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The value of diligently tracking your credit score is often underestimated. Failure to know what is on your credit rating can keep you from qualifying for loans and in far too many cases will cause you to pay higher interest rates.

The trick to raising your credit score is no secret, but it does take diligence and hard work.

First, check to see what is on your credit report. You can usually obtain a copy of your credit report for free on a trial basis from a number of agencies. Take caution, however, not to overuse these offers. Requesting too many credit reports can actually have the opposite effect on your credit score. When lenders see a large number of credit report inquiries they assume it is due to applying for loans and credit cards. This translates to money problems and lowers your credit score. At the most, you should only request your credit report one to two times per year. That should be sufficient for you to stay on top of your credit score.

Make sure you obtain a three-in-one report. There are several credit reporting bureaus and each one calculates your credit score in a slightly different manner. It is in your best interest to find out what is being reported by each agency.

If you do have a bad credit score, some of the items that contributed to your rating will take time to clean up, but the good news is that some can be cleaned up in just a matter of days.

Save yourself some money and time and steer away from offers from companies who claim they can fix your credit score for you. In most cases, these companies charge a small fortune and do very little. There is really no secret to fixing your credit. You can do it yourself and save yourself their expensive fees.

When you receive your credit report, be sure to review it carefully. While most of the information your report will probably be accurate, there may be some information that is completely in error. For example, you may notice that while you distinctly remember paying off a bill in the past, it is now showing up as delinquent on your credit report. In worst case scenarios, you may realize you have been the victim of identity theft and someone else is having a good time at the expense of your credit rating.

If you do see something on your credit report that looks suspicious or that you know is completely in error, write a letter. Keep it brief, but state in clear terms what the situation actually is. If you paid off that bill, include copies of backup documentation; such as cancelled checks or receipts. Mail the letter certified with a return receipt requested.

Be aware of what factors contribute to your credit score. Payment history, account balances, age of established credit, recent inquiries and opened accounts, credit mix are the five major factors that makeup your credit score.

Don’t succumb to offers for a certain percentage off a purchase if you open a charge account. That 10 or 15% you might save on your purchase isn’t worth the negative impact on your credit score.

If you have a lot of credit cards, don’t feel you need to get the scissors and start cutting. Credit cards can work to your advantage if used properly and responsibly. For the most part, credit score formulas look at the balances on your credit cards; if you’ve maxed them out, etc. Closing out accounts won’t necessarily improve your credit score. If you know you have a problem with charging everything simply because it’s convenient, lock away all your credit cards except for an emergency card. Then begin a diligent effort to begin paying down the balances on your credit cards. Experts recommend that at any given time you should always have at least 25% of your remaining credit limit available and unused.

Additionally, don’t think that consolidating your credit card balances on one card will help your credit score. Extensive moving around of money is a red flag to lenders and will usually hurt you more than help you.

If you do have an account that has a zero balance, don’t think it will raise your credit score to close out the account. That zero balance account is actually helping your credit score.

Make sure you pay your bills on time, every time. Set up some kind of reminder system if it helps or even set up your bills to be deducted straight from your account.

It may take awhile to raise a low credit score, but the effort is well worth the reward.

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As an intuitive and spiritual teacher, my mission in life has long been to guide people toward creating and experiencing the kind of lives their hearts desire. Lives that are physically grounded, emotionally creative, and intellectually engaging, where one feels loved, listened to, intuitive, inspired, and spiritually fulfilled. I not only believe this kind of life is possible, I actually believe it is our birthright and our Creator’s natural plan for us.

Unfortunately very few people are actually having this kind of life experience. More common are people who are feeling exhausted, overworked, overwhelmed and emotionally drained and empty. Their physical bodies are suffering, their creativity dried up, and their sense of personal direction veering way off course. Not only do many people feel seriously out of balance, they are in many cases even having what I call “out-of-body” lives where they are merely existing and barely experiencing life at all.

What I share with my clients is that most of our problems can be traced to one of our seven psychic energy centers, known to the metaphysically minded as “chakras”, from their Hindi term which means spinning wheel, which from an energetic perspective is what a chakra looks like. These centers are satellites of activity that govern our physical, emotional, psychic and spiritual well being. In other words, they give us the ability to not only live our lives, but to actually love them.

To the rational Western mind the ideas that we are comprised of energy centers that usher in life force and assist us in channeling our expression and creativity into the physical plane seems far fetched and unlikely. And yet even our own language reveals our natural intuitive awareness of these centers and how they affect our lives. We say, for example,

“He galls me!” of someone who invades our boundaries and overrides our authority.

“Wow, that knocks me off my feet” of the new love interest that upsets our concentration and routine.

“She has a heart of gold” of someone who opens our heart and touches us in a meaningful way.

