Working from Home

Have you been thinking about starting a business of your own, a home based business? Never before has there been as much interest in this opportunity and it may be just the thing for you.

Why a Home Based Business Now?

Starting your own home based business has been the dream of many people over the years, but for most it has been little more. However, in the economic circumstances faced by the world today, this may prove to be the best time ever to make it a reality instead of just wishful thinking.

Necessity is the mother of invention as the old saying goes. One reason many people are thinking about a home based or secondary business income now is due to people having a lower income from their regular jobs. The average family income in America has dropped more than $4,000 over the last few years while expenses keep escalating.

No one wants to lower their standard of living, no surprise, so people are looking for ways to earn some additional income. Beginning a part time home business can be an appealing option.

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Get Your Free Credit Score!

Today I was reminded again about that little three digit number so many people like to talk about—their credit score. Everybody seems to be concerned about their number, right.

What is Your Credit Score?

There is so much publicity about your credit score (how to find out what it is, how to protect it, how to improve it, etc.) that it is doubtful very many people do not know what it is, but just in case here is the plain English definition.

Your credit score is a three digit number compiled by the credit agencies that rank your credit worthiness in their eyes based on your credit history which is used by financial institutions and others to help them decide whether to give you a loan, how much to charge for your auto insurance, and whether to give you a job (among other things).

Often you hear your credit score referred to as your FICO score. Technically this refers to the score provided by the Fair Isaac Corporation (now officially renamed FICO) which is the most widely used by financial institutions. A number of other organizations provide credit scores as well, but they are not so well known.

Can You Get Your Credit Score for Free?

Your credit report is more important in many ways than your credit score and you can get it for free. Once a year each of the three major credit reporting agencies are required by law to give you a free copy. You can ask for yours at AnnualCreditReport.com which is operated jointly by the three major reporting companies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax).

But what about your credit score? Is there any way to get it for free?

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When the Unthinkable Happens

Sometimes tragedy slaps us in the face. It leaves us with sorrow, but there are usually some lessons we learn as well. In this post I want to share some lessons associated with a recent personal tragedy. Some problems were anticipated, others not so much.

Facing the Death of a Child

December was a sad time for our family as we lost our youngest child. Brian was 32 years old when he died which is remarkably old considering his many health issues, challenges so severe that he was not expected to live but a short time when we took him in foster care at 17 months. Certainly, no one suspected he would live long enough for us to adopt him a couple of years later.

Fortunately, Brian responded to love and good care from ourselves and a multitude of great doctors, nurses, and other caregivers. He became the joy of our lives as he shared his engaging smile with those he loved. We loved Brian greatly and miss him immensely.

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