Debt Consolidation Vancouver

When you make the decision to apply for a credit card, it’s hard to see the completely random purchases that will one day be charged to it.

One of the largest and most random expenditures I ever put on my credit card was emergency dental surgery. It seems crazy, but Vancouver dental work adds up. I had left my debit card at home and I needed to pay the full amount before leaving the office. I had no cheques, so I pulled out my Visa.

The bill was still on my card when I made the decision to leave my insurance gig. I probably should have waited till I paid off my dental work.

I haven’t made any emergency trips to a Vancouver dentist since then – thank God. I am completely satisfied with the work they provided; it’s just the bill that was shocking.

If I did require more work I would definitely come prepared with an alternative method of payment, rather than my credit card. It is always best to pay upfront and avoid the credit lure.

Say Awwww.....

When you finish your debt consolidation plan you will be financially ahead, your credit rating will be improved and your heart will have received less anxiety than if you went at it alone.

At the completion of your plan, tally the interest you paid. Compare it to the potential interest you could have paid if you continued with a handful of creditors. Those numbers don’t lie. That is a huge savings.

When you cross the financial finish line, your borrowing potential will have greatly increased. You will have proved to your previous and future creditors that you are able to payoff your debts. An increased credit rating will help you buy your first home, invest in a small business or purchase a vehicle on credit.

Your heart will also thank you for completing the consolidation journey. Without a consolidation plan, debtors are forced to deal with collectors and phone-calls from each of their separate creditors. With a plan, debtors only receive one bill – the one from Full Circle. With less agitation comes less anxiety. Less anxiety equals a healthier lifestyle.

Receive all three of these benefits when you apply for a Full Circle Debt Consolidation Program.

Pack Leader

Credit counsellors at Full Circle spend their days talking to individuals like you and me who are currently going through difficult financial times. Apart from giving advice on how to move forward with a debt consolidation plan, many of the Full Circle counsellors find their roles include offering personal advice on how to properly inform the debtor’s family about the nature of their financial circumstance.

Because debt is often hidden from other family members, Full Circle counsellors always suggest that new clients disclose their situation to their spouse or significant other. A debt consolidation plan is a new beginning and new beginnings should always start with full disclosure.

Sometimes, this conversation can be harder than making the monthly payments. But it’s always best to explain your debt when you have a plan in place to pay it off. Stuck on the right words? Full Circle’s counsellors will be glad to talk it over with you.

Start a repayment program that you can be proud of. Contact Full Circle Debt Solutions to begin a conversation with one of our many licensed, government approved credit counsellors.

They Deserve To Know

ZestCash is a new player in the American payday loan game. What separates ZestCash and its current competitors is that ZestCash is done entirely online.

Although the company claims not to be a practicing payday loan operation, its purpose is to provide short-term loans for clients who need money fast.

Clients are evaluated and offered a maximum payment based on their navigation of the site and application form. Their movements are electronically fed into an equation that rates the viewers estimated ability to pay the premium back.

Payday loans are deadly because their short-term nature demands a high interest rate. If the debtor is unable to pay the loan amount, plus interest and fees at the end of the month, the interest compounds.

Before you take on a loan of this nature, consider the other option; what will I need to pay if I can’t afford to pay the premium for four months? How much needless interest will I pay? These are important questions.

Unfortunately, many of the debtors that contact Full Circle have accepted terms similar to ones offered by ZestCash. Full Circle can help these individuals with a consolidation plan, but lowering the interest on these loans can prove difficult.

Your best bet is stay away from lenders that offer quick financial rewards.

If you are serious about finding a solution to your debt, call 1-877-220-3328.

Serious about reducing your debt? Start cutting out all the tiny purchases you don’t need. Here’s a list of some of the worst smalltime offenders:

1. Gossip Mags – They’re there at the checkout, you’re bored, the cashier just went on break and J.Lo has a new man. The perfect storm. But resist! If you need to have the latest celebrity scoop, wait till you get home and read it online. Or we can tell you – she’s dating one of her dancers (again…).

2. Lottery tickets – You’re not gonna win. EVER!

3. Adding a Combo / Upsizing – Fries are the furthest thing from a healthy side dish. They can hardly be considered a vegetable by the time they are added to your sandwich or burger.

4. Water Bottles – Water is free and clean in this country. In most places… Take advantage of this fact and fill up your reusable bottle at home, work and while you’re out-and-about.

5. Oil Light – When the little light comes on, spend a few dollars and buy a few litres. Don’t let it linger like a solitary Christmas decoration you forgot to take down. An engine overhaul could cost you thousands.

The Usual Suspects

Keeping our regular everyday finances in check can be a difficult task with debit cards, credit cards, change and cheques.

Tracking our spending is becoming increasingly complex. It is now easier than ever to overspend and windup on the wrong side of the line.

Like most things in life, less is more. If you can reduce your payment tools to two or possibly one method, you can keep a more accurate up-to-date record of how much you’re spending. You can also track where you’re spending your money.

Limiting your payment options will allow you to chose a service plan that meets your spending. Finding the right plan can save you money each month.

Those savings could go to paying down your debt.

A Vancouver consolidation plan is similar in nature. With only one payment a month, you limit the number of creditors you have to keep track of. You also reduce the amount of interest you pay.

Win-win.

To find out if a credit consolidation plan is right for you, visit Full Circle‘s website or call them in person at: 1-877-220-3328.

Pocket Filing System

The number one reason to start a debt consolidation program is: it will lower your interest payments.

Interest is money that you will never see again. It’s money that goes straight to your creditors pockets without ever reducing your principal. If you can lower the monthly amount you pay towards interest, you can put more money towards erasing your debt.

This is basic finance. Why pay more, when you could pay less.

There are no strings, there is no fine-print to read, only a guarantee that your interest will be reduced.

That should be enough to get you interested. But it’s only the beginning of the advantages offered by a debt consolidation plan. Not only will your interest payments be reduced, you will also see an immediate change from your creditors. With a debt plan in place, you will never receive a bill directly from your credit companies. They will not call and they will not send you written warnings. The only piece of mail you will receive will be for the one payment you owe.

