Free course on Blogging...Check It Out!

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Credit Scoring 101

"Use These Facts to help you..."

What is a credit score?

Before any lender decides on what terms to offer you on your new loan (which they base on the "risk" to them) they want to know two things about you:

1. Your ability to pay back the loan, and
2. Your willingness to pay back the loan.

For the first, they look at your income-to-debt obligation ratio. For your willingness to pay back the loan, they look at your credit score.

The most widely used credit scores are FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac & Company, Inc. (and they're named after their inventor!). Your FICO score is between 350 (high risk) and 850 (low risk).

Credit scores only consider the information contained in your credit profile. They don't include things like your income, savings, and down payment amount. Or demographic factors like gender, race, nationality or marital status. (The fact they don't consider demographic factors is why they were invented in the first place.) "Profiling" was as dirty a word when FICO scores were invented as it is now. Credit scoring was developed as a way to consider only what was relevant to somebody's willingness to repay a loan.

Past delinquencies, derogatory payment behavior, current debt level, length of credit history, types of credit and number of inquiries are all considered in credit scores. Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report. Late payments will lower your score, but establishing or reestablishing a good track record of making payments on time will raise your score.

Different parts of your credit history are given different weights. Thirty-five percent (35%) of your FICO score is based on your specific payment history. Thirty percent (30%) is your current level of indebtedness. The time your open credit has been in use (ten year old accounts are good, six month old ones aren't as good) and types of credit available to you (installment loans such as student loans, car loans, etc. versus revolving and debit accounts like credit cards) each account for 15%. Finally, 5% of your score is based on the pursuit of new credit.

Your credit report must contain at least one account, which has been open for six months or more, and at least one account that has been updated in the past six months for you to get a credit score. This ensures there's enough info in your report to generate an accurate score.
If you don't meet the minimum criteria for getting a score, you may need to establish a credit history prior to applying for a mortgage.

Need more tips? Have more questions? Call me! I can help you by answering any specific questions you have on your report. I can also help you with a complimentary credit evaluation and identity theft review. Call me at 309-743-0110 for more details...

Your Credit Card Company Hopes You NEVER Find This Out!

There are 6 things your credit card company DOES NOT want you to know!

Knowing these 6 things will save you a ton of hassle...and money!

Here they are...

#1 The TRAP is set. The average consumer has 4 credit cards, with an average balance per card of $3,900 (that’s $15,600 in debt in case you haven’t done the math!) Sure, there’s safety in numbers, but is this the company in which you want to belong?
I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be in the “below average” customer group that has less than $1,000 in TOTAL credit card debt. These companies keep offering us new cards every week (think about how many you have received in the last year!) They offer higher credit limits and cash advances. Basically, they insult our intelligence. Many consumers are flattered when they receive their “PRE-APPROVED PLATINUM VISA- just fill out the form below sign and send back” letter. We think we’re being rewarded for a job well done. The job, of course, is being able to spend money with the best of them and pay it back better than most. Don’t get SUCKED into this mental TRAP! STOP TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES; THEY’RE HEADED FOR BANKRUPTCY, ANYWAY!

#2 The Never-Ending Debt… If you make the minimum payment due on your average balance of $3,900 each month, your credit card will be paid off in approximately 39 years! It’s called “amortization”, or in the case of credit card repayment, I should say “lack of amortization.” In lay terms, this simply means you have no real term set in order to pay this back. It’s open-ended. They’ll let you pay on that same balance forever if you let ‘em. When you buy an automobile, you may finance it for 5 years. You know, if you never send an extra dime over your monthly payment to that Loan Company or bank, you’ll own that car on the day of your 60th payment. You have none of these guarantees with credit cards. They are revolving accounts. I guess you can say they are like the Energizer Bunny, “THEY KEEP GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING…”

Want to know the other 4 credit card traps? Then click here to get them!

Please let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you.

Steve

What My Chihuahua Taught Me...And How It Can Help You Too!

I live in a freakin' zoo!

Now, I'm not complaining...so bear with me here.

With 3 kids, 4 cats and 2 dogs (including a chihuahua that thinks she has hairballs) and a wife that SNORES...I have at least nine potential things that can wake me up in the middle of the night.

It happens a lot. I'm a light sleeper. I'm used to it.

OK, so it's 4:47 in the morning. What could possibly wake me up this time?

Ouff...Ouff...Ouff...Huh?

What's that noise?

The winner is...

My 3 1/2 lb. furball...long-haired chihuahua, Kiwi.

