts, uncles, cousins, out there somewhere. The family I’m talking about is a bit different though. Leading up to my 29th birthday, I learned a new sense of family. My husband, daughter, and I have such an amazing, close-knit support system. Seeing how these individuals rallied around me, around us, last year was amazing. Twenty-nine is starting out to be an interesting year already. Change is in the air and I’m excited to see what the next year brings.
A surefire way to speed up your debt removal process is to reduce your spending and increase your income.
This just might be the part that you enjoy most! This is where you have a chance to get creative.
This week and next week, we’ll find ways that you can trim your spending to make room in your budget for paying off debt or saving up for your next financial goal.
Today, we’ll focus on eliminating some expenses from your budget.
Pull out your monthly budget.
Examine each expenditure. Go through line by line to come up with some potential expenses you can cut from your budget.
What are some expenses that you can get rid of completely?
Other than your basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, carefully consider each expense.
Do you really NEED these items?
Challenge yourself to write down at least ten expenses you can eliminate from your budget.
For now, these are just thoughts.
You’re not going to act on each item you list at this time, but I want you to spend some time on this and add as many ideas to your list as possible.
Get creative.
Don’t worry if an idea sounds ridiculous or impossible. It may lead to a better idea later.
Once you have at least ten items listed, add ten more.
No matter how big or how small the potential decrease in spending may be, don’t disregard any idea.
Small changes add up over time.
Here is a list of 20 ideas to help you get started on your own list:
Again, these are just ideas. It doesn’t mean you have to implement every single one, but understand that the more you trim your spending now, the quicker you’ll get out of debt.
You don’t have to be as drastic as Miriam and unplug your fridge to make quick progress. My husband Mike and I paid off $65,000 of debt in 11 months on a single, middle class income, and we haven’t cut all of the expenses that I suggest.
Every situation is unique. What worked for us may not work for you.
I’ve stated this before, but the point of this whole process is to be intentional with your spending.
If you don’t cut an expense, then you should have a good reason for keeping it.
There are a number of expenses in our budget that we could cut, but we haven’t.
For example, we put our son in preschool last fall. We didn’t have to do that. We could have saved the expense and taught him his ABC’s and numbers at home.
But we feel that education is important, and we want him to be prepared for kindergarten when the time comes. While we’ve sung the ABC’s and worked on counting with him, he’s shown tremendous progress since September. He loves school and is already trying to read — at 3-and-a half!
Decide on two expenses that you can cut this week.
Then take action to do so by the end of the week. Make a pact with your spouse or accountability partner that you will act on these ideas by the end of the week.
Put it on your “To Do” list or add it to your calendar of when you are going to remove these expenses from your budget.
Two items is manageable for most people, and you will feel accomplished by freeing up even a little bit of money in your budget. But if you want to cut more, by all means, trim away!
If you are serious about getting out of debt, read our other popular articles:
Alice and Scott Paid Off $200,000 Student Loans In Seven Years
Ron and Thu Paid Off $137,000 in 7 Years
Make Some Passive Income With Paribus
Yes, You Can Pay Off Debt When You’re Behind On Your Bills
Lastly if you are snowed under with debt, consider refinancing with SoFi. They have solid customer service and a competitive model.
What About You?
Participate in the conversation. What are some expenses you have cut from your budget to reach your financial goals? What would you add to the list? Share in the comments below.
Are you a risk-taker from the United Kingdom? Or do you participate in binary options trading and are interested in trading internationally? There are only a few countries in the world that encourage investing and betting with your finances. Binary options trading is extremely popular in the United Kingdom. This exposure could be associated with the popularity of gaming in the country. Although binary options trading is becoming increasingly popular in the United Kingdom, many traders face the fear of scams.
The key to finding the best platform to begin trading is searching for one with reputable customer service, regulated trading, and a variety of assets. Before trading in the United Kingdom, you can choose to open a trading account. This should be incorporated in the country. Or you can open an account with a broker that is found in Cyprus. It is important to begin your journey with scams, regulations, and methods for depositing on your mind.
