April is Financial Capability Month!

Emergencies don’t have to be financial disasters; start saving now! 

You’re laid off at work. Your car needs a new transmission. Your furnace blows. These are all costly emergencies that can’t usually be anticipated and cannot be avoided once they occur. Without a fund set aside just for such emergencies, they can trigger even greater disasters.

Last year, NeighborWorks America released the findings of its third annual consumer finance survey. Chief among them is the alarming fact that nearly a third of adult Americans (29 percent) have no emergency savings. Ninety-one percent of those with incomes of $100,000 reported holding emergency savings, compared to just 30 percent of who earn less than $20,000, 63 percent of those with incomes below $40,000 and 78 percent of those with incomes between $40,000 -$50,000.

A good rule of thumb is to have enough funds set aside to cover three to six months (some say four to seven) of living expenses. This will give you enough time, for instance, to find a new job or supplement your unemployment benefits until you do. However, anything in the bank is better than nothing — and $500 will get you out of many scrapes that would otherwise put you in the hole. In other words, start small if you have to, but start.

Here are a few tips:

Set up a savings account just for this purpose. Separate it from the accounts you tap into on a regular basis so you’re not tempted to dip into your reserves. Do not get access to it via debit card. And if you are issued a checkbook, hide it.

Arrange the automatic deposit of a portion of your paycheck into that savings account. Most employers allow direct deposits into multiple accounts. This is the most painless way to create a regular savings habit; you won’t even notice it! But make sure you’ve created a realistic budget. Otherwise, you’ll be pulling money out of savings regularly to pay bills, defeating the purpose.

Keep the change. When you get $1 and $5 bills after breaking a $20, drop some in a jar at home. When the jar fills up, move it into your savings account. And if you have money left after paying your bills at the end of a pay period, move some into your emergency fund.

Save your tax refund. The average refund is in the thousands, which can give a good boost to your emergency savings. When you file your taxes, consider having your refund directly deposited into your emergency account. Alternatively, adjust your W-4 tax form so that you have less money withheld, and direct the extra into your emergency fund.

Cut back on costs. If you’re still falling short on saving, track your spending for a month to find discretionary expenses you don’t really need. Meals out, stops at coffee shops, drinks with friends all add up fast, but you may not realize how much you’re spending in total until you’ve put it on paper. Remember: Expenses you should be able to anticipate, such as holiday gifts and annual auto insurance payments, are not emergencies! One of the most common problems people have with emergency funds is forgetting to plan for one-time expenses each year.

Remember: NHS of New Haven housing specialists offer financial education and coaching to help you follow these guidelines. Emergencies are upsetting enough. Don’t allow them to turn into financial catastrophes as well.

Personal Finance Tips: All About Insurance!

With the day-to-day struggles of paying bills and setting money aside for savings, it’s easy to overlook the importance of insurance. Everyday concerns also make it difficult to recognize that the insurance you took out in the past may not be the right type for today or the future.

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven has developed five tips to help you choose and manage your insurance needs, whether you’re a renter or homeowner:
 

1. Don’t let a homeowners policy “gather dust.” 
Most people obtain homeowners insurance when they buy their home, then put the policy into a drawer and forget about it. However, it’s best to review your policy every year and see if it needs to be upgraded. For example, if you’re doing a major remodeling project, such as finishing a basement, updating a kitchen or renovating a bathroom, the value of your home and property will change and thus your policy needs to be re-examined.

Choose a homeowners policy that covers 100% of the replacement cost, not only market value. Unfortunately, in some areas, older homes have a market value that is substantially below the replacement cost. Don’t be caught with an inadequate policy.

Building contractors or professional replacement-cost appraisers are a good source for obtaining an estimate for your home. Estimates from these sources should reflect your home's new features, like those mentioned above. NHS of New Haven can put you in contact with qualified professionals.

2. Buy and update renters insurance. 
Renters insurance protects the valuables inside your home whether you're living in an apartment or renting a house. If an incident such as a fire or flooding, a landlord's insurance will cover the building itself but not your own property. As with homeowners insurance, you should review the policy regularly to assure it reflects your current address and property. For example, if you do not alert your insurance company when you purchase an expensive item such as a tablet computer or piece of art, you might not be reimbursed if it is stolen later.

3. Manage your credit for the lowest insurance premium. 
 Just about everyone has heard about credit scores. However, many people aren’t aware that insurance companies calculate a person’s insurance score, and use that number to determine how much your annual homeowners insurance will cost.

Like a credit score, an insurance score takes into account your outstanding debt, the length of your credit history, whether you pay your bills on a timely basis, your number of credit accounts and any new applications for credit. The best insurance scores are assigned to individuals with long, established credit histories, a track record of on-time bill payments, low debt and few new credit accounts. NHS of New Haven offers post-purchase housing counseling and financial capability programs that help you manage and improve your credit score.

