Got Bad Credit? Repair It With A Credit Card

My advice: Repairing credit is a hard thing to do, but with some hard work and diligence, it can be done. Check out this opportunity....

Bad credit is a reality for millions of Americans, making it difficult for these consumers to build the future they envision for themselves and their families.

Fortunately, there are lenders who are willing to give those with bad credit a second chance. BadCreditOffers.com is a leading comparison website for people with bad credit -- featuring credit cards, home loans, auto loans, personal loans, and much more.

The site's "bad credit credit card" section compares 10 of the top credit cards on the market for bad credit and provides links to their online applications. Consumers can apply for the offer that's right for them, and by making payments on time they can start down the road toward rebuilding their credit and, perhaps, their financial future.

bad credit card

Hooray for Coach J!

I know Coach J. He and I have the same birthday. He's one of my eldest brother's best friends. Watch the video, it's really funny. Great Job Coach (Chris).

More Banker Speak

How good are you at Debt Management?

Some debt is considered "good debt," like for instance student loans. Let's face it, we would all love to have paid for school out of pocket, and perhaps you are one of the lucky ones that had parents who game planned your future. However, there are many of us that do have this kind of debt and it is important to see the end goal of such debt. One day, hopefully, you will be earning well beyond what you could have earned without the degree.

Likewise, establishing credit early is a good thing, but the temptation to use your card can lead to unwanted debt. Another trap is the lure of "points". These things sound too good to be true and many cases are.

The reality is that you spend with your credit card more frequently and therefore are more willing to use that card for bigger purchases that you will justify paying off later for those pesky points. There in lies the trap. The fees that you end up paying in finance charges override the actual benefit of receing those points.

Too good to be true indeed. Yet, there are some people out there who can balance all of this. If you're one of them, you indeed are not just one of the statistics.

Training Specifics

So speaking specifically on the topic of training and development, I had a few items of discussion.

I strongly believe in "training up:" Taking an employee and allowing them to learn duties and take on responsibilities above them to strengthen the cross training and skill set of the group as a whole.

my question: how do you motivate people who are not "bought in" to the system? Do people most strongly respond to punishment or to understanding mixed with personal tracking?

thoughts?

A Chance to Brag

I’ve been presented with a chance to discuss training, mentoring and development of employees. I have learned along the way in my 8+ years as a banker, that some companies are better than others at addressing this issue.

My current place of employment, in my opinion, nails the training part of the discussion on the head. They provide an in depth training process that truly prepares individuals for branch life.

Banking, if you didn’t know, is the highest regulated industry in the United States, so to stay the least, it’s a daunting task to get up to speed new hires, let alone if they are brand new to the industry. Good job employer.

More information about: Sales Training

First Place

Yes, that's right. I just took over first place in my fantasy basketball league. If you're interested, I can tell you how I manage to do this year in and year out. After landing second place in fantasy football this year (a personal best), I can't wait to cap things off with a basketball win.

ab.

A Cheap shot at British Folk

I just read a funny article:

Almost half of all UK adults - 44% - would consider having cosmetic surgery at some point in their lives, it has been revealed. Research by Mintel has found that tummy tucks and liposuction are the most popular with 40% and 36% respectively saying they would choose the procedures. Alexandra Richmond, senior consumer analyst at the firm, claimed the figures were "staggering". The survey revealed that British mothers are most likely to go under the knife, than any other group, with 57% of those with children aged between five and nine stating they would have a tummy tuck and 49% considering liposuction.

I wonder what percentage this number would increase to if "dental surgery" were included in the polling questions :) Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You would have made the joke too, if you had the chance.

Ok real question: I wonder what this percentage would be in America? Would you ever consider "going under the knife? Liposuction seems like cheating...but as a famous athelete once said..."If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying..." I think he was a NASCAR driver though, and I don't think I'd take medical advice from him.

And yes, because I have to:

Breast Enhancement

Attention ID-less People...

http://www.dmv.org/

This is not an ad. This is an appeal to everyone who does not carry a license or government ID with them. Please...please...PLEASE go to your DMV and get an ID.

I'm serious this time.

Heart Warming

In light of the snow, I'd like to say how much I like buying flowers online. Instead of having to make ONE MORE TRIP out into the wild blue yonder of my local city, it was great just pointing, clicking and paying for flowers. I am fan of real flower shops, mind you. I'm just a bigger fan of eliminating one more annoying shopping trips.

For instance: in two hours the other day I went to the cleaners, the grocery store, got some lunch, got gas, picked up a birthday present from Barnes and Nobles...and by the time I got home I was tired as get out. Long story short, I'm no soccer mom.

anyway, check out Tulsa Flower Shop as a good option as a time saving way to send something nice to a loved one.

ab.