I know… You’re thinking the same thing I was; “Why didn’t I signup for this earlier?”

Reduce Your Interest Payments

The young lady on the other end of the phone identified herself as Rebecca. She was operating the switchboard. She said she had a few questions for me to help with her recommendation for the right counsellor for my case.

I answered her questions concerning my financial status and we talked a little bit about the burden of credit card anxiety. Then she directed my phone call to Morgan, a veteran debt management professional.

Morgan didn’t have the conversational skills that Rebecca had, but she immediately impressed me with her professionalism. She explained that Full Circle was going to do three things for me: they were going to give me one payment instead of six, they were going to reduce the interest that I paid each month and they were going to assist me in my financial decisions. In return, I would have to be committed to finishing the repayment program.

I explained to Morgan that I had recently pulled myself out a ‘life trench’ and was now looking to improve my status as a working professional. I knew the time was right for a plan and Full Circle was willing to provide that opportunity.

The blogs were a nice introduction to the debt consolidation process. The variety of entries and the personal accounts helped me put together a clearer picture of the services Full Circle offered.

One interesting point I learned was that the service was not in the business to offer a consolidation loan. I would be paying my creditors, through the Full Circle Company. This was reassuring. I already had enough creditors; I didn’t need one more.

It was also nice to know, that once in the program, my creditors would not be permitted to contact me. No more voice messages, angry letters or threatening emails.

The best news was that my credit score would enter a different category. The new rating would be R7, a rating reserved for individuals who ‘voluntarily’ enter a debt consolidation process. As I continued to work on my debt, my rating would improve towards the goal: an R1 rating.

The blog was actually a really interesting read.

And now look at me. I’m writing on the very same blog that inspired me to start a repayment program.

So, if you have been enjoying my story, make sure to scroll down and read the personal debt tales from the other four writers who have produced for this blog.

Thank you Scarlett, Ben, Eve and Julia. Your work has shed light on a service that many Canadians should learn about.

When I saw Julia next, it had been three days since she slipped me the Full Circle website. I was back at the diner, unfortunately not in her section. But she saw me and wandered over with a smile.

“So, did it help?”

“It looks promising,” I said, trying not to give away my skepticism. “Where did you hear about it? Do you work for them on the side?”

“Not really,” she replied, “but I have been writing a little blog on the topic of debt consolidation. See I was like you. A little lost, treading water in the deep end of the pool. But these guys saved me. And as a little favour to them, I write a weekly blog about my experiences with debt. You should check out the blog.”

“So you’ve used their service?”

“Yeah, and continue too. I’m on an five year plan to pay off my creditors.”

“Wow! And it’s been working? Lower interest and all that?”

“Of course,” she said. “But the best part is I don’t have to deal with a mountain of bills, just one payment to Full Circle. It’s so incredibly easy, you’ll wonder why more people don’t use the service.”

“Huh…” I mumbled. “And you have no problem making the payments?”

“Nope! I worked out a manageable rate with Rob, my credit counsellor. It still hurts each month, but the money is being split between all my creditors. Full Circle handles all of that. It’s brilliant.

Give them a call. They can explain all the details and put you in contact with your own counsellor. You won’t regret it. I promise.”

She looked sincere, but I still wasn’t ready to call.

“What about this blog?” I asked. “Where can I find it?”

“Just type in ‘Debt Consolidation Vancouver’ into Google, it should be in the top three search items. Give it a read and let me know what you think.”

That night, I went home and read every post on the site. I called Full Circle the next day. I haven’t looked back since.

The Vancouver rain poured down in sheets. It was a dreary day in December, the day I met Julia.

I was on lunch break, sitting in a diner down the street from the car lot. I stirred the soup that was in front of me and waited for it to cool. As I waited, I took out my pen and wrote the list of my creditors on the white restaurant napkin – six in total.

There were two credit card companies, the Bay, a phone company, The Brick and a credit union. With the list written and my soup still cooling, I stared out at the falling rain outside.

I started to imagine all the cars I would have to sell to pay off each creditor. I pictured them piled on top of each other like bundled commodities.

“Quite the list,” a voice broke in. I turned and saw the waitress refreshing my coffee. “What’s your plan?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t really have one. I guess pay it off slowly,” I replied.

She stared at the list again. “Probably drowning in interest payments.”

I shook my head slowly in agreement.

“You want some advice?”

“Sure, if you’re offering it,” I said.

“I’m offering, only if you are serious about repaying.”

“Of course I’m serious,” I replied. “I’m just a little frustrated about where I should start.”

“Start with this,” she said. She took a pen from her shirt pocket and wrote on her order form. Then she slapped the paper on the table in front of me.

“Check this site out. Come back tomorrow with your questions.”

Skeptical, I paid and walked back to work, wishing I had brought an umbrella.

Julia

Insurance it was not, but you would be happy to know I was offered the job at the dealership. I worked there for eleven months. It was humbling, but I realized one thing: Sales is sales. If you can sell a pair of shoes, you can sell a used Toyota Corolla. You either have the gift of sales or you don’t; fortunately, I do!

By the third month I was selling an average of eleven cars a week. It was fun and I loved doing it. I asked questions to the other salesmen, studied vehicle specs at night and by the eighth month mark, I was one of the top sales staff.

With success, came the return of a steady income. I moved out of the parents’ place and bought myself a new coach.

I settled in and started my adult life over again.

The last thing I unpacked was an old cardboard box. It had originally held a new coffee maker, but it was now full of collection letters and old bills from an assortment of creditors. I poured the contents over the kitchen table and stared at the paper reminders for close to twenty minutes.

Where to start?

"It doesn't matter what you're selling."

Disillusioned, lying on my parents couch, a number of questions started to go through my mind. Where would I get the money to pay my creditors? Could I continue to hide from them? Where would my credit rating be in six months? Could I ever recover? How did I find myself in this situation?

