Credit reminder
Hey, snow friends. Hope you're not buried in snow... just playing in it!!
While I was studying this morning, I had the TV on, and for some reason I happened to be listening when I overheard a little reminder to check my credit report.
It's very easy to do yourself (in fact in about 10 minutes, I was able to pull one for both Jason and myself). Just make sure you go to the right website. All the commercials you see are for "FREECREDITREPORT.COM". DON'T GO THERE EXPECTING TO GET A FREE REPORT. You may in fact, get a free report, but there are fees associated with this website, such as automatic enrollment in credit monitoring for a very nominal $7.95 EVERY MONTH.
Don't fall for that. You can go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/, where you are entitled to one ENTIRELY FREE (NO SURPRISES) CREDIT REPORT from each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) every year.
We all know that incorrect information, such as accounts that aren't ours, etc., can affect our score, but did you know that addresses listed on your report that aren't correct can affect your score as well? (3 years ago, my ex husband's address made it onto my credit report...) Not really sure how those things happen, but I guess I didn't even realize how much of an impact those things could have on your score.
Anyhew.... just wanted to pass that info along. And I would be remiss if I didn't include information on how to get OUT OF DEBT with the program that Jason and I have benefited so much from. (In his workbook, Dave Ramsey also has sample letters of ways to write to the credit bureaus to correct improper information... I can send you those if you need them...) Dave is the founder of the "Financial Peace University" course we took. Scary thing is, we added up how much we've been able to pay off in the last 5 years, and it adds up to more than $40,000. WOW! Check it out online at http://www.daveramsey.com/.
+_+_+_+_+_+
We DID get the Christmas tree up, and decorated over the weekend. We had to rearrange a few things, and it is lookin good. We have more things to get out -- but unfortunately, most of it is WAAAAAAYYYY up in the rafters in the new shop, and I can't get them down alone. Jason has had some snow removal to do this weekend, so he hasn't had a tremendous amount of time to help me, either. But the kids are reeling over the fact that the tree is UP!
And I caved in this year... in my home growing up, there was always an angel on top of the tree. For years, that's just been the tradition, and I swore I'd never have anything BUT an angel on top. However, Jason mentioned to me that the STAR was, after all, what they followed to find the Christchild... right? So why can't we have a star on top of the tree? So we did, and I like it...!
And now Jason can tell that joke again this year... Do you know how the Angel got stuck on top of the tree? Santa was having a really bad day. The elves weren't focused in their work, things were breaking down at the North Pole, the weather was horrible, and Santa just wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit. Then, all of a sudden, the angel came bounding in the door, and said, "Santa!! Santa!! I got the tree!! Now where do you want me to put it???"
Obviously, the answer was 'up your @$$.....!!!'
SORRY !!!! I thought it was funny!!
While I was studying this morning, I had the TV on, and for some reason I happened to be listening when I overheard a little reminder to check my credit report.
It's very easy to do yourself (in fact in about 10 minutes, I was able to pull one for both Jason and myself). Just make sure you go to the right website. All the commercials you see are for "FREECREDITREPORT.COM". DON'T GO THERE EXPECTING TO GET A FREE REPORT. You may in fact, get a free report, but there are fees associated with this website, such as automatic enrollment in credit monitoring for a very nominal $7.95 EVERY MONTH.
Don't fall for that. You can go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/, where you are entitled to one ENTIRELY FREE (NO SURPRISES) CREDIT REPORT from each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) every year.
We all know that incorrect information, such as accounts that aren't ours, etc., can affect our score, but did you know that addresses listed on your report that aren't correct can affect your score as well? (3 years ago, my ex husband's address made it onto my credit report...) Not really sure how those things happen, but I guess I didn't even realize how much of an impact those things could have on your score.
Anyhew.... just wanted to pass that info along. And I would be remiss if I didn't include information on how to get OUT OF DEBT with the program that Jason and I have benefited so much from. (In his workbook, Dave Ramsey also has sample letters of ways to write to the credit bureaus to correct improper information... I can send you those if you need them...) Dave is the founder of the "Financial Peace University" course we took. Scary thing is, we added up how much we've been able to pay off in the last 5 years, and it adds up to more than $40,000. WOW! Check it out online at http://www.daveramsey.com/.
+_+_+_+_+_+
We DID get the Christmas tree up, and decorated over the weekend. We had to rearrange a few things, and it is lookin good. We have more things to get out -- but unfortunately, most of it is WAAAAAAYYYY up in the rafters in the new shop, and I can't get them down alone. Jason has had some snow removal to do this weekend, so he hasn't had a tremendous amount of time to help me, either. But the kids are reeling over the fact that the tree is UP!
And I caved in this year... in my home growing up, there was always an angel on top of the tree. For years, that's just been the tradition, and I swore I'd never have anything BUT an angel on top. However, Jason mentioned to me that the STAR was, after all, what they followed to find the Christchild... right? So why can't we have a star on top of the tree? So we did, and I like it...!
And now Jason can tell that joke again this year... Do you know how the Angel got stuck on top of the tree? Santa was having a really bad day. The elves weren't focused in their work, things were breaking down at the North Pole, the weather was horrible, and Santa just wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit. Then, all of a sudden, the angel came bounding in the door, and said, "Santa!! Santa!! I got the tree!! Now where do you want me to put it???"
Obviously, the answer was 'up your @$$.....!!!'
SORRY !!!! I thought it was funny!!
Comments
You are right, if we don't have memories, what do we have! Making memories is so important.
You are so sweet. I miss you girls and wish I could be at the progressive dinner.
I can't believe how much you were able to pay off, my goal this new year is to be totally out of debt. I am going to check out the website. Thanks!!