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Parents often make the mistake of thinking that preschoolers are too young to understand financial matters. It’s true that kids that young won’t understand compound interest or mutual funds, but there are some things they can learn about money that will benefit them later in life. Here are some things that we as parents can teach our kids at a young age.

One of the first things that kids learn about money is that you can use it to buy things. We rarely have to teach them this, because they learn it from being with us when we go shopping. But they are usually unaware of most of the aspects of money we take for granted.

* Preschoolers can learn about the different denominations of money. They may not remember that there are 100 cents in a dollar, but they can usually recall which coins are worth the most and least. Learning a little about this before they start school will give them a head start in math.

* You can teach the basics of bank accounts. When kids see us writing a check or swiping a card and taking something home, they may think we got it for free. Teaching them that you have to have money in the bank in order to write a check or use your debit card will help them understand that the things we need in life come at a price.

* Preschoolers are not too young to learn about earning money. You can assign chores and pay them a certain amount for each one completed to illustrate the concept of working for money.

* Saving money is an important lesson for kids to learn young. You can help instill the importance of this by encouraging them to save a portion of their allowance. After they have saved for a few weeks, help them count up how much they have and decide what to do with it. Or better yet, have them set a goal for savings and see how long it takes to reach it.

* Shopping provides a wealth of opportunities to teach kids about money. You can discuss how to save money by using coupons and buying things while they’re on sale. You can set a budget and see how much you can buy with it. And you can let them help you count the money when it’s time to check out.

Small children catch on to the importance of money quickly. We can help them develop a healthy attitude toward it by teaching them basic concepts and modeling good spending and saving habits. This will build the foundation for a lifetime of good money practices.

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When you were young, did your parents ever tell you that money doesn’t grow on trees? Have you found yourself repeating that mantra to your own children? It’s hard for kids to understand what it takes to make money, because they rarely have to earn their own. And when they’re teenagers, the allure of the latest fashions, newest electronics and other things that all the other kids seem to have makes them even more eager to spend, spend, spend.

The teen years are prime time for learning about the ins and outs of the almighty dollar. This is a time when kids become more interested in material things. It’s also a time when they can begin to work and earn some of their own money. But perhaps most importantly, it’s a time when they will soon be on their own and making financial decisions themselves.

It’s critically important for teenagers to learn about money and how to manage it before they leave home. Here are some things we should strive to teach them.

* Teens need to learn the difference between needs and wants. This can be a fine line for adults, and it’s even more confusing for teenagers. They need clothes, but they don’t really need those expensive designer jeans. Helping them learn to distinguish wants from needs is an important life lesson.

* Budgeting is crucial. Even teenagers should have a plan for how they will spend their money and stick with that plan. That doesn’t mean they can’t have any fun with it, just that they need to prioritize their spending so that the important stuff is taken care of first.

* A penny saved is a penny earned. This old adage is one that can make our lives much easier, and it’s best learned early. Teens should be taught about the benefits of saving, such as earning interest, having money in case of an emergency and being prepared for retirement.

* Don’t borrow too much money. Using credit responsibly helps us build up a good credit rating so that we can easily buy things like homes and cars. Using it irresponsibly leaves us saddled with debt and a poor credit rating. It’s important to learn this early in life rather than late.

* Taxes are a fact of life. Teens often feel that having taxes taken out of their earnings is unfair (as do some adults). It’s important for them to know why those taxes are taken out and what they pay for. It’s also a good idea for them to learn how to prepare their taxes correctly, either by hand or with software.

Learning about money the hard way can be quite painful. Taking the time to teach your teenager some important lessons could prevent him from making some big mistakes as an adult. He might not particularly enjoy it right now, but one day down the road, he will thank you for it.

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The teenage years are a time of transition. Teens are no longer kids, but they’re not quite adults, either. They still have the carefree attitude of childhood, yet they are also becoming mature enough to do many things for themselves.

