The Money Puzzle

Last summer, Equifax launched a new product aimed at helping people reduce their debt. This product is called Equifax Debt Wise, and it’s proving to be quite popular. To be sure, it’s a unique and interesting way to keep track of how much you owe while calculating how long it will take to pay it off. For people deeply in debt, this is a real boon. However, the service isn’t free. It comes with a price tag of $14.95 a month. This may not sound like much, but in this economy, it could be a big chunk of someone’s monthly budget. So, before you sign up, you need to make sure it’s worth it for you. Here are the facts you need to know before jumping on board with Debt Wise.

1.  It can help some people, but not everyone. People with no debt, one large debt, or only common debt like a mortgage and school loans will not benefit from the program.

2.  You’ll get four copies of your credit report when you sign up with Equifax Debt Wise. This is an excellent value, and makes the price of one month’s membership worth it for almost everyone, since you’d pay about $160 if you bought 4 reports individually. Plus, it’s always a good idea to see your credit report at least annually, so you can see if there are any mistakes there and to see where you currently stand with your creditors.

3.  You get a FICO score when you sign up. Again, this brings excellent value to the service, since you often have to pay separately to get that score. The FICO score is that magic score that lenders use to determine your creditworthiness for things like mortgages, loans, and credit cards, so it’s a good idea to know what yours is…..and work on raising it. Debt Wise can help you do this.

4.  The service provides $25,000 in free identity theft protection. That’s great if you’re worried about identity theft, and invaluable if you actually become a victim of it.

5.  The Equifax Debt Wise system tracks your progress as you pay down your debt, as long as you’re not tracking credit cards you’re currently using. It tracks payments on static debt and old debt. Still, it’s nice to be able to see on the computer screen just how close you are to reaching your goal of being debt free. It’s motivational.

So, for most people, Equifax Debt Wise can provide a very good value, at least for a month or two. You may decide you don’t need the service anymore after that, as you learn to track your debt on your own. For the perks you get when signing up, though, it’s well worth the price for a month or more. It’s a service that can really be useful to many people, at least for a little while. For that reason alone, it’s worth giving it a try.

This is the seventh installment in our credit & debt series. Be sure to check back for updates…

Almost everyone seems to want to work from home. Matching people with work at home jobs is, in fact, a thriving industry. Ads for such jobs are found all across the Internet. The idea of working from home is extremely pleasant. You get to make your own schedule, you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder, and you call the shots. You can arrange your time so you can have quality togetherness with family and friends. You can get to know your kids again. You don’t even have to listen to the blare of the alarm clock, because you can sleep as late as you like. When you DO get up, you can work in your PJs if you choose. What could be better than that?

Plenty of work at home jobs exist and pay very well. Some are telecommuting jobs with real companies, while others are business opportunities you carve out for yourself. The opportunities to work at home are plentiful, but don’t jump right in just yet. It takes a certain type of personality to be very successful with working from home. Before starting any home-based employment venture, you need to ask yourself a few important questions and be honest with your answers.

1. Are you self-disciplined? While work at home jobs are great, they are still jobs, and there’s still work to be done.. You can make your own schedule, but the tasks need to be completed so you can get paid. You can’t allow yourself to be distracted by daytime television, screaming kids, or the phone ringing (unless it’s a business call). Many people start to work at home, only to find they never get any work done. To be successful, you’ve got to minimize your distractions and stay on task. Make sure that people in your house know when you go in your office, you are not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency. Turn off your cell phone and keep the TV out of the room. Remember, you’ve got to do the work to get paid, and since no one’s forcing you to do it, it’s all on you to get it done.

2. Can you manage your finances effectively? When you work from home, you’re typically paid directly by clients (unless you’re telecommuting with a company that pays you). You MUST keep track of who pays you, when they pay, and how much they pay. You’ll need to be aware of outstanding invoices and people who have made partial payments. You’ll also need the fortitude to call and ask for payment if necessary, and to take non-paying clients to court if it comes to that. If you can’t do this yourself, then you need to hire a book keeper, which will cut into your profits. It’s a necessity, though, so don’t ignore it, or your business could end up in a financial mess.

3. Are you a good record keeper? You’ve got to keep good business records for tax and liability purposes. Self-employed people must file quarterly taxes, so having copies of all invoices and receipts is essential. You should also keep records of what work you did, who you did it for, and how much you were paid. This is also for taxes, as well as to protect yourself if anyone ever accuses you of not doing the work you were paid for. A strong filing system is a must, whether it is in an actual filing cabinet or online. Know where your records are and update them regularly. If you can do these things, then the work at home lifestyle could be a match made in heaven for you.

This is the sixth installment in our jobs & careers series. Be sure to check back for updates…

Back in the mid 1990′s, computer careers were all the rage. The dot com explosion had taken the world by storm, and people who were knowledgeable and qualified to work on computers, either in repairs or operations, were in high demand. There were thousands of jobs available in the field, and not nearly enough trained people to fill them all. It was a computer job heyday, and times were good. Schools teaching computer skills couldn’t keep up with the demand for classes, and every graduate seemed guaranteed to get a well-paying job right away. The Internet is still here, and computers are everywhere. But, is the demand for computer jobs still the same, or has the recession put a damper on what was once a thriving industry?

