Protect your Family with Home Security Systems

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This is a guest post by Irene Simpson. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.
Home security is an important subject, often overlooked when building or buying a house. To make a house into Home Security Systemsyour home, you need a feeling of security and safety for you and your family. With the help of modern technology and home security systems there are many ways to do this. There are also many common sense things that you can do to increase your home security. These difficult economic times have seen a rise in the number of burglaries and it is no surprise that home security system sales are on the increase as a result.

Security Systems for Home Use

Security systems for home use can be split into two broad areas: deterrents that put a burglar off trying to break


in and monitoring systems that alert you to an intrusion and, in some cases, capture evidence for future prosecution. Deterrents can be as simple as a sign stating that you have a home alarm system or ensuring that your house looks occupied all the time. It is widely known that most burglars are opportunistic and don’t want to risk running into anyone. Surveillance systems include a wide range of alarms and sensors, some linked to central 24-hour centers and some that simply make a loud noise to scare intruders away. A combination of both is the best way to protect your home and make you feel secure.

Deterrence is the Best Home Security System

Deterring an intruder from ever attempting entry to your home is obviously ideal. The first step is to look at your property from the point of view of a burglar: try to spot any easy entry points or anything that will assist an intruder, such as a ladder or bushes that provide cover. Police forces will have experts in crime prevention who will be happy to advise you. Signs stating that you have an alarm or a visible alarm system are useful deterrents and you can also use anti-climb paints, spiky bushes or rolling tops to walls and fences to make access harder. It is


important to be aware that you may be liable for damage done to passers-by, for example anti-climb paints will ruin clothes if they get on them. Display signs that indicate any security methods that you are using and check with your local police force that they are suitable.

Making sure your house look occupied at all times is a simple way to deter burglars. Always bring in deliveries and take bins in and out on the correct day. If you go on holiday, a trusted neighbor or family member should visit regularly to switch lights on and off, take in post and open and close curtains to make it look like the house is occupied. You can also get timer switches to turn lights, radios and televisions on and off.

The Options for Home Security Systems are numerous

If a burglar does break into your house, it is vital that the police are alerted as soon as possible. There are many alarm systems available and any company involved in home security system sales will be able to help and advise you. Some alarm systems will make a loud noise in an attempt to scare an intruder off and alert neighbors, who will then call the police. The problem with these is that they can go off in error and neighbors may be reluctant to call the police in case it is a false alarm. Other types of alarms are monitored, so any intrusion is immediately registered by a control center, who will usually contact the home owner before calling the police.

Alarm systems are made up of a range of components, including sensors that detect broken glass or a break in magnetic or infrared beams, pressure sensors and panic buttons. The most recent designs allow you to monitor your home remotely via the internet, giving you peace of mind if you are away. You also might want to consider an alarm that allows you to monitor just the perimeter of your home while you sleep.


Choosing the best home security system for you can be a little daunting. Think carefully about what will suit you and your family and consult your local police and home security systems sales experts to help you decide. Once you have your house secured, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your home and family are safe.


This guest article was written by Irene Simpson who has an association with many Home Security communities as a freelance writer and adviser. In her free time she writes articles related to home security systems, home security system sales, and home security equipment.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be a Viable Solution

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This is a guest post by J.D. Roberts. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.
Panic DisorderCognitive Behavioral Therapy is a relatively new approach to dealing with multifarious psychological and psychiatric afflictions. In essence, it is a means of transforming one’s thought processes to enhance their quality of life. It can be implemented for many disorders including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, among many others. CBT is used extensively today to help sufferers simply as therapy or in conjunction with a regimen of medication.

CBT can help with Panic Disorder Symptoms and Others

I personally used it to overcome a debilitating panic disorder that kept me from functioning and fully enjoying life, so this information comes from painstaking experience. But CBT cannot be assumed as an easy fix as a panic disorder treatment or for treating any other debilitating conditions. For it to work, the patient must be willing to explore and examine their own mind and keep records or a journal of their journey. It is hard work, but when approached with an open mind, it can radically restore your self-esteem and help you thrive. If medication is a short cut, CBT is the scenic route. You’ll learn more about yourself in this process than you’d expect, which can be a liberating and satisfyingly existential experience.