4. Look for ways to lower auto insurance costs. 
There are more than 250 million registered automobiles and light trucks in the United States, and the average vehicle age is more than 10 years. If you’re one of the millions of drivers with a car, there are ways to lower your insurance cost.

Most auto insurance companies offer reduced rates to drivers with clean records. If you haven’t had an accident in the last few years, check with your insurer and others and determine if your rate could be lowered.

Parents of children who drive know that adding their kids to the policy could push up the annual premium. But if your child successfully completed some driver-education courses, or earns good grades in school, alerting your insurance company could lower your auto insurance costs.

5. Purchase life insurance. 
Life insurance is a tough investment for many people, but if your income is essential to your family’s day-to-day life, then planning for the ultimate unexpected occurrence could be the right thing to do. Life insurance products are incredibly complicated, and according to an industry trade group, more than 100 million people in the United States are without life insurance protection.

Working with a financial coach at NHS of New Haven can help you set a budget that will help you manage all of your insurance needs.

NeighborWorks America Post: Helping Consumers Avoid Pitfalls of Payday Loans

Nonprofits Can Help Consumers Avoid Pitfalls of Payday Loans 

Originally posted on NeighborWorks' site. 
Written by Marietta Rodriguez, Vice President of National Homeownership Programs | 5/16/2016 

 
Payday loans are bad deals for consumers. That's why NeighborWorks is excited to see that Google announced it would no longer accept ads from payday lenders. These ads attracted financially troubled consumers and trapped them in unexpectedly long-term bad deals for short-term money.

Traditional lenders don't often offer short-term, low-balance loans people may need to cover a financial emergency in a pinch. There are lots of people who have little or no emergency savings to pay for a car that suddenly breaks down, or to replace an appliance that quits the proverbial "one day after the warranty expires." But payday loans are actually anchors that can drag consumers into a sea of debt - not stabilize their financial boat.

A 2016 survey from NeighborWorks America found that more than 28 percent of adults have no emergency savings to cover these sudden costs. The Consumer Federation of America and Pew Charitable Trusts released similar results. That's one reason that payday and title loans are used so frequently. These loans often seem affordable, but when looked at closely, their costs are outrageous.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, a $15 fee for a $100 payday loan carries an annual interest rate of nearly 400 percent. And most payday loans are not for $100 but rather for $300 or more. When they are due in two weeks or less, in full, recipients must continue to borrow to pay other loans. What's more, borrowers incur overdraft and bounced-check fees when lenders run their post-dated checks through the system.

In April, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief Richard Cordray said the agency continues to prepare regulations for the payday lending market. These regulations are likely to incorporate an ability-to-repay principle.

The convenience of these products masks their costs, and consumers who are cash-strapped could easily see these loans as the best solution to the question: How do I get money right now? However, there is a better solution than these high-cost products, and it starts with better information and better planning. That's where financial capability coaching and counseling come in.

Financial capability counseling — often provided free or at very low cost — is an approach that combines financial education, counseling and coaching. Tax season is a great time to start this kind of program and implement strategies that maximize monthly cash flow, set a savings plan and minimize the risk of needing one of these high-cost loans.

The trouble is, not enough people are aware of the availability of financial capability services, especially from nonprofit organizations like those affiliated with NeighborWorks.

In a 2015 NeighborWorks America survey, three-quarters of adults said they were unaware of free or low-cost services like financial coaching in their communities. We have to make more people aware of these services because financial capability coaching and counseling works. A project spearheaded by NeighborWorks America found that more than half of clients who didn't have savings before working with a coach or counselor had set aside a median amount of $668 after coaching. That amount goes a long way toward establishing an emergency fund. Importantly, the interaction also had a positive effect on people who already were savers. The median increase in savings for these clients was more than $900. In short, working with a financial coach or counselor helps people prepare for unexpected financial emergencies, enabling them to better avoid high-cost lending products such as payday and title loans, or the need to get their tax refund now instead of waiting a few days.

The centerpiece of financial capability counseling is looking ahead. A great first step in setting personal financial goals — whether they be allocating money for emergencies, developing a strategy to start a business or saving for college education — is to retain a financial capability counselor. It's easier to avoid payday and other high-cost lending traps if you're looking ahead.

Don't Let Holiday Shopping Put You in the Red

      

     When the holidays roll around, many people think this time of year gives them free rein to overindulge -- not only with food, but also with shopping and gift-giving. A new survey from 
The National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. adults will spend more on holiday shopping this year. If you doen’t plan ahead and create a holiday budget, a tightening pocketbook may be a reality. Setting up a financial plan with staff at Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven – and at many NeighborWorks organizations around the country -- and following other tips to control holiday spending can reduce stress and anxiety.

