Monday, June 1, 2015
Bad Credit? Let’s Fix It!
Fact: Poor credit history and a bad credit score can have a serious impact on your life. No one wants bad credit but sometimes mistakes happen. Sometimes factors like medical bills, job loss and tragedy influence our financial profile in ways we never could have predicted. Bad credit can happen to anyone.
Factors that Damage Credit
First let’s clarify what can lower your credit score and damage your credit profile.
• Excessive Debt: If your credit cards are maxed and you have several loans, your debt profile is probably contributing to your low score
• Late Payments: The credit bureaus note any 30, 60, 90 & 120 day payment lates. It is essential that you pay your bills on time.
• Dormant Credit: A dormant credit card is an account that has infrequent or no use. In some cases, if an account has no activity for a period of time, issuers may close the account which revokes future charging privileges. Dormant accounts may not have additional debt but they also don’t help your credit score.
• Collections: If you fail to make a payment or pay off your account – the creditor may send your account to collections. This severely affects your score. Make sure to work closely with your mortgage or credit professional regarding paying off collections. Note: Collections on federal loans such as student loans will prevent you from getting financing from most (if not all) lenders.
Get Familiar with Your Credit History
It’s time to take charge of your credit profile and the first step to doing this is by getting familiar with your credit profile. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from the following credit bureaus:
• Experian • TransUnion • Equifax
Please note that many of the advertised credit reporting companies will charge you fees. The law entitles you to a free credit report so use a site like annualcreditreport.com. You will notice that you the actual credit score is not included in the report. This is because credit scores differ between different kinds of financing. For example: a credit score for an auto loan might differ from a mortgage loan. The score is not really what’s important here. Review your credit report for any errors and misinformation. It is your job to ensure your credit report is correct.
Start Establishing & Using Your Credit Wisely
If you don’t have any or enough credit – it’s time to get some. Apply for a secured credit card (usually requires a deposit) that reports to the credit bureaus mentioned above. Don’t apply for too many cards at once as this can harm your score but make sure you are managing at least 3 cards.
Once you have your credit cards or with the cards you currently have – start using them wisely. You should use your card regularly and pay off all or most of your bill every month to start showing that you can effectively manage your finances.
This article with a harsh fact and now to end on another one: Repairing your credit takes time and discipline. Is it worth it? YES! Negative history will not go away overnight but you can do it and when you see that shining credit score at the end of the road, you’ll know just how powerful it really is. Good Luck!
5 Ways to Beat the Summer Business Blues
By Ashlei Jackson, Qlixite
Many business owners feel the stagnant summer drag, not only from the heat but from the steady slowing of clientele who are out enjoying the warm weather activities rather than buying or booking. How do you cope? Change your attitude and change your strategy! Summer is a change of pace for everyone every year, so make the most of it and better your business. While we grownups don’t get to take this time to lay around and do nothing until fall approaches here are some equally fulfilling things you can be up to:
1. Get some “me time” in - Now that you’re not rushing around to take care of clients, you can look inwards, to take care of your brand and other internal systems. This is the perfect time to figure out what is working and what needs to be tweaked. Summer is a great time to re-group and test some new policies, or get that big marketing campaign started.
2. School’s IN for summer - Summer’s a great time to get in the business education that you had no time for the rest of the year! Go to a convention, take classes, connect with other business owners and learn from them.
3. Motivate & Team Build - If you’re feeling the summer slow down, odds are that your employees are too. This is a great time to throw in some motivating sales contests and team building exercises to get your staff to pump up the energy and connect. Even if you only have a few employee, don’t negate the value of this.
4. Summer Make-over - Re-vitalize your office with a new picture, new paint on the walls or clear out the clutter. Most of the time, the summer blues come from the fact that we don’t want to be inside while the weather is nice. Take a lesson from this and make the ‘inside’ more inviting and welcoming. Freshening up the office will make you and your clients happier just by walking in the door.
5. Do something crazy! - If you’ve been tossing around a few marketing ideas in your head, now is your chance to try it out. Try out a new coupon or promotion, host an event (indoor or outdoors), volunteer or amp up your networking. If you’re feeling the slow-down, odds are other business neighbors are as well. Take some time to connect with other like-minded people and you might even get inspiration of new ways to increase business.
BONUS: Take a Break - Yes, I know you’re self-employed. Yes, I know that money doesn’t grow on trees. Yes, your company might be your whole life but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to step away once in a while. Whether you take a formal vacation or just avoid the office for a few days - be proactive and take a break. You’ll find that when you stop thinking about all of the things you HAVE to do, you’ll think of things you WANT to do including positive ways to improve your business. Trust me. Your business will survive in your absence.