Must Take Responsibility for your Condition


One of the first things someone going through CBT counseling needs to grasp is that their perception of the world is in fact, uniquely their own. They must let go of misconceptions of being a victim and take responsibility for where they are in their life. One must understand that it is not a situation in itself that is causing anxiety and fear, but rather the subsequential inner thoughts that manifest from the situation that affect one’s perception. The “automatic negative thought” reaction is what CBT attempts to change.

In my case, I would experience chest pains with a rapidly beating heart and my automatic thought was “I’m having a heart attack and I’m going to die,” which caused a chemical chain reaction by releasing the adrenaline hormones, spreading panic through my body and thus making it harder to calm myself down. The entire thought-to-physical reaction would become a never-ending downward spiral which could only be quelled by anti-anxiety medication… that is, until I worked actively to change those thoughts. Realizing that thoughts in themselves are not going to cause you harm is the first step to allowing CBT to work for you.


Psychiatrists can help using CBT Techniques

When practicing CBT therapy and techniques with a psychiatrist or counselor, a patient will most likely be given cognitive behavioral therapy worksheets to fill out each time they have a negative thought. You’re expected to write down each emotion that transpires and continually ask the toughest question of all — “then what happened?” For anxiety, that question leaves you stumped because you quickly run of out answers and find yourself saying “nothing,” after which your counselor will smile and agree. After you do this many times, you’ll slowly start to realize that your initial reaction was overblown and that since you’re ok, there’s no real reason to get scared and panic in the first place.

A Positive Attitude is the Key to Success

Most patients start to feel a difference after at least six weeks of CBT, though some can take much longer. Success in cognitive behavioral therapy is directly attributed to a positive attitude.  If you’re going to be utilizing its principles to get off of medication and take control of your life, just know that it’s going to take time and perseverance but is completely worth your time and effort.


This guest article was written by J.D. Roberts who is a seasoned writer in personal finance, specializing in credit repair. You can find more of his articles located at CreditRepair.org

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5 Tips on How to Manage Your Money

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This is a guest post by Steward Gearlds. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

In today’s fast paced world, we need ways to simplify our lives and our finances. Between work, family, and fun, we How to Manage your Moneyare always under time constraints. Regardless of how financially secure we are, it takes time to manage our finances to ensure all bills are paid on time. How to manage your money is something that we can all do better.  Not long ago, that meant dedicating at least one day a month to writing checks, balancing your checkbook, mailing out payments, and checking your bank statements against check stubs.


While you could still use that approach today, there are many ways to expedite this financial process.  Spend less time worrying about how to organize your finances by shifting all of your money handling processes away from cash and checks to electronic transfers.  Not only is this a more efficient way to deal with your finances, but it’s more secure, virtually eliminates human error, and is very ecologically friendly since it virtually eliminates the need for paper.

Converting from a paper-based financial system to an electronic one isn’t a difficult task, but there are several steps you will need to take to accomplish this goal.

1. Use Direct Deposit

The first step is to have your paycheck electronically deposited into your bank account. This will save you time and may even get your money to you faster.  You can arrange this through your employer who will need your Social Security number and bank information. In most cases, direct deposit gives you immediate access to your money as opposed to having to wait until you deposit your paycheck.

2. Use your Debit Card

Instead of paying for things with cash or a credit card, use your bank debit card. By using your debit card you don’t have to worry about carrying cash that can be lost or stolen and you have a list of transactions available immediately so you can see how your money is being spent. If you prefer to use a credit card you will get the same
list of transactions, however you may have monthly and yearly fees as well as interest payments if you carry a balance forward.


3. Configure your Bills for Electronic Payment

The next step is actually a combination of actions. You now need to set up all of your monthly bills so you can pay them electronically. Virtually all of the bills you have to pay, such as your cable or satellite TV bill, your power bill, and rent or mortgage can be paid online.  Each company website will have its own process to go through to set you up, but the process is usually very simple and only has to be done once. You will just need the account number from each of the bills you want to add.  Most companies offer an auto-pay feature that will simply debit your account when the bill is due and email you a receipt. The benefit is that you do not have to be concerned about going to the various sites each month and paying your bill. The downside, however, is that it also means you don’t have control over when the bill is paid or verifying the availability of funds prior to payment.

