THE DO IT

YOURSELF
GUIDE TO
FINANCIAL
SUCCESS
How To Build Stronger Credit
Bigger Savings And A Better Life
 n this great journey through life, our des-
tination is success. But why do so few of
us ever actually achieve it? The answer we
seek may lie in these words…

If we pass each day with a wary eye, idle hands, and dread in our thoughts,
then life will give its response. Whereas, if we seize each day with a sharp
eye, busy hands, and hope in our hearts, then life may be fulfilled.

On the surface, this booklet is about money management: expense track-

ing, budget planning, and debt reduction. But let us be honest, this sub-
ject matter may not keep us on the edge of our seats. Why then should we
follow it, or much less bother reading it at all? Why should we care about
controlling our expenses, meeting a budget, or paying off our debt?

Why indeed. Is it to balance our books... to please our accountants... as a

favor to our creditors? Or rather, is it simply to build a better life? We sug-
gest the latter. Now, as we work toward learning the what and how of man-
aging our finances, we cannot lose sight of the why. For it is the promise
of providing security for our loved ones that matters most. Success is less
about making money than it is about developing oneself into a person
who is valuable to others.

This booklet is your plan for building stronger credit, bigger savings, and a
better life. There is no doubt that people with clear, written goals, accom-
plish far more. It’s also true that the ability to delay short-term gratification
in order to enjoy greater rewards down the road is a true formula for suc-
cess. The following pages will show you the way.

So now, as you prepare for the journey ahead, remember that your final
destination is success, and that your plan is to build a better life for you and
your family. It really is that simple. To begin, proceed to the next page…
 or fees. Remember, creditors who call are those with ag-
gressive collection practices. These debts may not be
the ones you should pay first. Creditors or collectors who
call repeatedly do so because they have no other way to
collect on a debt. Make appropriate arrangements on
these debts, but do not give in to harassment.
arefully evaluating each
of your outstanding debts
and then creating a finan-
cial plan to effectively manage these debts will allow
you to build the life you want. Debt creates enormous
obstacles to accumulating savings, making future invest-
ments, and building a more secure financial future. If you
are experiencing financial problems, it’s likely that you
are having trouble keeping all of your accounts up to
date. Plus, it’s likely that only some of your expenses can
be reduced, and your available income has its limits. Set-
ting priorities will allow you to make better use of your
resources so that you can organize, budget, and prepare
a plan for eliminating your debt. This plan will allow you
to manage your monthly expenses, improve or rebuild
your credit history, and achieve your long-term financial
goals. In considering your options for managing debt,
you will have to decide how much you can afford to
dedicate to reducing debt and which debts to pay first.
You may be tempted to take on additional debt, such as
refinancing your home, adding a second mortgage, or
borrowing money to pay off credit cards or other bur-
densome obligations; but these options produce more
debt and are not recommended.

