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The Gibbs Team

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November 23, 2020 By

How to Organize Your Attic

An attic can be an ideal storage space, but if it’s not organized, it can turn into a total mess. If you’ve lived in your house for several years, chances are your attic has gotten cluttered and could use some organizing.

Get Help
If the job is too big for you to handle yourself, ask family or friends to help. Talk about what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of and discuss ways to organize the space. You’ll need to make more decisions as you go through the cleaning process, but setting guidelines at the beginning will help you avoid misunderstandings and arguments.

Decide What Stays and What Goes
As you go through items, sort things you want to keep into piles. You can put clothing in one area, sports equipment in another, photo albums in another, etc. You can further separate items by person, season, or any other category that makes sense.

Attics tend to accumulate a lot of junk. You may find things that you have no need for, that you intended to fix but never did, or that you forgot you owned in the first place. Be prepared to get rid of things. Items that are in good shape can be sold or donated. Others can go in a dumpster.

Its fine to hold onto something that has sentimental value, but if you havent thought about a particular item in years, you might want to discard it. If you come across something that has no value to you, but might have sentimental value to someone else, ask the person if it’s okay to get rid of it before you do.

Get Organized
The items you decide to keep will need to be organized and stored appropriately. Things that need to be protected from extreme temperatures and moisture, such as photo albums and documents, should be placed in sealed boxes or plastic containers. They should be labeled with a description of what’s inside and the name of the owner. Put labels on the sides of containers so they’ll be visible when the boxes or bins are stacked. Clothing can be stored in containers or hung on poles. If you have items that are too large to fit in boxes, or that would be difficult to store because they have irregular shapes, you can put up shelves to organize them.

You’ll Thank Yourself Later
An attic can be an excellent place to store items that have intrinsic or sentimental value, but it often becomes a place where things are put and forgotten. If your attic is cluttered and crowded, set aside some time to go through everything, weed out the junk and organize the things you want to keep. Get help from others to make the process less overwhelming. It might take several weekends to get it done, but you’ll be pleased with an organized storage space where things are easy to find.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

November 22, 2020 By

What to Do If You Find an Error on Your Credit Report

Lenders look at your credit report to determine whether you qualify for a loan or credit card. Inaccurate information could lead to an unfavorable interest rate or outright denial of your application. You should periodically request copies of your credit reports and check them for errors. If you find a mistake, act immediately to have it corrected so it doesn’t hurt your chances of obtaining credit.

How an Error Might Have Occurred
If you have a common name, your records could have gotten mixed up with someone else’s. If you are divorced, a joint account that you had with your former spouse might not have been removed from your credit report, even if it was supposed to be according to your divorce settlement. Someone might also have made an error when entering your personal information. An account might be listed on your credit report more than once, or an account that was closed might not have been removed. In a more extreme scenario, someone might have stolen your identity and opened a fraudulent account in your name.

How to Dispute an Error
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit bureaus are required to investigate any alleged errors reported by consumers, unless those claims are deemed frivolous. If you find what you believe to be an error, write to the credit bureau or fill out an online form. Explain what you believe is incorrect and provide copies of any documents that support your position. If you send letters via the postal service, mail them certified and request receipt confirmation. Keep copies of all letters you send to the credit bureau and any responses you receive.

You should also contact the company that provided the information to the credit bureau and explain why you believe it is incorrect. Include copies of supporting documents and state that you have filed a dispute with the credit bureau.

Possible Outcomes
The credit bureau should complete its investigation within 30 days. In many states, a consumer who disputes an error is entitled to receive a free copy of a new credit report showing that the mistake has been corrected.

If the credit bureau does not agree that there is an error in your report, you can ask it to include your statement disputing the information in your file. Your statement can be provided to anyone who received your credit report recently or who will in the future. You may have to pay a fee for this service, but it can be worthwhile if it helps you avoid getting turned down for a loan or credit card. If you suffer harm as a result of an error on your credit report, you may need to hire a lawyer to help you resolve the issue.

Check Your Credit Reports
An error on a credit report can prevent you from achieving your financial goals. Request free copies of your credit reports and check them for errors. If you find any, take steps to address the situation as soon as possible.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

November 21, 2020 By

Ways to Avoid Declaring Bankruptcy

If you’re burdened by debt, the stress of having bills you can’t pay and receiving calls from creditors can be overwhelming. You might even be considering declaring bankruptcy. Before you take such a drastic step that could significantly lower your credit score and limit your future financial options, look for other solutions.

Earn More Money
If possible, increase your income. If you have been at your job long enough and your boss is pleased with your performance, ask for a raise. If that’s not possible, volunteer for projects that could put you in line for a promotion. If you work part-time, look for a full-time job or a second part-time one. Use your skills to earn extra money by freelancing or teaching others, or find odd jobs to generate additional income.

Reduce Expenditures
Look for ways to cut costs. If you live in an expensive apartment, look for a cheaper place, find a roommate or consider moving in with family or friends. Before you ask your loved ones for help, be honest about your circumstances, your ability to contribute to living expenses and how long you might need to stay with them.