4. Consider an Online Bill Organizer

Another way is to employ a method that consolidates all of your online accounts into one place. Using an online bill organizer service, such as Manilla, gives you the ability to manage all of your bills from one site, with one login. You also can link your financial accounts and travel reward programs to Manilla so you can keep up with these accounts from the same place you manage your bills.

5. Consider Money Management Tools

For those who have investments such as 401(k)’s and participate in the stock market, there are ways to import data from brokerage accounts into packages like Quicken Premier and Microsoft Money. This gives you the ability to integrate all of your financial information into one program so you can keep track of everything at once. You can also easily export and analyze data from your online accounts like eTrade or Scottrade.


Today, most people use a combination of ways to pay for things including cash, checks, debit cards and credit cards. Unfortunately, unless you are using all electronic transactions, anything involving paper can lead to identity theft or can be stolen. Security around websites that do financial transactions is the highest available, so your information, as well as your money, is safe. Changing your financial routine from one based in paper to an electronically based one gives you more security, an easier, faster way to take care of paying your bills. This also gives you the opportunity to drill down to the bottom line with your finances so you can map out a secure financial future.

Converting to an all electronic format is easy to do and even easier to maintain once it’s done. Paying bills has never been easier, more accurate, or more efficient.  If you take these steps related to how to manage your money, your financial life should be a whole lot easier.


This article was written by Steward Gearlds who enjoys researching and writing about ways to help people get their finances in order. From organizing bills allowing less time to be spent on them to paying accounts off early, taking care of your credit is an important priority in this economy.

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The Perfect Christmas Gift – Keeping it in the Family

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This is a guest post by Michael Springman. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

Perfect Christmas GiftThat perfect holiday gift you want to give to a child or other loved one living far away may be right there at your home. How about the grandfather clock passed down from your parents, the childhood bedroom set your own child can use in your granddaughter’s room, or even the huge portrait of kindly Uncle Mortimer that’s been gathering dust in the attic.

You get the point – sometimes the best gift-giving inspiration is to keep it in the family. But shipping furniture or other large items can be tricky. Here are some tips on how to get the best service at the best price.

Two Shipping Options and One Shipping Commandment


Freight Shipping Service
If your items are too bulky, heavy, or both, freight may be the only way to go. But it’s a rough way to travel. Secure items within the packaging with as much padding as possible. Double box if you can. Consider using a UPS Store or other professional.

Moving Company Service
Consider shipping furniture, large antiques, and other items that can’t be easily boxed or crated with white glove movers. You’ll get more careful handling, including two-man inside pickup and delivery. Look for a small mover or a broker who can put your items on a truck with other items to cut your price.

Always insure your items. One more time: Always insure your items.
.

Estimating Size and Weight and Value

Check original purchase receipt or related documents for specs.

Check specs online, either on the manufacturer’s website or by finding the same item on a seller site like eBay or Amazon.

If all else fails, weigh the items on a bathroom scale. If the item is too bulky, use two scales and add the totals.

If you can, weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the box and subtract the difference.


Measure the size to get the weight. An experienced mover or shipper should be able to estimate the weight accurately based your description and dimensions. And don’t try to fudge any information, or you may get hit with reweigh charges.

The perfect Christmas gift or the perfect holiday gift may be to simply keep it in the family. Shipping options such as using a freight shipping service or a moving company service, as well as always insuring your items, should help you in getting your precious cargo to its final destination during this wonderful time of the year.

This guest post was provided by Michael Springman, representing Transit Systems, Inc. (TSI), a residential and commercial moving company. TSI specializes in shipping furniture and a nationwide leader in both large and small moves. For more information about TSI or to request a free quote, visit their website or follow TSI on Twitter@TransitSystems.

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5 Tips for Organizing a Kitchen

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This is a guest post by Paul Premson. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

Organized KitchenWhether it is a large or a small space, organizing a kitchen can be difficult. From wayward pots and pans to dirty dishes piled in the sink to cumbersome tables and chairs, it can seem as though you’ll never get your kitchen organized. By following some simple steps, maybe you too can learn how to organize a kitchen.

Take Inventory

Before you can even begin to get an organized kitchen, it’s important to take inventory of everything in your kitchen. From silverware to appliances, make a list of everything you have, and then sit down and organize the list. Doing this will not only help you get started on the actual organization process, but it will also help you see what you need and what you don’t need. Many kitchens have unused kitchen gadgets that simply take up space. Consider donating any unneeded or unused items to charity or to friends.


