Top 7 Tips for * OverHalling Your Mortgage Expenses 1. Find and GET lowest interest rate 2. Pay your monthly payment in two week intervals 3. Switch from adjustable to an ARM 4. Drop your PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) if you have at least 20% equity in your home 5. Pay a little extra on principle each month or whenever you have extra money (make sure you tell mortgage company extra is to be applied to your PRINCIPLE only) 6. Pay a little extra on principle each month (needed to be said again!) 7. Check into changing your mortgage from a 30 year to 20 or 15 year loan

Top 7 Tips for * OverHalling Your Credit Card Expenses 1. Use only ONE major credit card per person/family (cuts down on paper, tracking expenses, and bills) 2. Get rid of high interest rate major credit and department store cards 3. Get rid of cards that require you to pay an annual fee 4. Check for additional fees, such as transaction fees, late fees, over-limit fees 5. Charge ONLY what you can pay off monthly 6. Prepay before you charge, such as vacations and holidays 7. Pay on time. Don’t put bill in a pile, pay immediately or put with rest of your monthly bills

Smiles, not Piles, Janet L. Hall

The Organizing Wizard, Janet L. Hall, is a Professional Organizer, Speaker, and Author. She is owner of OverHall Consulting, and Organizing By Phone. Subscribe to her FREE organizing newsletter at http://www.overhall.com/newsletter.htm or visit her web site at http://www.overhall.com

Copyright ( c ) 1999, 2000, 2001 by OverHall Consulting P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676 All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy, or distribute so long as article is kept intact, this copyright notice and full information about contacting author is attached.

If you’re self-employed, as many of us are, you need to establish your own retirement plan. The easiest plan is an IRA at which you can only contribute $2,000 yearly. If you’re young (years away from retirement) check out a non-deductible Roth IRA. Other plans include SIMPLE, SEP-IRA, and Keogh Plan. If you want to learn more about these plans, check our Reviews section near end of newsletter.

Please don’t think you can live on Social Security (in USA) alone! If you have no idea what you MIGHT have already accumulated into Social Security, FIND OUT! (Link for SSA in Reviews section)

WARNING and a TIP: Just when you thought you were covered! One thing that can zap you financially is a divorce (I hope this never happens to you) and your pension plan could be one of your largest assets to be DIVIDED up (I’ve seen this happen). SO, if you’re married, I sincerely hope you stay so happily and forever after!

Smiles, not Piles, Janet L. Hall Professional Organizer, Author, and Speaker http://www.overhall.com "If your current systems aren't working for you... get an "OverHall"!"

The Organizing Wizard, Janet L. Hall, is a Professional Organizer, Speaker, and Author. She is owner of OverHall Consulting, and Organizing By Phone. Subscribe to her FREE organizing newsletter at http://www.overhall.com/newsletter.htm or visit her web site at http://www.overhall.com

Copyright (c) 2000 by OverHall Consulting P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676 All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy, or distribute OverHall IT! or any articles by Janet L. Hall so long as article(s) is kept intact, this copyright notice, and full information about author is attached.