One of the biggest decisions for teens and parents to make together is whether the teenager should get a job. The money earned can help pay some of the teen’s expenses, such as transportation, clothing, lunch money and cell phone bills. It could even be used to help pay the family bills. But there are some things to consider before filling out those applications.

Pros

Earning their own money helps teenagers develop responsibility. They learn first-hand that it takes hard work to get the money needed to buy the things they need and want. This is a very important lesson for anyone.

A job will help your teenager develop good work habits and skills that will help them in future employment. The types of jobs that are available to high schoolers might not be what your child wants to do as an adult, but good work habits translate into any career. And there are certain skills (such as handling money) that are beneficial in many jobs as well as everyday life.

Having a job can help develop self-confidence. Bringing in an income makes teens feel good about themselves. That self-confidence helps them be more secure in making good decisions, and it can help them reach goals such as getting into their college of choice.

Cons

Working too much can be detrimental to a teenager’s performance in school. Students may not have as much time to spend on their homework, causing them to rush through it and do only what they must to get by. They could also become less interested in school when they realize that they can make money without a high school diploma or college degree.

Work could cut into time for extracurricular activities. Sports are good for teens’ health, and clubs can keep them active in their communities. But when they get jobs, they may ditch these activities in favor of working.

If they don’t budget their money, teens could develop poor spending habits. The money they earn from working will probably be substantially more than they received for allowance. They could easily get carried away with it, spending it on designer clothes, music and other non-necessities instead of taking care of their needs and saving a portion of their earnings.

Allowing your teenager to get a job is a big decision, and one that should be made on a case by case basis. If you feel that your child is mature enough to take responsibility for earning and budgeting his own money and still keep his grades up, it might be worth considering. Teens with jobs can be a big help to the family budget, whether they contribute to household bills or just buy their own necessities.

Author: Jon Ochs September 26, 2007              Brought to you by: Breez DeGuzman

Let me start off by saying that understanding how the three major credit bureaus arrive at your credit score is one of the most powerful pieces of knowledge you can have. Most likely this is not something that you have ever been taught. In fact, when it comes to your credit scores, the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and Transunion, run sort of a “black box” operation.

To explain what makes up your credit score in as simple terms possible, this is how it works…

Payment History 35%:
This is the largest contributing factor for your credit scores and represents your history of making payments with your creditors.

Credit Utilization 30%:
The percentage of available credit used. Keeping your account balances below 50% of the available credit limit will maximize your scores. For the purpose of this article, this is where we will find the most room to quickly increase your scores.

Credit History 15%:
How long your accounts have been open. Longer more established accounts are more positively weighted than newer accounts.

Recent Inquiries 10%:
Whenever you apply for any kind of credit, a credit inquiry is reported. Too many of these, and they can negatively effect your scores.

Types Of Credit In Use 10%:
How many accounts and which types. Having too many loans from finance companies (Beneficial Finance, American General, etc.) can bring down your scores.

Now that we have a little knowledge under our belts, here are the 2 things you can do in the next 30 minutes to gain some points very quickly…

Raise your limits!
Raising your credit limits is much easier than you might think. Most people don’t realize that just by simply asking for a credit limit increase, you will most likely get one. We have proven this over and over again with clients. Just call the phone number on the back of your credit cards, and tell them you are considering transferring the balance to another card with a higher limit and lower interest rate, but that you would like to keep the account if they could just raise the credit limit. In my personal experience, it has worked 100% of the time. Often they will also lower the interest rate as a bonus. Lowering the interest rate will not help your credit score, but it will sure help your finances.

Let’s say for example you have a credit card with a $5,000 credit limit, and you currently have a $4,000 balance on it (80% utilized). After your quick phone call, they agree to raise your credit limit to $6,500 (now 62% utilized). This alone will immediately increase your credit scores. Remember in the “Credit Utilization” section above, we want to ideally keep our balances below 50% of the credit limit. This brings us to the next powerful tip.

