Which Debts Should I Pay Off First to Improve My Credit?

Improve Credit

If you’re trying to improve your credit, you need to pay off your debts. High debts can hurt your credit score tremendously, especially if you have a lot of revolving debt (credit cards).

To improve your credit score, focus first on credit card debt and then installment debt, which includes your mortgage, car payments, student loans, and personal loans. Before you jump in to pay off your credit card debt, though, you’ll need a strategy.

Continue reading “Which Debts Should I Pay Off First to Improve My Credit?”

Why You Want to Pay Your Debt, Not Get Out of Paying

Get Out of Debt

If you’re in over your head in debt it may seem logical to not pay it. If you can get debt relief, by all means you should take it, right?

Wrong.

Not paying your debt is much worse than paying it off as agreed. Even if you need a credit counselor to intervene on your behalf, get you lower rates, or a payment arrangement, as long as you pay the debt, it’s a lot better for your credit.

Here’s why.

Continue reading “Why You Want to Pay Your Debt, Not Get Out of Paying”

New Couples and Money

As published in the January/February 2017 issue of Balance, a Manitoba Teachers’ Society publication.

Balance Jan Feb 2017 - New Couples and Money

You’ve just moved in with your current love or maybe you’ve just got engaged. This is a happy, exciting time in your life. The two of you may have discussed where to go on a honeymoon, whether or not to have children, how many or where your dream house will be. But have you had a conversation with each other with regard to your finances? Everything listed above costs money and both of you need to be honest with each other regarding your finances in order to have those things.

As you begin a new, permanent relationship, it is time to set your financial goals as a couple and to be honest about your money values.

Continue reading “New Couples and Money”

Financial Literacy and Education Key to Good Credit

Canadians are highly-educated in areas like academics and trades. But one of the most important areas that is often lacking is their degree of financial literacy.

Learning how to manage debt and build a solid credit rating requires education. Creditaid has developed a financial literacy program to help Canadians Build or rebuild their credit, Learn valuable budgeting skills that will guide them into a future of financial health, and Save money to spend on life’s most important things.

BuildLearnSave-LogoBuild Learn Save is an 18 month credit building program designed to educate participants about budgeting, credit, and debt while their credit is being re-established in order that they can be in a position of financial health upon program completion.

Building a healthy credit rating is not something that we commonly learn in school. Many people do not understand the repercussions of a poor credit rating and how it can affect many aspects of their lives. For instance, a $20,000 car financed over 7 years will result in approximately $350 in payments for a person with a good credit rating but $850 with a poor one.

This difference in cost is only one example of the kind of problems faced by those with poor credit. Renting an apartment, buying a car or house, using credit cards to buy online or guarantee a hotel room, car rental, or airplane seat—all are affected by a poor credit rating.

Financial literacy is a way for Canadians to find their way out of debt and build a solid credit rating that will stand them in good stead for their future.

Call Creditaid to find out more about the Build Learn Save program. Our friendly and understanding staff will let you know if your situation fits the bill and if we can help you to get started on the road to a healthy financial future.

Creditaid Hosted the Jewel 100.5 FM Office Tour This Week!

Jewel 100.5 and Creditaid

All of us at Creditaid were very happy to welcome Dan and Leslie Michaels from local radio station Jewel 100.5 FM to our office this past Wednesday. We always love to have visitors, and even more so when they come bearing coffee and doughnuts!

Our staff was very happy to be this week’s winner of Jewel 100.5 FM’s “The Office Tour Contest“. With coffee, doughnuts, good conversation, and lots of laughter, we think Dan & Leslie might have wanted to stay all day! They described their experience in the following day’s broadcast, click below to listen:

Thanks to Jewel 100.5 FM for sending over such great company and tasty treats, it made our week! If you’re looking to brighten up your work week, enter their contest, because you never know when it will happen to you.

And if you’re looking for help to manage your debt, rebuild your credit, or just find some financial clarity in your life, call Creditaid today – we can help.

Online Survey Finds Half of Respondents are within $200 of Being Unable to Pay Bills

If you are struggling to make all of your payments or are already unable to make your required monthly payments, Creditaid can help. Whether you need to rebuild your credit, undergo credit counselling, tackle your credit card debt, reassess your finances following a divorce or a move, or any other challenge that life brings – we’ve seen it all and we have a program that will suit your needs.

Reposted from the Winnipeg Free Press online edition February 16, 2016.

CALGARY – A new poll suggests nearly half of Canadians surveyed last month are within $200 per month of being unable to pay for their bills and make their debt payments.

The Ipsos Reid survey also found about one-quarter of the 1,582 people who responded to the poll were already unable to cover their bills and debt payments.

The online poll was done between Jan. 27 and Jan. 29 for MNP Debt, which provides licensed trustee services in six provinces, from Quebec to British Columbia.

MNP says the poll found that 31 per cent of respondents said any increase in interest rates could move them towards bankruptcy.

Ipsos Reid conducted the poll about a week after the Parliamentary Budget Office issued a report on Jan. 19 that said Canada has seen the largest increase in household debt relative to income of any G7 country since 2000.

The survey also followed Bank of Canada’s decision to keep a key lending rate at a historically low level of 0.5 per cent on Jan. 20, as the central bank lowered economic growth estimates for 2015 and 2016.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error as they are not a random sample and therefore are not necessarily representative of the whole population.

1 in 5 Manitobans Feel Little Control Over Their Financial Situation: Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum Survey

Creditaid is a proud participating member of the Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum, currently comprised of more than 40 active members. The following news release and Executive Summary of the survey can also be found on their website.