It’s a good idea to first pay those creditors who have

the ability to take legal action against your home, car, or
financial assets. Debt with collateral must be carefully
managed. Collateral is property that a creditor may seize
if you do not pay a particular debt. Creditors who have
collateral are usually referred to as “secured” creditors.
Creditors who do not have collateral are commonly re-
ferred to as “unsecured” creditors.
y now you have prioritized
Allocate additional funds to pay off credit cards your debt and are ready to
with low balances first, and consistently reallocate the begin looking critically at
monthly payments that would go to those accounts to the numbers in order to create your new financial plan.
high balance accounts. Also, consider paying more than On the following page, you’ll find several helpful sug-
the minimum to accounts with high interest rates and/ gestions for getting started:
1. Review Your Personal Finances: The first step toward 4. Contact Your Creditors: If you are having trouble pay-
taking control of your finances is to determine how ing your bills, contact your creditors, explain your hard-
much money you earn; and, perhaps more importantly, ship, and ask for modified payment arrangements. Do
how much you spend. These are the two most impor- not wait until your accounts have been turned over to
tant initial determinations to be made and will serve a debt collector. If this happens, you will have more dif-
you well as you go through the fi- ficulty negotiating new terms.
nancial planning process. You can
get started by listing your income 5. Talk To An Expert: Contacting a
from all sources. Remember to be nonprofit credit counseling orga-
as thorough as possible. Then, list nization will help you understand
your “fixed” expenses (expenses your options. Credit counseling
that are the same each month, organizations will provide helpful
such as mortgage payments, rent, suggestions for consolidating vari-
car payments or insurance). Next, ous debts. They will also review your
list your “variable” expenses (ex- personal finances, and offer sug-
penses that change each month, gestions for managing your financ-
such as entertainment, clothing, or transportation). Re- es. You may consider enrolling in a Debt Management
member, it’s important to be honest with yourself when Plan (DMP) through a credit counseling agency. Upon
listing variable expenses. Once this has been completed enrollment, your unsecured accounts will be closed and
and you know what your fixed expenses are, you can reasonable payment arrangements will be established
then decide how much to allocate to the variable ex- at reduced interest rates. Late and over-limit fees will be
pense categories. eliminated. Should you remain active in a DMP, your un-
secured debt will be fully paid in 3 to 6 years.
2. Track Your Monthly Expenses: Your next step is to
track your monthly expenses. Regardless of how much 6. Understand, But Avoid Bankruptcy: Sometimes man-
you review your budget, you cannot begin to manage aging debts means filing bankruptcy, but this option is
your debt without understanding more about your per- a last resort and should come only after careful consid-
sonal spending habits. Begin by writing down what you eration. Remember, the negative impact on your credit
spend each day and keep these records for a month to record will be long-lasting and far-reaching.
determine how you spend money. Next, review total
amounts spent for such items as transportation, cloth-
ing, entertainment, or other variable expenses. Tracking
these will provide you with a detailed summary of how
you really spend money. Spending is one aspect of your
personal behavior that, with determination, can be al-
tered to fit the requirements of your financial plan.

3. Review Your Credit Report: Now it’s time to review

your Credit Report. To further understand your financial
situation, you will need a recent copy of your credit re-
port. You can obtain a copy, at no charge, from annual-
creditreport.com. Review your report for outdated, dupli-
cate, or incorrect information. Credit reports often have
multiple errors, so you may need to dispute all incorrect
information at your earliest opportunity.
 eciding how to manage
your financial problems re-
quires establishing a bud-
get based on your expected income and expenses. An
effective budget will help you identify your options and
determine available income for managing outstanding
debts. A budget will provide a detailed summary to pre-
dict future expenses and determine which expenses are
likely to increase.

Throughout the budgeting process, your goal should

be to minimize any shortfall between your income and
expenses. This means you should evaluate ways to either Trinity provides an informative budgeting workbook
increase your income or find ways to reduce expenses to with detailed worksheets to help you categorize your ex-
make the budget more manageable. penses. Please call if you would like to learn more about
budgeting or to speak with a Trinity credit counselor. Re-
In making these choices, it is essential to be realistic quest It’s Not What You Make, It’s How You Spend at (800)
about what is possible. As you begin budgeting and 364-1086, or download a copy at trinitycredit.org.
making the important decisions to reduce your spend-
ing, you may find yourself cutting expenses such as en-
tertainment or transportation costs to a minimum—only
to find yourself frustrated after a few months of budget-
ing. Of course, this approach is not recommended. Un-
realistic budgeting or making excessive cuts will lead to
a sense of hopelessness and frustration. Your goal is suc-
cess, so be realistic. Try out your options for a month and everal factors should be
determine how much your expenses can be cut. Then used when evaluating
set your spending limits accordingly. your monthly budget. One
of the most important is the difference between your in-
come and expenses.