Lower Your Balances!
Continuing from the example above, you are now 62% utilized on your credit card. This means you still have some room to further maximize your scores. If you pay $750 on this credit card, you will bring the balance down to 50% of the new credit limit ($3,250 balance on $6,500 credit limit). Now, you might be saying that you don’t have $750 to pay down your credit card. That’s ok, you could stop here, you have already increased your scores, and you can get the limit raised for all your credit card accounts. However, if you are trying to buy a home, or even a car, you can potentially save thousands in interest on your new loan and get a lower monthly payment, just by paying a little down on your current accounts. When that results in higher credit scores, you may qualify for much better loan terms.

These are very powerful techniques. I have seen this work for clients time and time again. One client recently was able to raise the credit limits on 3 credit card accounts and raise their scores by 105 points immediately.

Keep in mind that these techniques work best for those who have a good credit history, and at least 3 open, established credit accounts. For those with more challenged credit or a negative credit history, a more aggressive approach and credit repair strategies may be more appropriate.

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Jon Ochs has over 12 years experience in the credit and debt industry and is the founder and CEO of NCA Credit Repair, one of the most trusted and respected Credit Report Repair companies in the nation. You can get more information on Credit and Credit Repair, or a free credit consultation

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There has been a lot of talk in recent years about alternative fuel. With the supply of oil dwindling, the government has begun to offer incentives to those who choose to use energy from other sources. One such incentive is the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit.

This credit came about as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It was designed to offset the cost of vehicles that operate using alternative fuel sources. These vehicles are becoming more widely available, but their cost has been prohibitive to many consumers who would like to purchase them.

Credits are available for four different types of vehicles:

1. Hybrids – These vehicles have engines that use both an internal combustion engine and a rechargeable battery. They use some gasoline, but they get much better gas mileage than solely gas-powered vehicles.

The credit for this category is phased out after the fifth quarter following the quarter in which each manufacturer sells its 60,000th hybrid. Ask your dealer to find out how much of a credit the hybrid you are considering qualifies for.

2. Fuel Cell Vehicles – Fuel cells are unique in that they convert chemical energy into electricity. In most cases, the chemicals used are hydrogen and oxygen. This produces no by-products except for water and heat.

The credit allowed for these vehicles depends on the gross vehicle weight. Passenger automobiles and light trucks also qualify for an additional amount based on fuel economy.

3. Qualified Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicles and Heavy Hybrids – This is the only category that allows vehicles that have been converted from traditional fuel to alternative fuel. There are several types of fuel that can be used, including compressed or liquefied natural gas, propane and hydrogen. Liquefied natural gas and propane may be mixed with gasoline in these vehicles.

4. Advanced Lean-Burn Technology Vehicles – These vehicles have a special internal combustion engine that uses more air than is necessary for combustion of fuel. They must also have direct fuel injection and have a minimum of 125% of the 2002 fuel economy rating.

The credit for this type of vehicle is based on fuel economy compared to that of the 2002 model year. Buyers also qualify for an additional credit that is figured based on lifetime fuel savings.

In order for their vehicles to qualify for the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit, manufacturers must adhere to strict government guidelines. Your dealer should be able to tell you whether a specific model is eligible. The IRS also maintains a list of vehicles eligible for the credit on its website.

Buying an alternative fuel vehicle is good for the environment, and it saves natural resources. And now you can get a sizable tax credit for the tax year in which you purchase one. If you’ve ever considered buying an alternative fuel vehicle, now is the time to get serious about it.

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In today’s world, it’s difficult for many two-parent families to make it. For single parents, finances can be a nightmare. It’s hard enough trying to balance child care and find a way to earn enough money to keep food on the table and a roof over your family’s heads. But you also have to stretch your dollars to buy clothing, pay for transportation, and much more.

