• Not paying bills on time
• Writing the checks but waiting to mail them
• Rarely balancing the checking account
• Taking cash advances from credit lines or individuals
• Accepting additional credit cards
• Paying only the minimum on charge accounts
• Bouncing checks
• Borrowing from family and friends

-Mary Hunt

Luke 14:28-30 (The Message)

-John C. Maxwell

By getting your money sooner you can apply it to debt or invest right away. If you owe money, the longer you keep it the more time you have it to work for you.

This day and age, credit card fraud is very common.  Victims of credit card fraud often experience a lot of hassle and stress.  If you’ve a credit card, you should always be aware of the security features that’s included with the card.  If you’re looking to get a credit card, you should always make sure that it offers plenty of security.

With credit card companies all over the United States, credit card fraud is becoming more and more common.  Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the situation, and always look for ways to protect themselves.  Many companies that offer credit cards are looking into other methods of security, to prevent credit card fraud from happening.

The ideal way to protect yourself against fraud is to check the monthly credit card statements you receive.  By looking at your statements, youíll easily be able to tell if your account has suffered any type of fraud.  If you notice any type of fraudulent charges, you should instantly contact your credit card company and inform them.  This way, they look into it and try to retrieve the money that was illegally stolen from you.

Another way that you protect yourself from fraud is to never reply to emails that may appear to be sent by your bank or credit card company.  There are a lot of fake emails going around, that’ll steal your information should you enter it in.  You should always use caution with emails, and reply only if you know that the email was indeed sent from your bank or credit card provider.

You can also protect yourself from fraud by keeping your credit card around you at all times.  When you hand it to someone to make a payment, ensure that it is given back to you promptly. You should also keep it safe from others so they canít view your information.  When you carry your credit card with you, you should always keep it in a safe place, such as your wallet.  This way, you donít have to worry about it falling out.

There are always steps that you can take, to avoid falling into the trap of thieves and criminals.  Criminals are always out there, looking for ways that they can steal your credit card information.  Therefore, itís up to you to protect yourself.  Credit card fraud happens quite frequently these days, normally as a result of credit card holders not being aware of how to protect themselves.  Anytime you suspect credit card fraud, you should contact your bank or company.  This way, you can let them know what happened – and take the necessary steps in stopping fraud before it goes on any farther.

I would like yourrecommendations of the best ways you know to get out of debt. I have listed a few below to get the ideas flowing in your mind. Use the contact form above to submit your ideas. I will than put the ideas together and show them to you in a future post. So if you have arecommendation please submit it today.

• Stay out of Debt. Pay cash for all your buys and do not take on any new debt accept for a home home.
• Spend less than you earn. Live below your income.
• When your debt is closed out, put 60% into savings and enjoy the remaining 40%,
• Know your liabilities. Create a spreadsheet showing exactly everything you owe, include monthly payments, interest, balances and a running total of all your balances. Update it monthly as you pay off debt. It is very motivating to watch the change.
• Only have one credit card. It must have a low limit and you must pay it off every month.
• Build your emergency fund. Any extra money, via tax return, birthday, raise, etc. put into your emergency fund. Once that’s built add it to your debt payoff.
• Cut up your credit cards and don’t get any new ones.

I really enjoy reading Leo Babauta who writes the Zen Habits blog. He is a terrific writer and recently I discovered a Free Ebook he has called “Thriving on Less: Simplifying in a Tough Economy.”

This book goes right along with what I am trying to promote with this site so I want to make sure you know about it and get your own Free copy. Here is a brief outline of the book:

From the introduction:

The recent economic recession has a lot of people worried, about their jobs, their businesses, their homes and their bills. When your income is dropping or in jeopardy and you still have a mountain of bills to pay, things can get pretty scary.

However, tough economic times don’t have to be a time of struggles! If you look for the opportunity in the middle of difficulty, as Mr. Einstein suggested, then tough economic times become an opportunity totransform your life.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. A Simple Lifestyle
3. Focus on the Essentials
4. Thriving on Less, Not Struggling
5. Focusing on Enough, Not More
6. Make Small Financial Changes First
7. Look at Large Expenses for the Long Term
8. Changing Your Spending Habits
9. A Guide to Getting Out of Debt
10. Tools for a Frugal Life
11. Resources

Get your Free copy of this great bookTiny ebook Thriving on Less: Simplifying in a Tough Economy here.

The jobs not only helped him financially, however; they helped Lincoln broaden his circle and gain a seat in the IllinoisSay legislature. From there, he became a lawyer and was elected to the United States Congress. Of course, you know the rest of the story… Lincoln remained true to his values and honed his gifts to become one of the most revered presidents in United States history. Lincoln’s administration abolished slavery and helped others to understand equality and to value education. Lincoln stands as an example of how paying off a small debt can ultimately benefit an entire society for many generations.

Money is like a reputation for ability–more easily made than kept.
-Samuel Butler

The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.
-Frank McKinney Hubbard

Money begets money.
-Italian Proverb

Anybody can make a fortune, it takes a genius to hold on to one.
-Jay Gould (attributed)

Money is flat and meant to be piled up.
-Scottish Proverb

There are times it helps to transfer credit card debt to another that has a much lower interest rate. By doing this it will give you a lower interest payment. However this does not solve the debt problem and may give you the feeling that you might have something and than you become lazy on your debt payoff plan.

Switching to a lower interest rate is okay, but only saving 2% of the plan. You still have 98% to payoff and $100 of your $2,500 debt is not the problem. So be wary of the temptation that a transfer to a lower rate will fix your debt problem.