Income: Your budget should include all of your present

sources of income. Use the most realistic estimate of
what you will earn. Extra money, such as overtime pay,
should be included cautiously because you risk overstat-
ing your income if it can’t be quantified in advance. You
should include additional money you receive on a regu-
lar basis such as child support, alimony, trust payments,
dividends, insurance, pension, or public benefits.
Expenses: Your expenses should include all of your ex-
pected monthly spending including food, rent or mort-
gage, utilities, clothing, transportation, entertainment,
medical, etc. Computing the true cost in each expense
category is often difficult. Take extra time to be as accu-
rate as possible. After reviewing your expenses, look for
ways to minimize unnecessary expenses such as dining udgeting will help you
out, department store shopping, or entertainment. Your determine your financial
expenses should include insurance, medical or legal ex- options and guide you
penses, and deductions for investments or savings. toward understanding what you can and cannot afford.
Of course, prioritizing debts and managing monthly ex-
penses are part of this process. But a realistic budget is
more than just a numerical listing of your income and ex-
penses. It reflects personal choices and values. The abil-
ity to see past the numbers is essential to understand-
ing more about your personal spending habits and/or
behavior that impacts your quality of life. Learn to use a
fter you have reviewed budget as a guide for knowing more about your spend-
your income and expenses, ing habits and ways to change habits that keep you from
you will have a detailed achieving your financial goals. Use your budget to orga-
summary of your available income after expenses. You nize monthly bills, identify priorities, meet obligations,
will either have enough income to meet expenses (a and plan for financial success. On the following page,
balanced budget) or not enough. If you do not have a you’ll find tools to help you in your budgeting efforts:
balanced budget, you will need to identify where you
can increase income, cut expenses, or eliminate wasteful
spending habits.

Suggested Guidelines for Monthly Expenses

We recommend you review these expense guidelines
and compare them to your monthly expenses.

3 Housing 35%: Monthly payments (rent, mortgage,

taxes, repairs, improvements, insurance, and utilities).

3 Transportation 20%: Monthly payments (gas, oil,

repairs, insurance, parking, or public transportation).

3 Debt 15%: Monthly payments (credit cards, personal

loans, student loans, and other debt payments).

3 Other Expenses 20%: Monthly payments (groceries,

medical bills, prescriptions, clothing, or personal items).

3 Savings & Investments 10%: Monthly contributions to

retirement or investment portfolios or savings accounts.
Online Budgeting Calculator: Many banks and financial
service companies, such as Morningstar or Fidelity, T.
Rowe Price, offer online budgeting calculators to help
you work on your budget. Visit Google and use “per-
sonal budget calculator” as a search term and you will
find a lot of user-friendly sites for personal budgeting
and investments.

The Envelope System: This traditional method of bud-

geting involves creating a single paper envelope for
each budgeted expense, such as entertainment, hous-
ing, and transportation. Each time you are paid, allocate
a portion of the cash to your expenses by placing the re- 2. Create A Spending Plan: After you’ve carefully tracked
quired amount into each envelope. To pay a bill or make your expenses for a month, you are ready to create a
a purchase, simply use the designated envelope. spending plan. In making this plan, you will impose rea-
sonable limits for your monthly expenses. You also will
Basic Checking Account: This is perhaps the most com- set limits on your spending within each budget category
mon way to pay bills– you can track your spending and and resolve not to exceed them. At the end of the month,
pay bills through online billing or by mailing in checks. you will then have successfully met your expenses and
have money left over to start paying down your credit
account balances.

3. Review Credit Report: The content of your credit re-

port must be reviewed before you can improve your
credit score or history. Take extra time to analyze the
contents of your report as it provides a record of your
liminating debt and learn- outstanding debts, credit card inquiries, credit history,
ing to use credit wisely is and creditor contact information. Carefully study your
essential to building a se- personal contact information, social security number,
cure financial future. Managing overextended credit, or and addresses. In addition, search for duplicate, outdat-
carrying credit beyond your capacity to make payments, ed, or incorrect information. Should you find errors in
is one of the more difficult financial situations. Many your report, immediately contact the three major credit
people suffer under enormous credit card debt, finding bureaus— Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion— and dis-
that their minimum monthly payments have made little pute all credit reporting errors.
difference in reducing their balances. This section will
help you learn to manage credit card debt, improve your Having collected information about your budget and
credit score, and rebuild your credit history. credit history, you now are able to begin paying down
high credit card balances, and/or contact your credi-
1. Identify Overspending: To manage credit card debt or tors to discuss alternative payment plans. Before you
rebuild your credit history, you must understand where proceed, however, be sure to speak with a counselor at
your money goes and identify your personal spending Trinity Debt Management. Trinity can help you review
habits. Effective budgeting is essential to managing or your credit card debts and discuss various options for re-
rebuilding your credit history. Take time to determine payment. They also can advise you on the best ways to
how much you spend, review your tracking worksheets, negotiate with your creditors. Trinity can be reached toll
and determine where you are exceeding your budget. free by calling at (800) 364-1086.
 Who Can View Your Credit Report
Federal law regulates who can view your credit report.
Here’s a list of those who also have access to your file:

