Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Adam and Emily Financial Update

Hello! I’d like to continue our update since we stepped away from blogging here in February 2014.   Here’s what has been going on with our real estate and our debt. Real Estate If you followed our journey previously, you’ll know that we own 2 rental properties (3 units) out of state, and also have a rented guest house at our primary home. 2014 was not a very successful year for us with our investment properties. One unit sat empty for several months during the winter, and one renter abandoned her unit, which ended up needing quite a bit of maintenance and repair.  My reserve funds just covered the out of pocket payments I had to make on my properties. However, coming into 2015, all units are rented to

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

An update from Adam and Emily

Hello everyone! For those of you who don’t know, my wife Emily and I are former bloggers here at Blogging Away Debt. We handed over the reins in February 2014 while we were in the long, hard slog of our debt payoff. I have really enjoyed reading and commenting on the stories from the new bloggers here. Ashley and Jeffrey asked if we’d like to provide an update for the readers. So, thanks to those of you who’ve asked, and thanks to Jeffrey and Ashley for facilitating the opportunity. The last 14 months have been very active for us indeed! There are so many things to update on that I’m going to split it into multiple posts. Just a warning, this first post will have

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Weekly Blog Post #12- Work Bonus and a Weekend Getaway

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday! I want to share with everyone some great news- I got a bonus and a (small) raise! I had my evaluation with my boss a few weeks ago at the end of March. Per company policy, every employee is evaluated once a year. At my evaluation, I was given a 2{7dabfd103aa443fce219eea47f0f346a11a54ce587a1a0cbb74f06b9f7a304ca} raise (which is guaranteed for cost of living increases) and a 3{7dabfd103aa443fce219eea47f0f346a11a54ce587a1a0cbb74f06b9f7a304ca} merit bonus (which is the max you can get based on performance). After a couple weeks, I finally received a check for the bonus on Friday for $1,600 (after taxes). That was a pretty fantastic feeling; It’s nice to just feel appreciated, let alone be rewarded with a check, as well, is amazing. You may

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

The UK Debt Problem

The UK Debt Problem Nowadays, it often seems like everyone is talking about debt. We’re constantly looking for new ways to get out of it – and yet, at the same time, going further in sometimes seems unavoidable. After all, buying a house or a car would be out of the question for most people if they couldn’t get a loan and make payments. Credit cards are another source of debt that some people utilize to make their lives better – though it’s also sometimes a source that can quickly overwhelm us if we’re not careful. Here are some statistics about UK debt that might surprise you. UK Debt Statistics The total personal debt in the UK (at the end of 2015) was £1.469 trillion. In March

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

What to do When Your APR Goes Up

I’ve written a great deal about credit cards over the years, from credit card security to disputing charges to what to look for in a credit card.  I recently realized, though, that I haven’t said much about APRs (Annual Percentage Rates = interest rates) and what you can do when they go up.  And chances are, at some point your APR will go up.  Fortunately, though, credit card companies are required to notify you of an impending APR hike – which gives you some time to decide how to handle the change. Why the Hike? Common Reasons for an APR Increase Before we talk about what to do when your APR increases, let’s talk about why your APR might be going up. Three very common reasons include:

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Where to register a company in the UK

Registering a company (or ‘incorporating’ a company, as it is also called) carries with it many benefits. In fact, ever since Chancellor Gordon Brown reduced the corporation tax to zero back in 2002 for small businesses, many sole traders in the UK have made the decision to register. Getting your registration set up can be a bit of a hassle in the beginning, as there are a lot of forms to fill out and a lot to get right – but once it’s done, you will quickly begin to see how beneficial this decision can be for small businesses or start-ups. Read on to learn more about how to register a company and many other useful tips… Registering your company – the advantages Incorporating your company will

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Prepping for the Holidays on a Debt Management Plan

We are about to enter THE HOLIDAY SEASON! For some of us, just the thought of the upcoming holiday season can send us into a deep, dark funk. Money is already tight, the budget is stretched to the limit and we feel more like the Grinch who stole Christmas rather than Jolly Old St. Nicholas. This is not a time of enjoyment for us but we participate anyway. I’m sure you have either seen or heard of the TV series, Doomsday Preppers. The series is devoted to showing us how to get ready for nearly any world shaking disaster by stashing away food, water, clothing, gasoline, guns and ammunition and how to ready our home or a “bug out” spot so that we can make it through

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Cash in on Old Cell Phones

If you have old cell phones and accessories lying around your house, you might be able to sell them for cash. There are many people out there who cannot afford a new phone, but would love to have a used cell phone at a discounted price. It would be a win-win situation. In cleaning drawers recently, I discovered 4 old cell phones; so, I decided to look into selling them. How to get started and how much were my cell phones worth on the market were two of the questions I needed answers for. To begin with, to get a sense of the market, I looked up the prices I might get for a used IPhone and Samsung phone at several of the bigger buyback services. I

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Debt Management, Relief & Consolidation

Perfect Presents for Travelers

Travelers love their gear; items that make traveling easier, safer, and smoother. Here are some perfect presents for travelers in your life (hint: Christmas is coming)! They fit many budgets and purposes – there’s something for everybody here. TRAVEL GEAR Here’s some miscellaneous travel gear for safety, health, and convenience: Collapsible Water Bottles Vapur calls them “anti-bottles”, and they’re the best water bottles I’ve used in my eight years of full-time travel. They’re ultralight, easy to drink from, and when empty they roll up to fit in your pocket. They even make one with a built-in filtration system – perfect for places where the water isn’t potable. (I have a regular bottle and one with a filter). SteriPEN Speaking of water filters, if the water is

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