Children of single parents often find it hard to understand why they can’t have all of the things that other kids have. It’s especially hard on kids whose parents have recently divorced, or those with a deceased parent. Not only have they lost a parent (either part-time or permanently), they have also suffered a decrease in their standard of living.

As a single parent, it’s important to keep your kids in the loop. Here are some tips that will keep the kids happy while keeping spending low.

* Sit your kids down for a nice, long talk. Explain to them that now that the household has less income, there will have to be less spending. Let each child know that he is not the only one who less money is being spent on, and assuage any concerns that all parties are not being treated equally.

* Draw up a detailed budget. Get the kids involved as much as possible so that they know their opinions are important. Include all necessities and monthly bills, and allocate as much as possible toward paying off debt. Put some in savings if there is any way you can do so.

* Discuss how you will handle allowances. Assigning chores and paying a certain amount for each one will give you some help around the house while teaching children how to earn money.

* Encourage the kids to save a portion of their allowance each week. This can be used for school trips, extracurricular activities and other optional things. Not only will it prevent money in the budget from being tied up in these things, it will also teach the kids the importance and benefits of saving money.

* Find creative ways to come up with extra money. If the kids want something extra, help them have a yard sale. They could sell clothes and toys they’ve outgrown. Or you could help them start an age-appropriate business such as a dog walking, car washing or babysitting service. These projects will help the kids earn their own money and allow them to have things that they would otherwise have to do without.

Being a single parent often seems like an impossible juggling act. Keeping the finances in order alone can be difficult, and it’s even harder when the kids don’t understand why money is so tight. Keeping them informed and allowing them to help can prevent arguments and save hurt feelings on both sides.

Brought to you by: Breez DeGuzman

Reading is an important skill for everyone, and it’s one that benefits from being practised extensively in childhood. Kids who read often grow up to be better readers. This helps them do better in every aspect of life.

Some kids have a natural love of reading. Others need a little encouragement. The best thing we can do as parents is provide them with books that are challenging and educational, yet entertaining. This can get expensive if you buy lots of new books, but there are ways to keep your child reading for cheap or free. Here are some ideas:

1. Go to the library. This is the best place for anyone to read for free, and most public libraries have a large selection of children’s books. Best of all, the librarian can help you find books that are appropriate for your child’s age and skill level, so there’s no guesswork.

2. Look for used books online. There are entire sites that specialize in used books in various genres. Amazon.com is also a good place to look. They sell both new and used books, and they make it easy to compare prices among their sellers. You could also try eBay if you’re interested in buying used books in lots.

3. Check garage sales. When having a sale, parents often go through their children’s toys and books and get rid of the ones they’ve outgrown. The books you’ll find often sell for a dollar or less each, so you can pick up several of them for what you would pay for one new book.

4. Make a trip to your local book exchange. These places will take your used books and give you credit toward books that others have brought in. This is a great way to get rid of your kids’ old books and get more that are appropriate for their current reading level.

5. Visit your local thrift shop. These stores often sell donated items at rock bottom prices. Not every thrift store sells books, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If they do, you could find some wonderful deals.

6. Find a closeout book store. These stores sell books that are no longer being published at discount prices. If you can’t find one in your local area, check online.

7. Check your newspaper’s classified ads or your local trading post publication. You probably won’t find many individual books for sale, but parents sometimes advertise kids’ entire book collections if they want to get rid of them without having a garage sale. You can often find large lots of books at very low prices this way.

8. Find a source of hand-me-down books. If you have a friend with a child a year or two older than yours, you could ask what she’s going to do with the books her child outgrows. She might offer to sell them to you. There’s also a chance that she will be willing to pass them along for free.

Fostering a love of reading while your child is young will benefit her for the rest of her life. And you don’t have to spend a fortune on new books to do it. Used books and books borrowed from the library have just as much value as those purchased from a bookstore, and they’re much easier on your wallet.