3 Creditors who make credit inquiries, including home,

personal, or installment loans.
he Fair Credit Reporting
Act (FCRA) requires each of 3 Employers who evaluate you for hiring, promotions,
the nationwide consumer or other employment purposes such as arrests, convic-
credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, Tran- tions, or court judgments.
sUnion—to provide you with a free copy of your credit
report, at your request, once every 12 months. Equifax, 3 Government agencies who may be trying to collect
Experian, and TransUnion use one web site, one toll-free child support or if you apply for public assistance.
number, and one mailing address. This combined infor-
mation resource lets you order a free annual report. 3 Landlords who are making leasing or rental decisions.

This report does not contain a credit score but provides 3 Insurance companies who are looking for medical in-
a detailed summary of your credit history. To order your formation or previously filed insurance claims.
free annual credit report online, visit: annualcreditreport.
com or call toll-free: (877) 322-8228.

Several options are available to you when ordering your

free credit report: you may wish to order your annual re-
ports from each of the consumer reporting agencies at
the same time, or you may prefer to stagger your order
throughout the year, providing you with a periodic look t this point, fully under-
at your credit status. standing how credit scor-
ing works is essential to
In obtaining your report, you will need to provide your managing debt effectively. First, credit scoring is a nu-
name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. merical indicator used to predict risk. Lenders rely on
If you have moved in the last two years, you will be re- credit scores to determine, based on a range of numbers,
quired to give your previous address as well. In order the borrower’s potential for credit risk, default, or delin-
to maintain the security of your credit file, each report- quency. Interest rates and credit terms and conditions
ing agency will ask for information that only you would are adjusted accordingly. There are rewards for higher
know. It’s important to note that the content of your files scores and penalties for lower scores. Those with higher
will vary as each reporting agency pulls its data from dif- scores qualify for easier access to credit, lower interest
ferent sources. rates, and more financial options.
 Raising your credit score requires a great deal of work Understanding FICO Score
and cannot be accomplished without understanding In learning how scores are calculated, we will review
how the results are calculated. Without question, you the FICO Beacon score, as well as the factors that are used
can raise—or lower—your score based on the decisions to calculate your credit score. It’s important to note that
you make. For example, overextending your credit, ob- the same factors are used in all three scoring models.
taining personal loans, or accumulating debts will have
a dramatic impact on your score. Remember, following a Payment History 35%
few simple steps and learning these scoring factors will 3 Includes a record of your history with various financial
improve your result. institutions: finance companies, retail cards, and credit
cards, such as Discover or Visa, and installment loans.

3 Public record and collection items—reports of events

such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, suits, liens, wage at-
tachments, and judgments.

3 Details on late or missed payments (delinquencies)

he most common scor- and public record and collection items such as collec-
ing system, Fair, Isaac and tion accounts, charged-off accounts, or debt settlement.
Company (or FICO), is used
by nearly all creditors and credit bureaus. Most use either 3 Number of accounts showing no late payments.
the FICO scoring system or have one based on the FICO
model. Generally, we think of credit scoring as a single 3 Recent negative information will significantly lower
score. However, under FICO, there are three separate your score; minimum of 2 years of positive history to es-
scores, or one score for each of the three credit bureaus. tablish credit worthiness.
If you have pulled a recent report, you may have noticed
some variation—either a lower or higher score—on Outstanding Debts 30%
each of the three credit reports. The reason scores vary 3 The amount owed on all accounts; the total balance
is that each credit bureau uses slightly different models on your last statement is generally the amount that will
in calculating your score. Be sure you take the time to show in your credit report.
understand the difference.
3 The amount owed on all accounts and on different
types of accounts. FICO considers the amount you owe
on specific types of accounts such as credit cards and
installment loans.

3 Whether you are showing a balance on certain types

of accounts; balances should be under 30%.

3 How many accounts have balances: a large number

can indicate higher risk of overextension.

