Saving Money 101 

by Michelle Black

Everyone loves to save money. Saving money is the quickest way for you to move closer to a balanced budget and a healthier credit report. In that spirit we will be featuring a multi-part blog series with some fantastic debt busting, money saving tips for you to start using immediately. If you can put even a few of these great suggestions to use you will see a big benefit in your finances. So, without further ado, let’s get started with today’s tip:

Tip #1: Ask for a lower rate.
Sometimes saving money is as simple as picking up the phone. You can start by calling your credit card companies and ask for a lower interest rate on your current credit cards. (This works best if you have a good payment history on your credit cards.) When you speak with the customer service agent regarding your account the first thing you want to ask is “Do you have the authority to change my interest rate?” If the answer is no then politely request to speak with someone who does that that authority, perhaps a supervisor. Once you have the right person, explain that you have seen offers for other credit cards at lower interest rates – which we all have received in the mail, via internet advertisement, or on TV – and that you would rather stick with your current card company if they are willing to offer you a lower rate. Be kind but persistent and explain why it is not affordable for you to continue paying the higher interest rate. I personally have seen my interest rate reduced from 14.99% to 9.99% by using the exact method above.

Remember, a lower interest rate can save you a ton of money depending upon the amount of your credit card balances. Of course, your best bet is always to pay off all of your credit card debt and keep money wasted on interest for yourself and your family. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to request a free copy of HOPE’s Debt Snowball Payoff Plan which can help you to plan a strategy which can get out of credit card debt for good.  If you would like more personalized advice we are here to help as well! Just give our friendly staff a call at 704-499-9696 and we will be more than happy to assist you. Don’t forget to check back later this week for more great money saving tips!

P.S. We would love for you to join our online community on Facebook and Twitter!

As you know, we really enjoy bragging on our members and fantastic staff at HOPE.  When our members and staff work hard and follow HOPE’s customized credit restoration plan - great things happen!  Here’s another example of a new HOPE graduate’s success:

John joined HOPE a few months ago because he needed to purchase a vehicle.  His scores were too low at the time to qualify for a loan with a bank or finance company.  He had some outstanding collection accounts on his credit that were causing him to be turned down for the financing he needed as well.

After joining HOPE and being a member for just 3 short months John NOW is proud to have a completely clean credit report!  HOPE was even able to help John negotiate his debt for less than half of what he owed to his creditors.  Plus, John has qualified for and purchased a brand new car!  Needless to say, he couldn’t be happier.  Congratulations to John and our HOPE staff of credit experts on this great turn around.

Feel free to share John’s story with your friends, family, and social media friends by clicking one of the easy to use “share” buttons below.  Any credit situation can be turned around with the proper guidance and little bit of work.  You never know who might need a little bit of “HOPE” today!

Don’t forget to follow HOPE on Facebook and Twitter for special offers, free weekly credit tips, contests, give-aways, and more!

At HOPE we love, love, love to brag about our members success stories.  Here’s another short testimonial about a brand new HOPE graduate we would love to share with you.  In just 5 short months this HOPE member went from a credit report with over $9,600 in outstanding collection accounts to a 100% clean credit report and $0 in outstanding collection accounts!  Awesome!  That’s not even the best news.  We are happy to report that this HOPE graduate now has credit scores in the 700s and was able to close on a home loan!!!!!

Congratulations to both our new HOPE graduate and our HOPE credit specialists for your hard work and dedication.  We are very proud of all of you for making this success story happen!

If you would like more information about how the HOPE Program can help you with your credit needs please give us a call today at 704-499-9696.  We would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.  No matter what shape your credit report is in right now just remember:

There’s no such thing as a HOPEless situation!

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

HOPE is proud to announce another happy homeowner and HOPE graduate this week.  In under 3 months this HOPE member has seen an average increase of 80 points per credit score!  He has also had nearly $2,300 of inaccurate information removed from his credit report!

This is just another example of how following HOPE’s unique plan of (1) correcting credit bureau mistakes (2) establishing the proper type and amount of current credit and (3) negotiating – if necessary – some of those pesky collection accounts can result in a healthier credit score and cleaner credit report.  So don’t be discouraged if you are currently facing credit problems of your own.  Anyone who tells you that a low credit score cannot be corrected is wrong.  It may not happen overnight, but if you are serious about improving your credit rating it is 100% possible with a little discipline and some hard work.

Remember, it is your legal right to work on your own credit report.  (If anyone tells you differently – run!  They are probably trying to scam you.)  However, if you want to achieve that healthier credit report more quickly and without the migraine headache that comes with trying to fix your credit report alone, we would love for you to consider the services offered by the HOPE Program.  HOPE offers experienced, reliable, and trusted credit education – not another “credit repair” scam.  Give us a call at 704-499-9696 to learn how the HOPE Program can help you on your journey towards the healthy credit you deserve!

Please join the HOPE online community today.  Follow us on Twitter and/or “Like Us” on Facebook for free weekly credit tips, special offers, contests, and much more!

Today we received an email from a lender letting us know some exciting news about a HOPE member:

“I have the credit pulled.  You now have a 683 Mid Score.  That is great!!  Awesome job HOPE.  This is a success story.  Ya’ll are ready to buy.”
~K.M.

The HOPE member’s credit score has risen from 620 to 683! That’s an increase of 58 points since joining the HOPE program a mere 52 days ago! We are so proud of our staff and HOPE members for all of their hard work.  This is just another example of how healthy credit is achievable for anyone who is willing to try.  In fact, over 80 HOPE graduates in the past 4 months have achieved credit scores healthy enough to purchase a home! So what are you waiting for?  Call us at 704-499-9696 today to schedule your NO-OBLIGATION credit analysis and find out how healthier credit could be just around the corner!