Start the year strong by taking control of your credit and financial future! Follow this step-by-step checklist to set yourself up for success:

 Review Your Credit Reports

•   Get free copies of your credit reports.  Get Your Credit Score & Free Credit Report Now

•   Check for errors, outdated information, or inaccuracies.

•   Note any items that need to be disputed or updated.

 Know Your Credit Score

•   Use a trusted service to check your current credit score. 

•   Set a goal for your credit score improvement by the end of the year.

 Dispute Errors

•   Write to credit bureaus about inaccuracies on your credit report.

•   Track your disputes and follow up on resolutions.

 Pay Bills on Time

•   Set up auto-pay or calendar reminders to avoid late payments.

•   Make sure payments are withdrawn from your bank.

 ...

As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves relying on our personal credit to fuel our business endeavors. I'll be the first to admit—I've been guilty of this myself. When we feel that no one has adequately educated us on personal credit management, the prospect of delving into the realm of business credit can seem even more daunting. However, it's a crucial step toward establishing financial stability and growth for our businesses.

That's why I'm excited to share with you two fundamental steps to kickstart your journey toward building strong business credit:

1. Set up a Nav Account:

Nav provides a suite of tools and resources designed to assist entrepreneurs in managing and monitoring their business credit effectively. By enrolling in a Nav Prime account through my link, you'll gain access to invaluable insights into your credit profile. This includes the addition of two tradelines to your business reports—one representing the subscription fee and another for the Nav...

It’s that glittering time of year when we, as a collective, get to come together to celebrate all we’ve accomplished within the past year and embrace the newfound inspiration that comes with a fresh start. I know one of my favorite New Year’s Eve traditions is to choose a “word of the year” that symbolizes the intention I want to set for the next 365 days. Last year, my word was focus. I chose this word mostly to enhance my career endeavors as I began designing new programs to serve my clients at a higher level – and it served me (and them) well!

This year, I’m shifting more towards a lifestyle transformation with the word “intentional.” Oftentimes life gets so busy between work, family, and other obligations that we can begin to feel like puddy being stretched in a thousand different directions. While we may be able to successfully balance our attention being diverted like this for some time, eventually something ends up...

It’s that time of year again!

The kids are back to school, soccer practices are in full swing, and dare I say PSL has graced our presence with its return to the Starbucks menu. While summer may be coming to a close and we’re all daydreaming of being back lounging by the lake, this emerging season of stricter schedules can actually be the perfect time to get back to excellent credit!

Let’s be honest, as fun as the summer season is, we hardly find ourselves using that time to be diligent about our spending habits or to improve our credit score. In fact, with the longer days and nicer weather, it’s tempting to overspend at that new tiki bar that opened up in town or miss a bill’s due date while hiking the trails during that annual family camping trip. However, as the fall season approaches and routines are back to being established, this is the refreshing window of opportunity to tighten up on your financial responsibilities and indulge credit repair...

Remember those financial goals you set just 6 months ago? If you forgot, this is your gentle reminder!

This halfway point in the year is a good time to check-in on where you’re excelling and where you can improve. As July heats up and the summer days usher us to tiki bars, extra dinners with friends, concerts, and road trips it’s easy to lose sight of our finances and engage in additional spending.

Here are 5 ways to ensure you still meet your goals while enjoying all summer has to offer!

• Have an accountability partner. Is there a friend in your circle who is also looking to decrease debt, build savings, or increase their credit score? Team up and hold each other accountable. Studies show that having an accountability partner increases your chances of success by an incredible 95%! Especially during the summer when activities are endless and everyone wants to go out more frequently, you can find yourself in a bit of a money drain. It's beneficial to have a...

Side hustles seem to be getting a lot of attention these days…and for good reason! In tandem with your primary job, a side hustle is a great way to leverage extra income without committing to the rigid schedule of a traditional second job. Basically, side hustles are the gateway to more financial freedom. Whether you’re looking to pay off the last of your student loan debt, reduce credit card bills, or save up to buy a house, the ability to generate extra money with a side hustle can quickly put these goals within reach.

Along with the rise of remote work, online opportunities are limitless allowing you to expand beyond your geographical location as well. The demand for digital advancements are only increasing, which can lead to a lucrative endeavor for you! All you really need to begin in this case is WiFi and determination.

Finding a side hustle, either online or in your area, is a highly recommended route to take to add some sizzle into your wallet this summer! Here...

Ready to play the credit game? If yes, then this strategy can be a gamechanger for you. While there’s stigmas that surround opening multiple credit card accounts, it can actually have great advantages when it comes to building healthy credit. If you stay organized, keep an eye on your accounts, and maintain activation, then you’ll certainly win!

Here’s all the perks you should (and need to!) know about when it comes to opening multiple accounts…

Receive Rewards.

Credit cards have amazing rewards systems that can add up beautifully when in good standing. From discounts on flights, restaurants, delivery services, hotels, gas, supermarkets and cashback opportunities there’s an abundance of benefits points can earn you (I mean, no one ever hated a discounted vacation to the Bahamas!). The best way to play this is to open cards that have different offerings in order to optimize the variety of advantages.

Maintain a Low Credit Utilization Ratio.

Looking to...

In the spirit of love this Valentine’s Day, we all want to embrace the idea of being swept off our feet in a fit of wild romance. Chocolate hearts galore, cards of sentiment, luxurious candlelit dinners, and beautiful long-stemmed roses all delight our imagination. Especially if you’re single, you may be fantasizing about the idea of meeting a fabulous new person during this season of adoration (it would make for a cute story!).

While being open and receptive to building new relationships is encouraged, there are some romance scams to be aware of. In the era of digital dating, safety precautions may be less secure than meeting someone organically or through mutual friends. This isn’t to say online dating can’t be successful, there are plenty of stories proving otherwise. However, what you want to be extra careful of is the validity of the person behind the screen.

 The FBI reported that in 2020 victims of romance scams lost more than $281 million!...

 In our digital-dependent world, it’s fair to say our risk for identity theft has increased at exponential rates. While social media is fun and a great way to network, it’s also a great place to expose an immense amount of personal information without even realizing the consequences. Privacy has certainly become a thing of the past with our selfies plastered all over our platforms, geographical locations broadcasted, personal information shared (hello Facebook personality quizzes!), online banking accounts, camera-laden devices, and of course being able to save your credit card information after any online purchase.

 These things have become so normalized that none of us think twice about halting our morning scroll to assess the potential risk this puts us in. It’s been reported that in 2019 there were over half a million cases, making it one of the worst years for identity theft of all time, with the trajectory going up. And in 2021, identity fraud...

 As the holiday season comes to a close, you may be finding yourself where many are finding themselves- in spender’s remorse. Maybe you overcharged your credit card with holiday gifts that far exceeded your budget. Or hit up all the spectacular post-holiday sales for a stylin’ new wardrobe. Perhaps you even found yourself stopping every morning for one of those $6 Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes to get yourself into the holiday spirit (I know, they’re so good!). Whatever the situation, I’m sure you were also hoping that the stroke of midnight would not only bring a brand new year but also Cinderella-like powers that would magically erase all your debt with it. 

Welp. Nothing crushes our big vision and mile-long resolutions list more than waking up on January 1st to see our bank account, credit score, and card balances have all tagged along for the new year adventures. While 2022 may not have come with a completely blank slate, it has come with...