I pondered this last question for hours. Why did I ever take on so much debt?

Well, the answer is easy. Debt is a necessary part of life. Credit provides us the ability to buy key living components, such as cars, homes and education. It keeps us afloat and lets us enrich our lives.

It is only when we lose the means to keep up with our payments that we fall into trouble.

Managing our debt is not always as easy as applying for credit. When times are tough, we need to find ways to pay the minimal amount to continue our good credit standing.

This is all visible to me now, but at the time I only thought to curse my creditors. Their collection notices were making my life more stressful.

Without an out, I continued to mope, blaming everyone but my self for my situation.

I know I am keeping you in suspense, but the details of my financial turnaround will come.

This week I have two more stories to share about my dark days, my time spent without a financial counsellor.

So, as I mentioned in earlier posts, my girlfriend left me when my debt anxiety began to ruin our relationship. I’ve never blamed her. It was a totally natural response. I was acting completely erratic. And, as I told you at the end of the post, we have since reunited.

But during those months when we were apart, I decided to dip my foot back into the dating scene. Let me rephrase that – I went on a single date during our time apart.

Let’s call her Angela.

Angela was the daughter of one of my mother’s friends. She was the owner of a small marketing business and was relatively the same age as me. My mom had decided that we would be great together.

I wasn’t expecting much, but when we finally met, I was blown way. She was beautiful, smart, funny and outgoing.

We went for a ride around the seawall using bikes from a friend who owns a rental company. After making our way over to Granville Island, we spent some time browsing the market. After half-an-hour of interesting conversation, Angela suggested grabbing something to eat at Sandbar.

Now normally I would have chosen the hot dog stand, but this girl was special and I didn’t want to seem cheap. I somehow convinced myself, that my remaining credit card could handle the date.

You see where this is going…?

After three rounds of drinks and a full meal, the cheque came – she didn’t even reach for her wallet. I gave the waiter my card and prayed silently. Of course it was declined and I had to politely ask the young lady across from me to pick up the tab.

The ride back was quiet. I could have easily brushed the embarrassment off, but the anxiety surrounding my debt situation returned and that was all I could think about.

We parted at the rental shop with only a hug. I didn’t bother calling her and she never called me.

The Moment of Truth

When you’re at the top of your game, everyone is your friend.

At work, emails are returned promptly, the boss invites you over for dinner, the secretary gives you a smile that she only reserves for her boyfriend and your clients swear their allegiance to your services.

At the bar, girls come up and start chatting without even an introduction. They can somehow sense your success and economic potential.

At the gym, the pounds are removed and your muscle definition becomes clear and ripped.

Compliments are thrown upon you, discounts are offered and your Facebook page is full of humourous banter between friends.

Everyone wants to bask in your successful glow.

This is when the credit card companies seek you out and feed on your already inflated ego. They convince you that your income will only increase and that a $30,000 limit on your card is a good idea. ‘You’ll need a whole new wardrobe and a fancy car to keep up with your new, powerful colleagues.’

Then ‘poof,’ like magic, they are gone when your finances turn sour.

It’s bad enough living without the smiles, idle chat and social favours that you enjoyed, but without credit your life becomes a day-to-day struggle.

The only evidence of your creditors existence is the monthly bills they send.

It’s true what they say about fair-weather friends…

With the bill in front of me, I started another tally sheet. I put together a ten-year budget. It included a minimum sum that I could reasonably afford to pay each month. This money would be split between my creditors.

But in my desire to eliminate my financial problems, I forget about one of the biggest potential threats facing my limited capital: interest payments.

With more than a handful of creditors, I tried in vain to calculate the interest I would owe each credit company. After more than an hour I gave up. Interest is a bitch!

I was in over my head. I wanted to organize a schedule of payments, but without an accurate understanding of the interest I would be charged, my budget was useless.

All I knew was that while I struggled to stay above the poverty line, my creditors would be living the good life with all the interest I was paying.

My conclusion was this: I needed a financial advisor and I needed some sort of debt relief to lower my interest payments.

Calculating Interest

I went for a walk later that night and thought more about my options.

My thoughts kept returning to bankruptcy. Sure it was a coward’s way out, but it worked and my debts would magically disappear. I could improve my credit rating when I finally found a field of work I was happy in. I had survived my first nineteen years on this planet without credit; surely I could survive another ten or so.

The rebuttle to the last statement was made by my uncle the following day. I called him because he owned his own business and had gone through similar financial problems when his business faltered a few years back. ]

His response to my idea was quick and to the point. He asked me if I ever wanted to own a house? If I ever wanted to take a trip again? If I ever saw myself returning to the lifestyle I led when I sold insurance?

I answered ‘yes’ to all three and he responded with raised eyebrows and a smile.

“You can’t run from this,” he said. “You didn’t think about this predicament before you quit – did you? Well, now you’re in it and it’s your responsibility to dig your way out. If you want the life you lead before, you’ll need credit eventually. Bankruptcy is not an option.”

I went back home and pulled out the paper again. How was I ever going to pay this down?

Dig Yourself Out

Sometimes you have to hit bottom, to know how to climb back up.

Bottom came when a repo man appeared at my door on a Wednesday morning in April. He wanted my television, my couches, my sound system and my laptop. I was able to save the laptop with a quick loan from one of my neighbours. The couches, TV, speakers and receiver were put on a truck.

Sitting in my apartment that afternoon, I pulled out all my bills and made a list of what I owed. I wrote the number on a piece of paper with a sharpie pen and stared at it for over two hours as I thought about all the options at my disposal.

My Parents: I had gone to them for money when I was in University, but that was it. I could have gotten student loans, but they helped me pay for my entire tuition outright. I still owed them that favour. I couldn’t go to them again.

The Bank: Use one loan to pay for another…? I hear you could do it, but was it worth borrowing from one evil empire to pay another?

My Friends: They had money, but I had Butch’s nagging sting. I could never ask them.