3 How much of the total credit line is being used on

credit card accounts: high balances (or cards close to
“maxing out”) indicate an increased potential for risk and
lower your score.
Length of Credit History 15% How fast does my FICO score change? In a given three-
How long credit accounts have been established; ac- month time, only one in four people has a 20-point
counts that are older than seven years are favorable and change in their score. For this reason, you should check
raise your score. your score 6-12 months before applying for the loan.

3 How long specific credit How can mistakes get on

accounts have been estab- my credit report?
lished. New accounts tem- 3 You applied for credit un-
porarily lower your score. der different names (Mary
Accounts that are open for Jones, Mary Jones-Smith).
one year are positive. Someone made a clerical
error in reading or entering
3 How long it has been a name or address.
since you used certain ac-
counts. Regular credit activ- 3 You gave an inaccurate
ity is important. Social Security number or
the number was misread by the lender.
Inquiries 10%
3 Too many new accounts. Recently opened credit cards 3 Loan information was applied to the wrong account.
may have a negative impact on your score.
Should I close old accounts to raise my score?
3 Length of time since you opened a new account. 3 No. Long established accounts show a longer history
of managing credit.
3 How many recent requests for credit you have made,
as indicated by inquiries to the credit bureaus. More than What is a good FICO score?
four within a three-month period may lower your score. 3 Lenders make decisions based on their own criteria;
however, a score in the range of 680 to 720 generally is
3 Length of time since credit inquiries have been made considered to be “good.”
by lenders.

Types of Credit 10%

3 What types of credit accounts you have, such as credit
cards, retail cards, installment loans, or finance company
loans. It is not necessary to have one of each.

3 How many of each; FICO looks at the total number of

accounts. One to three revolving accounts are optimal,
but no more than seven are recommended.

Commonly Asked Credit Scoring Questions

Do my FICO scores alone determine whether I get credit?

No. Most lenders use a number of facts to make credit
decisions, including your FICO score, your income, em-
ployment history, and your credit history.
 Disputing Identity Theft Errors
In some cases, you may need to dispute identity theft
errors on your credit report. If you have been victim of
identity theft, you should immediately take the follow-
ing steps:

aving a credit bureau ver- 1. Contact the fraud department of each of the three
ify incorrect, outdated, or major credit bureaus and tell them that you are an iden-
duplicate information, is a tity theft victim. Request that a “fraud alert” be placed
legal responsibility that credit bureaus must undertake. in your file along with a statement asking that creditors
Be diligent about having items that are not accurate call you before opening any new accounts or changing
removed from your credit report. Errors that are left in your existing accounts.
your file can have a damaging affect on your credit score.
By law, credit bureaus must do the following: 2. Contact your creditors to find out about any accounts
that have been opened fraudulently, including credit
* Complete their investigation within 30 days of receiv- card, phone, and utility companies. Close any accounts
ing your complaint. that have been fraudulently opened and open new ac-
counts using new PIN numbers.
* Contact the creditor reporting the incorrect informa-
tion within 5 days of receiving your complaint. 3. File a report with the police in the community where
the identity theft occurred. Be sure to outline specific
* Review all relevant information supplied by you. details and send a copy of the report to your creditors.

* Remove all inaccurate and unverified information. Fair Isaac Contact Information:
Corporate Headquarters
901 Marquette Ave, Suite 3200
* Adopt procedures to keep errors from reappearing. Minneapolis, MN 55402
fairisaac.com
* Provide you with results of their investigation, includ- myfico.com
ing a new credit report, within 5 days of completion.

If you receive a favorable decision from a credit bureau,

take the following steps:

* Obtain another copy of your credit report to make

sure that the bureau made the corrections.
s you begin rebuilding
* Contact other credit bureaus to determine if the error your credit or work toward
has been removed from their files as well. improving your score, take
time to review the disclosed terms and conditions of any
* Send the results of the investigation to the other bu- new credit lines that you open. Details such as billing
reaus. cycles, grace periods, late fees, and interest rates often
are overlooked and the consequences are costly. Before
* Get a copy of your credit report 3 to 6 months later you open any new credit card accounts, it’s important
to make certain the credit bureau has not reinserted the that you gain a full understanding of the cards you plan
information. to use, and consider the cost.
 a. A $2000 VISA balance, with an interest rate of 18%,
would take nearly 30 years to pay-off when making a 2%
minimum monthly payment. Interest accrual: $5,000.

b. By making a 4% minimum payment, you would be

paid in full in about 10 years. Interest accrual: $1,100.