Plan out a New Space

Once you have organized your inventory list and gotten rid of unnecessary items, it’s time to plan out a new space. A good idea is to draw out a diagram of your kitchen, including all cabinets, pantries and appliances, and then begin to put items together in groups. For example, you could keep all of your silverware in one drawer, and then keep your knife block and knives above that drawer, as all of these items are utensils and will be used as such. Another option could be to clear out an area of your kitchen countertop and put in a coffee station. You could place a single cup coffee maker here or have a place to store your pour over coffee cone and filters. When you’re drawing out your diagram, try to keep the flow of your kitchen in mind. Because you use your potholders to get things out of the oven, keep them near the oven, not in a drawer on the other side of the kitchen.

Rearrange Furniture


If you have furniture in your kitchen, you’ll also want to consider rearranging it to improve your workflow. Some people have their dinner table and chairs in the kitchen, and these items can get in the way. If you can, try to find a separate place nearby for these items, such as a small dining room area off to the side. Also consider moving decorative tables and stands, as well as trash cans. With just a little rearranging, you can end up gaining a lot more space.

Organize Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

After you have begun rearranging and organizing kitchen items, it’s time to organize kitchen cabinets and drawers. Over time, it becomes easy to let these areas become unorganized. You may want to invest in some kitchen cabinet organizers and kitchen drawer organizers. Go through any spices, ingredients and food products, and check for expiration dates, as well as for usability. Many people find that they have certain food items that they purchased months ago and have only used one time. Get rid of items that are taking up space or that are expired, as expired food products may harm your health. Organize your kitchen cabinets and drawers according to the different categories you made earlier in your diagram.

Stick to a Plan

The biggest key to organizing your kitchen is to stick to an organization plan. Once you have organized your kitchen, try to continue to keep items where they belong. When you come home from the grocery store, place items in the appropriate place, and try to wash dishes shortly after using them. This will keep your kitchen from falling back into an unorganized state, and will help you develop a pattern of organization for life.


Keep in mind that you don’t have to get everything done at once. Organizing a kitchen should be thought of as a project with each step requiring individual attention.

You may also want to ask yourself if you’re using all of your kitchen space effectively. Is there anything you could do on a daily basis to help you keep your kitchen organized?

This guest article was written by Paul Premson who works over at Cliq Studios, a kitchen cabinets company. Paul spends most of his free time cycling and sharing his knowledge with blogs like this one.

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Tips to Winterize Your Home

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This is a guest post by Melissa Crossman. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

When I bought my house it was still warm outside. I don’t think it’s bad to purchase real estate when the weather is pleasant; in fact, it’s nice to be fully nested before the chillier season draws close. However, this is my first home Winterize Your Homeand I did not even think about heating it for the winter. Unfortunately, my beautiful, romantic, cozy little abode would be less drafty if it were made of sticks. I love my house and I’m in it for the long haul, but I don’t want to freeze to death. So, a respectful blend of love and survival instincts has made me get creative with how to heat my household.


Just jacking-up the thermostat isn’t enough. I don’t have the money to heat every inch of my home and, frankly, I don’t think the furnace could even handle it. If you are a homeowner also caught between a rock and a cold place then follow these DIY tips to winterize your home and to help keep it cozy in the winter months.

Zone Heating

Don’t think of your house as a giant box that needs to be evenly heated, because it isn’t. There are areas that don’t need to be nearly warm as others. Space heaters are perfect for adding that added bit of warmth to the most needed areas. I have heaters in my bathroom, beside my couch and in my bedroom. I choose to not add additional heat to the kitchen because 1) I don’t cook naked and 2) the appliances in the kitchen generate a lot of heat themselves. I also don’t have heaters near any entryways or the dining room. My most valued heater is in the bathroom because I DO go in there naked and all the porcelain surfaces really make you feel the chill.

Bag Pipes

Wrapping your water heater in a blanket is a pretty familiar winterizing technique, but many people don’t think about the pipes. Covers for these can be found at pretty much any hardware store and installing them is as easy as putting a hotdog in a bun. These barriers will keep your water from getting cold as soon as it leaves the water heater. This means you use less water and energy waiting for it to heat-up, which means your bills are less, which


means you can invest that money into some nice wool socks or a bottle of wine (better known “keep warm” devices).