Who or what then would be the answer? How would I continue with my payments with the smallest of incomes?

Hi.

This is Tyler. I’m new to this, so you will have to bear with me.

I read a few of Julia’s posts, so I have an idea of what you are expecting.

My story begins with a new job. After University, a family friend helped me get into the insurance world. I took a job with one of the major brokerage firms in Vancouver. After three years of paying my dues, I was finally able to build a respectable client book. By year seven I was pulling in over $100,000 a year.

Then I started to get bored with the industry. I made sort of a fool of myself at a business meeting and a week later I handed in my resignation. I worked for another month to save face.

The problem with me quitting my job was the bills that I had acquired during the period when I was making money hand-over-fist.

I had the fast car, a posh apartment in Yaletown and a taste for the finer things.

After a year of semi-retirement, I was out of cash and unable to find work in a field that would interest me. I had to reconsider my finances. I wanted to hold on to a few of the luxury items I had gained when I was at the top of my insurance game, but there was little money to pay for them. Eventually I sold my car, but there were still other bills that I was struggling with.

The anxiety was crippling and it affected my search for a new job.

This 'Was' My Car

Hi guys, it’s Julia here. It’s been awhile since I blogged. My life has taken a turn. I finally landed a teaching job! Hurray for me!!! And I have been busy preparing for my first classroom assignment this fall.

I landed a job in Creston B.C. It’s a small town of about 5,000 people. I’ll be teaching at Adam Robertson Elementary.

Finally, I will have a steady paycheck. I talked with Rob, my credit counsellor at Full Circle, and worked out a plan to increase my payments. Hopefully I will be financially free in less than three years.

Rob has been a rock for me and I cannot thank him enough for his support and advice.

But unfortunately, the new job will occupy the majority of my time. So I have decided to pass on the writing reigns to a friend of mine who also signed on with Full Circle Debt Consolidation. His name is Tyler. Hopefully he will provide you with the information you need to survive in this crazy city. Cause we all know how costly it can be…

Anyways, thanks for reading. I enjoyed sharing my stories with you.

My last piece of advice, and I know I’ve said it numerous times already, “you’re not alone.” There are a ton of Canadians out there going through the same financial struggles. Finding help is the only way to deal with your debt. If you try to turn your back on it, it will only rear its ugly head to bite you. Talk to Full Circle. They helped me and they can help you.

Alright Tyler, I hand the pen (keyboard) to you.

So Long Guys

Imagine if you added all the hours together that you spent worrying about your debt. What could you do with that time?

You could read the entire Harry Potter series from his early days under the stairs to his final battle with Vold…. ‘The One Who Will Not Be Named.’

You could take ten windsurfing classes – that’s almost pro status.

You could weed, replant and water your garden a dozen times.

You could learn basic Spanish – enough to leave the resort with on your next vacation to Mexico.

You could retile the bathroom.

You could attend at least eight of your son’s soccer games.

You could film, edit and publish a video on YouTube explaining how easy it is to remove your debt with a debt consolidation plan from Full Circle.

Any of these options could be yours.

That last one stands out as a winner.

When you apply for a debt repayment program, your level of anxiety is greatly decreased if not eliminated.  With Full Circle’s help, you will only have to make one payment a month; this amount will be dispersed between your creditors. You will have less interest to pay and you will know exactly how long it will take to eliminate your debt completely. Try it today. Gain back hours of your life almost immediately.

Even 'Debt' is Scared By That Face

Have you recently been laid off work? If you are between jobs and are finding it hard to pay your monthly bills, Full Circle Debt Solutions can help you get back on track.

When you sign up for a debt consolidation plan, Full Circle, with your permission, will contact your creditors and negotiate terms that are more amicable to your current income. If you are currently on unemployment insurance, Full Circle will help you find a way to pay for your living expenses and your debt.

No one likes to be out of work, but our payments still need to be made. The bankruptcy route can be long and painful, with lasting issues surrounding your credit rating.

Choose the safer route and apply for debt consolidation. Once you find work again, you will be glad you chose to continue your payments instead of throwing in the towel.

Here are some helpful resources for finding work in British Columbia.

Service BC website:

http://www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca/life_events/job/index.html

BCjobs.ca:

http://www.bcjobs.ca/

Don’t discount Craigslist:

http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/ca/bc

Good luck!

A recent Canadian poll discovered that a quarter of Canadians carry no debt. The data was collected for Scotiabank, one of Canada’s largest banking institutions.

Interesting… a bank produced a poll about the lack of debt in our country. Isn’t that exactly what they want us to believe so we will go out and apply for a loan, confident, that like other Canadians, we can pay it off quickly.

What about the three quarters of Canadians that do carry a negative balance?

The same survey found that 19 per cent of the individuals polled from British Columbia feel overwhelmed by their debt. If three quarters of our province has debt and 19 per cent are overwhelmed, then there are roughly 600,000 BC residents struggling to pay their bills.

If you are one of the many British Columbians who is in need of credit guidance, talk to Full Circle Debt Solutions about consolidating your debt. You can reduce your creditor list to one, lower your interest payments and eliminate your anxiety.

Call today and talk to a credit counsellor about your financial situation.

You're Not Alone

The key to being organized is lists.

The simplest list: your grocery list. We’re human, we forget things. Next time write all the ingredients down so you won’t have to make two trips to the store.

Make a list of important dates. You don’t want to miss your mother’s birthday – for the third year in a row.

Hire a personal trainer for a day and have them make you a list of appropriate exercises that you could do at home.

If you have eight important clients to handle in a day, make a quick list and rank each one on their importance. Then make another list identifying how much time you think it will take to handle each client. Use these two lists to build your weekly working schedule.

Make a list of all the things you wish to accomplish by the time you’re 50. Post this somewhere safe, but visible.

Spend a few minutes and make a list of all your creditors.

Wow… you can stop now.

Want to reduce that list to one. Full Circle Debt Consolidation can help. With a debt consolidation plan, you will only receive one bill and you will only have to write one cheque.

