A credit check is important these days… in this economy some people will do anything to steal your money. The more available credit you have, the more likely you are to see errors or issues with your credit report.

Obtaining your credit report is an important financial check to perform on a regular basis. How do you do so? Well, if you listen to the catchy commercials on TV you could get a free credit report for about $179 a year.

What? I though it was free?

If you were to surf on over to Freecreditreport.com (b-a-b-y), you must hand over your credit card and sign up for a free trial to a credit monitoring program. However, if you fail to cancel before 9 days the monthly fee’s of $14.99 will start to hit your credit card.

Freecredit.com is a similar website that will give you your reports after you sign up for a trial off their program. No thanks, Ben.

So the next time you see the three dudes singing a sob song at a fast food restaurant on TV, consider that most likely they felt ripped off for not getting a truly free credit report.

For a TRULY FREE copy of your credit report check out a site run by the Federal Trade Commission, AnnualCreditReport.com. The site will give you a completely free report from each the three credit agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AnnualCreditReport.com makes it easy. It only took me 20 minutes to obtain and review all three reports. To get your own TRULY free credit report, point your browser to AnnualCreditReport.com.

1. Choose your state

2. Fill out a quick form with your name, address, and SSN

3. The site will first take you to Equifax where you will again need to verify some personal information. Be sure to indicate “NO” where given the option to obtain special offers.

4. Once you receive your report be sure to print it and/or save it as a PDF. When finished click on “Return to AnnuallCreditReport.com” on the website header.

You will repeat these simple steps for each of the three credit agencies. Since you only get one per year, after downloading your report be sure to mark your calendar to check it again at the same time next year.

An annual check is sufficient for most people. Why not do it now? Don’t get scammed into a free credit report that is anything but free. But more importantly, make sure the information within that credit report does not cost actually you money.

By Audrey Okaneko

I remember growing up my parents quite often said “because I said so.” This would usually happen when they said “no” and I then wanted an explanation.

I actually caught myself a few times saying “because I said so” to my own kids. I finally realized my kids actually deserved to understand my decision and could benefit from understanding my decision.

Children learn their life skills as children. They don’t magically develop life skills when they turn eighteen.

I’d like to share why I believe saying “because I said so” is not helpful to your children.

Life is about the choices we make. For example, I tend to eat a healthy breakfast. I know other people who grab a chocolate donut on their way out the door.

If your child asks for a chocolate donut for breakfast and you just say no, then how does your child learn what you view as the negative consequences? Eating a donut puts sugar in your body, extra calories in your body and there is not a lot of nutrition in a donut. Explaining why this is not a good choice first thing in the morning helps your child make that same choice as an adult. They now understand the reasons behind the decision. In addition, on the rare occasion you say yes, they understand the change in answers. Had you just said “no, because I said so” they wouldn’t understand on the occasion you said yes.

Have you ever stayed up too late and not gotten enough sleep? You know there are several consequences the next day. In the morning it’s hard to wake up. You’re not at full speed the next day and often you crash and burn within a day or two.

When your child asks to go out on a school night, instead of just saying “it’s a school night you can’t go,” why not offer them a few reasons instead? They might argue with those reasons, but at least you’ve helped them understand why you made the choice. At some point your student will stay up late on a school night and you’ll be able to say “remember when you and I spoke about this being a natural consequence of staying up too late and not getting enough sleep?”

Another example is the clothes we wear. If we wear too little, we might get cold and if we wear too much we might be way too warm. If we wear something super tight, we might not look good. If we wear something too loose, we might look a bit frumpy. When we let kids choose what to wear, they too get the opportunity to experience these same consequences.

By offering an explanation of your decision to your kids you are helping to teach them about choices and consequences and helping them learn to make future choices themselves.

Audrey Okaneko is mom to two girls. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.todays-parent.com

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By Carla Phillips

When my daughter opened her birthday gift, there was excitement in her eyes and, if I had a picture of my face, I’m pretty sure there would be fire in mine. I looked over at my friend and all she could say was “I thought I’d say sorry later, I’m sure your daughter will enjoy it”. She got the gift that she loved, and the one I feared the most: Play dough.

The terror only grew as I pictured play dough all over my carpet, my hardwood floors AND my furniture. Not to mention I was scared for my 8 month old crawling baby due to the tendency he has to stick everything in his mouth. My attempts to hide the evil gift were in vain and she scavenged through all my closest and pantry to find her play dough.

