Money Talks, But Credit Curses
Bob Larranaga
"The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22: 7)
Every thing we bring into our lives involves a choice, a trade-off. We simply can’t have it all. We have to give up money to buy anything. We have to give up time in order to earn the money. If we overspend and use credit impulsively, we sacrifice our future by becoming slaves of the lender. As slaves, we lose our spiritual freedom because our minds are preoccupied with money worries.
To some degree, every purchase we make is a spiritual decision because it calls into question our values. The bigger the purchase the bigger the decision and the greater the need to pause and pray about it. In making the decision, we have to examine our means and our motives. We have to ask ourselves if we truly need to make this purchase and whether this is the best and highest use of our limited resources.
Read other Recent Posts on stewardship and add a comment.
Annual Credit Score: Assists You in Building Your Credibility
By: Frank Jean
While approving your loan amount, loan providers always check your annual credit score. This score helps them to know your credit worthiness in the market so; they can approve or denies your loan application. It does not only assist the lender but it also helps you to avail the better term loan deal, if you get the good credit score. That is why, it is very important for you to evaluate your score so, you can know about your credit standing in the financial market . . . "Annual Credit Score" continues.
Rule of
Thumb
Thumb
If you carry a balance on your credit card, look for the lowest rate. If you don't, get rewards at least equal to 1.5% of what you spend.
How the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Helps You
By: Rick Hendershot
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which is more commonly referred to as the FDCPA, is a statute in the United States that is designed to protect consumers who have creditors who are attempting to collect a debt from them. This act has several important features that are designed to accomplish this. You should be aware of these.
One outstanding feature of the FDCPA is to provide consumers with a mechanism of disputing debts that they don't feel they are responsible for . . . "Debt Collection" continues.
New Credit Card Rules In Consumers' Interest
The Federal Reserve Board has enacted a new regulation that bars banks from increasing interest rates on customers' existing balances. It also requires banks to re-evaluate every six months whether its interest rate are still justified in light of market conditions and credit risk. Equally important, the regulation limits the size of the penalties banks can charge credit card customers. The maximum penalty cannot exceed $25 for the first violation of a particular type and no more than $35 for more violations of the same type during the next six months. Also, banks cannot charge a penalty greater than the amount of the violation . . . Continue reading: "Credit Card Rules" continues.
Does Debt Consolidation Actually Work
By Michael Strauss
Many individuals have become consumed by debt. With salaries stagnant, rising inflation, high unemployment and an ever-increasing global recession, it seems that people have fewer and fewer options to paying off their debt. Some only exacerbate their debt problem by making the same mistakes over and over again. They continue to live well beyond their means and extend their use of credit by taking on loans they can't possibly pay and making purchases they can't possibly afford.
However, for those who've decided to tackle their debt and want to move forward on paying it down, what's their best option? Well, the most common and widely recognized option is debt consolidation. Debt consolidation allows individuals with debt to amalgamate or consolidate all their debt into one monthly payment.
Debt consolidation is typically geared towards individuals with debt arising from credit card expenditures, student loans and other miscellaneous credit extensions. It is not intended as a way to pay down mortgages or other real estate investments. While there are some benefits to the idea, the question mainly becomes whether it actually works or whether it only exacerbates an individual's debt problem . . . "Debt Consolidation" continues.
"Owe no man anything, save to love one another." (Romans 13:8)