Stick with the lists that matter. Hike in Nepal before you turn ten past forty.

Like many young people my age, I was forced to take Business/Consumer Education in high school. Maybe force is too strong a word. The course was required to graduate.

Over the semester we learned how to do our taxes, a little about mortgages and we had a small portion of curriculum set aside for small business development.

What we were never taught was: How to apply for a credit card. What happens when you can’t make a payment? The perils of bankruptcy.

Now, as an adult in my thirties, I have had to learn those lessons the hard way. I should say the last two were hard. Applying for the credit card was easy.

But, as many of you know, I received my adult education credit when I signed up for a debt management program with Full Circle Debt Solutions. Robert, my debt counsellor, was my instructor. After a few meetings and a dozen emails, I had a management plan in place that I was proud of.

With less interest to pay, no collection calls and a move towards improving my credit, I was certainly better off than I was after completing my B.Ed. class.

And too think how close I came to declaring bankruptcy. Yikes. That would have been a disaster.

Business Class

There’s plenty of personal finance advice out there, but oftentimes some of the most basic steps toward financial freedom are overlooked. For me, becoming a frugal person didn’t happen overnight. It was a process of discovering strategies that helped me save for the important stuff and avoid impulse buys. Here’s a simplified version of the steps I took. Maybe some of them will help you.

• Avoid credit cards that don’t allow you to pay off your purchases immediately. Credit cards are important part of building a credit history, but you don’t need to accumulate balances to use them. Many store credit cards allow you to make a purchase and then pay off your balance immediately.

• Create separate accounts for important payments and purchases. Setting up separate accounts for travel or car payments or new technology helps keep you from dipping into your savings during your everyday routine. It also allows you to see the progress you’ve made toward your goal.

• Think before you spend. Do you spend a lot of money on a cable TV package you hardly use when you could be watching your favorite shows online or on Netflix? Do you pay for a long distance calling plan when you could be using a calling card? It’s important to think about every spending decision you make, knowing that spending in one place means giving up something else.

• Squirrel something away. If you can accumulate a small amount and put it into an interest-earning certificate of deposit or another investment vehicle, even if it’s only for a short time, you’ll see your money grow and feel good about making even more frugal choices.

• Buy in bulk. If you have the space to store large bottles of catsup and other staples, you can save a lot of money by shopping at discount stores that sell larger-quantity items.

There are a lot of other money-saving strategies I’ve adopted, such as driving slower to save on gas, but the ones I’ve listed here are key when you’re just starting to figure out how to live a better and more sustainable financial life. I hope they’re helpful to someone.

There are many things that we can’t reasonably live without, but in this day and age, a computer is at the top of that list.

When our desk or laptop breaks down, it leaves us feeling as if one of our limbs has been taken from us. Sure, this ‘Borg’ way of thinking is a little unhealthy, but it almost can’t be avoided. Where would we be without Google Maps, iTunes or email? (Notice we didn’t even mention Facebook)

Buying a new computer to repair that missing limb is a pain, but it has to be done. When that time comes, we occasionally fall short on funds. With our credit maxed, it is nice to know there are other options.

Alpine Credits can help you replace your old computer with a new, more powerful, faster, computing station. Your new arm will have you doing one-handed pushups by the end of the week.

Don’t let your credit deprive you of the Internet, word processing or pirated movies. Apply for a Vancouver home equity loan and purchase a computer that will last your for years to come.

Once You Go Mac, You Never Go Back

Am I the only one who is a little confused by the sudden escalation of the word “swag?”

I always thought swag meant the free stuff you got when you attended a conference or charity event. But now I hear hip-hop stars and celebrities using the word as an affirmation or noun to mean style or confidence. I even hear it being used as a verb: “swagged-out.” Then all of sudden I read that Puff Daddy has changed his name to “Swag.” What gives?

Well readers, I did some research and apparently swag comes from the hip-hop term “swagger.” Remember that song M.I.A. did with T.I., Jay and Kanye: “Swagga Like Us?”

No one on the corner has swagga like us

Swagga like us

Swagga swagga like us

I guess these four thought pretty highly of themselves.

Now the shortened form swag, picked up by the hip-hop group of the moment Odd Future (OFWGKTA), has taken off. For example, I was watching “Dancing With The Stars” (don’t judge) the other night and one of the dancers used it to describe their routine: “That is swag!”

If you’re thinking of using it in your everyday life, try alternating it for the word cool. “Do you think it would be swag if I wore my Bruins jersey to the game?” And the answer to that question is definitely no! That is not swag.

Towel Power is Swag!

One of the biggest obstacles I grappled with during my lowest point was the feeing of being alone. I had all this debt to deal with and no one to talk to.

All around me I saw successful people, going to their steady jobs, driving their luxury cars and living a life that was miles away from my own.

I kept asking myself: “Why me? I’m the only one who is struggling to get by?”

The answer, of course, was no. There are literally thousands of Canadians struggling with debt issues every day.

Each of us has a different story of how we managed to accumulate so many bills, but the final condition is sadly similar.

Strapped with debt, we take on second and possibly third jobs to pay off our credit cards and loans. We lose touch with our friends and our families and become consumed by the struggle.

This is no way to live.

Debt Consolidation frees us from this financial and social confinement.

With a repayment plan in place, normal people like you and I can return our energy to the important elements in our lives.

You’re not alone.

Full Circle Debt Solutions can help you understand this fact. Talk to one of their counselors about setting up a consolidation plan.

Join the hundreds who have already and start living your life without the burden of debt.

-Julia

Figures have just been released that show a dangerous trend among Canadian borrowers. The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy reported last Wednesday that bankruptcies in Canada were up 10.2 per cent in February.

The total number of Canadians that applied for bankruptcy status in the second month of the year: 6,774.

Ouch!

Trust me guys, this is not a road you want to travel down. Once you declare bankruptcy your credit record is ruined. You may be asked to surrender many of your valuable possessions such as your car. It also requires you to meticulously track your future income and expenses.