(See the second photo above...)

I gotta tell ya. she's been hanging out with my cats too much.

Why?

Because she decided that she has hairballs!

Huh? Ouff...Ouff...Ouff!

(Trust me, it's tough to put the sound of a dog making fake hairball sounds in print. So I invented a word on the spot- ouff. It was the best I could think of at 5:19 a.m.)

"Ok, Kiwi. You win. I'll get up & take care of ya."

Great.

as soon as I roll out of bed...she STOPS making this strange noise...and cuddles up in bed with my wife.

Oh well. At least now I can share this weird story with you!

OK, are you still with me? Good. 'Cuz there is a point to all this...

Believe it or not, my little 3 1/2 lb. Kiwi teaches me a lot:

* She's an expert at getting attention. Why?
(do you really have to ask? I mean - look at her! She's just too darn cute, isn't she?) How can something so small and furry stop traffic in public and spread smiles & aaawwws like a virus wherever she goes?

Amazing. What else has she taught me?

* She knows how to get what she wants. When she needs exercise, all she has to do is catch a glimpse of her tail in her peripheral vision...then WHOOSH! Off she goes in a relentless pursuit of her own tail!

Over and over again.

Which brings me to my next point...

* She doesn't take herself too seriously. I gotta admit it. It's freakin' hilarious watching her run in circles tryin' to catch her tail! Who needs TV when you can witness spectacles like this? (Truth IS always stranger than fiction.)

Wait - there's more!

* She has NO Fear! I haven't told you about my other dog...
My spastic beagle/lab mix, Lucy. (I'll save my diatribe on her for another day.) But I will mention this...

Kiwi loves to pick on Lucy! (Look at the 1st pic above for PROOF!)

Trust me on this one. Your life ain't complete 'til you've seen these two wrestle!

Who wouldn't want to watch a little brown 3 1/2 lb. fuzzball bounce around all over a dog 20 times her size...and kick her ass?

It's all play, of course. No animals ever really get harmed in my world.

Lucy always plays along and takes her 'beating' like a trooper. Actually, I think she likes the attention. Really. She gets her ears cleaned out for one thing! Plus I'm pretty sure the back of Lucy's legs stay pretty clean too. Why? Beacuse Kiwi is always 'nibbling' the dirt off of 'em!

Alright, enough.

Is there a point to all this? YOU BETCHA!

If you want to get aheaad in this world...live life to the fullest...enjoy yourself...and YES even take control over your finances...
then you can learn a few things from Kiwi. Especially this...

* She's not afraid to ask for help! Even though the whole 'hairball' thing was a false alarm...
She still knows she can turn to 'Dad' for help.

So can you.

If you need to get a grip on your money situation, I can help you use your home to make everything waaayyyyy better!

Call me today at 309-743-0110. Let's see if I can help.

You have nothing to lose (and Kiwi will thank you for it!) :)

Sincerely,

Steve

P.S. Just kidding about the snoring, dear!

“How Can You Quickly and Easily Give Your Mortgage a MASSIVE Overhaul, Slash Your Monthly Payments AND Put Cash In Your Pocket…Risk-Free?”

Easy. Just follow these simple steps…

Dear Friend,

Are you tired of working your tail off to pay your bills…
with nothing but pocket lint left to show for it?

Do you have too much month left at the end of your money?

Are you tired of struggling just to pay thousands of dollars in unnecessary interest on your home mortgage, car payment and credit card bills?

Do you get sick to your stomach when you open your mortgage statement…and notice your balance is barely moving at all?

What if you could quickly and easily ‘tune up’ your finances…without risking a penny?

Would you?

Now you can discover the secret tips, tricks and strategies most loan officers don’t know about.

Here’s all you need to do to get started:

Pick up the phone right now and call me at 1-877-743-0110. You can even lock into a lower fixed payment on your home loan. Here’s what else you can do…

· Get rid of your unpredictable, high payment mortgage(s). Switch to a stable, lower payment.
· Wipe out ALL of your credit card balances! Without bankruptcy, credit counseling, or damaging your credit rating in any way. You’ll even improve your credit score in the long run as a result!
· Learn how to become debt free in as little as 5 years! Using your current income.
· 1 – 2 months with no bills to pay to anyone! No mortgage, no car payments, no credit cards! Just think what that could save you… some people save as much as $2431.38 right there alone.
· I’ll build you a 100% legal, ethical and moral “middle class tax shelter!” Hint: this is the same technique that the wealthy already know about, and they’ve used it for decades. Why aren’t you using it? This could be worth thousands of dollars of additional savings to you!
· Wipe out your car loans! And get your car titles free and clear! No more car payments!
· I’ll save you hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars every month! Money you now spend servicing debt. Hey! You really can improve the quality of your life! I can even get you EXTRA CASH… while still saving you money each month!!!