Snow...OH NO!

Ugh...why don't I live in Texas? 4-5 inches of snow, minions caling out left and right. I had to run a drawer all day. Can someone honestly give me 3 good reasons why it's worth living in PA? hint: it's not the Eagles.

Financial News from "Across the Pond"

Possibly some good news? According to Money Magic:

"January saw an 11 per cent increase in gross mortgage lending despite the fact that it is usually lower in January than other months of the year, according to a new report. A report from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has revealed that the lending increased to an estimated £26 .5 billion last month, which was 11 per cent higher than December."

This is potentially encouraging news for lenders, buyers and sellers alike. If the market can continue to show gains, recession could be avoided. While this isn’t 100% applicable to the US markets, it could be a trend that makes it way over to us soon.

Cross your fingers.

Remortgage

"You People"

The next person that refers to me, my branch, or my company as "You People" is going to get "brained".

I'm serious. There's nothing redeeming about this statement. It's 100% for condescending purposes and the user deserves a good ol' fashioned curb kicking.

sorry, not very "bankerish", but sometimes people need to be educated on politeness and etiquette.

ab.

Another Financial Related Post: Bankruptcy

This is always an interesting time of year. We start seeing lots and lots of tax returns rolling in. I have different feelings on why people get their "early." I would guess there are people who just want their money because they don't want the government to have it any longer. Why not just plan the year before and take more when you get paid?

Another one of my theories is that people are just needing this cash quickly. Too quickly sometimes. They take these "fast loans" based upon what they speculate their returns to be. I'm always amazed at the amounts, but this year, I finally understand why people come to the bank with 4, 5 even 6 thousand dollar checks. Two words: Dependents and Deductions. Getting Married this year changed all that for me. HOORAY!

Ok, but your post title talks about "Bankruptcy". Right, and the what is the main reason people declare bankruptcy? debt.

Debt is a reality for most of us. It comes from a variety of sources. This time of year is an excellent time to consider a few things: should I put my tax return towards more stuff or reducing my debt?

The best option is to pay off your debts as soon as you can. So before you get $$ in your eyes, take a minute to remember your priorities.

ab, aditloab.

Consult a Debt Management Plan

Juno and Valentine's Day

Yesterday, as you hopefully know, was Valentine's Day. Our first as a married couple. To some it probably means different things, but to us it was a fun night to go out and catch a flick.

Go see "Juno" if you haven't already. I know it's been out for some time, but if you're on the fence, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

how was your V-Day?

New Advertising Idea

I was reading about this idea on the internets. Sounds like an interesting proposition. It's another spin on the social networking sites. Facebook, Myspace, etc just don't cut it for me for business to business enterprises and this site could potentially answer some of those questions.

Here's a bit about them:

MyCityFaces.com is a service industry networking and advertising site allowing people to post profiles for free, offering products they sell or a service they perform. We feel the service industry is often ignored and people resort to advertising themselves on social networking sites, which is not the most professional medium.

On MyCityFaces.com people can in a respectable way, have a profile, tell about what they do, recommend others on the site and post photos, coupons, and videos. Think of it as an Internet billboard and an electronic business card. This site is for all of the Hairstylists, Nail Techs, Realtors, Doctors, Mortgage Brokers; etc the list goes on and on. The site is free to post profiles and is broken down by major cities.

This fresh idea has never been done before; we are a pioneer in our market segment. We are not another business networking site, we are the must "have a profile" self advertising site on the Internet today! The service industry must be the most forgotten business segment on the Internet, probably because everyone thinks the Yellow Pages has it locked in. Have you looked at the Yellow Pages on the internet lately, there is not even any pictures, you're just looking at lists of companies. There is nothing personable about that! At MyCityFaces.com you can search by business category or name and pull up a complete profile, with photos and other features, advertising the products or services of that person. MyCityFaces.com will replace the "other" sites as the premier service industry networking site!

Sign up at MyCityFaces.com

Economic Stimulus Check

Here's a list of what we want to get with our government cheese handout:

Samsung LNT2653 26" LCD Flat Panel HDTV $600

Sony - Cyber-shot 8.1MP Digital Camera - Black Model: DSC-W90/B SKU: 8335606 $230

Nintendo Wii Bundle - $400

Total: $1200

What are you getting with yours?

(hint: college students, I wouldn't get my hopes up in receiving one of these checks...your parents probably claim you on their taxes...and therefore THEY get your $$, not you... sorry!)

You Got Change?