FREE DEBT HELP (and money help too)

FREE TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR MONEY HELP (& links)

A respected blogging colleague introduced me to this superb tool to help with your money management. With so many folks offering debt and money help, it’s tough to know who to trust. MyMoneyCheckUp, from the non-profit National Foundation for Credit Counseling developed a quick and fun self assessment to help you manage your money. The questionnaire starts out by asking about your financial accounts, budgeting, borrowing, savings, home and retirement. The questionnaire is easy and they also offer a version in Spanish.

Money Help

For example, plug in your monthly income and then fill in  your rent, utilities  loans, and child care etc. You don’t have to be perfect, just estimate the figures. After you input your financial information, the program analyses your responses. It offers helpful suggestions and free resources if you need more guidance.

In response to someone who sometimes has more month than money, the program made these recommendations and tips, along with links to additional resources:

• You are on the right track- you are not always short of money. However, based on your responses, below are a few suggestions that may be helpful to improve your money management.
• Consider creating a budget to help you manage your finances.
• A spending plan can help you spend on your priorities and prioritize your spending.
• Check out some tools to help you stick to your budget
• Try tracking your spending for the next couple of weeks to get a feel for where your money is actually going. Then recreate a budget to better reflect your goals in light of your circumstances.
• Try to limit your use of payday lending. Shop around. Make sure that you understand the full cost of a payday loan.
• Payday lenders charge extremely high interest rates. Limiting their use or cutting them out completely will create space in your budget.
• Monitor how much you pay in interest on your credit cards each month
• The interest you pay on the balance on your credit cards can add up quickly. Try trimming your expenses and paying down your debt. This will create room in your budget in the long run.
• Check out free resources on the IRS website to help you understand your taxes
• The taxes you pay is typically a large item in your budget. Understanding the costs better can help you manage your cash flow.
• If you would like to schedule an appointment with an NFCC certified financial counselor, please call 1-800-388-2227 or go to http://www.nfcc.org. 

Mymoneycheckup is great if you are struggling with basic money issues and need some trustworthy guidance.

Barb Recommends

• United States versus S & P at Joe Taxpayer
• Kate Upton’s Swimsuit Cover to Boost Stocks? by Larry Swedroe at CBS Moneywatch
• 4 Things You Should Know About Filing Your Taxes in 2013 by Miranda Marquit at Personal Dividends
• Jump on the Train While its Still Here at The Financial Blogger
• Treasury Return Calculator at DQYDJ (Don’t Quit Your Day Job)
• Budgeting, the no Budget Approach at Reach Financial Independence
• Market Clones; How to Pay Drastically Less for Pricey Products by Lars Peterson at Wise Bread
• 5 Most Creative Ways to Pay for College at Girls Just Want to Have Funds
• Avoiding the Financial Reality of Not Changing Spending Habits to Reflect the New Reality at Frugal Confessions

 Barb Across the Web

Investors.com from Investors Business Daily-Peer Groups; Tech Keys to Self Directed Learning
Your Finances Simplified- Can You Budget Love?
Carnival of Retirement at See Debt Run
Carnival of MoneyPros at Money Pros
Yakezie Carnival at The Amateur Financier
Carn. of Financial Camaraderie at Financial Conflict Coach
Carnival of Retirement at Making Sense of Cents
Carnival of MoneyPros at Drop That Debt
Finance Carn. for Young Adults at Femme Frugality
Yakezie Carnival at The Frugal Toad
Carnival of Financial Planning at Good Financial Cents

What types of money resources do you recommend? 

image credit; google images_heartland payment systems