When this satellite system is balanced and operating as it is intended, we experience life in an energetically fulfilling way. We feel grounded, emotionally safe, clear in our decisions and self direction, open to giving and receiving love, effective and creative in all forms of expression, inspired, imaginative and intimately connected to our spirit, others and to God. Such a life is filled with blessings, grace synchronicities and abundant satisfaction.

The key to having such lives lies in keeping these centers balanced. This may sound difficult and yet one more thing “to do” in our jam-packed existence, but in fact it really isn’t, especially once you understand what throws them out of balance in the first place. . Here are some great remedies to demonstrate the principles from my latest book “True Balance: A Commonsense Guide for Renewing Your Spirit”. They are practical, playful, simple–and the best part is, they work. These are not another round of .should do.s.. We all know what we .should. do, but who has the time? These are immediate and appealing remedies that you will enjoy doing, and will bring results.

Your sense of security is found in the first chakra. You can tell you have a solid foundation, or first chakra, if you aren’t anxious or worry much. Need a quick fix to feel grounded? Need to take a stand but feel you.re on shaky ground? Wear really good socks. You’ll notice it.s impossible to have a really good day when you have a hole in your sock! When you really need to feel solid, rub Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet. Take a grounding walk and bring your awareness to the moment, thinking of nothing else except how you are connecting to the earth, and how it is supporting you right now.

Your second chakra governs sensuality, creativity and vitality. When it is balanced you feel alive, engaged and excited by life. You feel sexy, creative and joyful. When this chakra is out of balanced you will feel depressed, tired, uninterested in sex, and basically emotionally flat. Working with clay is a favorite second chakra remedy of mine. There is something fundamentally gratifying to your sensual nature when you slap a big piece of wet slippery clay down on a hard surface and begin to shape it into something meaningful. This remedy brings out feelings and stimulates your imagination and creativity at the same time. Baking bread is another wonderful second chakra remedy. As with clay, there is something very sensually satisfying in working with dough, slapping it onto a hard surface and kneading it. .

The third chakra governs personal sovereignty. When balanced you feel in charge of your life and make decisions that support you in every way. When imbalanced, you get pushed around by others. You say “yes” when you mean “no” or vice-versa, and basically feels out of control. To rebalance your third chakra, practice saying no. Say .NO, NO, NO, with great gusto and enthusiasm. Also practice other versions of a saying no, such as .Gee, I wish I could. I would have loved to at any other time. Gosh, it.s a shame that I won.t be able to. If you are a real sucker for intrusion, do not answer your telephone. Leave a message on your answering machine instead that say, Hi. I’m out getting a meaningful life. Leave a positive and supportive message to wish me well!

The fourth chakra governs our ability to give and receive love. When balanced we feel part of things, generous and loving. We feel physically peaceful and serene. When our heart chakra is imbalanced we feel lonely, unloved, and unlovable. To bring balance to your heart, surprise someone with a half-dozen addressed, stamped postcards ready to send to their closest friends and family. Then all they have to do is jot a quick note of love and appreciation and drop it in the mailbox.

Have trouble speaking up or do you feel like you.re not being heard? Have really good ideas but hate to fight to get a word in edgewise? That’s a fifth chakra imbalance, center of personal expression. Nothing activates the throat chakra like an open heart, and nothing opens the heart faster than singing. Sing in the shower, sing while you’re walking down the street. Bring breath into your lungs and vibrate the sound through your whole body, bringing with it healing energy. Make positive predictions throughout your day. And once a day, practice saying, “I am” and filling in the blank with a truth of who you really are and who you really want to be.

The sixth energy center, located between your eyebrows, is the center of your personal vision. It influences our ability to see the world and ourselves clearly and without negativity. Remind yourself of the beauty and abundance of the world with a magnificently displayed bowl of fresh fruit, a beautiful photo or work of art, or a meditation garden. There is nothing more soothing to the spirit than an aquarium full of tropical fish. Even a few goldfish in a bowl are fascinating to watch and reconnect you to the subtle and gloriously beautiful world of nature.

Your connection to spirit is located in your seventh energy center, or crown chakra. It focuses your attention on the spiritual meaning of your life. To reconnect with spirit, open your eyes, ears and heart for signs of spirit all around you. Pay attention to the miracles unfolding before your eyes–the first buds of spring, the first harvests of summer. In the morning, consciously bless yourself, thanking God for giving you one more day to enjoy the world around you. Talk to God every day, and ask God to redirect your life, helping you moment to moment find your way to the highest possible good.

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Have you ever found yourself wondering where all the money has gone and its not the end of the month? There are things we can do to help ourselves eliminate being in this situation. Listed below are the steps you may follow, along with a brief discussion of each:

1. Determine monthly take-home income
2. Understand all bills and expenses
3. Tracking expenses
4. Building up savings and retirement
5. Spend less then you make

Determine Monthly Take-Home Income

Whether you are a single individual or a family, you need to determine how much money is being made each month. Once this is determined the family or individual knows how much money there is to work with. If we find ourselves spending more than we make, then some decisions need to be made.

