18 • September 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.
Blazing Credit! portfolios, leav-
FALL GUIDE Sonoma County by Barry O'Meara •
barryo@stearns.com
laboring for countless hours. Living in California all my life I have learned to expect long fi re seasons.
This prolonged
drought has been the worst I can remember. The fi nancial meltdown of 2008 incinerated the equity right out of our homes and stock
SANTA ROSA, CA. ~ the smells of summer.
Ah Hazy
clouds hang in the air and air quality is in par with LA. A huge “thank you” goes out to all the hard working fi refi ght- ers
These brave fi refi ght-
that have been battling the blazes consuming acreage and homes along our western states.
ers put their lives on the line, enduring unbearable heat and
ing many re-exam- ining their fi nancial position. The TARP bail-out pulled our leg- islators together and di- vid- ed a nation. The 99 per centers were wondering why the gov- ernment bailed-out the “big banks” yet left homeowners holding a mortgage with noth- ing to support it. These chains of events lead our home values into a steady decline which took years to change the trend and bring back the equity. The collateral damage from those caught in the “short
The Holidays are coming! (And so are your family & friends).
Order now for the holidays and give your guests the gift of a comfortable nights sleep.
Ask For Your Upbeat Times 50% OFF
Fabric Protection Plan Discount through September
sales” and foreclosures have left many with a bruised and less than perfect credit rat- ing. Time heals all credit is- sues but there are things that can be done to mend them and raise your credit score more
quickly. it worth?
What is your cred- If you are buy-
ing a house, your credit score could cost you big time. A low credit score could add points to the cost of your loan, which could leave you paying higher fees and choosing a higher in- terest rate. Low credit scores will also limit your fi nancial options.
This could end up
with you paying high loan fees and getting high interest rates. How do you improve your credit? Knowing how the credit reporting agencies come up with your credit score is the fi rst step. There are three major credit reporting agen- cies:
Trans Union.
Equifax, Experian and They all have
their own formulas for narrow- ing your life into a three digit number, referred to as your “FICO”. FICO is the acronym for Fair Isaac Company who
pioneered the art of de-human- izing people.
Credit scores are generated through evaluating what is re- port- ed to the bureau. They are evaluating debts owed, payment histo- ry, and length of time with credit. Having a long history with a cred- it card will generate a higher score than closing cards and opening new ones. Keeping your balance low compared to your credit limit will generate a higher score than maxing out your credit. The trick to gen- erating a high score is to use it and don’t abuse it. Collections and Short- pays, bankruptcies, and foreclosures, will fade away with time but don’t be shy to re-build your credit. If you open a modest credit
card with a limit of $300 you should use it to buy something you would pay cash with and make sure you pay it off when the bill comes. So if you buy lunch for $20 and have a $300 limit make sure when the bill comes you pay that bill in full and on time. If you can keep that pattern going your credit score will start to climb. Over time the bad items reported will fade further down the re-
... continued on page 22
JOKES & Humor # 5
A husband and wife were browsing in a crafts store when the husband noticed a display of country-style musical instruments. After looking over the fl utes, dulcimers and recorders, he picked up a shiny, one-stringed instrument he took to be a mouth harp. He put it to his lips and, much to the amusement of other shoppers, twanged a few notes on it.
After watching from a distance, his wife came up and whispered in his
ear, “I hate to tell you this, honey, but you’re trying to play a cheese slicer.”
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way.
Daniele Vare
Santa Rosa • 2875 Santa Rosa Ave. • 525-0569
www.lazboy.com/santarosa
18 • September 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.
Petaluma Arts Center
info@PetalumaArtsCenter.org
230 Lakeville St. ~ Petaluma 707-762-5600
Through September 27
11am-5pm, Thursdays - Mondays $5 general, $4 seniors, students, military & teachers
Happiness is never stopping to think if you are. ~Palmer Sondreal
The Mortgage Coach
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