Amy Currioman

I understand that payday loans are very popular in some states.  I also heard that they are not legal in other states!  That surprised me to hear that they are prohibited in some states.  I was searching on the Internet to find out if they are legal in the state that I live in, and they are, but they are illegal in most of the NorthEastern States.  I have to wonder why that is the case!  And I wonder if that is a trend that is going to continue, making them illegal.  I know that some law-makers are very concerned that some of the companies that run that kind of loan are predators and that the loans are designed to never let the debtor pay off the loan!

There has been a lot of news stories on the local television stations about how some companies have been sued over their predatory practices, and changes have been ordered.  I don’t know if the changes have actually been made or not!  I still see a lot of television commercials for that kind of loan.  I think that this kind of short term loan is ok if the debtor is in the position to pay it off with their next paycheck; but if they are not able to pay it off quickly then they need to carefully review their options because these types of loans are very high interest loans.

I’ve always liked shiny, glittery things.  I enjoy looking at them sparkle and shine!  Having said that, I don’t own very much “good” jewelry; fear of theft would prevent me from enjoying it!  So I think that maybe I should go for the costume jewelry that I won’t be upset about if I lose it (or break it) and try to put the “good stuff” where it will do the most good – in a gold IRA or a gold 401k instead. 

I had never heard of IRA gold or how to put gold in an IRA until my brother told me that he was going to be doing it.  I asked him how to put gold in my IRA and he told me to go to the goldcoinsgain.com website.  The website is an informative resource that explains all of the details of what kind of gold can go into an IRA or 401K and how to go about creating the accounts and buying the gold to put in the account.

I’ve decided to give my son a Prepaid Visa MasterCard to take with him this fall when he returns to college.  I think it will make life a lot easier for him while he is away from home.  We  were having a hard time finding a bank that was convenient to both of us while he is gone, so the prepaid card seems like the best solution for him.

Back in 1972 I worked for a big name furniture chain that I think is now out of business.  One of the biggest benefits of working there was being able to buy furniture at a discount, which was great because I had just moved out on my own and needed everything!  One of the biggest surprises to me about my discount was how much of a mark-up there is on a mattress and box spring set!  I was able to buy a brand new top-of-the-line set that was retail price of $800 for only $150.  And that included the delivery and set-up!  Well, I don’t need to tell you that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but you should be really careful and smart about buying furniture.

Learn as much as you can to get the best value for your money.  So you won’t lose any sleep later on when you find out that you could have gotten a better deal somewhere else!

I am repulsed by how many companies are trying to prey on the people who are suffering the most from this housing and economy crisis.  So many people have lost their jobs and their homes for a variety of reasons.  Yes, some people had made mistakes and tried to live beyond their means, but others fell victim to job loss, sudden accidents, sudden deaths, and things beyond their own control.  Now they find themselves with bad credit and seeking credit repair services.

What many of these people don’t realize is that there is no magic wand that can be waved to improve credit.  Yes, a certain amount of credit repair MIGHT be accomplished by checking the credit records of the three big credit companies and notifying them of any mistakes.  That could help improve credit rating.  But if there are no mistakes, and the consumer’s credit is still bad, the only real solution is to pay off debts in a timely manner over a long period of time.  It does not happen quickly, and if there is a company out there telling you that they can help you fix it quickly, chances are that it is a scam and you will lose your money you are paying them!