Draft Police

There are drafts in your home. Whenever you feel a slight air current or even just a cold spot don’t let it go. Hunt that draft down like the money waster it is. Drafts are especially prominent around doors, windows and anywhere that pipes or cables enter/leave the house. Tour your home (inside and out) with a caulk gun and fill any cracks that you see along windows or door jams. Use a draft snake under each exterior door. Putting plastic over your windows also helps keep heat in and cold out.

Taking some simple steps to winterize your home will not only keep it cozy in the cold months but will also save you some money at the same time.

This guest article was written by Melissa Crossman. Melissa is a first-time homeowner who blogs for Sears and other deserving brands. She enjoys running and eating pie next to her space heater. Melissa does not like winter.

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5 Tips for Transitioning to Living Alone

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This is a guest post by Bob Hartzell. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

Living AloneIn one of Charles Dickens’ novels, the children in the family that is central to the plot are described as “tumbling up,” not merely growing up.  I’m inclined to think that the tumbling process doesn’t stop when we become adults; there are always going to be events and consequences that set us to tumbling, or spinning, or leave us clueless about how to handle them.

When I was first divorced my newly minted ex commented that I didn’t know how to live alone, that I’d never done it before.  She was right.  In the intervening years I have rarely lived alone but today find myself doing just that, engaged in finding adjustments that make the solitary homestead a comfortable one.  Here are a few that I’ve found have contributed to that sense of well being we all seek when we close the front door behind us.

The essential element to all of these suggestions is learning to do the things that used to be done for you.  If you fold those tasks into your daily regimen, before too long your daily routine will incorporate the homemaking chores that were not part of your life when you lived in a household with others.

1. Take Responsibility for Managing your Finances

If budgets and bills weren’t your responsibility before, they are now.  You can’t let the fear of new assignments, especially this one, keep you from tackling them head on.  The best way to avoid financial panic is to plan your expenditures, line them up with your income in such a fashion that you’re meeting everybody’s expectations, including your own.  You’ll find that tracking your costs and resources is a lot simpler than that pile of bills makes it look.

2. Take Pride in Cooking for Yourself

If you’re not accustomed to cooking, invest in some of the simple cooking devices available today so that you can prepare basic meals.  It’s going to seem like a lot of effort expended for a basic meal, but it’s going to make you feel a lot better than something that came out of a paper bag or styrofoam container.  It’s not just the quality of the food; it’s the ritual of preparing it that adds to your sense of place.

3. Take Charge of your Automotive Maintenance

Don’t let automotive maintenance scare you.  Take the time to learn what the basics are – changing oil, yearly inspections, renewing registration.  They are all mindless chores after you’ve done it once and they don’t require dropping off your car and leaving it.  If you’re concerned about your ability to deal with car problems, make sure you have the resources for an emergency: phone numbers to call for a jump start or a tow into the shop.  You don’t have to know how to fix it; you just have to know who can.


4. Stay on Top of your House Cleaning

If someone else has been doing the housecleaning you’re going to become a scrub artist, like it or not.  As with most chores, the key to keeping housecleaning manageable is to stay on top of it – if you do it frequently they will be relatively brief and painless tasks.  You don’t have to do it all at once; one day for vacuuming and another day for bathrooms, a third day for dusting or windows.  It’s your home, you can do it on your own schedule but you can’t ignore it.

5. Foster your Friendships

Fold some contact with friends into every day.  If you’re struggling with loneliness initially, make it a point to have a cup of coffee or a long phone call with someone whose friendship you value.  You can’t fill that hole that’s left when you have no life partner, but you can knock the rough edges off by keeping the affection for and from others in active mode during your daily activities.

This guest article was written by Bob Hartzell has been writing for five years about education and other life essentials on a variety of websites. Much of his recent work has been about online master’s degrees and their value in career enhancement, in recognition of the fact that the job market has gone completely off the tracks in the last decade.