There are basically three options: get another job to subsidize your income, get more education or training to get a better paying job, or decrease your spending. Each option should be considered carefully by the individual or family.

Understand Bills and Expenses

Account for your bills and the money you spend during your daily activities. This can be done by saving copies of your paid bills and recording your daily expenses in a small notebook. Once or twice a month take inventory of your expenses. Daily expenses would include all money paid out of pocket except your monthly bills.

Tracking Your Expenses

We have created a budget using the computer to track our finances. A good spreadsheet or financial software will help track your expenditures. We create categories in our budget that allow us to micro-manage our expenditures.

A brief example will help in better demonstrating this point. We have categories like food, insurance, auto, fuel, clothing, savings, children’s expenses, etc. You can come up with whatever categories fit your needs.

After you have determined what your monthly take-home income is, you need to divide it up between your categories. The total amount placed in all the categories needs to equal your take-home income. The key to making the tracking effective is to enter your expenses regularly and stay within the amount allotted in each category.

If your track your expenses effectively, in just a few months’ time you will find areas where you might be able to make changes and save money. We have noticed how much money we spend on frivolous stuff. Following a budget and tracking expenses takes inner commitment to be effective.

Savings Account and Retirement

A big part of any budget should be setting aside money into a savings account. Money in a savings account provides a little cushion in case of an emergency, loss of employment, or disaster. The amount that should be set aside in a savings account will vary depending on your circumstances.

The important thing is that you start. Over time your savings account will grow larger and accrue interest. As your employment circumstances improve, you may want to increase the amount you are putting into savings.

Just a side note about saving for retirement. If your employer has a 401K program, it would be beneficial to look into the program. Many employers have a matching program where they will match a certain percentage of what you contribute.

If your employment does not have a retirement savings plan, then you may want to look at budgeting money for your own long-term savings plan. This plan could be investing in the stock market or an individual IRA. You may want to seek advice from a financial expert.

Spend Less Than You Make

This has been a age-old problem. People in general have a tendency to spend more than they make. It takes strength and inner commitment to live within one’s means and save for a rainy day.

A simple rule of thumb is to spend less then you make and save as much as you can. This practice does not have to be done overnight, but steady improvements will yield great financial dividends.

Setting up your budget takes time and effort, but can be very rewarding. Getting in control of your financial future can be done with the help of a budget and some personal discipline on your part. Good luck in your budgeting endeavors.

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© Simple Joe, Inc.
Lyle Evans is a software testing specialist for Simple Joe, Inc., makers of the popular Simple Joe’s Income & Expenses PC software. Income & Expenses is a quick and simple way to keep track of your cash flow and stay within your budget. Income & Expenses is ideal for personal, business, home and club accounting.. This article may be freely distributed as long as the copyright, author’s information and an active link (where possible) are included.

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People with arthritis should exercise … but they need to keep some valuable information in mind. Here are some important tips to follow:

1. Make sure you warm up. Warming up increases blood flow and helps muscles loosen up. Five minutes of simple walking or riding a stationary bike will do it.

2. Stretching improves flexibility which helps a patient prepare for aerobic activity. Stretching the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles is important.

3. Start out easy. If you exercise too hard you switch from aerobic to anaerobic activity. This can lead to potentially painful and dangerous injury. To determine where you need to be, find your target heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, then aim for 40 to 70% of that rate.

4. You need to push a bit. Make sure you are working inside the 40 to 70% range to improve energy, lose weight, and build muscle. If you push too hard you’ll be in a lot of pain and may need to back off a bit.

5. Do not eat within two hours of exercising. Digestion causes blood flow to go to the gut instead of the muscles. This could cause abdominal cramps and nausea.

6. Make sure you don’t overdo it. When lifting weights, the temptation is to push too hard. If you are lifting the proper amount of weight you will feel fatigue by the 15th repetition. When you find that a certain weight becomes too easy, go up a bit in weight. Weight training helps improve stamina, energy, and strength.

7. Cool down properly. Stretch, breathe deeply, and don’t stop abruptly.

8. Drink plenty of water. The rule of thumb is drinking 8 ounces of water for every fifteen minutes of exercise. After you’re done, drink more. Proper water intake will help with your cool down, circulation, and injury prevention.

9. If you’re using a stair climber or elliptical machine, the temptation is to lean on the arm rests. This could lead to bad posture and low back problems. Stand straight.

10. Use proper form. Improper form leads to injury.

11. If you hurt, skip your exercise that day. Trying to work through the pain may lead to injury. You may notice some muscle soreness the day after a good workout. The soreness should not last longer than a day or two.

12. Consider seeing a physical therapist prior to starting an exercise program. They can give you a set of “do’s and don’ts”.