Many of us moms, are scared of sticky things that make a huge mess. And, I can’t say that any of us is wrong. In reality, I realized that my daughter could make a mess with pretty much anything and that the “feared” play dough wasn’t so bad after all.

As a mother, I’m always on the lookout for the best and healthiest out there. Of course, I’m not always feeding my children whole wheat organic oatmeal and raisin cookies (which is probably not a bad idea), but, there are products that are organic, made in the USA that earns my support and business.

After dreading play dough, I have learned to love it for these reasons:

1. If I buy organic playdough, and my baby decides he wants to stick it in his mouth, guess what? No harm done. Of course, I would never allow him to eat a whole tub of play dough but, in reality, it gives me a sense of safety to know that he can accidentally eat this play dough and he won’t get sick or die (yes, mothers can be overly dramatic).
2. Playdough can teach my children. You heard that right. As the child plays with Organic Playdough, they learn about colors, they can also mix colors and learn what to mix and the result colors they can get. They can count, subtract, divide. There are many learning opportunities while playing with play dough.
3. Let your child explore their creativity. With all the games and electronics out there, your child can become insensitive to the simple touch and feel experience, or their creativity can stagnate as they have all the colors and sounds available to them through T.V. Allow your child to exercise their creativity as they play with Organic Play Dough, indoors or outdoors. Help your child feel the dough, make shapes, make play food, animals. You name it, help them let their creative minds go as you guide them through channeling that through the play dough.

As much as I want to say, don’t let the sticky mess in your house, I am more inclined to vouch for this products and say, let the mess come!! Your child will forever love you and you will discover a whole new world of learning and creativity from your child.

To find safe organic playdough, visit Miss Brittany’s Organic Fun Dough. Her products have been featured on Fox, NBC and The Today Show. http://www.organicfundough.com

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By Gordon Parkes

With basic living costs like food going up all the time, we’re all looking to save money on electricity and other fuel bills. The good news is that there are several easy ways of doing this, including ones which don’t have to cost you a penny.

You may not realize, for example, that capping your electricity bill could save you money long-term, even if initially it costs more each month. What capping means is paying a slightly higher rate and in return the company agrees to not to put up the unit cost of your electricity for a fixed time of, say, up to two years.

Most heat escapes upwards, so make sure the money you’re spending on electricity isn’t literally going through the roof. New homes generally already have loft insulation, but if your building is older, fibreglass loft insulation is an inexpensive option.

Heat can also escape under doors and through windows, so make sure these are properly sealed up.

You may be eligible for an energy-saving or insulation grant, whether you own your property or rent it. The first port of call should be your council, since local authorities administer these grants.

It’s also worth thinking about changing some of your electrical appliances, and going for more energy-efficient ones. After all, domestic appliances account for nearly half the money you spend on electricity.

And, of course, energy-saving light bulbs can also help keep outgoings down, despite costing more to buy than regular bulbs. Glaringly obvious though it sounds, one of the best ways of saving money on electricity is simply to use less of it.

That means turning off everything you are not using, especially lights in empty rooms, and not leaving TVs, DVDs and stereos in standby mode. Consider air-drying clothes rather than using a power-guzzling tumble dryer, and only turn on the dishwasher when it’s fully stacked. This advice is ignored surprisingly often.

There are other things you can do to reduce your yearly spend on electricity. If you pay your bill by direct debit, for example, your supplier will probably be happy to give you a discount for doing so.

Direct debits work with companies estimating usage and taking a set amount from your bank account each month. If you feel the estimate you’ve been given is too high, contact your supplier and challenge it. Better still, present them with an accurate rather than an estimated reading, as suppliers’ estimates are often far too high.

Equally, many companies offer reduction for customers who manager their accounts online, without receiving any paper bills, so find out whether your provider does this.

Finally, you don’t have stay with your existing electricity supplier. Visit one of the many price comparison websites available, and see if you can get a cheaper deal elsewhere. Especially if you’ve not switched provider before, you can almost certainly shave money off your bills by doing so now.

And, of course, reducing consumption is good for the environment as well as your pocket. So make sure you’re not spending more on electricity than you need to.

Written by Gordon Parkes

Electricity suppliers can be compared easily online. Looking for different providers can save you money.

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By Ryan S Himmel

It’s no surprise that as the convenience factor is playing a larger role among taxpayers, the number of taxpayers filing taxes online (i.e. E-Filing) has increased significantly in the past couple of years. In fact, according to the IRS, 150M taxpayers are expected to E-File their 2009 tax returns. If you are considering joining the crowd, below are some factors to help you decide whether or not to file your taxes online.