Brought to you by: Breez DeGuzman

If you have a teenager, you know that they’re not exactly the most frugal creatures on the planet. Most have not had to work for their money while growing up, so they may not appreciate money as much as adults who know how hard it can be to come by. And with the peer pressure they face today to have all of the latest and greatest clothes, gadgets and entertainment, it’s no wonder that money seems to burn a hole in their pockets.

It may be tempting to let them carry on with their carefree spending habits. But doing so would be a disservice, as these habits tend to stick with them into adulthood. It’s much better to help them set up a financial plan during the teen years so that they may learn responsibility before they are out on their own.

Saving and Investing

One of the most important things a teenager can learn about money is the importance of saving a portion of her earnings. This will allow them to build up an emergency fund. It can provide a way to buy big ticket items without having to go into debt. And it gives them money to invest.

Investing isn’t usually a top priority for teenagers, and it’s even a foreign concept for many adults. But getting started early is the best way to ensure a comfortable retirement. It can also provide some passive income in the years to come, reducing worries about unemployment or failing health.

Teens need to be encouraged to save and invest a certain percentage of everything they earn. Doing so before putting money toward anything else, even bills, will make it easier and more consistent.

Paying Bills and Buying Necessities

Once your teen has put some money into savings and investments, the next order of business is to pay monthly bills. Teens do not generally have as many of these as adults, but they may have a cell phone plan, car insurance or other recurring bills. These should be paid before any other spending takes place.

Next, teens can buy the things they need. Parents often cover some of their teens’ needs, but they may leave expenses such as school lunch, clothing and gas for them to pay. This provides good practice for the day when they start buying everything for themselves.

Discretionary Spending

Once the savings, bills and necessities are taken care of, it’s time for the fun part: discretionary spending. This tends to be the favorite part for most teenagers (and adults, too). But it’s important not to let your child get too carried away with it.

There’s nothing wrong with kids having some fun with their money while they’re young, but try to discourage them from spending every penny just because it’s there. Making a list of the things they want to buy can help. If there’s not enough money to buy them all and have some left over in one month, they can always be carried over to the next.

A realistic financial plan for a teenager contains all of these elements. This will give them some freedom with their money while also providing structure. And it will build the framework for responsible money management as an adult.

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There was a time when paying the bills could be quite a hassle. We had to keep up with paper bills, write a check, buy stamps and mail them in time to get them in by the due date. If we forgot to put them in the mail, we would have to make a trip to the billing party’s office to get the payment in on time.

Thanks to Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment, or EBPP for short, paying bills is now much simpler. Most service providers and lenders offer this service, which enables us to pay bills instantly from the comfort of our own homes. It’s quick, easy and efficient.

Here are six reasons why EBPP is so great:

1. EBPP is better for the environment than traditional billing. Companies can send notices to customers via email, and bills can be viewed securely online. If the customer chooses to pay online, there is no paper involved on either end. This saves valuable natural resources.

2. EBPP is convenient. Instead of making a trip to the post office, the lender or the service provider, you can pay your bills from your home computer. There’s no need to disrupt your schedule just to get your bills paid on time.

3. If you’re out of town, you can pay your bills from any computer as long as you have your user name and password. This is great for those who have homes in different parts of the country or world, as well as those who do a lot of traveling. They don’t have to worry about mailing payments far in advance of the due date.

4. In some cases, you can even pay your bills from your mobile phone. A growing number of billers are offering this capability. Whether you’re out on a date or headed to a business meeting, you can pay your bills whenever you think of it, even if you’re not in front of a computer.

5. Some banks offer the ability to pay all of your bills from their website. This makes bill paying even faster. You can visit your bank’s website and make all of your payments within a few minutes’ time.

6. With EBPP, there’s no need to keep up with paper copies of your bills. Most providers make records available online for a year or longer, so you can go back and review past bills for tax or other purposes. You may also be able to download bills and payment records to your own computer.

