Free eBook: Building Wealth- A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future

Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future offers introductory guidance to individuals and families seeking to help to develop a plan for building personal wealth.

It provides and overview of personal wealth-building strategies that includes setting financial goals, budgeting, saving and investing, managing debt, and understanding credit reports and credit scores.

This is a great 39 page ebook from the Federal Reserves Bank of Dallas.

Building Wealth is also available as an animated online interactive version and a mobile app, both versions can be accessed from their website dallasfedbuildingwealth.org.

The app is also available as a free download in the App store for Android, Apple and Blackberry mobile devices.

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Posted in: app , ebook , free

Why you Should Read your Bills

Bills, bills, bills… When they arrive, it can be hard enough to look at the bottom-line… never mind wading through the charges.

BUT… if you don’t check your charges, you could end up paying for things you never bought. That could be the result of a thief stealing your information, or a merchant making an honest mistake.

Thieves don’t need your actual credit card in order to use it – just your card number and expiration date.

And other times, a store might accidentally charge your card several times. It’s a slip-up that’s easy to fix… IF you spot it.

So read your bill and be on the lookout for unexpected charges on your statement. And if your card is ever lost or stolen, call your credit card company immediately to report it.

Comment back- do you read your bills, or do you just pay the balance?

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Posted in: Bills , Save

Are you a Victim of Identity Theft?

Have you ever found unexpected withdrawals on your bank statement — or a strange new account on your credit report? You could be a victim of identity theft. Keep an eye out for unexpected activity on your financial records, medical bills or IRS statements. 

Received phones calls from debt collectors about debts that aren’t yours? Ever get an unexpected bill – or even stopped getting your bills?
If any of these happens to you, you could be – a victim of identity theft.

Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information. Then they take money out of your accounts, apply for credit cards, or go on a spending spree – all using your name.

Wreaking havoc with your money, your credit, and your personal sense of security. You might even be questioned for crimes you didn’t commit.

Identity theft happens. It's an unfortunate fact of modern life. But there are certain steps you can take to help keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.

Every day, you do things to protect what's most important to you. And you know what? You do them almost automatically. Routine things like looking both ways before you cross, brushing your teeth, and buckling your seat belt.

Another routine to get into is keeping tabs on your identity and personal information. Here are seven  easy ways you can do it.

1. Read your credit card and bank statements carefully and often.

2. Know your payment due dates.

3. If a bill doesn't show up when you expect it, look into it.

4. Read the statements from your health insurance plan.

5. Make sure the claims paid match the care you got.

6. Shred any documents with personal and financial information.

7. Review each of your three credit reports at least once a year. It's easy, and it's free.

And before you know it, protecting your personal information can be as routine as locking your doors at night.

What to do if you are a victim of identity theft. 

First, call one of the nationwide credit reporting companies. Ask them to put a fraud alert on your credit report. This means businesses must confirm that you are you before they extend credit in your name. The alert is a roadblock in the path of an identity thief. And it's just one phone call away.

Second, order free copies of your credit report from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies.
Third, complete the complaint form at ftc.gov/complaint. This creates an identity theft affidavit, which helps you file a police report. Keep records of your calls and copies of your documents. You'll use them later on.

So keep an eye out for unexpected activity on your financial records, medical bills or IRS statements and be proactive when you find errors.

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Posted in: Fruad , Identity Theft

Free eBook: New Beginnings in the New Year - Money Management

Free eBook: New Beginnings in the New Year - Money Management

Whether deterred by uncontrollable forces (like the economy and job loss) or just fear of lacking the self-discipline to follow through, the New Beginnings eBook  from Monemanagement.org aims at helping consumers start the new year off right by setting and keeping financial resolutions that not only improve their finances, but also improve their life.  

New Beginnings covers:  

• Ten financial resolutions worth keeping
• Steps to get a grip on financial clutter
• How to set realistic financial goals and resolutions
• How to personalize goals to make them more achievable

New Beginnings offers a step-by-step guide to turning resolutions into action-oriented steps that make achieving financial success in a reality. 

The New Beginnings eBook can be downloaded for free by visiting:

 Free eBook: New Beginnings in the New Year - Money Management

Source: 

moneymanagment.org

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Posted in: ebook , free , New Year's Resolution , resolution

10 Money Saving Tips

1. Consider your needs vs. your wants. Think about items you purchase on a regular basis. These add up. Where can you save?

• Do you eat out at restaurants a lot?
• Can you cut back on daily expenses, such as coffee, candy, soda, or cigarettes?
• Do you have services you do not really need, such as cable television or a cell phone?