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Ten Bedroom Ideas to Help you Sleep Well

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This is a guest post by Tess Mathews. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

When a person’s bio-rhythm is interrupted and the cyclic pattern of waking and sleeping is thrown into disarray, he Sleep Wellsuffers severe mental and physical fatigue. One can never stress enough the value of a peaceful slumber.  Sleep disorders related to stress and physical ailments are extremely prevalent today.  Natural sleep aids, including some of the tips in this article, can help you attain restful sleep.  Follow these simple bedroom ideas to help you sleep well and wake up refreshed and ready to face the day.

1. Keep the colors in your bedroom muted and pleasant, whether it is the walls or the furnishings or the bed linen. Bright and vivid colors and patterns can tire your eyes and brain.

2. Clean and fresh-smelling bed linen is always more inviting than wrinkled soiled sheets. Change them frequently if need be. Use the right kind of sheets and quilts depending on the weather conditions.


3. Make sure the size of the bed is sufficient for you and your partner to sleep without elbowing each other. Indulge yourself and switch to a king size bed.

4. The mattress and the pillows too should be comfortable. Often, lumpy mattresses cause discomfort and keep you awake. Periodically change your mattress as it tends to develop depressions and soft centers. Try using a memory foam mattress if your mattress makes you toss and turn.

5. Ensure that there is no seepage of light or sounds from outside.

6. If you are the type that likes to go to sleep with music playing, then get a music system that has a ‘sleep’ provision.  Waking up just to turn off the music can disturb your sleep. Try to keep the television out of the bedroom. If one person were to watch, another cannot sleep peacefully. The flickering pictures would leave their images on the retina.

7. If your partner uses an alarm, choose something that is not strident but muted so that your sleep is not disturbed when he/she wakes up.

8. Make sure that the doors are oiled. If you have an adjoining bathroom make sure you don’t have taps that drip. Persistent noises like a dripping tap can keep one awake. Throw out the old rattling fan or the noisy humidifier and gift yourself a quiet one.


9. If you feel the need for a night light use a low wattage bulb rather than a regular bulb. Sleep is natural to us in darkness and we should simulate that condition to the extent possible.

10. Above all keep the bedroom clean and neat. Avoid strewing clothes on the floor and on the furniture. Peace and harmony cannot be achieved in unclean ambiance.

If you follow these simple bedroom ideas to help you sleep well you might find that you will face each day with a renewed vigor and attitude toward life’s challenges.

This guest article was written by Tess Mathews who is a freelance writer and a self-made home improvement expert. Apart from writing, Tess likes to read a lot, cook, travel and spend time with her pets. To induce a restful sleep in her house she enjoys her king size beds at home.

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5 DIY Credit Boosting Tips for Getting the Best Mortgage Rates

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This is a guest post by J.D. Roberts. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

A home mortgage loan is a large investment, probably one of the largest you will make in your lifetime. It stands to reason that securing a home loan should be done at the lbest mortgage rates with the most available options at Home and Mortgageyour disposal. The only way to succeed in getting approved for a reasonable and affordable home loan is to do a bit of work prior to applying for the loan to ensure your credit is where it needs to be. This article will show you how to improve credit score ratings and eventually allow you to secure a mortgage you can live with.

Better Credit or Bust

Lenders have taken many risks in the last few years and as a result there was a significant crash in the home loan industry. When lenders started their recovery work, they imposed much stricter requirements for borrowers looking for a home loan. Lenders are no longer willing to take risks in lending hundreds of thousands of dollars so borrowers must be able to prove their ability to repay a loan and not be a risk for default.


Today’s lending standards require 20% of the home price as a down payment, the ability to meet the monthly mortgage amount, and the presence of a solid credit score, preferably over 730. While there is some flexibility between lenders, the majority of companies providing home loans will rely on your past credit history to make important determinations.

Understanding Home Loan APRs

Your credit score will be used first to determine your creditworthiness. It will then be used to calculate the annual percentage rate you pay for the life of the loan. Higher credit scores typically allow for lower interest rates. Lower credit scores will increase the APR as lenders will seek extra cash to cover the possibility of loan default.

Traditionally, mortgage loan APRs are relatively low as far as interest rates go. But when you consider that this interest builds for 15 or 30 years, it stands to reason you’d want to secure the absolute lowest interest rate being offered per market standards.