6. Special Interest Rate Offers: Carefully read any special

offers such as “0% Interest” offers or “No interest for 6
Months” offers. These offers carry terms and conditions
that you must meet to avoid paying interest; you are
penalized with high interest rates for not meeting the
1. Annual Percentage Rate: Calculate the yearly rate of specific credit terms.
interest for a particular credit card; the higher the per-
centage, the more interest paid.

2. Grace Period: A grace period lets you avoid finance

charges by paying your balance in full before the due
date. Knowing whether a card gives a grace period is
important if you plan to pay the balance every month.
Without a free period, the lender may charge from the any companies that solicit
date you use the card or from the date each transaction new credit card accounts
was posted to your account. use pre-screening to iden-
tify potential customers. These are also referred to as “pre-
3. Annual Fees: Most lenders charge annual membership approved credit” offers, and are based on information in
or participation fees, such as fees for “Gold” or “Platinum” your credit report. This payment history indicates that
cards. Search for cards that offer low annual fees or no you meet certain criteria, set by the lender, offering you
annual fees at all. a new line of credit. For example, a pre-approved offer
means you qualify for credit meeting a minimum credit
4. Late and Over-Limit Fees: A late fee penalizes you for score (even low scores can qualify). Be careful opening
missing a payment. The cost of being tardy with your new pre-approved credit lines. If you are overextended
payments often ranges from $35-$39. An over-limit fee or rebuilding credit—avoid creating new debts.
penalizes you for charging beyond your credit card bal-
ance. Fees are typically around $35. Late and over-limit Avoiding Pre-approved Solicitations
fees can be very costly, as they will continue until you • You have the ability to stop pre-approved credit card
become current in your billing status. solicitations; you can opt out for 5 years or permanently.
Contact (888) 667-8688 or visit optoutprescreen.com.
5. Minimum Monthly Payment: Minimum monthly pay-
ments are calculated as a percentage of your total bal- • The federal government created the Do Not Call Reg-
ance, usually between 2-4% of the total balance. Paying istry to stop pre-approved telemarketing calls: Contact
only the required minimum monthly payment is costly (888) 382-1222 or visit donotcall.gov.
and will not significantly reduce a credit card debt.
• To eliminate direct mail pre-approved applications,
Increasing minimum monthly payments will reduce register online with the Direct Marketing Association:
your total balance. Small amounts make a difference: the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html.
 Seven Preventative Measures
Here are seven ways to manage your personal infor-
mation wisely and minimize the risks of identity theft:

1. Before you reveal any personal information such as

your Social Security number or PIN, find out whether it
dentity theft occurs when will be shared with other institutions or organizations.
someone uses your per-
sonal information fraudu- 2. Pay attention to billing cycles; contact the creditor if a
lently. They may use your name or Social Security num- bill does not arrive on time.
ber to apply for credit or service, or your personal finance
information such as your bank account PIN or credit card 3. Guard your mail by depositing outgoing mail in a post
numbers for purchases. office collection box or at your local post office. Remove
mail from your mailbox as soon as it has been delivered.
According to the Fair Trade Commission, people gener- If you are planning to be away from home, call the US
ally do not become aware of identity theft until about 14 Postal Service (800) 275-8777 to ask for a vacation hold.
months after the crime has occurred. Meanwhile, debts
are accruing in your name and damaging your credit his- 4. Do not give out personal information over the tele-
tory. In the aftermath, you could be facing a number of phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you
problems, not the least of which would be a loss of your know them to be secure. Look for Internet secure sites
time and money to set the record straight. with security postings such as VeriSign©.