Sound too good to be true? Don’t take my word for it. Go see the other posts on this page. Read the words of my happy clients!

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Yeah, but will I qualify?”
Maybe. Maybe not.

But there’s only one way to be sure…

Call me NOW at 1-877-743-0110. Or click here and get started while it’s fresh in your mind. You have nothing to lose!

Wishing you a future filled with weatlh, happiness and success!
Steve Fischer

Money Likes Speed

Hey gang, I just finished reading an insightful article from Robert Ringer's FREE newsletter, A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World. (I highly recommend you sign up for this eye-opening newsletter by clicking here.)

Anyway, the title of today's article was "Success Likes Speed." In the article he quotes another one of my favorite authors, Joe Vitale. Joe's saying "Money Likes Speed" is a brilliant piece of advice that we can all to take to heart.

Both authors make these points:
- Action breeds results
- Taking the 1st step to getting what you want is not only THE most important one...it's also the hardest one for most of us.
- Over-planning & over-analyzing is a BIG productivity killer.
- Procrastination SAPS your enthusiasm
- The longer you wait to go after whatever it is you want, the less likely it is you'll get it
- Time is finite. It's the only thing you can never get more of. When it's gone, it's lost forever.

So what's my point for telling you all of this?

Simple. I'm dedicated to helping homeowners like you take control over your financial future. To educate you on quick & easy ways to use your house to take control of your future.

So why wait? TAKE ACTION NOW! I can help you with FREE information to get you back on track to achieving your financial goals. Click here for my FREE report & get all the details now!

To your action-oriented success,
Steve

The Ugly Truth...and 11 Reasons Why You Should Take Control of Your Financial Future NOW!

WARNING: What you're about to read may not be upbeat. But it's true...

I was reading Howard Dayton's inspiring book "Your Money Map" recently...
(By the way, if your serious about learning the 7 Steps to true financial freedom, this is an awesome resource!) when I came across these 11 alarming facts.

· The United States is absorbing 80% of the world’s surplus savings to fund its deficits and debts
· 2/3 of all middle-income Americans (66%) live paycheck to paycheck
· Most people have not been taught how to handle money properly
· Every 27 seconds in America, a couple divorces. The #1 reason? MONEY PROBLEMS
· In 2005, the personal savings rate was negative 5% of their income, the lowest personal savings rate in 73 years (source: US Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, www.bea.gov)
· 82% of middle-income Americans say there’s not much left to save after the pay their bills
· The average American today spends $1.10 for every dollar earned
· The average American credit card holder carries more than 6 cards and owes more than $9,300 on them
· In 2005, credit card debt in the USA totaled $797 BILLION (source: consumer credit, www.federalreserve.com)
· 97% of Americans age 65 have less than $600 in their checking account. Only 3% are financially secure and 54% are still working (USA Today)
· If you make only the required payment on a 30-year mortgage, it’ll take 23 years before the principal and interest portions of the payment match each other!

Wow!

Can you see why it's vitally important for you to take control of your financial future now?

Want some help? Stay tuned - because I'm putting the finishing touches on a resource that puts you on the path to freedom quickly and easily!

I'm excited! And I can't wait to show it to you!

Hold on to your hats...the minute you can get your hands on this amazing tool, I'll let you know!

Have a happy 'hump day!'

Steve

P.S. For a sneak peek at this FREE insider report - "How to Escape The Debt Rat Race," call 1-800-882-1834, ext. 2019 anytime, 24/7 and I'll rush you this eye-opening report. Or you can get your copy by clicking here. Make sure you put the words "Debt Rat Race" in the subject line.

Peace!

Need a Vacation From Your Bills?

This gets overlooked a lot...

One of the really cool things about refinancing your home mortgage is this:

You get to skip one, sometimes TWO house payments!

This comes in handy when you need to take care of unexpected expenses. (Like work you've been meaning to get done around the house, a nagging repair to your car you've been putting off, etc.)

Here's another quick tip for what you can do with this 'payment vacation:'

Apply the extra savings directly to your mortgage. It's the same as investing the money at the same rate of return as the rate on your new mortgage!

Pretty cool, huh?

Want to learn more insider tips & tricks to help you break free from the debt race?
All you need to do is drop me a line and I'll rush you my FREE report "How to Escape The Debt Rat Race."