Example of a home loan at two different fixed interest rates:

Home loan amount: $200,000 at a 30-year fixed rate

4.5% APR  versus  6.5% APR

Monthly payment:         $1013.37   vs   $1,264.14

Total interest paid:       $164,813.42  vs  $255,088.98

Not only is there a significant savings on the monthly payment of the loan at these terms, the 30 year total of accrued interest is nearly doubled with the higher rate of interest.

Improve Credit Score Starting Today

The most important thing to know about credit score repair is that it can not be done over night. It requires time and effort to boost scores despite what some agencies are advertising to consumers.


1. Deal with Existing Credit Reports

Ideally, you’ll want to first know where you stand credit-wise. You can access and pay for your credit scores online then print the documents for review. Be sure to highlight any inaccurate information and file a dispute with the credit reporting bureau. Notate a date 30 days from the mailing of your dispute to follow up with the credit bureaus if you have not heard about the results of your investigation.

2. Start Paying Everything On-Time Every Month

It is also important to appear financially stable to prospective lenders. You’ll need to be sure all of your monthly bills are paid before the due date in the months leading up to your mortgage application. This on-time payment activity has the power to boost credit scores in a relatively short period of time.

3. Cease New Applications for New Credit

Also prior to applying for a mortgage, you need to be sure you are not seeking any other type of financing. This could be perceived as an overextension of your credit and lenders may not be willing to risk lending money to someone with reckless credit behavior.

4. Apply for Your Mortgage


Within a few months of avid attention to your financial life and credit score you can see a positive impact that creates confidence in mortgage lenders. Once your credit score has been improved to meet the lender’s specific requirements, you can apply for a home mortgage loan with confidence you’ll be approved and with assurance you can afford to become a home owner.

5. Follow Up on Your Financial Life

It can be easy to put your financial life back on the backburner once your mortgage has been approved. However, with the amount of additional financial responsibility you now carry on your shoulders, it is crucial you continue on the path of good credit. As a homeowner, your credit score will dictate how much you pay for insurance premiums, what kind of job you are qualified for, and how much the utility companies will charge you to access services and products. Your credit score affects a large part of your daily financial life and it is always best to know exactly where you stand.

This guest article was written by J.D. Roberts who is a seasoned writer in personal finance, specializing in credit repair. You can find more of his articles located at CreditRepair.org.

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10 Tips to Help your Child Find Money for College

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This is a guest post by Ashyia Hill. If you’d like to guest post on this blog, click here.

You’re proud of your child for wanting to attend college but scared of the financial burden.  It’s very common for parents to feel this way, especially with the rising cost of tuition.Money for College Fortunately, there are many methods for helping your high school student find money for college.  So if your child is repeatedly saying “I need money for college”, this article will discuss ten tips on answering the age-old question of how to get money for college.

1. Fill out your portion of the FAFSA before Valentine’s Day

If you stop reading this article right now, please let this be the one tip you follow! Filling out the parent portion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the single most important thing you can do to help your college-bound student find money for school.

Filling out a FAFSA will make your college-bound student eligible for many different types of financial aid, including subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, federal work-study, grant money for college, and many types of scholarships, too.  Grants and college scholarships are considered free money for college since they do not have to be paid back.

Please note that filling out the FAFSA is completely free and does not commit you to pay a penny of your college-bound student’s expenses. It’s just a form that provides your child’s future school with the information they need to award aid. Your child can fill out the student portion on their own.


Let’s look at it from the other angle, too. If you don’t fill out the parent portion of the FAFSA, your child will be ineligible for most types of aid. Your child might be able to receive an unsubsidized Stafford loan, but only if you completely stop financially supporting your child and they can prove to the financial aid office that you refuse to file a FAFSA.

It’s not rare for colleges to adopt a first-come, first-served policy for some types of financial assistance, like federal work-study, so it’s best to fill out your portion of the FAFSA early. If your child wants to start college in the fall, you should make sure you do your part by completing your section early. Then, encourage your student to finish theirs and submit it before the 14th of February.

2. Talk to your child’s guidance counselor about college scholarships

Many high schools receive scholarship filing guidelines and application forms directly from scholarship committees. Your child’s guidance counselor may know about scholarships you haven’t heard of yet.

So, make an appointment to drop by the school and ask them what’s available.