Winnipeg, Manitoba (November 19, 2015) – One in five Manitobans say that there is little they can do to control their financial situation, according to a new survey from the Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum.

The survey, conducted by Prairie Research Associates, also revealed:

• 15 per cent of Manitobans believe that they would put off dealing with their money problems
• 11 per cent say they do not know who or where to turn to solve a financial problem
• 8 per cent feel that they do not know how to make good financial decisions

The results indicated that half of Manitobans do not consider themselves to be fully confident in their financial behavior, with many people desiring access to information and tools that can help them understand their finances, track their spending, create household budgets and improve their ability to work with a financial professional.

These findings are being used by the Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum to create a benchmark for the current state of financial literacy in the province. This is the first survey of its kind to focus exclusively on Manitoba, and its results will inform the Forum’s future programming and projects.

“Learning how Manitobans understand their own financial situation and behavior is an important first step for the Forum,” says Cynthia Duncan, co-chair of the Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum. “We’re finding that many people want to improve their financial skills, and we’re committed to connecting them to the resources that can set them up for lifelong success.”

Manitobans can learn more about money management by visiting ManitobaFinancialLiteracy.com. The website, operated by the Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum, maintains a large collection of free tools and information to help guide people toward making responsible financial decisions at every stage of their lives.

The Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum is one of the province’s largest not-for-profit coalitions of organizations and individuals working to promote financial education and skills to Manitobans, represented by stakeholders from the public, private, financial services, credit counselling, and voluntary sectors, as well as individuals, and families and labour organizations.

The survey results cited are compiled from a random sample of 600 Manitobans 18 years of age and over between April 9 to 29, 2015. The results were weighted to better reflect the population. A probability sample of this size would yield results accurate to ± 4.1%, 19 times out of 20.

Media Contact Information:
Cynthia Duncan
Co-chair, Manitoba Financial Literacy Forum
204-925-7420, ext 7405
info@manitobafinancialliteracy.com

Help Your Debt, Help Your Health

As more studies are done on the correlation between physical and financial health, one thing has become crystal clear: the more affluent you are, the better your physical health is likely to be. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, social and economic status “seem to be the most important determinants of health”.

Help-your-debt-and-healthThere are a number of reasons for this. The obvious is that people with higher incomes are likely to be better educated about their health, and have better access to nutrition and medical services.

There’s also the emotional toll that a debt load can bring to an individual and a family. No matter what your level of income, if you’re carrying significant debt, it will weigh on you. When that debt load gets out of hand, the collection calls from creditors and the “balancing act” of weighting credit card and loan payments against the necessities of life can produce high levels of stress, which will have an impact on your health. Credit card debt is the most significant detractor, because it’s the most available and carries the highest interest cost.

For Manitobans struggling with debt, the first steps to recovery are the most difficult. You must analyze your budget, and take a detailed look at your obligations and their accompanying interest rates. From there, you need to create a realistic payment schedule, one that allows you to take care of your family’s needs while reducing the amount you owe.

At Creditaid, we understand the physical and emotional toll that spiraling debt can have. When you contact us, we’ll do our best to help you by offering counselling regarding your debt situation, management of your debt, and look at a consolidation strategy when appropriate.

Contact us anytime online or by telephone at (204) 987-6890. We can help you take those important first steps toward a healthier, debt free life.

Hosting a BBQ on a Budget – How to Survive Summer Parties Without Breaking the Bank

party-table

Manitoba summers are notoriously short, so it’s understandable that we celebrate our respite from frigid temperatures with zeal. Unfortunately, for those of us on a tight budget, seasonal celebrations can prove to be a strain on the budget, especially because we tend to throw caution to the winds once the sunny weather comes. Here are some strategies to limit the pressure your budget:

Resist the Temptation to Pay for it All
Chances are your friends will understand your need for budgetary restraint. Most of them probably feel the same way. There’s no need for you to take on a huge expense in the name of entertainment for your friends. If they don’t understand you need for restraint, then perhaps they aren’t really your friends. Ask them to share the cost by bringing their own alcoholic beverages if they choose to drink, and consider asking them to bring a dish to accompany your barbecue as a potluck. It’s a good idea to co-ordinate the things guests bring so you won’t have too many macaroni salads!

Spend Your Money in the Right Places
barbeque-skewers-party-on-a-budgetIf you’re going to splurge, do it in a way that people will notice. Shrimp skewers for appetizers, or a really nice cheese plate become a focal point of your party. Don’t spread your money too far.

As for barbecue, there’s really no need to grill expensive cuts of meat. Hotdogs and hamburgers are traditional summer fare, and they’re reasonably economical. Consider making your own burgers rather than buying pre-made patties. It’s cheaper, and nearly always better.

Make Do With What You Have
Resist the urge to make big purchases in the name of entertainment. Summers here are short – don’t spend a lot of money on expensive outdoor furniture you can’t use most of the year. There’s no shame in asking your guests to bring their own lawn chairs to your party, and your buffet table doesn’t need to be a new shiny glass-top from the big box store – your old one, or even a door on a couple of sawhorses will look just as good with a table cloth on it.

Plan Ahead
Make sure you have enough propane or charcoal for the barbecue, and that there’s no need to purchase condiments or anything else from the convenience store at exorbitant prices.
Above all, remember that summer entertaining is about the people, not the party. There’s no need to expose yourself to financial risk in the name of entertainment. Go ahead and have fun, but exercise restraint.

Creditaid Offers credit counselling and debt management solutions for individuals in Winnipeg and across Manitoba, including areas such as Portage la Prairie, Brandon, Winkler, The Pas, Flin Flon, Thompson, and many others.