Once again, your down season, whether it be summer or another, is nothing to worry about! All businesses have their ebb and flow. So use that ebb time to prepare for a rush of business, better than ever!
Many business owners feel the stagnant summer drag, not only from the heat but from the steady slowing of clientele who are out enjoying the warm weather activities rather than buying or booking. How do you cope? Change your attitude and change your strategy! Summer is a change of pace for everyone every year, so make the most of it and better your business. While we grownups don’t get to take this time to lay around and do nothing until fall approaches here are some equally fulfilling things you can be up to:
1. Get some “me time” in - Now that you’re not rushing around to take care of clients, you can look inwards, to take care of your brand and other internal systems. This is the perfect time to figure out what is working and what needs to be tweaked. Summer is a great time to re-group and test some new policies, or get that big marketing campaign started.
2. School’s IN for summer - Summer’s a great time to get in the business education that you had no time for the rest of the year! Go to a convention, take classes, connect with other business owners and learn from them.
3. Motivate & Team Build - If you’re feeling the summer slow down, odds are that your employees are too. This is a great time to throw in some motivating sales contests and team building exercises to get your staff to pump up the energy and connect. Even if you only have a few employee, don’t negate the value of this.
4. Summer Make-over - Re-vitalize your office with a new picture, new paint on the walls or clear out the clutter. Most of the time, the summer blues come from the fact that we don’t want to be inside while the weather is nice. Take a lesson from this and make the ‘inside’ more inviting and welcoming. Freshening up the office will make you and your clients happier just by walking in the door.
5. Do something crazy! - If you’ve been tossing around a few marketing ideas in your head, now is your chance to try it out. Try out a new coupon or promotion, host an event (indoor or outdoors), volunteer or amp up your networking. If you’re feeling the slow-down, odds are other business neighbors are as well. Take some time to connect with other like-minded people and you might even get inspiration of new ways to increase business.
BONUS: Take a Break - Yes, I know you’re self-employed. Yes, I know that money doesn’t grow on trees. Yes, your company might be your whole life but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to step away once in a while. Whether you take a formal vacation or just avoid the office for a few days - be proactive and take a break. You’ll find that when you stop thinking about all of the things you HAVE to do, you’ll think of things you WANT to do including positive ways to improve your business. Trust me. Your business will survive in your absence.
Once again, your down season, whether it be summer or another, is nothing to worry about! All businesses have their ebb and flow. So use that ebb time to prepare for a rush of business, better than ever!
5 Best Treatments for Your Pet’s Allergies
Here are some top recommendations for alleviating your canine or feline companion’s symptoms.
1. Take your pet to the vet — Since there are so many conditions that can appear clinically similar to allergies, having your veterinarian examine your pet is an important first step. Diagnostics, including skin impression smear and scraping, blood testing, and others may be needed to determine the nature of the condition and the most appropriate treatments.
2. Bathing and topical treatments — Cleaning your pet’s skin surface and hair coat using a pet-appropriate shampoo helps remove environmental allergens, bacteria, oil, and other irritating substances. Full-body bathing or localized cleansing can be performed on a daily basis depending on your pet’s needs. A general recommendation for pets suffering from environmental allergies is to be bathed on every 7 days. Besides shampooing, a leave-on-conditioner or veterinary-prescribed topical treatment can help to manage skin irritation and infection.
3. Eye rinses — Applying a few drops of eye irrigating solution, just as you would use in your own eyes (can be purchased from a human pharmacy), is one of the simplest means of removing allergens from your pet’s eyes. Doing so every morning, afternoon, and evening for 24 to 48 hours can help lend perspective on whether your pet's problem is simply mild environmental inflammation or merits evaluation by your veterinarian. Eyedrops or eye ointment containing an antibiotic, steroid, or other drugs may be called for.
4. Ear cleaning — Allergens, broken hairs, microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, mites, etc.), and other substances can all get stuck in your pet’s ear canals. Gently irrigating (flushing) the ear canals with a pet-appropriate ear cleaning solution removes these offensive materials and modifies the pH and microenvironment of the ear canal to deter microorganism growth. Additionally, trimming the hair from the ear canal and inner flap prevents accumulation of environmental allergens that can irritate the ear canal and promote the growth of microorganisms. If your pet is a swimmer, sprinkler-diver, or is frequently bathed, then irrigating the ears post-watery activities can help ensure that moisture doesn’t linger in the canals.