The Benefits of E-Filing

1) Tax Refunds Come Faster!

That’s right; you will receive your tax refund in about half the time or as fast as 3 weeks by filing online. This is because the tax returns are processed faster since no mailing is involved & all of your tax information is sent electronically.

2) Receive Proof Of Receipt Immediately

You will receive a receipt for filing your taxes online immediately and a confirmation number should your tax information inadvertently get misplaced.

3) Less IRS Mistakes

Since the IRS doesn’t have to re-enter data into the system, the IRS is less likely to make errors.

4) Less Taxpayer Errors

Generally speaking, taxpayers are less likely to commit errors as many of the most widely used e-file programs (i.e. IRS E-File Program, TurboTax, TaxAct, TaxComplete) highlight errors before the tax return is filed. But keep in mind that they are NOT full proof so also check the tax information yourself. Please also note that some of the software programs are free to file a federal tax return but most require you to at least pay to file a state return.

5) Eco-Friendly & Cheaper

Less paper, printing & mailing expenses to the taxpayer & the IRS.

Risks For E-Filing

1) Taxpayers Become Too Reliant on the Tax Software

Many taxpayers & preparers may become too reliant on the tax software by allowing the programs to do the work and not double checking the numbers themselves. Programs can make mistakes as well and it is possible there could be a mistake in the data you entered online. E-Filing was designed so that processing a tax return would be faster, more convenient and cheaper. It wasn’t designed to replace the amount of thought & care put into filing a tax return especially for complicated issues like transferring stock investments in IRAs. Make sure you double check your tax return.

2) Failure to Maintain a Hard Copy or Software Backup

Many taxpayers may also forget to print hard copies of their tax returns & also save a soft copy on a flash drive or other computer storage device should the tax return become misplaced. Please maintain backup copies of your returns in multiple secure locations as the law doesn’t really protect you if your files are misplaced.

3) Taxpayers May Use Community Computers

There is a risk that many taxpayers without access to a personal computer may use community computers at libraries and other public places. There is a risk that your identification can be compromised on one of these networks, so try to use a more secure resource or file your tax return via mail.

Ryan S. Himmel is the founder of the website BIDaWIZ – the online marketplace for trusted answers from licensed business professionals (i.e. CPAs, CFAs, CFPs & More). Visit us at BIDaWIZ to get answers to all of your tax questions or any accounting or finance concern.

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By Russell Mosley

Parenthood is a wonderful opportunity for us take ownership in our responsibilities. While many of us parents expediently approach home ownership with a passion, we show less passion in parenting our children. The lack of passion may not have always existed. Its development of lack may have been introduced by the challenges in both our lives and the lives of our children.

Life has the potential to be very convincing in its arguments and applications. An example would be, when a parent thinks that they have armed their children with enough knowledge and wisdom to meet the post adolescent challenges that will be offered to them in their lives, their teenage daughter discovers that teenage boys are more interesting than ballet lessons, team practices or school studies.

Though in most teenage minds this is not a challenge, it is actually life taking its natural course. All of that knowledge and wisdom that we have so gladly introduced into their lives is making them feel empowered and unconquerable. While we welcome the confident use of those lessons that we have shared with our children, we also realize that we have only scratched the surface of what our children really need to know about life’s victories and challenges.

Beyond the gaze of teenage companionship exists an array of challenges that supersede holding hands, hanging out in parks together, attending parties as a couple, looking into each others eyes, sharing music on their iPods, experiencing each others friends and telling each other about those secrets or thoughts that most people don’t know about them.

As parents, we know that in our children experiencing a collection of these activities, they are engaging new responsibilities into their lives. These responsibilities are often both filled and requiring of lessons that we may or may not have yet shared with them. In some cases, we as parents may not have even experienced the lessons to come, ourselves.

Though our teenagers may feel as though we are smothering their lives through asking questions and requesting inclusion in the important decisions of their lives, we must keep in mind that without these questions or requests we are allowing life itself to teach our children. Because we all know that what we don’t ask about, in most cases will not be told to us. At this stage of our families lives, surprises are not always encouraging. We also know, that the lessons that other parents have shared with their children are not always the lessons that we would like to introduce into the lives of our own children.

Those untaught lessons will be taught by someone, at sometime and on someday. I am sure that most parents feel as I do, that there is no one that I trust more to care for the development of my children’s lives than their parents. So we should continue to ask our children the tough questions and request our inclusion in the important decisions of their lives. In those efforts we will find that the rewards of these efforts are beyond measure.