For those of us buried in debt, there are other options.

Applying for a debt consolidation plan informs your creditors that you are making a serious attempt to repay your debt. It will stop the phone calls, the angry letters and most importantly, it will put your credit history into a category that, with steady payments, you can come back from.

Before you throw in the towel, think about your future. Apply for a debt consolidation plan with Full Circle Debt Solutions.

Avoid the Front Page

Alright readers, this week we are going to get a little personal. We’re going to talk about relationships and financial compatibility.

Before you jump into a serious relationship, it may be worth your while to have a long talk with your partner about their financial goals and current status.

You may have been working for years to improve your credit rating, but your new partner could be concealing thousands in debt. Financial conversations are just as important as discussions on childbearing. In an alarming statistic, 35 per cent of couples don’t talk about money before marriage. This is not healthy. You need to have the talk.

If you don’t ask you will never know. And sure it’s not very romantic, but neither is taking out the garbage. They both have to be done.

You don’t want to be carrying someone’s unpaid debt for the next twenty years. If your partner’s financial history is drastically different than your own, you may want to reconsider your compatibility.

If not. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Love conquers most things, but it doesn’t pay the bills at the end of the month.

"The Talk"

Why are more and more Canadians finding themselves in debt trouble?

Perhaps it is connected with the ease at which we are able to pay with our credit cards. Scan, swipe or enter our digits, and bam, the purchase is completed. The speed at which we can buy products and services using a credit option is driving us into unthinkable debt.

Now Visa Inc. is making that process even easier. This fall, Visa will launch a new payment program called “digital wallet.” Designed for the online purchaser, the Visa wallet app will allow customers to simply enter their email address and password to pay for their purchases. No need to get out your card, and type in the 16-digit number plus an expiration date. That takes up to much time and god forbid you cannot find your card. Now, all you will need to remember is your email and password

Scary.

What’s next?

In the future will we just have to say the words ‘charge it‘ into a voice detector and we can walk away with an X-Box 1080?

Who knows?

All I know is the harder it is to use my credit options, the less likely I am to run up a huge bill.

So if Visa comes calling, maybe tell them you’re happy with the old ways.

You Don't Even Need Your Card

Organization – It’s what separates the achievers from the dreamers.

Unfortunately, not all of us come by it naturally. Some of us need a little coaching on how to manage our time, work and money.

Many of us who lack critical organization skills are helped by our significant others. Our partners are always the first ones to notice our deficiencies (and I don’t mean that in a bad way), so when they can step up and help, it means a lot.

Sometimes it’s a friend who steps in and helps us organize our schedules and demands. Making timelines and helping with our financial records goes beyond the duties of a friend, but this kind of help is often received by the organizationally challenged.

For the rest of us, there is Full Circle Debt Solutions. Full Circle can help you make a financial plan and stick with it. They will outline exactly how long it will take for you to pay off your debt by giving you a fixed, manageable, monthly payment amount. Their counselors will provide tips and instruction so you can manage your credit back towards a positive standing.

A debt consolidation plan is your first major step towards organizing your life. Let Full Circle help you start yours today.

Organize Your Life

Hey guys, Julia here. I wanted to pass along another tip for saving money.

This one sounds really simple, but it could save you more than thirty dollars a month on bills.

The lesson is this: the rate you pay for your cable package is too high. How do I know this? Because all of the providers operating in Canada use rates that are not set!

What cable companies like Telus, Shaw and Bell do is try and project a firm list of prices that offer customers service packages in pre-described bundles. The prices for these bundles are advertised and shown in their literature as being firmly set. This is completely false.

If a cable company is scared you will leave their service for a competitor, they will immediately offer you a lower price for the same service you received the previous month. Nothing changes but the price.

Try it! All you need to do is call your service provider and threaten to leave. Mention a competitor’s rate and wait for a response. If they don’t drop the price, tell them you have another call and hang up.

I guarantee a customer service rep will call you back in the next 24 hours and offer you a reduction.

The name of the company that saved me from my credit catastrophe is Full Circle Debt Solutions. An appropriate name for a company that specializes in returning dignity to the lives of average Canadians who may have been trapped in an otherwise hopeless cycle of credit debt.

No one plans to get caught up in a web of credit bills, but sometimes, through poor budgeting or unforeseen events, we find ourselves cornered by our creditors. With the two options of bankruptcy or repayment, the latter is often seen as the tougher road to travel.

Fortunately, Full Circle is in the business of helping Canadians fulfill their repayment obligations. Full Circle helps individuals pay off their debts by reducing their troubles to one easy payment. They accomplish this by negotiating a plan with your creditors.

It is in Full Circle’s best interest to help you find a plan that works with your income level. Talk to them today and meet with a credit counselor almost immediately. You will save thousands in interest payments.

Sign up and turn your life around – Full Circle.

In high school you planned your whole adult life out in one week of career planning. You intended to go to University for four years, get your Bachelor of Science Degree and then move on to a specialized field in bioengineering with a specialty in immunology. After a year abroad in Africa, you planned to get a job at a Canadian University to continue your work. By twenty-eight you wanted to own your first home and by thirty-three, start a family.

Turns out not everything goes according to plan.

After two years in Science, you switched to Arts. You graduated with a degree in creative writing and then spent the next three years trying to find a job in your field. After teaching English in Korea for two years, you returned to Canada and went back to school for a trade. Now working as a metal fabricator, you are just starting to pay off your huge student loan along with your three maxed credit cards. You’re thirty-four and a house seems at least a few years away.

Plan B got you a job that challenges you every day. It let you experience life in other countries. It let you experiment with your desire to write. And it helped you realize you were skilled in a field you never even considered ten years earlier.

But it also left you with a huge debt.

When it comes time to pay, there are institutions that can help. Full Circle Debt Solutions will sign on to be in your corner. They can talk to your creditors to help devise a repayment plan. Visit their website today.

