Could it really be this simple???

As I've mentioned before, I have automated all of my finances. Even the one bill that was not automated at the time now is so. Also, I set up an automated payments so my credit card will be paid each month. There are no words to describe the how I feel. Even though I still have debt, I feel so free. I don't have to worry about making a payment late or paying anything because it is already done for me. The only thing I really have to steer clear of is monitoring my credit card usage.

I would have never imagined that automating my finances would have this much of an impact on my daily life. If you have not automated your finances by now, I highly suggest it. I plan on posting more on my system later.

Possible ID Theft Victim

I received an email from Capital One confirming my address change. There was one huge problem though...I did not change my address.

So of course I called them up and they are sending me a new card and they also corrected my address. The address that was given to them was based in California and I've never even been to California.

After getting things straightened out with Capital One, I went to Equifax.com and placed a fraud alert on my credit file.

A fraud alert simply alerts creditors or anyone trying to access my credit file that I am a possible victim of ID theft and to take extra measures to verify my identity. The fraud alert was free to place and lasts for 90 days. If I want to extend the time of my fraud alert, I can go online and place a new one at least 30 days before the current one expires. Equifax will also place the fraud alert with TransUnion and Experian, so I will not have to contact them.

All of this is quite scary. I am always careful of how and where I use my information, but I am still at risk, as well as anyone else who may be careful. I haven't even used my Capital One card in a while. I hope this is the last of it and that no other problems will occur.

Speaking Up For Myself

Today I was able to save close to $110 simply by making a few calls and requesting what I felt was right.

First Call:

I went online to Nissan's website to restart automatic payments on my truck. Upon entering the site I saw that I had a $10 late fee posted to my account. I looked at my payment history and confirmed that I have never had a late payment on my truck. So I called and found out that the charge was for them receiving my payment extension paperwork late.

This was definitely not right because they actually had to resend my paperwork to me and when they resent it after I called, the finance rep informed me that they would take care of the late fee and that he would note my account. So I informed the rep of this today and she informed me that the rep did not note my account before.

I really don't like to complain, but I was not about to pay $10 for something that was not my fault. I asked to speak to a supervisor and immediately the rep said that she would take care of part of the late fee. She said this would be so because part of it was paid because I paid extra last month.

Once again, I stated that that would not work for me because the fee was $10 and I don't need to pay any part of it. After asking to speak to a supervisor again, she agreed to credit the entire $10. Some may think it is ridiculous to fuss over $10, but I was concerned about what is right.

Second Call:

A little while ago my internet was not working at all and I had to have AT&T come out and check the connection. While setting up the appointment, I was told that there would be a charge only if I were responsible for any damage to the modem or any other hardware.

The technician came out to my house and informed me that somehow I just had a bad modem and that it would have to be replaced...and...IT WAS NOT MY FAULT! He stated that if there was a charge, then I should haggle with the company and suggest signing a contract to continue service in exchange for taking care of any fees. :/

I received my bill last week and there was a $99.95 charge for him coming out. I called in today and stated that the faulty modem was not by any misuse on my part and I should not have to pay in fees because a modem that they supplied went bad. Without any argument, they credited my account. Now that phone call was definitely worth it!

***

As I said earlier, I am not one to call and complain to companies, but I felt really strongly about the two issues above. It feels good to know that I am not powerless as a consumer. Tomorrow, I'm going to continue my fight and try to get my secured card transferred to an unsecured card with no fees. Wish me luck!

635 is my new number

635 is my current credit score by TransUnion courtesy of www.myfico.com. There were no errors on my credit report and the main thing hurting me is my credit card usage. Apparently, if I pay off all of my credit card balances (already done, but not reported to the credit reporting agency), my credit score will be in the range of 685-725.

MyFICO.com was a very simple website to use. The account creation process was simple, yet secure, and the cost was minimal ($15.95). Even though I had a great experience with the website, I do not believe that I will pay for my score for a while. I plan to continue to use Credit Karma for my score and I will be able to check my credit reports through www.annualcreditreport.com in May or June. This year I will try not to be so anxious and check all three scores at the same time.

The only negative I found with using myFICO.com to access my credit report is that it did not give the dates as to when the negative items will be removed from my credit report.

Below are some screenshots from my credit report.

How an Impulse Shopping Trip Turned Right

Yesterday I went to the Apple store to purchase an iPod that I don't need. While in the store, I kept debating between the iPod Nano and the iPod Touch. Then something hit me. I really need an external hard drive to back up my information to.

So instead of purchasing an iPod, I purchased the external hard drive and the AppleCare Protection plan.

Replacing Wants for Needs, a rare happening for me.

I'm Broke Because of My Job

As an educator, I spend a lot of money on classroom expenses each year. Last year, I spent well over $500, and could only deduct $250 max on my tax return. Just this week alone, I spent close to $200 for supplies for ONE activity!

I am mad at myself first of all because I know that I cannot afford all of this stuff. I am also upset because I could use other resources if I weren't a procrastinator. I know that the help is out there and people love teachers! I need to learn how to ask and plan accordingly.

By planning ahead, I will be able to shop around for prices as opposed to shopping at the highest cost place because it is convenient. There are also online resources available to teachers such as:

On DonorsChoose.org, teachers submit information regarding what they need and how they plan to use it in the classroom. A classmate of mine asked for three laptops for her classroom and received them within two weeks! I read that two-thirds of teachers are given funds from various donors each year.

Although the year is almost over, I have a lot of ideas in my head for next year. My goal is to plan, plan, and plan some more during the summer so I can ask for funds and have a successful year.

New Goal Complete! Automated Finances!

So after finally paying off my credit cards (yay!), the goal was to rack up points on my reward card by paying my rent and truck payment with my credit card. Well too bad for me that they have to be debited from my checking account. So what I did is automate all my bills that were possible (all but one).

Food, gas, and other expenses will be paid for with my credit card. When the bill comes, I will pay it in full each month. This way I won't have to worry about overdraft fees from the bank.

I hope this plan works for me. I must say that I do feel more confident, but I do have to watch my spending.

No more credit card debt!

Thanks to my student loans I no longer have credit card debt. My next main goal is to save tons of money so I can get rid of my truck that I am very upside down on.