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of underhanded 5. Protect any personal information in your home. Shred
methods to gain access to your personal information. It’s documents such as charge receipts, copies of credit of-
important to know what you’re up against: fers and applications, insurance forms, discarded bank
checks, or credit card statements.
8 Search through your trash for pertinent financial in-
formation such as credit card, savings, and checking ac- 6. Never carry your Social Security card; leave it in a se-
count numbers. cure place at home. Do not give out your number unless
you are convinced it is absolutely necessary.
8 Steal credit or debit card numbers by capturing infor-
mation in a data storage device that saves your credit 7. Order your credit report from each of the three bu-
card numbers or PIN. reaus every year to make certain it includes only activi-
ties you have authorized.
8 Go through your mail searching for bank and credit
card statements, new checks, or tax information.

8 Steal your wallet or your purse searching for credit

cards, or your Social Security card.

8 Complete a “Change of Address” form to divert your

mail to another location.

8 Hack into your computer system to steal your person-

al information.
 3 Read or talk with them about money-topics such as
credit or savings.

Middle-School
3 To encourage banking, open custodial accounts, then
have them make deposits and balance their checkbooks.
orking with your children,
teaching them the impor- 3 Teach them about the misuse of credit cards by hav-
tance of savings and credit, ing them understand about interest rates and fees.
and encouraging them to practice good money man-
agement habits is among the valuable lessons you can 3 Encourage them to earn money through after-school
provide as a parent. Early on, we must start teaching our summer jobs.
children about the importance of using money wisely.
We can teach them how to avoid making mistakes such 3 Talk with them about investment concepts such as
as overspending or misusing credit, and help them be- saving for a car or college.
come wise consumers and financially secure.
High School
3 Encourage them to participate in a Financial Educa-
tion Course though a nonprofit organization or bank to
learn personal finance concepts such as budgeting and
credit.

3 Describe how credit card debts, opened while in col-

lege, may limit financial options after college.

3 Have them complete a personal finance budget, iden-

tify future financial goals, and determine how they will
manage their monthly living expenses.

Elementary School Getting A Head $tart:

3 Teach them to save money by having them contribute To help children learn about money management,
towards purchasing an item. Trinity works with local schools and community orga-
nizations to promote youth financial education. This
3 Encourage them to earn money such as having a pa- program teaches basic financial concepts, such as bud-
per route, doing odd-jobs for relatives or family, or work- geting, saving, and the proper use of credit. The course
ing summer jobs. introduces children to wise consumer habits and the
importance of financial planning. Request a copy of Get-
3 When you are grocery shopping, have them think ting A Head $tart by calling (800) 364-1086, or download
about comparing the costs of items. a copy at trinitycredit.org.
 ou now have reached the point where you take
everything you have learned in this booklet and
put it to use. While the path that awaits you will
have many challenging turns along the way, never forget that your final des-
tination is success and that your plan is to build a better life for you and your
family. Should you need support or guidance at any point in your journey, be
assured that the experts at Trinity will be waiting with a helping hand. So call
us if you need us. In the meantime, we wish you Godspeed in your quest.
 A Letter From Our President...
Dear Reader:

Nothing about money management has been the same

since Trinity was founded in 1992. Our idea was simple:
To help people properly manage their money by coun-
seling them on subjects like income and expense
tracking, and budget planning.

For those with long-term, unmanageable debt, we

developed a program that helps them meet their
obligations, while eliminating penalties and collec-
tions calls. We also consolidated their bills, dramatically
reduced their interest rates, and over time, improved their
credit scores.

Since then, we’ve helped countless people across this great

nation get out of debt, while paying thousands less than they
originally owed. And thanks to the skills they’ve learned from
Trinity, many will remain debt-free for keeps.

Today, we still provide these same valuable services. But not every-
one can find the time to ask for our help. One thing we kept hearing
from our clients was that they wanted an easy way to share the knowl-
edge they had gained from Trinity with their family and friends.

That’s why we came up with ”The Do It Yourself Guide.“ It’s a

plan to help you secure a successful financial future through
effective money management. Granted, this booklet doesn’t
qualify as a spellbinding thriller. Real excitement is to be
found in your prospects for the future. If you read, under-
stand, and practice the proven methods outlined in this
guide, you will become a successful money manager.

So read on and be reassured. After all, the plan for build-

ing a better life is in your hands.
Sincerely,
Gary
Gary A. Vosick
President
Trinity Debt Management