Housing Educator

  Negotiating for lower mortgage payments can be difficult because lenders often prioritize their own profits over helping homeowners. As a result, homeowners may be pressured into an unaffordable payment plan. 

To achieve long-term success, negotiate the best possible deal from the outset that provides a financial buffer. If the lender is unwilling to negotiate or the payment plan is unaffordable, consider a loan modification that provides temporary relief or selling your house as a long-term solution.

Housing Educator, Inc. will help you create a preliminary budget so that you can keep track of your income sources and expenses. If budgeting is not your strong suit, you may find it challenging to stick to the budget. In that case, we suggest working with a professional to reap the benefits of budgeting."

When the economy takes a hit, financial institutions like banks, credit card companies, and car dealerships are at a high risk of losing out on customers who fail to make payments or file for bankruptcy. It is crucial to get every loan modification agreement in writing, no matter the size of the company. No excuses. Protect yourself and your financial interests.

Most credit counselors recommend paying more than the minimum monthly payments on credit cards and other high-interest accounts. Still, paying more than the minimum due on all your accounts is not always the best strategy. To make the most of your payments, prioritize your accounts first.

To determine which account to focus on first, look at your most recent credit card statement and identify which account is charging the highest interest. This is the credit card balance you should aim to pay off first. You might be able to transfer the balance to a credit card account with a lower interest rate but be sure to find out the cost involved before making the transfer.

Housing Educator, Inc. can help you cut down on my expenses. Here are some useful tips we recommend.  One of the things I learned is that discretionary spending can impact my budget, so I'm trying to be more mindful of it. Another tip I found is to manage my monthly subscriptions better. I can adjust my billing dates, use subscription trackers, or even pay upfront to save money. 

Other strategies include grocery shopping once a week to avoid making impulse purchases. And I'm being more strict about buying only what's on my grocery list. I think having someone in the family take charge of the shopping and look for bargains and coupons to save money is a good idea. These small changes can really add up in the long run!"

Parents often out their kids on allowances to teach them responsibility and to keep the kids from nickel and diming their parents into the poor house with constant requests for money. Few adults, however, consider the possibility that perhaps they’re nickel and diming themselves into the poor house by stopping at the ATM every time they need some cash.

This week, go to the ATM only once and pull out a reasonable amount of cash (within your budget) to cover your expenses-haircut, coffee, soft drinks, whatever. When the money’s gone, it’s gone… at least until next week when you visit the ATM again.