Welcome to Homefront News, a quarterly newsletter presented by Bernie Saul, President, Equitylink Mortgage, Inc.

Archives

September 2001

To avoid the irritation of paying a late fee, open statements as soon as you receive them, and mail the payment a week before the due date. I like to put my payment check in the remittance envelope and write the day it is to be mailed in the area where you would put the stamp. Then when the day on the envelope arrives, I put a stamp over the date and drop it in the mail.
If you should get charged a late fee, ask to have it taken off. Most credit card companies will remove the fee one time as a courtesy.

Your Credit Score
The consumer credit reports that we can all receive annually for free, do not include our credit score.

You can order your FICO credit score online, plus a full credit report and explanatory information, for $12.95 at www.myfico.com or www.equifax.com.

In the next issue, we will talk about what your credit score objective should be.

Making Your House... Your Home
Because my wife, Karen, and I moved recently, I was reminded of what makes a house warm and personal. No matter whether your house is grand or humble, these tips will help make you feel good about your home.

• Refinish the front door...a fresh coat of paint or varnish on the entry door will bring many rewards.
• Buy a new welcome mat to suit your taste. Designs are very popular.
  Hang your artwork and pictures in a new pattern.
• Treat yourself to fresh cut flowers for your favorite table, once a week or on payday.
• Combine your favorite chair with good light in a quiet place where you can read and contemplate.
• Reorganize your closets and recycle anything that you haven't used in the last two years.
• Paint a favorite room with a color you were hesitant to use before.
• Plant a tree or shrub.
• Arrange pictures of family, friends, and events in as many rooms as possible.

How Will You ???
We all make lists for everything from shopping, chores, errands, etc. But one list that we all know is important, seems to forever be delayed. Here are five reminders of why you must do a will now!

1. A will lets you determine who will receive your assets and when.
2. If you die without a will (intestate) state law will determine how your assets are distributed and when.
3. You can name a guardian for your minor children.
4. Your will can create a testamentary trust to save future estate taxes.
5. You can pass assets to a charitable organization or people outside your immediate family.

Have you Tried WD-40
I bet you haven't tried WD-40 for these uses. Among the lesser known remedies:

• Keep flies, dogs, and maggots out of trash.
• Remove stickers and adhesive from glass.
• Loosen stuck light bulbs.
• Remove scuff marks or gum from linoleum or tile floors.
• Remove oil spots from garage and drive.
• Silence squeaky door hinges.
• Clean car battery terminals.
• Make your sliding patio door/screen roll smooth as ever.
• Remove crayon and other marks from walls.
• Protect your saw blades and wood plane.

New Safe Entry Door System
You don't need to fumble with a house key at night with Stanley's WelcomeWatch entry-door system that unlocks your front door with just a touch of a button. The system includes lights set in the door frame that make your entry safer and more welcoming.

The system accepts any standard dead bolt and passage lock hardware. The lighting system includes a low watt night-lite that's activated by a photocell and two motion or radio controlled halogen lights. The transmitter has an "alert" feature that causes the lights to flash repeatedly to signal help.

WelcomeWatch retails for $350. For details contact The Stanley Works at www.stanleyworks.com or 1-800-782-6539.

Tired of telemarketers…
Ask each telemarketer to remove your name, telephone number and other personal information from the database.

Also, contact the Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org/) and request that you be put on their "do not contact" list.

Mom is NOT a Piggy Bank…
Your teen daughter begs you for the latest designer jeans. Her younger brother wants the new popular group CD. If your children see you as an endless financial resource, maybe you need to teach them some real life money skills.

Make it Fun. Children learn best when it is made to be fun. Popular board games can teach your kids money basics. If your family owns a PC with Internet access, visit web sites targeted to kids and teens that offer educational material, advice, and savings club information.

Teach Them to Save. When relatives send money for holidays or birthdays, encourage your children to deposit the money in their savings account. After they have saved sufficiently, perhaps they can withdraw some of that money for that special purchase. We should all learn to spend some...save some.

Discuss Family Finances. Include older children in family budgeting discussions. They can see how much of the family income is spent on basic needs-food, housing, clothing, utilities, transportation, etc.--and how much goes to entertainment, gifts, school activities, etc. You may want to put them in charge of that part of the budget that is spent on their needs like clothing, lunches, etc. Be sure to establish guidelines.

Let Them Earn. There is no more satisfying feeling for a youngster than money to spend that they have earned and managed. Even young children can earn their own money by doing yard work, washing cars, or selling old toys at your garage sale. Let them set prices and figure costs and profits. Once they're old enough to get jobs outside the home, have them set goals, such as saving for a computer, college, field trips, and that all important first car.
Remember that your own example is the best teacher. You can be sure they are watching you closely.

When your friends or loved ones are discussing home financing,
Do them a favor…
Suggest that a call to EquityLink will save money and stress.

We maintain a comprehensive database of business professionals and skilled tradesmen (and women) to meet your needs. If you need someone you can call with confidence for anything from roofing to windshield repairs….give me a call. Or if you know of someone that you would like to tell us about, we would like to hear from you.

Call Bernie Saul at 303-933-1466