Does your job offer credit education classes?  If not, then ask your boss to feature a HOPE Credit Expert at your next staff meeting! These free classes can be tailored to fit into any schedule.  Our experts can give a quick, 5 minute “credit tip” or even an in depth 1 hour training session on how to achieve healthier credit.

HOPE would love to help you give a little something back to your hardworking employees. Please contact us today for more information or to schedule a free credit education class for your company.  Just don’t wait too long – our calendar fills up fast!

Don’t forget: HOPE Credit Experts are available for your next church seminar or school event as well! Clean credit and the peace of mind that comes along with it is a priceless gift! Why not share it with your employees, friends, and family? We hope to hear from you soon!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for personal access to great weekly credit tips!

Congratulations are in order for a recent graduate of the HOPE Program. We are pleased to report that Ms. Jordan of North Carolina has experienced tremendous improvement in her credit scores since joining the HOPE Program in January.  Here are just a few of the wonderful changes that have taken place for her so far:

Her middle credit score has increased a total of 146 points!
Her credit scores have jumped from the 400s into the 600s!
Her credit scores are high enough to qualify for a mortgage!
13 negative accounts totaling nearly $5,500 have been erased from her credit report!

We are very happy to see these great results for Ms. Jordan and cannot wait to see her become a home owner as well!  Remember, at HOPE our goal is not just to help our members achieve healthier credit, but to teach our members how to maintain healthy credit for a lifetime.  If you or a loved one is facing credit problems of your own we encourage you to give us a call today at 704-499-9696.  Our caring staff is standing by to answer your questions and to show you how the HOPE Program can assist on your journey towards a healthier credit report.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for HOPE’s exclusive weekly credit tips!

Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Part 9
by Michelle Black

As I begin to wind down this informative blog series (just 1 more tip to go!) I would like to share one of the more alarming statistics I came across during my research. According to the ITRC Aftermath Study, over 43% of identity theft victims know the person who stole their identity! Unsurprisingly, it is not uncommon for a child to steal a parent’s identity to open utilities accounts, apply for credit cards or other loans, or even use a parent’s already established credit card or checking account to make unauthorized purchases.  However, believe it or not, it is also a very common phenomenon for parents to steal the identities of their children, especially in the case of underage minors with clean or un-established credit reports. Roommates are another common source of identity theft.

Since credit card theft makes up a whopping 26% of identity theft here is another tip to help you:

#9:  Monitor Your Statements Every Month.

It is extremely important to monitor all of your bank statements and credit card statements every single month.  You should read through your statements, line by line, to check for any unauthorized or suspicious charges.  If you find anything that looks “fishy” you can contact your bank or credit card company directly to investigate the charges further.  This proactive step could potentially help to keep you from paying someone else’s bill!

Be sure to check back this week for my final tip on how to avoid identity fraud.  If you haven’t done so already, please check out parts 1-8 of the Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft blog series.  Learning the tactics used by identity thieves can help you to protect yourself from becoming victimized!  Have you already become a victim of identity theft?  HOPE is here to help! Please give us a call at 704-499-9696 to learn how the HOPE Program can help you to reclaim your good name.  No credit problem is too big!

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for free weekly credit tips and much more!

Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Part 4
by Michelle Black

According to Wikipedia, “Identity theft is a form of fraud or cheating of another person’s identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person’s identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person’s name.”  As you know, identity theft can utterly destroy a person’s credit scores.  That’s why it is so important to protect yourself from this new and constantly growing form of fraud.  Today’s tip for protecting yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft is:

#4: Don’t Give Personal Information on the Phone Unless YOU Initiated the Call!
Scam artists and identity thieves would love to steal your credit card numbers, passwords, mother’s maiden names, and social security numbers.  Thieves often pretend to be bank representatives, collection agents, government officials, and even police officers in order to steal from the unsuspecting.  To give you an example, a HOPE member recently had a member of a collection agency call her and pose as a detective. The collection agent tried to get the member’s credit card number over the phone in order to “verify” her identity. Luckily the HOPE member stopped right there and hung up and called one of our HOPE Credit Experts. We were able to help her report the attempted fraud and avoid being subjected to unauthorized charges.

Feel free to stop back by our website all this week for more tips and hints on how you can protect yourself from identity fraud.  Educating yourself to the danger of identity fraud is the first step.  Don’t forget to share these articles with your online friends and family too by using our easy “share” buttons below.  Knowledge is power! We would love for you to help empower someone else today.

Not a member of the HOPE online community yet? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Part 2
by Michelle Black

I said it yesterday, but it is worth repeating: identity theft occurs every 2 seconds in the United States of America! The reason I find it worth repeating this shocking statistic is because you need to know how BIG of a problem identity theft has become in this country and why it is so important to protect yourself.  If an identity thief steals your social security number and opens as little as one single credit card account in your name it can have a HUGE impact upon your credit scores.  That’s all it takes – one single little fraudulent credit card being opened, maxed out, and not paid – to drop your credit scores like a rock!  So, here’s another way to guard against identity theft.

#2: Make Copies of Your Credit Cards.
One of the easiest, simplest ways identity thieves can steal from you is by stealing your current credit cards (or even just your credit card number).  Using your personal credit card these thieves purchase items in your name and leave you with the bill!  I personally know a woman who had this very scenario happen to her. Little did she know at the time, Mrs. Young had a receipt with her credit card number stolen.  The thief actually had a machine she used to create a new credit card with Mrs. Young’s card number! Additionally, the thief made a false driver’s license containing her (the thief’s) picture but Mrs. Young’s name and address.  Because the fraud was so extensive, several thousand dollars were charged to the card before Mrs. Young even became aware of the problem!

Another form of credit card theft is just that – actual theft of your credit card (not just a receipt containing your credit card number).  If your credit card is ever lost or stolen the very first thing you should do is to call your credit card company immediately.  A way to make this process faster, and easier on yourself, should the situation ever arise is to make copies of your credit cards and ATM card – front and back.  Be sure to store the copies in a safe place so that they cannot be stolen either.  However, if you have the copies already made then you will be prepared to act quickly should your credit cards ever become lost or stolen.  Without these copies it could take you hours to locate your card statements or look up the contact number online for each of your individual credit card companies in order to report the loss.  Be proactive and you could potentially save yourself a ton of trouble and time! Plus, the more quickly you act in a situation where fraud is concerned, the less likely it is that you will be stuck with the bill for someone else’s dishonesty.

More tips on identity theft protection are soon to come! So, don’t forget to “tune it” again this week for more helpful information.  If you have been a victim of identity theft or have any other credit related questions, please feel free to contact us. We would love to assist you and answer any questions you may have!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for free weekly credit tips, advice, and much more!