You can also save money by cutting back on things like entertainment, eating out and clothing. If you spend a lot of money to commute to your job, ask if you can work from home, or consider public transportation.

Negotiate Repayment Terms
If you have explored these options and you’re still struggling to pay your bills, talk to your creditors. They would rather get some money than have your debts be discharged in bankruptcy court. Your creditors might be willing to lower your interest rates and allow you to make smaller payments over a longer period of time. A credit counseling company can help you negotiate with your creditors if you have not had success working with them directly.

Sell Property or Borrow Money
Another option is to sell some of your belongings to earn money quickly. Turn jewelry, clothing, accessories, electronics or even a vehicle into cash by selling them online or holding a yard sale.

If you’re in dire straits, you can borrow money from family or friends. Before you ask others for a loan, think about their financial situation. Your loved ones might feel obligated to help you, but it wouldn’t be fair to ask them for help if it means that they wouldn’t be able to pay their own rent or mortgage or feed their own families. If someone is willing and able to loan you money, agree to a plan with specific repayment terms and stick to it. If you don’t, it could cause irreparable harm to your relationship.

Explore All Options
If you’re buried in debt, you might feel that bankruptcy is the only option, but there are other solutions to explore first. With hard work and a combination of strategies, you can fight your way out of debt.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

November 20, 2020 By

Make Your Home Stand Out With Millennial Pink

Like the generation its named for, millennial pink is all around us. Its a fun, daring, sophisticated hue that isnt exactly new, but lately seems to have caught the eye of legions of clothing and dcor designers.

Not quite salmon, not quite rose and a far cry from traditional Barbie pink”millennial pink can best be described as a soft, subtle pink with some gray tones and a slight hint of peach. Its hard to miss if youre browsing the racks for trendy clothes or checking out the newest paint colors.

At your hardware or home maintenance store, check out Victoriana or Precocious by Benjamin Moore or Everythings Rosy by Behr. If the hues appeal, and youre ready to add their subtle vibe to your home dcor, here’s few fun tips to maximize the colors sunshine-like qualities:

Mix it up. Paint the whole living room or bedroom pink, or paint just one wall pink and accent with white or other pale neutrals and a touch of black. Framing neutral artworks with simple black frames are a good way to help a pink wall sing.

Add bolder pinks. Accenting millennial pink walls with deeper pink vases, lamps, bed linens, furniture and/or pillows can make the overall look of the room both relaxing and cohesive.

Try it on a door. Want just a dash of millennial pink? Paint a door this color to create an eye-catching architectural statement without overwhelming the room. Switching out the hardware to something with a black or bronze finish can be a perfect punctuation mark.

Use it as an accent color in your guest bathroom. You can add personality to a white bathroom with rosy pink towels, soap trays and other fun accessories. Try a blush pink for small accents, then top off the look with a few fresh pink blossoms in a pink vase to make the small space stand out.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

November 20, 2020 By

Simple Money Lessons That Will Last Your Child a Lifetime

Carrying cash is becoming less common these days, which can be a nuisance for parents and their children”especially when it comes to paying children their allowance each week.

For many parents, cash allowances are becoming a thing of the past as they instead turn to prepaid debit cards that can be managed directly from their phones. In fact, by simply downloading an app onto their phone for the financial company they’re working with, parents can load money onto a debit card that their child can use at stores, gas stations and anywhere else where debit and credit cards are accepted.

Parents typically sign up for the account and then link their checking account or debit card to fund the child’s debit card.

Along with transferring an allowance, the app can be used to set spending limits, view expenses and automatically match money the child puts into a savings account. Taking this one step further, parents can receive a text message or email when their child makes a purchase”and they can even use the app to disable the card if the child loses it.

Parents can allow children to use their debit card anywhere or can limit it to certain stores and websites. Once these settings are in place, the card will be declined if the child tries to buy something at a non-approved store, or if they try to spend more money than is available on the card.

If the child has their own cellphone, they can get their own version of the app and check balances or get a parent’s permission to buy a certain item. Better yet, some cards can be used at ATMs.

Some financial services allow parents to set chores for the child to complete and then pay the child through the app when the chore has been finished.

If you’re looking to take advantage of this growing trend, some of the financial services that currently offer debit cards for children include Greenlight, Current, goHenry, FamZoo and Akimbo. TD Bank, American Express and Capital One also have debit cards for teens; however, some of these financial institutions require that teens have a checking account with the bank.

The debit cards usually have monthly fees of $5 or so, and some have annual fees. They usually don’t charge extra for adding money onto the card, though parents should carefully read the fee schedule before enrolling in a program because some charge fees for reloading, as well as other services.

Before giving your child a debit card, make sure they understand how it works and how they can check the balance. Use it as a chance to discuss budgeting and saving, and to get them started on a solid financial foot that will hopefully follow them into adulthood.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional or legal advice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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