     According to a CreditCards.com report, 1 million U.S. consumers are already ‘holiday-stress-free” as they have checked everyone off their list and completed their shopping. While not done, another 34 million shoppers are chipping away at their lists and spending wisely by shopping for bargains and sales.

     An NHS Housing Specialist can help you look at last year’s spending and where you overspent. Many financial planners recommend spending no more than 1.5% of your annual income on holiday expenses. Working with NHS can help you set and reach your financial goals, such as saving for retirement or paying off debt – not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

     Use debit instead of credit if you can. When choosing debit, it’s important to keep an eye on your balances. Many checking accounts allow a customer to spend more than is in the account, and charge an overdraft fee for the privilege. Also, when using debit for purchases, some banks charge a fee for the transaction that is similar to an ATM charge. These fees can be as much as $3.00 per transaction, even for small-dollar debit purchases.

     If you don’t pay in full, if choosing to use a credit card, be aware of how your bank charges interest, and where you are on your credit limit. If you exceed your credit limit, a card issuer may allow the transaction to go through, but increase your interest rate on all unpaid balances. If you’re thinking about debit spending or of carrying a balance on your credit card to cover gifts, make sure you’ve checked the fine print – going overboard on holiday gifts could cost you more than you realize in the long run. Consider layaway plans instead of credit. For expensive purchases, layaway fees are typically less than the interest on your credit purchases.

Avoid a holiday spending hangover this year and every year by setting up one-on-one time with a housing specialist at NHS of New Haven. Working with trained staff at NeighborWorks organizations can mean the difference between falling into a “financial trap” or working smartly and reaching one’s financial goals.

Happy Shopping!

Five Tips to Empower Renters

Five Tips to Empower Renters (from NeighborWorks America and NHS of New Haven)

Renter households increased from 34 million in 2005 to nearly 43 million in 2015. With the probability that more families will seek this housing, planning ahead can make the process easier. Working with trained staff at NeighborWorks organizations such as NHS of New Haven can help people become informed consumers of rental homes. 

Following these five tips can make renting a lot less stressful: 

1. Avoid rental listing scams.Scammers often advertise rentals that don’t exist or aren’t available, often known as phantom rentals, to trick people into sending money before they find out the truth. Signs you may have encountered a scam include a person telling you to wire money or they want the security deposit or first month’s rent before you’ve met or signed a lease. Report a scam by contacting local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

2. Get your finances and credit in shape.

Protect your money and pay as little as you can for the apartment you want by strengthening your credit. Nearly half of renters are paying more than 30 percent of their incomes in rent, according to arecent report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Financial counseling helps individuals strengthen their credit and establish savings goals. These habits can help you save enough money for a security deposit and help to improve your overall credit score. A good credit score is important because most landlords use a credit check to vet potential renters. Many NeighborWorks organizations offer financial coaching.  

3. Consider renter’s insurance.
Avoiding scams and strengthening your credit are essential. It’s also important to protect your belongings from loss or accidental damage.
Renter’s insurance protects the valuables inside your home whether you're living in an apartment or renting a house. If there were an incident like a fire or water leak, a landlord's insurance would cover the building itself but you would still need to replace your own belongings if damaged.

4. Select a moving company carefully.If your friends or family are not assisting with the move, research moving companies and find a trustworthy one. Read online reviews and check social media, along with asking friends and family for a recommendation. The right moving company can make your relocation go smoothly. Get estimates from a few moving companies to compare prices.            

5. Decide between a large managed property or apartment complex, or renting from an individual landlord.
Do your research and determine which one is best for you. Read online reviews, and if possible talk to current residents and ask what they like and don’t like about the property. Be sure to know your rights as a tenant, which can vary from state to state.

NeighborWorks® Week 2016: Creating Opportunity to Succeed

Our Community Building & Organizing Staff Getting Ready to Fire Up the Grill!

Day 6 of our NeighborWorks Week activities (Thursday, June 9, 2016)! Creating Opportunity to Succeed with our HomeOwnership Center's Money Management Workshop! 

Participants of the class were surprised with a BBQ dinner prior to the workshop. The Money Management workshop covers the importance of managing money and understanding credit so that participants will be a wiser consumer and avoid financial pitfalls.

Start a Financial Plan This Tax Season!

Get More In Your Paycheck

Don't Fall Into the 'Refund-Anticipation' Loan Trap

Avoid Paying for Tax Preparation When You Don't Need To!

Holidays Don't Have to Put You in the Red!