This post is sponsored by Lexington Law but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Disclaimer from Lexington Law can be found here.
Lately I've been focusing on ways that I can better myself, in many aspects of life - from trying to better our health by buying more organic products, to learning about how I can do my part to support the fellow American, to bettering my financial health, I'm really trying to become the best version of myself I can be. It's interesting how times of struggle can really help us learn and grow... and today I want to discuss something that I'm actually currently experiencing, where I'm learning and growing.
As I mentioned, I'm trying to improve my financial health and that involves my credit, obviously.
I'll be totally honest, as a young adult I racked up too much debt. I'm ashamed to say I made all the wrong moves, from stacking up student loans to useless store credit cards - I made many missteps when I reached the legal age to get a credit card and continued to stumble through some less than stellar decisions in the following years.
After gaining access to my credit report and realizing I had made some big mistakes, I've been trying to make the right choices for a while now, but my credit still needed some help... and that's where Lexington Law comes into play.
Lexington Law is a great source for credit repair. They are a law firm that has actual lawyers who assist you in the credit repair process and sometimes they even intervene when the need arises.
How do they help repair your credit?
They help with the process of identifying and addressing unfair, inaccurate, or unsubstantiated negative items on your credit report, especially if the negative item is a result of identity theft, divorce, medical debt, student debt, or military leave. Their process has worked for thousands of people and they continue to help repair credit for many people every year.
How can you start to work on your credit? Simply connect with Lexington Law.
When you call in, Lexington Law's credit advisors will help you by looking at your credit report from all three credit bureaus, then they help you gain access to your TransUnion Summary Report and also your FICO Score. While they can't promise they can fix everything, they do help you analyze and identify anything questionable that could be affecting your score. Then they address those negative items with all three credit reporting bureaus and their creditors monthly and they also accelerate the process and help you reach your goal quicker. They basically act as your advocate and do their best to insure you get results.
They don't just help you with credit repair though, they have several other ways to continue to better your finances. From identity theft insurance, up to $1 million, to inquiry tools to assist you when challenging hard inquiries on your credit, they truly are the company to trust when trying to repair your credit. Call now for a FREE credit report consultation and get the details on how they can help you live your best life.
Other steps I'm taking to repair my financial health and credit include:
Regularly Monitoring my current accounts - If you aren't taking advantage of online banking and apps used for monthly bills yet, you should be now. Sign up for every service that offers online banking and/or bill pay and check these accounts regularly. From utilities to car notes, almost every service now offers access to your account online so you should totally be keeping an eye on everything, for your benefit and to make sure nothing mysterious pops up!
Paying bills ASAP - On the same note of monitoring your accounts, pay attention to when things are due when you log in. I'm simply jotting down each bill's amount, when the statements come out, and the first date it can be paid for each billing period, and once those dates approach I log in and get it paid immediately. More often than not, our car note, our electric bill, our water bill, and others are paid before the statement is sent to my email or the paper bills even come in. I'd rather be on top of it, then forget to pay by the due date after making that mistake too many times in the past. Plus, it feels good to know everything is paid.
Signing up for account alerts with your bank and credit card companies - Beyond making sure the bills are paid and keeping your eye on your account, sign up for account alerts wherever you can. It may seem redundant, but it's a good safety net in case you manage to miss a bill or if something terrible like identity theft happens. I do this mainly so I can see every charge that goes through on my account, it's helped alert me in the past when I had some unauthorized activity happening. I think we all can agree, safety is best when it comes to our finances so being vigilant and keeping a super close eye on expenses is important.
Paying off debt with side gigs - While keeping an eye on expenses is super important, making sure income is flowing is equally as important. I'm constantly working, a bit of an over-achiever in that department since I'm working multiple gigs and managing them all on my own as well. BUT... that means I'm completely in charge of income as well. So I've been working extra hard at what I consider my side gigs - my art and my felt flowers, to help increase our income and keep our bills paid. If you have a talent, turn it into a profit, sell on an online platform or even just locally and boost your flow of income to help make sure everything is paid in full as quickly as possible!
Cutting back on spending - This step in bettering my finances may have been the hardest for me yet... but budgeting and monitoring my expenses vs income really put my shopping habits into perspective. It's hard to stomach, for us shopaholics, but cutting back is a sure-fire way to make your money situation better. I simply stepped back from online shopping for my daughter's clothing as much and our finances are already increasing. It's as easy as questioning "why" you need something, then asking yourself if it is a necessity. If you need it for something useful, then I say go ahead and buy it... but I think you, like me, will realize that a lot of purchases aren't necessarily must-haves.
So tell me, how do you feel about your current financial situation? Does your credit need some assistance? Don't forget to look into Lexington Law to help you live your best life!