It is without doubt that each of our lives will benefit from the overcoming of these challenges. Just think about the growth we can influence, if we all contribute to the ownership of our responsibilities relating our children’s lives with even more enthusiasm than we hold for home ownership.

How do you feel about the importance in taking ownership of your children’s development in life? I’d like to know…

Russell Mosley
Positive Share LLC
http://www.positiveshare.com

Great News – The Positive Share Newsletter is now available on our website. Enjoy a free copy of Positive Share’s Personal & Accountability Development Series’s eBook “Father Not Present” when you sign up for our semi-monthly newsletter. http://blog.positiveshare.com

Positive Share offers a creative approach in Personal and Accountability development through illustrations that encourage those thoughts and ideas that impact life through wisdom and experience.

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By Mike Dennison

Almost all of us worry about our financial security and our savings for retirement. We sometimes may imagine what it would be like to not have any savings and have to survive on the pittance that will be available to us through Social Security. We probably imagine living on the streets, on charity, or otherwise dependent on other people just to survive. While those images are a reality for too many people, they do not have to be. Here are three tips to get you started on the road to financial security.

1. Pay yourself first. Before you pay the first bill, or even spend the first dime, set money aside for yourself in a savings vehicle such as a money market or savings account. It is ideal if you can have the savings deducted from your paycheck so you will be even less likely to miss it, but if you cannot, make sure that you pay yourself first. Ideally, you should pay yourself at least ten percent of your gross income, but that is a daunting amount for many people. If you cannot do even five percent, start with just a percent or two. Just two percent on a two thousand dollar monthly salary comes up to $480 a year. While it may take a couple of years, with interest and raises you be putting away $1,000 or $2,000 a year in just a few years.

2. Live below your means. For some of us, as the saying goes, we have “champagne tastes on a beer budget.” We want the best even if we do not need the best. We want the designer sunglasses when a pair off the $10 rack will do just fine. We want the two bedroom apartment next to the pool in the exclusive complex even though we would fit in better in a one bedroom at a safe, but average complex. We want to have our cake and eat it too. That is human nature, but that nature comes with a price. Often that price is living beyond our means and piling up debt. Instead of buying $250 sunglasses, buy a $25 pair and take good care of them. Put the extra into savings or into paying off a debt. Live in the average neighborhood and put the difference toward saving for a house. Live below your means and do not worry about keeping up with everybody else. It may be unrewarding in the short run, but it will be worth it when you do not have to endure the financial pain that your friends do.

3. Make your money work for you. Since almost every country in the world uses a fiat currency of one type or another, inflation is a very real concern when it comes to saving money. The reason for this is that fiat currencies are not backed by any real assets such as gold or silver. Fiat currencies are backed by the government or bank that issued them. Because of this, the more money that is printed, the less that the individual denomination of currency is worth and the more that people demand of that currency to provide a good or service. In good times inflation may only be between two and three percent, but that means that the value of the money you have saved declines by that amount each year. Unfortunately the only way to overcome inflation is to make your money work for you. If you let it work in a traditional savings account, you may only make enough to keep pace with inflation. A money market or certificate of deposit will get you a little more, but not a whole lot. The most well known investment market will provide an average return of about eight percent but there will be years that you will lose many times more than that. Since all of these investment vehicles carry risk, the key to making your money work for you is to learn when and why your money needs to be placed in any certain vehicle. It will take some work, but learning how to invest your money is vital since it is unlikely that you will simply be able to save enough to provide for your security.

We have looked at three keys for obtaining financial security and retirement savings. There are certainly many more things that you can do from clipping coupons to getting a second job, but virtually none of those items will provide you with the security you will get if you learn these three keys–paying yourself first, living below your means, and making your money work for you.

Mike Dennison is the author of “365 Self Help and Motivational Tips for Living.” Through near bankruptcy, divorce, and the death of loved ones, Mike has reinvented himself and now shares his experience of healing and growth with others. For more information and a free sample of Mike’s book, visit http://www.BuildingTheBestYou.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Dennison
http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Tips-For-Building-Your-Financial-Security-and-Retirement-Savings&id=3624198

By Vincent Polisi

If you would like to learn more about how to fix your credit fast, then you will want to read this article. We will be discussing three easy strategies you can implement to have an immediate impact on your credit score. After reading this article, you should have a clear idea about things that you can do to improve your credit.

Pay off revolving accounts

Without a doubt, one of the easiest ways you can improve your FICO score is to get out of debt! Specifically, you want to eliminate as much revolving debt as you can. Becoming debt free is good, but at a minimum you want to try to pay off each of your credit card accounts down to the point that the balance is 25% or less than your total credit line.

