Impulse buying can be a very dangerous compulsion. It involves spending money on unnecessary items immediately. There is NO prior planning beforehand, no long or hard thoughts put into the decision. The common theory is that consumers only purchase small items on impulse such as candy, magazines, or snacks. However, recent worrying news is that […]
Continue ReadingAuthor: Lauralynn
Lauralynn is the Online Marketing Specialist for AdvantageCCS. She enjoys writing, reading, hiking, cooking, video games, sewing, and gardening. Lauralynn has a degree in Multimedia Technologies from Pittsburgh Technical College.
Infographic: 2013 Debt Statistics for US Consumers
Over the past decade or so, debt has been a growing problem for families all across the country. While American consumers collectively owe almost $850 billion in unsecured credit card debt, the average American household credit card debt stands at over $15,000 per family. Other types of debt, including secured debt such as mortgages and […]
Continue ReadingGoal Tracker: We’re excited to announce the launch of our new FREE tool
Advantage Credit Counseling Service is excited to announce the redesign of the Online Budget Advisor website and the launch of our new FREE tool: Goal Tracker. We’ve also made some updates to the free Budget Builder tool as well. With the help of a grant from Bank of America, we are able to provide free, […]
Continue ReadingSaving for College: Graduating with the Least Amount of Debt
By June most recent high school graduates know what college they are going to, but many of them may still not know how they are going to pay for it. We’ve heard the stats that the average debt students have upon graduation has skyrocketed to $35,200, according to a recent Fidelity survey, and that the […]
Continue ReadingFinancial Goals
Goals are dreams or wishes that could come true – if you work really hard at them. If your goals are specific enough, they will motivate you to balance your spending and savings in order to reach your objectives. If you don’t set financial goals, you will find yourself saying “I wish I had…” The […]
Continue ReadingThe Social Media Success of Advantage Credit Counseling Service
Social Media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and online networks (definition from Wikipedia). So, what does all of this have to do with credit counseling and debt management? Well, it all began when a Pittsburgh based non-profit credit counseling agency […]
Continue ReadingSlide Show: Lower Your Risk for Identity Theft
Slide Show: Lower Your Risk for Identity Theft Identity theft isn’t just an inconvenience – it can cause serious damage to your credit score, impairing your ability to take out loans and mortgages, buy a car, apply for certain jobs, or apply for a new credit card. Every year there are about 8 million victims […]
Continue ReadingVideo: Want to Understand Your Credit Score and Obtain a Credit Report?
Video: Want to Understand Your Credit Score and Obtain a Credit Report? You may often hear about how important your credit score is, but do you know what really goes into it? This video will help you understand what a credit score is, how your score can affect your life, how to improve your credit […]
Continue ReadingWhat’s The True Cost Of Owning A Pet?
Most people overlook the cost of owning a pet. It is best to take into consideration the costs of owning a pet, just the way you would take into consideration the costs of having a child. A pet can’t take care of itself. Owning a pet requires you to purchase extra food and water, healthcare and entertainment […]
Continue ReadingThe Value of Credit Counseling in Everyday Life
Credit counseling is often an overlooked free financial tool in our busy everyday lives. We need good credit for everything these days as we transition to less and less cash in our lives. The truth is good credit is not only for financing, but it’s also essential in setting up utilities, getting a cellular phone, […]
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