At the doctor’s office the other day, I happen to pick-up a copy of Good Housekeeping. Now, you may ask, ‘Julia, why are you even reading a periodical that focuses on home ownership when you rent.’ Well, dear readers, you can always dream. And, like many media sources out there, you can always find something that deals with your interests.

Sure enough, I found an article on saving money, my newfound passion. It was the title that first grabbed me: “Get it For Free.” Yes – you now have my attention.

The article talked about the online world of trading. It focused on two sites: Swapadvd.com and Swap.com. Both of these sites let you trade products with other users. The only charge is the shipping. If you package a bunch of trades with the same user, you can lower the cost dramatically.

The Swapadvd.com is simple enough, you can trade movies, but on Swap.com you can trade just about anything. When you create your profile, you make a list of the items you have and the items you are looking to trade for. The site automatically matches you with other members who may have similar interests and items you need.

It’s a pretty cool idea. Check it out. And the best part – No credit debt!

Good luck with the treasure hunt. Talk next week.

Julia

Some people refuse to go into debt. They see it as a sign of weakness.

The reality: these people probably lead a boring life or have crazy assistance from some family benefactor.

The ‘D’ word should not be an evil phrase. It is a natural part of living in a monetary world. All of the perceived power nations run with a debt. Even China’s industrial boom is the result of the country going into massive debt. But what do these investments yield, stronger, more competitive nations.

Without debt, you would never afford to live in a house, pay for a new car, go on vacation or graduate from the school of your choice. It is a necessary element for achieving the lifestyle you deserve.

Paying off your debt can be hard. But as your income increases over time, it becomes easier and more manageable.

For those of us in our late twenties and early thirties, debt can sometimes seem like a dark cloud of oppression. Fear not. As I said, it gets better.

But for now, seeking out a debt counselor is often a proactive means of controlling your financial situation. The staff at Full Circle is an excellent resource for creating a plan to manage your debt. If you are having trouble meeting your payments, Full Circle will contact your creditors and create a repayment plan that is practical for your current income level.

Debt is not to be feared. We need it to lead progressive, full lives.

If you are struggling with your monthly payments contact Full Circle today.

Debt is Not a Word to Fear

Julia here. Surfing the net this week (FOR FREE!) I came across an interesting article published in the Globe and Mail.

The article was entitled, “Five Common Mistakes When Paying Off Debt.”

Being that I had a massive debt problem just under a year ago, I thought I should probably read up on what the paper’s expert had to offer; You know, just in case I could share it with you guys. After reading the article though, it occurred to me that every tip offered I had heard before. Don’t get me wrong! It was great advice, but it was like they had interviewed my debt counselor at Full Circle and stolen all of his wisdom.

Whatever the case, I thought I would pass on his pearls to my readership.

1. Work with a repayment plan

-This is exactly what Full Circle provides. Your personal credit counselor will devise a plan that works for your current income. If that rate changes, they can readjust the numbers to suit your needs. The focus of payment should always be on the debt with the largest interest rate.

2. Don’t Pay More Than You Have To

-Lose the balance protection insurance on all your credit cards. This is a scam! The article also puts forth a disturbing example of how paying the minimum payment hardly affects your overall balance. In most cases it only just covers your interest. Full Circle’s advice: When you have the funds, pay as much off on your high interest debt as you can.

3. Create a Spending Plan

-This is a where you can pinpoint just how and what you are spending your money on. It’s great for cutting needless expenditures. The Globe suggests using a site to create your plan. They endorse MoneyStrands. See how it works for you.

4. Don’t Shred Your Cards When You Finally Pay Them Off

-Credit cards do have their perks. Rental insurance, extended warranties and lost or damaged items are just a few reasons to hold on to your plastic. Ironically, they could end up saving YOU money.

5. Don’t Go Down That Road Alone

-This is exactly the service that Full Circle provides.

Well hello again. It’s me Julia, your friendly storyteller and fellow debtor. If you have been following my story, you know that by the fall of 2009 I was seriously floundering.

Let’s quickly review my situation for those who weren’t paying attention:

I was unable to find work in my field of study, Education.

I applied and received a credit card to pay for my bills and rent.

I found a job as a waitress to pay for my rent and the minimal payment on my card.

Student loan repayment had me paying another $357 a month until I got it reduced to $187.

I found a position inside a school, but fortunately it was only volunteer. Income tax can be a killer.

To get back and forth to my non-paying job I bought a car. Correction; I agreed to start making payments on a car.

Now let’s add up those monthly totals:

Credit card min. payment: $110

Student Loan: $187

Car payment: $263

Rent: $720

Subtotal: $1280

Lets add to that my other major expenditures:

Groceries: $375 (roughly)

Cigarettes: $120

Gas: $60

Subtotal: 555

Grand Total: 1835

Ouch. And I was barely making $2,000 a month. Paying the bills, but only when I could. I prayed for an easier way, a path of less resistance. It came, finally, but not before I added another debtor to my list…

The List

July 2009  – The Heavy Hand of the Federal Government

Opening up the bill, I slowly scanned the statement provided by the National Student Loan Bureau; $357 a month was to be my minimum payment. Wow. That was half my rent!

Well my friends were at the beach, I spent July working like an animal and worrying about how I could pay my credit cards and my loan payments. I felt alone, left to meek out a meager existence in a forest of debt.

Then a co-worker told me that I could apply for debt relief. By filling out a form and providing details on my current income, I could become available for a short term, reduced payment plan. I applied and two weeks later was accepted.

My new payment was $187. Steep, but manageable.

I paid the minimum on all my bills at the end of the month. Again, I was just barely surviving. The credit card interest was killing me. I needed a way to pay them off and focus solely on reducing my debt to the government.

I also needed out of the waitressing gig and into my field of study.

Maybe August would hold more promise.

Crippled by Debt

If you live in Vancouver, BC, watch out for hippies on the Skytrain.

There are some interesting ads being run right now encouraging Vancouver debt consolidation and Vancouver debt management.

