Call Today for your FREE In Person Consultation (702) 724-0500

MAKE A CHANGE

1. PLEDGE TO CHANGE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT MONEY. 
The first and most important step in developing and following a financial plan is to examine your attitudes about money. Are you ready to accept responsibility for changing your financial situation? Do you believe that you can and will change the way you make financial decisions? Can you identify at least one benefit you hope to gain by changing your money management behavior?  You are definitely ready and able to start your path to financial wellness. If you are also willing to take the pledge for change.
 2. GET ORGANIZED 
After you make your pledge, it’s time to get financially organized. Once you are organized, you will see your whole financial picture. Proper planning and discipline will help you make choices that will lead you to sound financial management of your finances. Start with your financial record keeping such as your income and expenses. All papers associated with your income and expenses should be kept in a safe place. Next consider organizing your legal documents. This can include wills, health care proxy and power of attorney. Once you have your finances organized, you can feel good about moving forward and taking your next steps to financial health. 
3. GET COPIES OF YOUR CREDIT REPORT 
Your credit reports can provide a valuable snapshot of your overall financial situation. Reviewing your credit reports for accuracy can also help you to identify errors or fraudulent activity. The Fair and Accurate Transactions Act gives every consumer the right to receive a free credit report every year from each of the credit bureaus. To check your report as often as you want sign up with a monitoring service. Credit karma offers a free service for this. To get your free report visit annual credit report dot com or you may call them at 877-322-8228.
4. DISPUTE ANY ERRONEOUS INFORMATION ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT 
If you find an error on your credit reports, you are protected under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the credit bureaus are required to provide correct and complete information to companies requesting a consumers credit history. If you find an error on your report, simply follow the steps we use at community credit repair. Write to the the credit reporting agency disputing the item and include any supporting documentation. Keep a copy of everything you send for your files. When the credit reporting agency receives your letters  disputing the item or items, they must investigate the item in dispute. This is usually completed within 30 days. By law the creditor in dispute must review your evidence and report its findings back to the credit bureau. The credit bureau must then give you a written report of its investigation and a copy of your report. If the report results in a change, you can also fill out an online dispute form provided by the credit bureaus. If an item on you report is found to be an error and is corrected, you can request that the credit bureau send corrected copies of your report to any creditor who received your report in the previous six months or any employer who received your report in the previous two years.
5. SET FINANCIAL GOALS 
​Setting financial goals is an important step to financial health. Before you set goals, follow some rules set by community credit repair your Las Vegas credit repair company. First goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
I WILL PAY OFF $5,000.00 IN UNSECURED DEBT
S= SPECIFIC; DEFINED GOAL
M = MEASURABLE; I WILL ALLOW $100 PER MONTH FOR THAT PAYMENT
A = ACHIEVABLE; I CAN ACHIEVE THIS IF I CUT BACK ON MY EXPENSES, MY CABLE TV AND MY CELL PHONE BILL
R = REALISTIC; INSTEAD OF BUYING BOOKS OR RENTING MOVIES I WILL USE MY LOCAL LIBRARY AND ATTEND FREE EVENTS
T = TIMELY; I WILL HAVE MY CREDIT CARD DEBT PAID OFF IN 30 MONTHS
6. SET SHORT, MID AND LONG TERM GOALS
When establishing goals, you may want to break them down even further. Into short term, mid term, and long term goals. Goals will differ in length of time needed to achieve them. Enlisting 
community credit repair your Las Vegas credit repair company can help you achieve your goals quicker. Short term goals are priorities and should be  accomplished within one year. Mid-term goals are priorities that should be accomplished within a two to five year time line. Long term financial goals are priorities that may take more than five years to accomplish. Community credit repair your Las Vegas credit repair company can help prioritize you goals.
7. TRACK YOUR SPENDING
Most consumers find tracking how and where their money is being spent tedious, it’s critically important to achieving financial health. You should track your spending for a minimum of 30 days before developing a budget. If you don’t, it can be difficult to really determine what your monthly expenses are. Community credit repair your Las Vegas credit repair company recommends that you track your spending until you fell completely comfortable with knowing where your money is being spent. There are many ways to track your spending. You can use a notebook and jot down every time you spend money. Another option is to keep all receipts, and then later sort and track them in an excel file or in a daily calendar. Either way, the first thing you need to determine is where your money is going.
8. CREATE A BUDGET 
A budget is the most powerful tool you have for managing your money and achieving financial health. A well-constructed budget is something that everyone could and should have. A budget shows you the flow of money in (income) and out (expenses) of your household. A budget will also enable you to see how you are managing your money over a specific period of time. Perhaps most importantly, it details how much money you have, how much money you need to live and how you spend your money. You should plan on developing a budget and revise, revise and revise as your financial life changes. Community Credit Repair provides several resources to help you create and manage your budget here: 
www.communitycreditrepair.org
9. REDUCE SPENDING
Reducing your daily, weekly and monthly spending is crucial in achieving financial health and an instrumental step to successful budgeting. You would be amazed at how much you can reduce your spending just by tracking what you are spending your money on.
Once you have determined what you are spending your money on, decide on where you can cut back to help support your new financial plans. There is an abundance of ways to reduce spending. At Community Credit Repair your Las Vegas credit repair company we will go over your options.
10. DETERMINE YOUR NET WORTH
Determining net worth can help you measure your progress over time. The more you can save, the greater your net worth will be. Net worth is determined by subtracting your liabilities from your assets. Liabilities include major expenses and debt. Periodically evaluating your net worth can also help you in making financial decisions.
11. PAY DOWN DEBT
There are two schools of thinking when it comes to tackling debt. One method is to concentrate on paying off the debt with the smallest balance first (never forget to make required payments to all debts, of course). After that balance is repaid, you can then apply that payment to the card with the next smallest balance and continue the process until all debts are satisfied. This method can be very rewarding because you see progress quickly. The other popular method is to first concentrate on repaying the debt with the highest interest rate. This method will save you the most in interest charges over time. Regardless of the method you choose, be patient and persistent. Contact community credit repair your Las Vegas credit repair company we will go over your options.
12. ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY CREDIT CARDS  
The truth is there is no “correct” amount of credit cards to own and use. When determining the impact on credit there is no one size fits all type of answer. The credit scoring model looks at the number of credit cards you have, but always in comparison with other information on your credit report. The best number of credit cards depends on your ability to manage your debt and credit card payments. You can tell if you have too much credit by looking at and analyzing the following:
a. debt to income ratio
b. do you have difficulty managing credit cards?
c. is your credit utilization too high?
d. do you have too many cards?
e. is your mix of credit healthy?
13. START A SAVINGS PLAN
Reaching your financial goals requires a strong commitment to saving. That is one reason saving is an essential part of achieving financial health. You should plan on committing to a 10 percent savings plan.
If you are having trouble establishing a nest-egg, don’t despair. The following are some simple ways to boost your savings: 
• direct deposit – most employers offer this convenience
• cutting back where ever possible
• having a garage sale to get rid of unwanted items
• even consider a part time job 
14. PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS
One of the best ways to care for your family and achieve financial health is to be sure that you are prepared. The following are four critical policies to review and consider helping, ensure protection for your family if something were to happen to you or another member of your family: Hire a credit repair company in Las Vegas NV like community credit repair.
• review your health insurance policy and ensure there is adequate coverage
• auto policy
• life insurance
• disability insurance 
15. MANAGING MAJOR PURCHASES 
Do you have a major purchase coming up like a new car, a home or possibly even a new television? No matter what you are thinking of purchasing, planning, preparing and managing a major purchase is part of achieving financial health. Prior to making a major purchase review the following: 
a. financial goals – make sure you have included your major purchase in your goals and plans to pay for your major purchase
b. budget – can your budget support this purchase?
c. cash flow – do you have any cash to put towards your major purchase?
d. accessibility and availability of credit – are you in a strong enough financial position where you will be granted credit with reasonable terms?
16. SECURING YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE   
You work hard for your money and your money should work hard for you. Investing is one way to potentially grow your net worth.
Prior to investing you should think about your tolerance of risk. We all want our money to grow big and fast, but how much risk are you willing to assume? Before you invest, do your research and comparison shopping.
If you have access to a financial planner that you can trust that is probably a good start. If not you should compare before signing on your future financial assets. Whenever possible take advantage of employer-sponsored investment plans such as a 401k. These can help you prepare and secure your financial future. Hire a credit repair company in Las Vegas NV like community credit repair.
17. FINANCIAL CHECKUPS 
Achieving financial health doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and commitment and that is why a periodic check-in and make sure you are on track is beneficial. It’s easy to let things fall by the wayside once you have established a routine, but things change.
Plan on reviewing what you have put in place every 3 months. You do not need to spend a great deal of time, but a quick review can be quite helpful. If you experience a job promotion and your income has changed for the better, this is a great opportunity to check in and update your financial plan.
18. UNDERSTANDING THE COST OF CREDIT
It is important to carefully weigh your options before making a credit decision. When you sign or co-sign an application for credit, you are agreeing to all its terms. Moving forward, commit to understand everything that you are agreeing to. at the very least, compare the following terms before making a borrowing decision:
• interest rate or apr – apr is the annual interest rate you will be charged on a loan or the unpaid balance of a credit card 
• length of the loan – as the length of the loan increases, the monthly payment will decrease, but the total interest charge will increase 
• finance charge – the total cost of the loan stated in dollars 
• credit limit – the maximum amount you borrow at any time
• minimum monthly payment – the smallest payment your creditor will accept 
• grace period – number of days you have to pay your bill in full before interest is charged 
• over the limit and late fees – the amount you will be charged if you are late with a payment or go over your credit limit.
19. PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY   
Identity theft happens when your personal identification information such as your social security number, your name or your credit card is stolen to commit fraud. Identity theft is one of the federal trade commission’s leading complaints.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to determine if you have been a victim of identity theft is by pulling your credit report. This is the first place you will probably notice signs of victimization. pay attention to the following ways identity theft happens: Hire a credit repair company in Las Vegas NV like community credit repair.
a. dumpster diving – shred any papers with account numbers including personal checks, or any personal identifying information
b. skimming – credit/debit card numbers are stolen by the use of a special storage device when your credit card payment is being processed
c. phishing – if you get emails from financial institutions asking you to reveal personal information
d. changing your address – never fill a change of address form for a company/individual you do not recognize.
e. stealing – if your wallet is stolen is a sure fire way of having your identity misused
f. pre-texting – emails claiming you are the heir to a fortune, or one from a government agency saying you will get $200,000 in a pre-paid card after sending $100. Always remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
20. WATCH OUT FOR THE WARNING SIGNS 
​Sometimes we don’t see the signs of financial trouble until it is too late. However, knowing how to recognize the warning signs may help save you from having your debt spiral out of control. Some of these signs may include:
• paying your bills after the payment due date
• missing your credit card or loan payments altogether
• relying on overtime to cover your debt related expenses 
• borrowing from family members to make your monthly
 debt payments
• skipping one credit card bill to pay another 
• transferring balances from one credit card to another
• ignoring your credit card statements
• not having set aside money in your monthly budget to pay off your debts 
Hire a credit repair company in Las Vegas NV like community credit repair.

Contact

2375 S JONES BLVD, #15
LAS VEGAS, NV 89146

(702) 724-0500

mike@communitycreditrepair.org