Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Part 1
by Michelle Black

Let’s face facts.  This world is full of dishonest people.  Shockingly, it has been said that identity theft occurs every 2 seconds in the United States!  HOPE has helped many people, of all ages, ethnicities, and professions to deal with the aftermath of identity theft over the past 10 years. In that time I have found that identity thieves are not selective – anyone can be a target!  In this blog series I will give you some ways to protect yourself before identity theft happens and tips on what to do if you have already been a victim.

#1: Check Your Credit Report for Fraud!
To begin, the #1 way you can protect yourself from severe identity theft is to be aware! It is very important to monitor your credit report for fraud and inaccuracies. HOPE recommends that our graduates check their credit report at least twice a year (after completing the HOPE Program) to protect themselves from credit bureau error and identity theft.  In truth, checking your credit report at least twice a year is sound advice for every single American to follow.

Legally, you are entitled to one free credit report per year at www.annualcreditreport.com.  (Note: if you have already gotten your free credit report within the last 12 months, there are many websites online available where you can purchase your consumer credit report for a fee.)  Once you have obtained your credit report from each of the 3 credit bureaus – Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian – comb through it to search for signs of identity fraud.  If you find evidence of current accounts or collection accounts which you never applied to open then you may be a victim of identity fraud.

Hopefully you will not find any suspicious activity on the report; however, if you do, please feel free to contact our HOPE credit experts at 704-499-9696 or via email.  We can schedule a personal credit analysis appointment with you on the spot to help you learn your options and legal rights. Then, you can decide if working with HOPE would be the best choice for you to resolve any credit issues on your report.  All analysis appointments are 100% pressure free! There is absolutely no obligation for you to join HOPE because you speak with a credit expert, but at least you will be aware of all of your options.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more preventative steps to help you avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud.  There are ways to protect yourself and I can’t wait to share more of them with you!

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Congratulations to the Chambers family – our newest HOPE homeowners! After just 6 months in the HOPE Program we are happy to see that you are ready to close on your home loan! Plus, nearly $3,400 in negative accounts have been erased from your credit report! We are celebrating this success with you.

It is wonderful to know that with a little bit of hard work, dedication, and the help of HOPE’s credit experts it is completely possible to restore your credit to a healthy place.  In fact, we have a saying here at HOPE: “There’s no such thing as a HOPEless situation!” That is 100% true! We have helped clients with as many as 86 negative collection accounts and clients with as few as 1  negative collection account.  So, no matter what kind of credit issues you may be facing, there is a way to turn it around – legally!

Please call or email us today if you have any questions. Our caring staff would love to hear from you!

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Kicking the Habit of Overspending!
By Michelle Black

Does the arrival of your monthly credit card bill strike fear into your heart?  Have you ever discovered that your checking account is empty without knowing where your paycheck could have possible gone so quickly?  Do you have more new pairs of shoes in your closet than you can count?  If you answered yes to any of these questions then you may have a problem with overspending.

Overspending is one of the most significant causes of poor credit scores and unbalanced budgets.  I know that typically you do not set out to overspend; however, without a solid plan for spending you will find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of having more bills than money over and over again.  When you find yourself short on cash that is when bills get paid late (or not at all) and credit scores begin to slip.

Keep in mind, over-spenders are not bad people!  At HOPE we have helped thousands of members to overcome credit problems, many of whom arrived at those credit problems due to overspending.  The good news is that if these members were able to fix their overspending problems and turn their credit reports back around then so can you.  Here are a few tips to get you started on kicking the habit of overspending:

1.)  Write down every dollar you spend for the next 2 weeks.
This is the first step to help you find out if you have an overspending problem and, if so, how severe the problem has become.  Wives and girlfriends, if you are asking your spouse or boyfriend to track their spending you may want to note that men are typically a little more resistant to doing so. My suggestion? Make it easy for them!  Give your man a 3X5 card to keep in his wallet.  Just ask him to jot down the amount spent and where he spent it if he doesn’t want to save receipts.  You will still get the basic information you need this way and he may be more likely to follow through with your request.

2.) Make a spending plan (in writing) and stick to it.
You may be wondering, “What exactly is a spending plan?”  A spending plan is a written list of your monthly income (paycheck, alimony, child support, etc.) and your monthly expenses (rent, utilities, car payment, etc.).  In other words – it is a budget.  You can even contact us to request a free HOPE Budget Worksheet today! The key is to get started. (Note: if you are a current HOPE member you can give us a call today to schedule your free one on one budgeting session with a HOPE credit specialist. Talk about a great membership perk!)

3.) Trim the fat from your spending plan.
Once you have reviewed your 2 week spending list and completed your budget worksheet, look for areas where spending can be cut.  Now, I’m not talking about sucking all the fun out of your life so be sure to resist the urge to respond negatively to this suggestion.  However, I am talking about making a plan to get the things that you really want out of life (i.e. a new home, a new car, college education for children, family vacations, etc.) by figuring out what you can live without in the present.  You may be able to find hundreds of extra dollars per month by reducing cable TV plans, cell phone plans, entertainment expenses, eating out expenses, or shopping.  Don’t be afraid to take an honest look at your spending habits and see if a change can and should be made.

If you have any questions about today’s article, budgeting questions, or questions about other credit issues in general we would love to hear from you! Feel free to email us or give us a call at 704-499-9696.  Our caring HOPE Credit Specialists are standing by to help.

Remember, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for free weekly credit tips and more!

Another HOPE member is excited (and so are we!) about some really fabulous results this week.  Joe saw nearly $5,500 ($5,451 to be exact) in unverifiable and inaccurate collection accounts deleted from his credit report in a span of just 3 and 1/2 months! Not only that, but his credit scores have also risen an average of 424 points per credit bureau during that same span of time! Joe’s has gone from having a middle credit score of 0 to having a middle score of 607 already.  With a little more work we anticipate that Joe will achieve the completely clean credit report he desires and even higher credit scores with which he can be very happy.

Remember, bad credit happens to good people all the time. The good news is that every single American legally has the right to turn their credit situation around! You have the right to work on your credit alone or with professionally guided assistance (which typically makes the process much faster, cheaper, and more effective). If you are interested in learning more about the great services offered by HOPE, please give us a call at 704-499-9696. Our credit experts would love to talk to you and answer your questions today.  We hope to hear from you soon!

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HOPE would like to wish a big congratulations to Mr. Howard and family for their successful home closing!  We are so excited to see you achieve your goal of homeownership and a healthier credit report.  Mr. Howard has seen some great results during his HOPE Program membership like:

*A credit score increase of over 50 points per credit bureau in less than 90 days!
*A credit report clean and healthy enough to qualify for a mortgage loan!
*A healthy balance of new, on time accounts showing on his credit report!

There is nothing in the world we love more than seeing another happy HOPE graduate and homeowner.  For more information on how you can deal with credit problems that are currently holding you back please give us a call at 704-499-9696 or email us today.  Our HOPE credit specialists cannot wait to hear from you and show you how a healthier credit report could be just around the corner for you too!

Remember: you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter for access to weekly credit tips, contests, and much more!