Clark A. Miller

Everyone needs a plan to help them get out of debt, so sit down and plot out what cards you're going to pay off and in what order. Simply having a plan goes a long way towards bringing that plan into action, and paying off debts early is one of the surest ways to put money in your pocket over the long run. Ordinarily you'll target either your card with the lowest balance or the one with the highest interest rate. Make just your minimum payments on your other cards but focus on paying off your targeted account. Once it's at zero select another account to pay down. With one less payment to make you'll have that much more money available to pay it down even faster.

Clark offers six tips on how to simplify your approach to money management and learn to keep financial control. 1 - Track Your Spending - Start keeping a record of every penny you spend 2 - Combine Your Finances - If you're married and you haven't already done so you should have an account that you can both deposit all of the money into and distribute it from there. 3 - Make a Bills Calendar - Make a "Bills" calendar showing the day each bill is due. Review it once a week an...d pay the bills due for that week. Never be late. 4 - Build an Emergency Fund - When you have money set aside for emergencies you're not tempted to use the credit card to deal with it. 5 - Use Cash - Put cash in envelopes for each spending category of your budget and then spend only the cash out of those envelopes. This way you won't end up spending more than you make. 6 - Sell Your Junk - Most of us have too much stuff that we don't need, don't use and just takes up space. Sell it, donate it or give it to someone that can use it. See more

Are you looking for an effective way to establish a budget? Beginning on the first day of a new month, get a receipt for everything you purchase. Stack and review receipts at the end of the month, and you will clearly be able to see where your money is going.

Figure out where your money is going. Budgeting is important, but before starting a budget sit down with pen and paper, your recent paychecks, and bills for the last three months. Write down your total monthly income. Then write down all of your monthly bills. Include groceries, utilities, rent, gas, car payments, insurance, everything. Whatever you have left over, when you subtract your bills from your income, we call disposable income -money you get to save, pay down debt, and spend on yourself.

Which is more important, buying new clothes or paying down debt? You may have bills that you could cut by making better choices. For example, a phone bill could be cut in half by going with a smaller plan or less expensive phones. Also, ask yourself if you could allot a smaller grocery budget. A family of four could easily live off of $125 for groceries per week as opposed to, say $175. With the money that you have left over after all bills are subtracted, you can give yourse...lf a monthly allowance to spend. This is money that you can use for anything you want. Clothes, movies, going out to eat. By doing this, you give yourself some room to play, but not so much that you go over budget. Pick a reasonable amount according to your budget, you still want to have money in the bank to get your through to the next paycheck, or in case something should come up you didn't plan for. See more

What kind of actions should I avoid while considering bankruptcy? It can be very dangerous to transfer assets or to pay certain obligations, particularly to relatives, prior to filing for bankruptcy. Do not make any property transfers, debt repayments, or loans to others without first obtaining the advice of your attorney.

Part of budgeting well means looking for as many ways to save as possible. When grocery or clothes shopping, try to only look for items that are on sale. Buy in bulk when you can for toothpaste, soap, detergent, paper products. Doing little stuff like this will help, I guarantee it.

Folks can talk rationally about credit card and medical bills, student loans, even those dreaded pay-day loans, but it’s hard to really talk rationally about home ownership. Most people love their houses. But occasionally your mortgage can become a monster. If your mortgage payment has become a burden, either because your income has fallen, you have an adjustable mortgage with an increased payment, or your living expenses have risen, take action quickly. You have options.

Our experienced team at Cypress Coast Law brings nearly 32 years of combined experience to our clients. Our team is known for its skilled representation and outstanding client service as well as its involvement in the community as members and active participants. We are members of the local bar associations and chambers of commerce, as well as numerous other organizations. The entire staff volunteers in the community for more than 100 hours per month.

Will bankruptcy affect my immigration status? No. In the USA, Federal Bankruptcy Law forbids the government from discriminating against anyone for filing a bankruptcy petition. In the bankruptcy process, no one will inquire about your citizenship status. If you do not have a legal Social Security number, we will assist you in applying, without risk or penalty, for a Tax Identification Number.

Salinas Bankruptcy Attorney Clark A. Miller, Cypress Coast Law, will appear on the Shagbag Radio Show, Sat., Oct. 31 at 9 a.m. Tune in to 1460am or 101.1fm KION for useful tips on your family's financial management.

Bring lunch to work. If buying lunch at work costs $5, but making lunch at home costs only $2.50, then in a year, you could afford to create a $500 emergency fund and still have money left over.

#FinancialTip! It never hurts to call around to each of your creditors and attempt to have your interest rate lowered. Be familiar with your recent use of your card to show that you're a valuable customer-someone your creditor doesn't want to lose. Set aside some quiet time to call. If you're unsuccessful with the telephone rep, respectfully but firmly ask to speak with a supervisor. I'll bet you'll have at least one or two successes on your first try. Folks, gaining power o...ver your finances is a series of these small steps. But those first small steps can lead to feelings of frustration and hopelessness-a feeling that the problem is so big that nothing can be done. And because we can't solve the whole problem at once, we often discourage ourselves from even trying. I'm here to encourage you to take those small steps, and to create those good habits, that can make changes in your life. See more