Monday, July 13, 2015

Fulton County Cooperative Extension Offers Tips for Managing Credit

Fulton County Cooperative Extension wants to help residents to get their credit in order. The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES) has posted information to help consumers with managing credit wisely.

“We all know that good credit provides us with choices,” states Menia Chester, Director of Fulton county Cooperative Extension. “Now that we mid-way through the year, we want to remind our residents that they can benefit greatly by using the financial education resources provided by UGA.”
 
Carefully shopping for credit and avoiding credit dangers offer the best defense against credit problems. The ability to use credit to help you get the things you need today and pay for them tomorrow is both your most valuable asset and your biggest liability. Here are some important points to remember:
 
• Get a free copy of your credit report. Know what information is being used to make decisions about you. If your credit report contains errors, go through the steps to get them removed or corrected.
 
• Address negative information on your credit report. If your credit report shows you were late a few times in the past, that’s water under the bridge and you’ll just have to wait long enough for that information to be removed (seven years from the date the incident(s) occurred). If, on the other hand, you have an outstanding balance on an old debt, make arrangements to settle the debt as soon as possible.
 
• Shop around for the best terms. Interest rates vary significantly from lender to lender. Check back with credit card providers periodically to see if they will lower your interest rate. Look into refinancing longer term installment loans if lower interest rates are available to you now than when you took out the loan.
 
For more information about Fulton County Cooperative Extension call 404-332-2400. Visit http://spock.fcs.uga.edu/ext/pubs/finances.php?category=Credit to learn more about using credit wisely.

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