Have yourself a wonderful Tuesday!

Dedicated to giving you financial freedom,
Steve

Can You Answer These Questions?

· What is THE most important factor for achieving financial freedom?

· Is the interest rate on your home mortgage its most important factor?

· Do you know how to beat the ‘fat cat’ banks, mortgage lenders & credit card companies at their own game?

· Are there really 'hidden forces' sabotaging your financial success?

· Is your home mortgage literally sucking the life out of you financially?

· What is the Big Trap set by banks, merchants and lending institutions? (And do you know the two words they use to keep millions of Americans mired in untold BILLIONS of dollars of crippling debt?)

· What's the Simple, Easy & Effective 7-Step Plan for Attaining Freedom From the Clutches of Debt…once and for all?

If you want to know the answer to these questions, simply subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in one of the links to the left of this page.

Or you can call me at (877) 743-0110, leave your name & address. Then I'll send you the answers in the 'snail mail.'

Go for it!

Steve

P.S. You can also drop me a line and I'll send your FREE report over right away! Thanks! :)

WARNING: Don’t Sign Off on Your Mortgage Until You Read This!

SPECIAL FREE REPORT - 20 Terms You Must Know and Understand
Before You Sign Off On Your Mortgage!

Buying a home and shopping your mortgage can be a confusing (and intimidating) experience. That’s why it’s so important that you prepare yourself as completely as possible for the road ahead.

You may encounter several terms with which you are unfamiliar during the lending process. Educating yourself on the many terms and concepts used during the process will help you make sound financial decisions… decisions that will save you big money!

Lack of preparation could cost you tens of thousands of dollars! Don’t let it happen to you...Call Now for your FREE report... 1-800-882-1834 Ext 2057 anytime 24 hours a day…

…Or send me an email with the words “20 Terms” in the subject line. I’ll RUSH this information to you right away!

Hope this helps, have a fabulous day!

Steve

“Attention: Iowa Homeowners - Use These 10 Steps To Find Out If Your Mortgage Lender is Taking You For a Ride…”

Sad but true...I hear about this almost every day.

I run across folks like you that have no idea about the terms of their current home loan. (Read my previous posts for some examples.)

If you live in Iowa and own your home, there's a FREE way to find out if your Lender is 'taking you for a ride.' Here's all you need to do:

1. Go to http://www.iowalandrecords.org/
2. Click on the 'become a registered user' link. Follow the simple instructions. (Hint: make sure you sign up as a public user so you can have unlimited FREE access to your records.)
3. Once you obtain your unique user name and password, login to the site.
4. Click on the 'Land Record Search' link to the left.
5. Select your County, then click 'continue search.'
6. Now you can locate your mortgage by date range, your 1st & last name, or by the name of your Mortgage Lender.
7. Make sure you choose 'Mortgage' in the document type drop-down window, then click 'search.'
8. Now you can view an image of your mortgage by clicking on the 'Img' link.
9. When the next screen pops up, click on the 'view full image' link. Now you can view a copy of your recorded mortgage as an Adobe PDF document.

OK. Step 10. is a 'biggie.' Here's where you need to pay close attention:

10. Scroll to the 2nd page of your Mortgage. In the middle of the page you should see a bunch of boxes. Check and see if your document has an 'X' on the 'Adjustable Rate Rider' box.

Does it? If not, great. But, if it does...

Then you need to read the Rider in your document! It spells out how the interest rate on your loan more than likely WILL increase, and when.

Whew! Seems like a lot of work, doesn't it?

Want an easier way to see if your being 'hosed' on your home loan?

Then pick up the phone and give me a call at (877)743-0110.
I can help you figure out if your Lender really is 'taking you for a ride!'

I'm shocked at how many people have no idea about the terms of their home
loan. Nobody told them they have an adjustable rate.

Hopefully, this post will help you find out the truth about your mortgage...and I also hope you find out this way rather than the hard way...

...After Your Payment Goes Through The Roof!

Check it out!

Steve

P.S. Please feel free to share these tips with anyone else you think would benefit from this...thanks! :)

Discover The 7 Little-Known Secrets of Reducing Your Debt Quickly and Easily

"I've decided to spill the beans and reveal the 7 secrets
that insiders like you can use to quickly and easily get
out of debt faster."

Call 1-800-882-1834, Ext. 2017
anytime, 24/7 for a FREE recorded message to
request a copy of this FREE Special Report.
This is a no-obligation community service.