Bill paying has never been easier than it is now. With EBPP you can pay your bills at your convenience, and save time and money in the process. Check with your lenders and service providers to find out if they offer this service.

By: Jon Ochs   June 5th, 2008       Brought to you by: Breez DeGuzman

If you are out there on the internet looking for the right company to repair your credit, you face a rather large challenge. As you may have noticed, not all credit repair companies are alike. I have written this article to assist you by providing you with the knowledge you will need to make the right decision in choosing the company with a credit repair program that’s best suited for you, and that will provide you with the results you are looking for.

If you have looked at a few companies, you have probably seen many different costs and payment plans. Do you want to pay a $99 setup fee and $69 per month, $179 setup fee and $49 per month, or $29.95 per month with no setup fee? What about just a simple $200 per credit report, or a onetime fee of $5,000? Is your head spinning yet? There are many more combinations and variations of these programs out there, but they are really just variations of 3 different service models:

• Monthly Service Fee
This is the model that most credit repair companies have resorted to. It provides a low monthly payment that most can afford, and the fee is easily justified when the company does just a little work for you each month. The seemingly low cost of service deceptively makes it easy to sign up and does not allow for a company to do their best work for you. In fact, it forces a credit repair company to work slowly and only do a little bit each month so as to only keep up with your monthly fee. On average, with a monthly service fee program, you will end up paying the same or more money, and see fewer improvements to your credit than you would have with a flat-fee program.

Many companies that operate under this model also seem to have more of a do-it-yourself approach to credit repair. Many of them will prepare dispute letters, but mail them to you to send out. Most of these companies also seem to have reputations for poor customer service, and the most common complaint registered is that when you cancel, they fail to stop the fee from drafting monthly from your credit card.

• Flat-Rate
This model requires a onetime fee, or installment payments for services. This method of payment is usually used by companies that work aggressively on behalf of their clients. Since the service is paid for up front, they are usually eager to earn the fee by providing services and working on their client’s behalf. However, you need to be careful of those companies that just take your money and don’t provide services as promised. You need to make sure you understand the terms of the program before you sign up, because many of these companies have very limited time-periods (sometimes 6 months or less) in which they will work for you.

Another important factor when signing up for a flat-rate service is a solid and simple to understand guarantee. When it comes to guarantees, credit repair companies are all over the map. You should know that no credit repair company is able to lawfully guarantee deletions or corrections on your credit reports. However, they can guarantee your satisfaction and provide a simple, plain-language guarantee. A reputable company that has a proven track record will have no problem standing behind their guarantee.

• Pay Only for Deletions/Corrections
Although this sounds like the best way to hire a credit repair company, the problem is that the added work taken on by the company in tracking and billing for every item individually, causes the program to have a much higher cost for the average client. At one time, we only did business in this fashion; however, due to overwhelming client request, we now offer the same great service for a flat-rate cost that saves our average client over 40 percent.

Putting it all together…

Now let’s summarize and explain some of the above so that you can approach this with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision.

When it comes to credit repair, the process is the same for every company out there. You have to start with current credit reports for every client. Then the disputing process begins. Once the disputes are sent to the credit bureaus, the bureaus have 30 days to process and investigate the dispute. Once the items have been processed, each bureau is required to mail an updated credit report to the client directly. When the client receives these, they must be mailed immediately back to the credit repair company so that the process can continue.

There are times when you will not receive an updated credit report, and a new one must be obtained and mailed into the credit repair company to continue. This process will continue for a varied length of time depending on how aggressive the credit repair company is, how many items are being disputed, etc. That is the basic process of credit repair for every company out there.

Now that you know this, you have to evaluate your credit repair goals. Are you serious about repairing your credit overall, or do you only want just one specific item worked on? Are you trying to qualify for a home loan and really want your credit cleaned up as quickly as possible, or do you want to find the cheapest company and hope for the best over the next couple of years? When it comes to choosing a credit repair company, your goals are an important thing to consider.