Avoiding Fraud
Brokers regulated by the FCA are more closely monitored, so it is recommended to research brokers associated with the FCA to avoid scams. Scams in the UK are reduced because brokerage firms typically have to regularly inform authorities of their activities. This reduces the chances that a scam can occur or that a fraudulent group can become successful.
If you are interested in beginning a journey with binary options trading, then this website is a good place to start.
Regulation
Since gaming is so popular in the United Kingdom, trading is regulated by the gaming commission of the country. Since gaming contracts cannot be enforced in the courts of the United Kingdom, they are monitored by the gaming commission. This commission lacks resources to effectively regulate binary operators. Though there have been movements to change the regulation from being under gaming to being regulated financially instead.
The absence of legal regulations preventing you from working with brokers from other countries allows many UK traders to find success. Firms in Cyprus are regulated, and traders in the UK can work with them because the UK is technically a portion of the European Union. In fact, brokers in Cyprus can use their licenses as a type of passport to serve for traders in the UK. It may be beneficial to begin your binary options trading journey with a broker in Cyprus because you can feel safer with your finances knowing that brokers here are held to higher standards.
Depositing
There are a variety of payment methods that UK residents can use to deposit their trading wins. Credit and debit cards are popular tools to use when depositing money because the funds are deposited right away. Another UK method that is becoming more popular is handling finance funds through eWallets. Because banking in the United Kingdom is reliable and established, traders are also encouraged to handle funds through bank wire transfer. It should be taken into consideration the cost of this though. It is more expensive than using a credit or debit card instead. Depending on your credit rating, your deposit should go through smoothly, but if you do have bad credit, many brokers wont authorize the payment.
Conclusion
While binary options trading is popular in the United Kingdom and expected to continue to make advancements, hopefully increasing safety, it is important to take into consideration scams, regulations, and depositing methods before getting started. You can research the best brokers or resort to Cyprus brokers if you are worried about trading for the first time.
It never fails. Things seems to be going great and then you are hit with something that costs an arm and a leg. For me, last month, the unexpected costs were related to dental emergencies. If you don’t already know, dental insurance is a racket. So, when it comes to covering the cost of an emergency, it usually falls on you. How do you cover it if you don’t have the cash upfront?
Believe it or not, just because it seems urgent to you doesn’t mean your situation is a dental emergency. There is a set of criteria the dentist uses in order to decide whether or not your problem is an emergency or not. Some common dental emergencies include:
At the end of the day, your dentist will be able to tell you whether or not the situation is an emergency. They will usually be able to get you in within 24 hours for issues that need immediate attention. That being said, dental work is crazy expensive. How do people pay for this stuff?
When it comes to covering the cost of dental emergencies, the numbers can be steep. For instance, I don’t have dental insurance. Because of this, I have to pay out of pocket for dental services. I pay $234 for “in-house insurance” with my dentist. This covers two cleanings a year, all x-rays, and discounts off any other services. However, it didn’t cover my deep cleaning gum therapy last Friday. The discounted bill that I paid out of pocket was $785. They drew up a plan for me to have all four wisdom teeth extracted as well (another $1,700 at some point down the road). Thankfully, I was able to get this paid, but if you are looking for ways to cover these astronomical prices, take note of these options.
As a last resort option, you can always borrow money or get a small loan for dental emergencies. After all, anything that impacts your health is important enough to invest in.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transcended its role as a futuristic concept to become an integral part of our daily lives. Beyond its applications in various industries, AI has proven a powerful tool in personal finance, offering innovative ways to save money and make more informed financial decisions.
Unknown to many, there are 10 impactful ways AI can revolutionize your finances and contribute to significant cost savings.
Traditional budgeting methods can be time-consuming and prone to human error. AI-powered budgeting tools like Mint and PocketGuard offer a more thoughtful and efficient approach.