Become an Authorized User

New credit scoring rules went into effect in the summer of 2009. The new guidelines are called FICO 08. They make significant changes to how authorized user accounts impact your score. The reason for these changes was that people were paying strangers to add them as authorized users on their accounts. The changes have lead many people to believe that you can no longer use authorized user accounts to improve your credit ranking. This is not true. This actually is not the case. You can benefit, but only if it is a parent or spouse that is adding you. Anyone else will not help your credit score.

If you do have a parent or spouse with good credit, this can be a great way to improve your credit score. Choose an account that has a low balance and has been open as long as possible. You obviously also want an account with perfect payment history.

Dispute Questionable Items

Did you know that an estimated 87% of all credit files have errors? These errors are dragging down people’s credit scores and costing them money. The law does not require the credit bureaus to verify information in your credit file. Unless you take an active part in your credit, these mistakes will never be removed. You want to write a letter to the credit bureaus to dispute any mistakes you find in your credit report. Also take a look at any derogatory credit that you find questionable.

When you file a dispute with the credit bureaus, they will notify your creditor. Your creditors will be given just 30 days to respond. Unless they verify that what they are reporting is inaccurate, it will be removed from your credit file.

Vincent Polisi is the founder of financethedream.com, the nation’s premier rent to own program. To see rent to own homes listings, please visit us on the web.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Things-You-Can-Do-to-Improve-Your-FICO!&id=3613007

By Al Beckett

Looking for a babysitter? You might even have a number of candidates lined up already, but there is one thing you need to do in order to ensure your children won’t be at risk. You need to be performing background checks on everybody you think you might like to hire. This isn’t just a good idea, it’s essential.

Background checks can be performed a number of ways. Some are free, while others require a small fee. The trade-off is that the free way takes time, whereas the paid way is more convenient. To start off your search for free, you first need to verify the person’s name and let them know a background check is being performed on them.

The most important aspect of a background check is to find out whether a potential candidate has a criminal record or any past offences. To start, use a site such as criminalsearches.com to perform a quick and basic check.

Entering a name will provide you with a list of matches as well as dates of birth, basic location and symbols to indicate any past offences. If you’ve found the person you’re looking for, you have the option to view a more in-depth report. This will often cite sources you can use to widen your search.

Check the appropriate government public records website as well as the Federal Bureau of Prison’s website, which offers an inmate locator service free of charge. Be sure to check the National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov as well. If searching for records this way is too time-consuming, many police departments can do a background check for you, for a fee of around $50.

One other way of searching for the information you need is by using an online public records broker. There are numerous ones that exist on the Internet today. Some are very reputable, while others don’t deliver on what they promise. Often these services work by charging a small membership fee for access to their proprietary databases which contain millions of public records. If you decide to use a service like this, remember to do your due diligence.

See our unbiased product report of one of the biggest investigation services that exists on the Internet at people finders review

Article Source: Here’s What You Need to Do If You Want to Hire a Babysitter

By Ronald Robson

Want to know of a quick way to get a preview of your tax refund for 2009?

Want to know your tax refund without actually going through the whole process of filing your tax return?

Is there some tool that will do this for you? for Free?

Yes there is!

Its a little tool called the Tax Refund Calculator.

What does the Tax Refund Calculator do?

Its an online software that you can use to basically get a quick estimate of your taxes without actually preparing your tax return. it is backed by some of the biggest names in the Tax prep business.

You enter basic details like your marital status,your income from your job, You enter your deductions like your home, you charitable contributions, your retirement contributions- hit a button and your taxes are calculated for you.

If you are unsure of an amount you can always guesstimate – because this is not an actual tax return. However, the more accurate your entries, the better the refund estimate would be. So have some of the basic numbers ready before you use it.

Why Should You Use it?

Get a quick estimate of your taxes.This whole process hardly takes 5-10 minutes.
You can get a preview of your taxes for 2008. And then take your time to gather all the documents needed to actually prepare and file your tax return. Best of all – Its free. Its free as in FREE. Because you don’t even have to signup for something or even give up any of your personal information.

About:

Ron Robson is a free-lance writer and a technology management consultant. You can find links to tax refund calculators for 2009 on his website. for 2009.Visit his site – TaxEasy.com to get a quick run down on the latest and greatest tools available to prepare and file your taxes for 2009 and beyond.

Article Source: Tax Refund Calculator – Get a Preview of Your 2009 Tax Refund