If you are truly debt-free, then you will feel as free as a hippie on holiday. You will be running wild in the streets with none of the oppression of the Establishment or The Man to hold you down with crippling monthly interest payments.

If you want to feel as free as a hippie on holiday, Credit Counselors Canada can show you how to open your mind to a world without debt.

Give peace of a chance!

Last week, my friend Vicky asked me for advice. She had just gotten laid off at work, and was freaking out because she was receiving all of her monthly bills, and had no clue how she was going to pay them off. I could tell she was real upset, right when I picked up the phone and heard her voice. And boy, did I know how she was feeling. After all, when Mark and I first fell into financial trouble, we even considered skipping town. But I knew Vicky, and I knew she would never even think about defaulting on her debt – after all, she has a little one to consider.
At first, I guess I was surprised that she would think of me to reach out to, of all people. But then I remembered that nobody really knew about what Mark and I had gone through in our younger days, except for my family. I realized, at that moment, that I had to be there for Vicky, 100 percent of the way, just like my sister was there for me, in my time of need.
The first thing I suggested to her was to call my debt management consultant at Full Circle and get his advice on how she could consolidate her debt. All I can hope for is that she’ll be able to get all her bills and debt under control, just like Mark and I did, and be able to live stress-free again.

There was this one month when Mark and I were living in Calgary, when we were really down and out on cash, that we considered skipping town to escape our debt. And the calls we were getting from those annoying creditors did nothing to make us want to stay. We were broke, and getting desperate.

It’s a good thing my sister called one day to check in on us. She convinced us that running away from our debt was not the way out, pointing out that our credit scores would be ruined (and where would we run away to and what money would we live off of?). Thank goodness for older sibling wisdom.

So we decided to stay put and slowly work off our debt, which in retrospect was a good idea because a couple months later, we heard about Full Circle Debt Solutions. They helped us consolidate our debt, and even got rid of the annoying calls from creditors. If you find yourself in a similar situation that Mark and I were in, wanting to bail on your debt, give Full Circle a call before you make any drastic moves.

Mark’s always been the responsible one. And when we first met, he seemed to have it all together – spacious apartment, nice (aka functioning) car, and a stable job that was going somewhere. Once I got to know him, it became very apparent to both of us how different we were when it came to money management. Where Mark was diligent about paying his bills, I was getting late fees and overdrafts. Where Mark only had only one credit card, I had five. Needless to say, he was pretty much free of debt while I was swimming in it. The poor guy, he always had to foot the bill whenever we did something nice, or for that matter, whenever dined at an establishment posher than Pita Pit.

But when Mark lost his job, everything else seemed to unravel along with his career, including his good habits. Instead of opening his bills as soon as he got them, Mark would let them pile up on the desk. So much so that his tower of bills started to compete with my own. Pretty soon, he was swimming right along with me in our ocean of debt.

Our saving grace came when my sister suggested we call Full Circle Debt Solutions. I was skeptical, but at her insistence we gave them a call. I got connected right away to one of their credited debt management consultants who outlined a debt consolidation plan specifically for our situation. Miraculously, he minimized our payments to one so we wouldn’t have to worry about paying so many creditors at the end of the month. I guess it just goes to show that even the best of us can get into money trouble, and only the best can get us out.

I’ll never forget the first time I was approved for a credit card, if you can call it that. I was a studying at Emily Carr at the time, with little to no credit to my name. But since I was enrolled in a university, I qualified for a student credit card. The limit was something like $500, which seemed like the king’s bounty at the time considering the fact that my allowance up to that point was measly 20 bucks per week.  So with my newfound wealth, I spent like a high roller buying fancy art supplies, splurging on pricey meals, and buying tickets to concerts.

Needless to say, what seemed like a lot of money at first turned into what-can-I-really-buy-with-five-hundred-dollars. That changed again when I got the first statement in the mail, this time to holy-sh#!-where-the-heck-am-I-gonna-get-five-hundred-big-ones? So I had no choice but to go with the minimum payment and get charged an insane interest on the rest.  And that, ladies and gentlemen is when my debt started piling up.

Where was this sign when I signed up for that darned credit card?

There is no standard model on what is considered to be a good or bad FICO score. This question really depends on your lender and how they rate individual scores. However, we can make some generalizations about FICO scores that range up to 850 and what score may be considered to be good, fair and bad.

750 or higher – This is considered to be an excellent credit score. At 770 and above you can generally obtain the best interest rates.

700 to 750 – This is considered to be between very good and excellent credit.

650 to 700 – Considered to be very good credit.

600 to 650 – A good credit score. Sometimes the minimum for good credit is at 620 or above, because this is generally considered the cutoff point for a prime rate loan.

600 and below – This range is considered a high credit risk. While you can still obtain loans and credit cards in this range, they will most likely be secured credit cards and loans at the highest interest rate.

550 and below – Any FICO score below 550 is considered to be awful credit.

Bad credit means no one will lend to you... for good reason.

It’s kind of crazy when you are so far in debt, you have no idea how much money you actually have. Or even worse, how much money you actually owe.

We had an apartment in Vancouver, a couple of cars, a boat, a bunch of furniture, even clothes – all bought on consignment.

If we were to sit down with our bills to figure out what was what, we’d be lost. Who had the time for something like that?

Either way, one of the first things that Full Circle Debt Solutions did when they talked to me on the phone that day was ask me about my FICO score.

FICO? Beacon? Bacon? Six degrees of pain? Huh?

I had no idea what they were talking about – I thought they wanted to know if I was betting on Brazil.

Either way, it turns out that a FICO score is your credit score. It lets the bank – or anyone that you want to borrow money from – how reliable you are.

Now, I may have a lot of debt, but I always thought I was somewhat responsible.

Turns out that I was wrong. My FICO score was freakin’ terrible. 550. That is like debt hell.

I’ll post the list of what those scores mean in my next post.

Debt Hell Cuts Like a Knife... or rather Scissors