Customer Service is the key to success in any credit repair program!
Customer service is a huge deal when it comes to credit repair. The process has long time-frames, 30-45 days during dispute investigation, and it can often seem that nothing is happening. It is important to be able to check in periodically to see where you are in the process, and feel confident that your case progress is being tracked. A good credit repair company should be able to tell you when your last disputes were sent to the credit bureaus and when you should expect to see the dispute results. They should also be able to tell you what has been improved and what is still being worked on at any time in the process. Your calls should be welcomed and, if it is one of those times where a new credit report is required, you should never be without assistance to get one. Obtaining credit reports from the credit bureaus is getting harder and harder all the time and who better to help you get yours, than the experts you have hired. Another thing you can get from a good credit repair company is advice about your credit in general. There are many things you can do to improve your scores outside of credit repair that, if done while you are in the credit repair process, will help you maximize your results overall.

The different payment and cost plans, outlined above, each come with different levels of service. Let me be very clear, when it comes to the services provided, not all credit repair companies are the same. Once you sign up, what happens then? What happens with most companies is that you are sent an email or directed to a webpage that says that you must now obtain all 3 of your credit reports (one from each of the three major credit bureaus) and send them in. This may sound simple, but as we have seen, most clients have difficulty in getting their credit reports due to identity verification issues.

Once you do get your credit reports and send them in, are you going to be mailed dispute letters with instructions on sending them out yourself, or will that all be taken care of for you? Are you going to get consultation whenever you need it to assist you in maximizing your credit during the program and will someone be checking in with you regularly to make sure you received updated credit reports in the mail to send in? Are you going to be left hanging after you have paid your fee not knowing what is expected of you, or what is the process? What will happen when you call into customer service wanting to know where you are in the process? Will anyone answer the phone or call you back? Will they be able to tell you the current status of your credit repair process? These are all very good and important questions.

It is up to you to do your due diligence by asking important questions, and checking to see that the company you choose has a clean record of business. Here are a couple resources you can check for complaints against any company. www.bbb.org or www.ripoffreport.com. The results here will give you some insight into the experience other customers are having with a company.

Another good qualifier is to only choose a company that has been in business more than 5 years. Statistics show that 80% of businesses fail within the first 5 years, so it stands to reason that if they are still operating after 5 years, there is a good chance they will continue. Over the last couple of years, due to the downturn in the real estate markets, credit repair has become very popular and hundreds of companies have sprouted up to take advantage of the need in the marketplace. Most of these companies will not be around in the coming years. Ultimately, if you don’t feel confident in a particular company or their services, don’t enroll.

If you are truly serious about repairing and improving your credit and attaining the highest credit scores possible in the shortest amount of time, then what you are looking for is a credit repair company with a program that is structured to do just that.

Now that you are armed with this knowledge, you can use it along with your common sense to choose the best credit repair company for you. Ultimately, I want you to choose the company and program that makes the best sense for your situation, but if you want to take a look at a company and program that meets all the above criteria, here is our plug:

NCA Credit Repair has been in business since 1998 and is a licensed and bonded credit services organization. We are located in the state of Oregon and service clients nationwide. We charge a sensible flat-rate for credit repair services and allow clients to budget that into payments over the beginning of the program if they wish. We provide unlimited credit consultation, and we assist our clients in getting their credit reports at any time during the process. We work aggressively for every client to repair their credit as quickly as possible and have a simple satisfaction guarantee. We do not charge monthly service fees, and if a client is due a refund, we send it to them. We are easy to work with, and our clients leave happy, and with better credit. We would be happy to talk to anyone about their credit, or to simply help them choose a program that is right for them. You can call us toll-free at 1.888.282.1011.

Jon Ochs is the founder and CEO of NCA Credit Repair Inc. NCA Credit Repair is a licensed & bonded credit repair organization that prides itself on its high-level of customer satisfaction.