3. Contact prospective colleges about institutional scholarships and grant money for college

Many colleges offer college scholarships and grants just for their students. It doesn’t hurt to call, e-mail, or visit the colleges your child is interested in to ask what types of aid is available especially for their students.

If your college-bound student is accepted into several of their top choice schools, the availability of aid and scholarships at each one could help them narrow down the list.

4. Ask your employer if they offer college scholarships for children of employees

Yes, even in the age of cutbacks and layoffs, some companies still offer scholarships for children of employees.

Intel, for example, provides 1.4 million dollars worth of scholarship money to children of employees from 26 different locations around the world.

So, talk to your employer about possible scholarship opportunities for your college-bound student.

5. Look up what is available using a free scholarship search engine

Skip the pay-to-search websites and focus on the many free scholarship search engines instead. You just need to set up a profile for your college-bound student on each site and the search engine will find the scholarships that they are likely to qualify for.

You can start with the College Board’s regularly updated Scholarship Search. It’s available at College Board Scholarship Search and features more than 2,300 sources of funding.

6. Drive your college-bound student to drop off job applications and attend interviews

Working is still one of the best ways for young people to earn money for college. If your child doesn’t have a car yet, you can help by driving them to pick up applications, drop off applications, attend interviews, and get to work on time, at least until they can save up for their own ride.

If your college-bound student finds a job that they like close to campus, they can keep working there during the school year, too.

Some parents worry that working while in college could hurt their child’s grades, but a study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that the opposite is true. After collecting information on hundreds of undergraduate students from 1996 through 2004, they found that the average grade point average for university freshmen who worked between one and 20 hours per week was 3.13. Students who didn’t have jobs had GPAs averaging 3.04.


However, the study also found that freshmen who clocked in more than 20 hours per week had GPAs averaging 2.95, so full-time jobs are probably best left for summers and breaks.

Your college-bound student’s first job may just earn them minimum wage, but with tuition costs today, every little bit helps!

7. Carefully evaluate student credit cards

Establishing credit is an important part of adult life.  Consider student credit cards to help your child build credit.  While earning cash back on everyday spending is a plus, make sure your college-bound student understands financial responsibility and the importance of paying on time, on budget.

8. Apply for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan

If you have good credit, you could qualify for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan to help cover your student’s college expenses. These can be put toward paying for your kid’s school supplies, housing, tuition, and more.

However, keep in mind that this will be your loan, not your kid’s loan. It will be in your name and you will be responsible for paying it back.

According to student loan expert Heather Jarvis, Parent PLUS Loans can’t be repaid under Income-Based Repayment or Income-Contingent Repayment. Like regular student loans, they can haunt you for a long time if you aren’t careful.

9. Co-sign for a private student loan

If your student isn’t getting enough federal loans and grants to make ends meet, you could help them get a different type of aid by cosigning for a private student loan.

In this situation, both you and your college-bound student will be responsible for the loan. If your child doesn’t pay up, you will have to. Your credit score will probably take a hit if your child skips a payment or defaults on the loan.

Additionally, these loans are provided by banks and companies to earn a profit, so they tend to have higher interest rates than federal loans.

So, it’s best to only think of cosigning for a private student loan as a back-up plan if none of the above tips are enough for your child to cover their college expenses. Make sure your child borrows only what they need and keeps applying for traditional forms of aid.

10. Be sure to file taxes each year, even if your income is low.

If your student, who is under 24 years of age, continues to live with you and rely on you for financial support while attending school full-time, you can keep claiming them as a dependent when you file taxes. This could make you eligible to receive free tax credits.

One of these tax credits is the Lifetime Learning Credit, which is designed to help with college expenses for taxpayers and their dependents. You could receive a tax credit worth 20% of the tuition and college-related costs you incurred for your child, up to $2,000!

So, even if your income is low, it’s worth it to file your taxes every year.


We hope these ten tips for helping your college-bound student find money for college will be useful to you and your child. It is even better when that money is free money for college.  Obviously, some of these strategies involve more direct involvement than others. As always, think about your situation carefully before taking on any financial responsibilities.

If you feel discouraged, remember that funding your child’s education is a way of investing for the future. As with any investment, there is some risk involved. Risk is the price we all pay for opportunity.

This guest article was written by Ashyia Hill who is a freelance writer.

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