13. “Custom fit” your exercise. For instance, if you have bad shoulders, then swimming is probably not the right exercise for you. Consider biking or walking. On the other hand, if you have bad knees, swimming might be better for you than walking. Avoid rowing if you have a bad back.

Dr. Wei (pronounced “way”) is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. For more information on arthritis and related conditions, go to: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com

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No, it’s not impossible. You can fall in love with exercise instead of having that dreaded feeling every time you lace up your sneakers. The trick to falling in love with fitness is finding something you love to do, and trying new things because you may discover a dormant passion for line dancing, snow shoeing, or even something as exotic as fencing. It’s time to uncover your inner athlete and fall in love all over again!

Balls, Bosu and Barrels – If you were the kid who was always climbing the monkey bars and ropes at the park, you’ll have tons of fun getting fit with these fitness tools. Exercise balls can be used for all kinds of abdominal exercises, a Bosu is a neat device for balance training and core stability exercises, and you can use a small barrel for practicing Pilates – all in the comfort of your own home. So next time your at the park with your kids, they’ll be chasing you on the monkey bars!

Square Dancing – This energetic style of dance may look strange to you – but it’s great exercise – and great fun! This folk dancing tradition has existed in Canada for hundreds of years and has maintained its popularity as a social activity often deemed “friendship set to music.” Now this form of dance is even more popular as people are doh-si-dohing their way to being fit! Don’t knock IT before you try it! You may forget you’re getting fit because you’re having so much fun!

Snowshoeing – Snowshoes are thousands of years old, and Native Canadians used to use snowshoes as a form of transport. Only in the last century has snowshoeing become a recreational sport. Now, Canadians across the country are strapping on their snowshoes and heading for the trails to spend some time outdoors, at one with nature, while boosting cardiovascular fitness and toning their backsides. Today’s modern snowshoes are typically lightweight, aluminum frames with fabric decks and strap bindings as opposed to the classic bent-wood frames crisscrossed with rawhide strips. In recent years, many celebrities have talked about the physical benefits of snowshoeing, especially when it comes to toning your glutes and quads.

Snowshoes are inexpensive compared to skis and snowboards, and snowshoeing is not a difficult sport, but don’t let that fool you into thinking you are not getting a good workout. Using poles, whether specially designed for snowshoeing or made for cross-country skiing, they will help you maintain balance and give your upper body a good workout too, especially when you’re doing some intense climbing.

Buddy Up! – It’s no secret that having a fitness buddy helps get you going. Let’s face it, when your doorbell rings at 6 a.m., you’re not going to hide under the covers and ignore your buddy. Or, when your work buddy grabs you for your daily lunchtime power walk, you’re less likely to sit at your desk and graze. A workout buddy provides a little extra incentive to get you going, and a little less response time to say no to exercise!

Feel Good in Fun Clothes! – Remember the old adage about how when you look good, you feel better? This goes for the gym too. If you buy yourself some fun fitness clothes that you feel good in, you are more likely to have more confidence in yourself and as a result, push yourself harder at the gym. Stores like Winners and The Bay offer great deals on workout clothes that are able to stand up to any fitness test. Remember, if you look the part, you’re more likely to feel the part!

Bring the Outdoors Inside – So what if the temperature is way below zero and the wind chill is making you shake like a leaf. Quit lamenting warm days gone by, and bring your beloved outdoor sports indoors. Shed all your layers, and find an indoor rollerblading rink, grab your tennis partner and hit your local tennis club, climb the rock wall at your local YMCA, hit a spinning class, or throw on your bathing suit and swim laps at your local pool. Create your own warmth, and you won’t be missing those days any longer.

Position Yourself Properly – Sometimes watching others can give you just the boost you need to get going at the gym. Look around you and position yourself next to someone who inspires you and watch yourself take off! You’ll soon be running to keep up with them…

Take Your Toddler With You– Most mothers never know when they’ll be able to squeeze in a little exercise time while running their kids around all day. Nowadays, many gyms have daycares, but if you don’t want to leave your children, you can exercise with them! Of course, you can run around outside all together, play in the snow, and build snowmen. But, if it’s too cold, why not try a kid-friendly Pilates video? Most companies which sell Pilates videos have kid-friendly ones too. Your kids will have a blast getting fit with you while trying all those fun exercises!
About the Author:
Richard Moore is the Founder an President of Everything Health and Beauty! For Men and Women Our WebMall is quickly becoming one of the most trusted and easy to use collection of shopping stores to create a fun and relaxing online shopping experience…and we are constantly searching for other stores with quality products great prices and top notch customer service. If there is a shop you like…please tell us about it and we will do our best to put it on our site. Our goal is to have everything you need for your Health Beauty Fitness and Wellness needs…all in one place. Everything Health and Beauty! http://www.everythinghealthandbeauty.9k.com