2. Set up a direct deposit and an automatic transfer to your savings account.

• When you get paid, put a portion in savings through direct deposit or automatic transfer.
• If you have a checking account, you can sign up to have money moved into your savings account every month. What you don’t see, you don’t miss!
• U.S. Savings Bonds can be purchased through payroll deduction.

3. Pay your bills on time. This saves the added expense of:

• Late fees
• Extra finance charges
• Disconnection fees for phone, electricity, or other services
• Fees to reestablish connection if your service is disconnected
• The cost of eviction
• Repossession
• Bill collectors

4. If you use check-cashing stores regularly, you might be paying $3 - $5 for each check you cash. This can easily add up to several hundred dollars in fees every year. Consider opening a checking account at a bank or credit union.

5. If you get a raise or bonus from your employer, save that extra money.

6. If you have paid off a loan, keep making the monthly payments to yourself. You can save or invest the money for your future goals.

7. If you receive cash as a gift, save at least part of it.

8. Avoid debt that does not help build long-term financial security. For example, avoid borrowing money for things that do not provide financial benefits or that do not last as long as the loan. Examples include: a vacation, clothing, and dinners out in restaurants. 

Examples of debt that helps build long-term financial security include:

• Paying for a college education (for you or your child)
• Buying or remodeling a house
• Buying a car to get to work

9. Save your change at the end of the day. Take that change and deposit it into the bank (every week or month).

10. When you get a tax refund, save as much of it as possible.

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King Solomon's Wisdom

God inspired the wisest and richest king to write witty sayings full of advise for us to prosper in every part of our life.  The writings of King Solomon are practical, hard-hitting, current, and spiritual.  There is not a better book for financial advise than the words of King Solomon.

Financial planners charge a bundle for their sometimes bad advise, but what would the wisest man who ever lived charge for answering not just financial questions, but questions about all our problems?  $100 an hour? $300 and hour? Gods inspired wisdom from King Solomon's life is priceless and absolutely, 100% free! (Who doesn't love getting something free?).

King Solomon was incredibly rich, and he gave inspired advise to his children and citizens to be fiancially wise.  Some of his rules are well known, but others are not taught in any business school.

Before you can save or invest money, you must earn it. Solomon emphasized diligence as a key to financial success. A lazy person will be poor, and there are many people who are poor because they are relatively lazy, of course not all who are poor are lazy. But the labors of the diligent man will acquire riches.  Proverbs 10 verse 4 says, " He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the deligent maketh rich."  Poverty or riches, the choice is yours! You will be faced with this choice for your entire life.  The one who applies her self diligently to her family, career, home, or other duties will be rich, but the one who is a slacker, or is lazy, will be poor.

As Christians we should  to be the most deligent workers in any situation.  We have to show the world a physical example of focused energy, intense persistence, and careful zeal to do what's  necessary to finish even the most unpleasant tasks. We should never consider the excuses of the slacker, as they are opposite of God's inspired wisdom given to King Solomon.

The Lord Jesus Christ himself was exceptionally diligent. And his Apostles followed His great example. In fact, Paul boasted in the grace of God that he labored more abundantly than all others.

Can you boast of your diligence?

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Posted in: Biblical Financial advise , Proverbs , Solomon on Money

5 Easy Ways you Can Save Money on Gas

Heard about the latest gizmos to improve your gas mileage?

Well… studies show they don’t deliver as promised… and some can even damage your car’s engine.

The latest gas saving gizmos don't deliver as promised, and may lead to you  spending more than  you save. But there are easy steps you can take to increase your gas mileage and stretch your gas dollars.

Here are five easy ways you CAN save money when it comes to your car:

1. Clean out your trunk. Don’t carry what you don’t need.

2.  Slow down. Every five miles per hour over 60 costs you a quarter extra for a gallon of gas.

3.  Go online to find the least expensive gas stations in your area

4.  Turn off your engine if you’re parked and waiting.

5.  Keep your tires inflated to the recommended level to get better gas mileage.

So, always check out offers that promise to lower your gas millage before spending your hard earn money.

Do you have any great tips for saving money on gas?

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Posted in: gas , Save , Saving , shopping

How to Save Money on Heating your Home

More than HALF our household energy costs go to heating? Energy efficiency isn’t just good for the environment, it means lower utility bills, too.

One way to reduce your energy waste is a home energy assessment. Your utility company can help – or you can learn how to do it yourself at EnergySavers.gov.

You’ll learn to look for air leaks around windows and doors, check ducts for holes and to improve your insulation.

Another time to cut energy costs is when you shop for a new appliance.  Look for the Energy Star logo and read the EnergyGuide label.

And there are day-to-day things you can do. Lower your thermostat in winter and raise it in the summer. Close fireplace dampers when they’re not in use. And keep air filters clean.

What tips do you use to save on your heating costs?

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Posted in: Bills , Save , Saving