These tools use machine learning algorithms to analyze your spending patterns, categorize transactions automatically, provide real-time updates on your financial status, and even find you the best loans like NetCredit. By automating budgeting and expense tracking, you gain a comprehensive understanding of your financial habits, allowing you to identify areas where you can cut unnecessary expenses.
Investing can be complex and intimidating for many individuals. AI-driven robo-advisors simplify the investment process by using algorithms to create and manage a diversified portfolio tailored to your financial goals and risk tolerance.
Platforms like Betterment and Wealthfront leverage AI to optimize your investments continually, ensuring that your portfolio aligns with market trends and adapts to changing conditions.
Using AI isn’t just about growing wealth. It’s also about managing debts intelligently. AI-powered debt management tools analyze your financial situation, identify high-interest debts, and create personalized repayment plans.
These plans may include strategies for debt consolidation and negotiation with creditors. By leveraging AI in debt management, individuals can make informed decisions to pay off debts strategically, saving money on interest payments and achieving financial freedom sooner.
Retailers and service providers increasingly use AI to offer personalized recommendations based on consumer behavior and preferences. Apps and platforms employ AI algorithms to analyze your spending habits and present tailored suggestions for discounts, promotions, and cashback offers. By taking advantage of these personalized recommendations, you can save money on everyday purchases without compromising your preferences or lifestyle.
AI significantly promotes energy efficiency in smart homes, leading to tangible cost savings. Smart home devices with AI algorithms can learn your behavior patterns and optimize energy consumption accordingly.
For example, smart thermostats adjust heating and cooling schedules based on your usage patterns, reducing energy bills. Investing in AI-powered smart home solutions enhances your lifestyle and reduces utility costs, leading to long-term savings.
Many individuals subscribe to various services, from streaming platforms to magazines, and it’s easy to lose track of these subscriptions. AI-powered subscription management tools like Truebill and Trim analyze your bank statements to identify and cancel unused or unnecessary subscriptions. By eliminating redundant subscriptions, you can free up funds previously spent on services you no longer need, contributing to significant savings over time.
Understanding financial concepts and making informed decisions is crucial for saving money. AI-driven financial education platforms, like Albert and Cleo, use machine learning to provide personalized financial advice and insights.
These platforms assess your financial situation, offer tips for saving money, and even provide guidance on investments and debt management. Incorporating AI-driven financial education into your routine gives you the knowledge to make sound financial decisions, ultimately leading to long-term savings.
AI excels at predictive analytics, and this capability can be harnessed for effective expense planning. By analyzing historical spending patterns and external factors, AI algorithms can predict future expenses with a high degree of accuracy.
This foresight allows individuals to plan and budget more effectively, avoiding last-minute financial stressors and enabling better control over their finances. Whether it’s planning for upcoming bills or setting aside funds for irregular expenses, predictive analytics can be a valuable tool for saving money.
Financial security is a top priority, and AI is crucial in safeguarding your assets. AI algorithms analyze transaction data to detect unusual patterns and flag potentially fraudulent activities in real-time. This proactive approach helps prevent unauthorized access to accounts, protecting individuals from financial losses and the hassle of resolving fraudulent incidents.
Tax season can be stressful for many individuals, but AI can simplify the process and potentially lead to significant savings. AI-powered tax optimization tools, like TurboTax and TaxJar, use advanced algorithms to identify eligible deductions and credits, ensuring that you maximize your tax savings. These tools stay up-to-date with the latest tax regulations, reducing the risk of errors and helping you navigate the complexities of the tax code more efficiently.
From automated budgeting and intelligent debt management to personalized recommendations and tax optimization, AI empowers users to make informed decisions that contribute to long-term financial well-being. With AI technology advancements, managing finances has become more accessible and less daunting. Using these tools and using them to their full potential, individuals can take control of their finances and achieve financial stability.