5. Dietary modification and nutraceuticals — Skin allergies can correlate with our environment and with food components (protein, carbohydrates, fat, etc.). Therefore, it is vital that owners consider changing their allergy-prone pet's diet as part of a food elimination trial. Novel proteins and carbohydrates (those your pet has not previously consumed) should be chosen and vigilance must be employed to prevent your cat or dog from consuming other food sources (non-approved human foods and pet treats, etc.) that could negatively impact the trial by causing an allergic flare up. Additionally, diets that are human-grade and whole-food, as feed-grade ingredients in kibble or canned pet foods can potentially contain undesirable contaminants that could sicken your pet on a short- or long-term basis, or further contribute to allergies. Nutraceuticals like fish oil derived Omega-3 fatty acids have a natural anti-inflammatory effect and promote healthy lipid layers in the skin to permit the body’s defenses toward microorganisms and allergens.
MV MAC Forms Library Committee
Submitted by Connie Alward-Mayer, Meadow Vista MAC
The MV Municipal Advisory Council has created an ad hoc committee to gather information regarding use of existing library resources in Meadow Vista. The committee will soon be distributing a survey to gain feedback about utilization of library services in this community. The more respondents, the more informed the MAC can be regarding decisions affecting the future and direction of local library services. The committee will have an information table at the upcoming Pioneer Day and residents are encouraged to stop and sign up for the email version of the survey.
The MV Municipal Advisory Council has created an ad hoc committee to gather information regarding use of existing library resources in Meadow Vista. The committee will soon be distributing a survey to gain feedback about utilization of library services in this community. The more respondents, the more informed the MAC can be regarding decisions affecting the future and direction of local library services. The committee will have an information table at the upcoming Pioneer Day and residents are encouraged to stop and sign up for the email version of the survey.
Community Service Award Recipient: Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson has been selected as the recipient of the Meadow Vista Community Service Award for 2015. Dave, his wife Dana and their two children moved from Southern California to Weimar in May 1976. A year later they opened “Dave & Dana’s Donut Hole” and served delicious pastries and Pioneer Day “Meadow Muffins” to Meadow Vista for the next 7 years. He’s has been an active member of the Meadow Vista Lions Club since 1977 which included playing “Santa” for over 30 years for Christmas in the Village. He has also served as a Lions District Governor and Council Chair.
His passion for helping the children succeed has extended into many areas of the community. He has served as a Y-Indian Guide Leader and Cub Scout Master - often paying for scout registration dues for kids, who could not afford it otherwise, to ensure everyone had a chance to participate. He continues to stay involved in the local scouting programs as a Golden Empire Scout Commissioner.
He served on the Placer Hills School Board for 12 years advocating to “do the most good for the most students” by working with teachers and the community to better local education and activities. With very little knowledge of the sport, he helped establish the Meadow Vista Youth Soccer League and coached for several years. He also actively advocated to establish girls soccer at Colfax High School and was president of the CHS Football boosters. It was during this time, he made it a personal mission to get lights installed at the high school - a dream realized in September 1990.
Dave is currently a Real Estate agent for Coldwell Banker in Auburn yet amidst his busy schedule, he continues to give countless hours of support to our local communities. He continues his 25 year run as the announcer for Colfax High School Football games and has added Colfax Jr. Falcon games to that highlight. He has been the president of the Auburn Old Town Business Association for 2 years and recently became the president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. This year he will continue to serve as the Master of Ceremonies for Pioneer Day.
Few can argue that Dave is dedicated to community service and our town continues to reap the rewards of his efforts. Please join us in congratulating and honoring Dave Johnson with this award and our gratitude.
Meadow Vista Area Lions Upcoming Events
06/20/2015 – Meadow Vista Area Lions 1st Car Show – All motorized and people-powered vehicles are welcome to join in on the fun. There will be a Poker walk, Food, Beer Garden, and prizes. Please contact Lion, Greg Gross at (530) 637-5359 for more information. Rental booth space is available for non-food vendors. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. in Meadow Vista Park. Pre-register at True Value Hardware.
07/20/2015 – Free public swim day and hot dogs at Meadow Vista Pool sponsored by Meadow Vista Lions.
08/22/2015 – The Lions will be the chefs at the annual PHEF BBQ and Brew. So if you want to enjoy our fabulous chefs’ work of art come join us that evening.
Lions meetings for June, July and August are held only on the second Wednesday. Starting time is 7 p.m. at the Meadow Vista Grange hall.
Please visit our webpage at www.meadowvistalions.com and our email address is meandowvistalionsclub@gmail.com.