First of all, yes, there is still a demand for computer jobs. Nearly every business uses computers, and people who can repair or operate them are always needed. This is true in just about every type of business. This translates into millions of jobs in the computer field, and there are inevitably going to be vacancies. It’s still very easy for someone to go into computer repair, website maintenance, tech support, data entry, and other specialized areas of computer operation. The need for people to fill those jobs is NOT going away.

One look at the newspaper classifieds in your area will show you this. You’ll probably find dozens of listings for computer jobs, even today. Even better, jobs involving computers are still lucrative, because so many people are still unable to use them properly. Even simple data entry jobs require someone with training. If you don’t have the skills you need to get into a computer job, you can gain those skills at your local community or technical college. There are also vocational and specialized training centers to help. Computer jobs are just as in demand as they always were, in spite of the bad economy. If you love computers or have an affinity for technology, this could be just the opportunity for you, and you can make good money doing it.

This is the fifth installment in our jobs & careers series. Be sure to check back for updates…

Work at home medical billing jobs are advertised everywhere. You’ve almost certainly seen them listed in magazines, newspapers, and posted on the Internet. The ads sound wonderful. After all, who wouldn’t want to work from home, make their own schedule, and be paid handsomely for it? A job like that would allow you to do the things you want, spend quality time with your kids, take vacations as often as you like, and spend your time the way you choose. Who wouldn’t want that? Even better, you’re working for yourself, so you’re your own boss. It sounds like the ideal job, but is it real? Do these jobs really exist, or are they just scams? Here’s what you need to know.

First of all, medical billing jobs ARE real. Some of them require you to work in an office, while some allow you to work from home. The ads you see for these jobs, however, only tell you a small part of the story. Sadly, most of these ads are, in fact, scams. They’re run by people who want to make money by selling you a useless manual or course that won’t get you any kind of medical billing employment at all. Fortunately, it’s easy to spot a scam advertisement. The ads that claim you can make six figures a year with no experience or training are obviously scams. Ads like these abound on the Internet. Even real companies that actually hire work at home medical billers often place misleading ads. They want you to work for them, but first, they want you to buy a $5,000 training manual. The ads never tell you that. You find that out after you get excited about the opportunity and call or email the company.

Only a tiny portion of medical billing jobs ads are real opportunities. But that means that some of them ARE real. You can find a real work at home medical billing job by doing a little research. Find online reviews about the company from people who have signed up to be medical billers with them. Ask the Better Business Bureau if there have been any complaints about a company you’re looking at. Doing your due diligence will help you find the REAL medical billing opportunities, so you can finally have that lifestyle you’ve always dreamed about. Real opportunities won’t charge you a fortune for training, and can get you working fairly quickly. Find the right one, and you’ll be on the road to a lucrative self-employment.

This is the fourth installment in our jobs & careers series. Be sure to check back for updates…

No matter the economic climate, truck driving jobs are in demand, and continue to be so. There are literally hundreds of transportation companies across the country, and every day they go begging for qualified truck drivers to take their goods to their designated destinations. It doesn’t matter that fuel prices are high, either. A good truck driver is an invaluable asset for any transportation company, and they’ll pay well for one. Think of all the things that need to be transported every day….food, clothing, cars, consumer goods, etc. Millions of products need to be shipped every day, and there are never enough people to do the job. When shipments are late, a transportation company can lose business, so it’s critical that all truck driving jobs are filled. This is good news for anyone looking for work during a recession.

You can get an entry level truck driving job if you have the right classification of driver’s license. Check with your state DMV to see what requirements are in your area. You may have to take a special class or get special training to get the license, but once you have it, you’re golden. Just remember, truck driving jobs demand people who are physically fit and who can drive long distances safely. You’ll need to be able to stay awake through hours of long-distance driving and stave off sleepiness and boredom. You’ll also be gone from your family for a week or more at a time, several times a month, so the whole family needs to be on board with your decision to be a truck driver. It’s a lifestyle adjustment, but the money usually makes up for it.

If you’ve never been a truck driver before, then entry level salaries usually start at around $30,000. As you gain experience, you’ll start earning more. You’ll also earn more for volunteering to drive the longest routes. If you regularly drive the longest routes your company has to offer, you could possibly make around $70,000 a year, even as a beginner. This could easily support a family of four or more in these tough economic times.

While the hours are long and the job is often boring, there are upsides, too. You are independent to a large degree. There is no boss constantly looking over your shoulder. It’s just you and the open road. You’ll get to see a lot of interesting sites and do a lot of enriching traveling to places you might otherwise have never thought to visit. If you love to travel and have an independent nature, along with a desire for a flexible schedule and great money, truck driving jobs may be for you. With the economy like it is, now is the perfect time to jump in on this outstanding opportunity.

This is the third installment in our jobs & careers series. Be sure to check back for updates…