Effective July 1, 2015 the 2015/2016 Meadow Vista Lion President will be Lion David Lease. You may contact him through our website.
Top 10 Summer Real Estate Selling Tips
Research from top Real Estate professionals produced the following ten Spring cleaning tips for homeowners who want to impress potential buyers. If you don't have time to do them all, start with the first three, which have the biggest impact.
1. Replace Popcorn Ceilings. Otherwise known as cottage cheese ceilings or acoustic ceilings, this type of treatment was common in homes built from 1950-1980. Unfortunately modern day homebuyers don't like it. Removing or covering a popcorn ceiling is a time intensive process, but can increase the value of your home.
2. Apply Fresh Paint. A new coat of interior and exterior paint dramatically improves the appearance of your home and makes it feel fresh and clean. To appeal to the widest audience, stick to neutral colors that will go with any furniture, and choose an exterior paint that matches other homes in the neighborhood.
3. Focus on the Floors. Steam clean all carpets, use a wood-cleaning product on hardwood floors, and consider professional cleaning for tile or marble. The walls, ceiling and floors are what potential buyers pay the closest attention to while on home tours, so it's important that they are as clean as possible.
4. Make a Grand Entrance. Consider replacing or painting the front door; if you have shutters, paint them a matching color. Clean and polish the door knob and fixtures, and dress up the entry with seasonal decorations such as flowers or a wreath. People are naturally attracted to symmetry, so place any accents on both sides of the door.
5. Replace or Repair the Mailbox. An old or damaged mailbox makes the wrong first impression. You can purchase a new one at most hardware stores and major retailers. If you replace the post, make sure it sits at a height of 42 inches above ground to meet federal regulations.
6. Maintain the Yard. Landscaping has a major effect on curb appeal. Make sure your home looks its best by mowing the lawn, weeding the flowerbeds, and pruning the bushes. Planting small flowers in the yard can be an inexpensive way to add a pop of color.
7. De-clutter and Organize. Keep only the essentials, and put everything else in storage or give it away. Not only will your home feel cleaner and bigger when it's not filled with stuff, this process will save you time when you're ready to move.
8. Let in the Light. Wash the windows inside and out, clean the curtains and blinds, dust any light fixtures and replace any burnt-out bulbs. A room filled with light will feel more warm and inviting.
9. Deep Clean the Kitchen and Bath. Wipe down or paint the cupboards, clean the grout between tiles, clear everything off the counters. Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks and polish the fixtures. Make sure no mold is present.
10. Stage the Backyard. The backyard is often the last thing buyers see on a tour, so it should look nice. Simple staging can make a big difference. Get rid of decorations and clutter in the yard, add a table and chair set, power wash and stain the deck and fence, and clean the pool and spa. Remove any dying plants, and take down any shed or outdoor storage that's in poor condition. If budget permits, add a barbeque, fire pit, Koi pond or outdoor lighting to create an inviting space.
Adult Pneumonia Vaccines
There's a big change in recommended adult vaccinations. It's about pneumococcal pneumonia, which hospitalizes over 300,000 people a year, most of whom are over the age of 50, and is a frequent cause of death. It is an illness caused by the common bacteria Streptococcus pneumonia.
Symptoms often appear quickly and can be very severe. Recovery from infection can take weeks or longer and can leave patients with cough and fatigue. You can contract bacterial pneumonia from infected people who cough or sneeze around you. And unfortunately, some of the bacteria that cause the disease have become resistant to antibiotics. The illness can sometimes lead to blood infections, deafness, brain damage and meningitis.
Fortunately, immunizations can significantly decrease the incidence of the disease. A vaccine call Pneumovax® covers 23 strains of pneumonia and has been available for years. Recently, a vaccine covering 13 more strains of pneumonia has been approved for use in individuals over the age of 50. It's called Prevnar® and if you have Medicare, it will probably be completely covered. If you are between 50 and 64, check with your insurance provider to determine your cost.
Both types of pneumonia vaccines are given by injection and can cause pain and swelling at the injection site. Sometimes there are body-wide reactions including headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain. Usually the reactions are mild and last only a few days. The new recommendation is for individuals 65 and older to receive both types of vaccines. If someone has not received either vaccine, they should start with Prevnar® and then receive Pneumovax® at least 6 to 12 months later. For those who have already received Pneumovax®, they should receive Prevnar® after 12 months.
Although it is common to think of pneumonia as a disease of the very elderly or those in the hospital, it frequently occurs in otherwise healthy people. The risk goes up after the age of 50. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting immunized. It's important. For more information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/default.htm.
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