Debt Views

Credit cards are often seen as the bad guys, leading to spiraling debt and financial hardship. Well, this really shouldn’t be the case if you use your credit card effectively. In fact, using a wisely can actually help you cut your costs by several hundred pounds a year. Even further, by playing your cards right, you can easily make money through spending on your card. So why are you still using cash?

They carry frightening baggage, with high interest repayment rates, and of course this is true – this is how the companies make their money. However, as a result of the competitive nature of the market, there are many special offers available that make the credit card more beneficial than cash. Firstly, d companies guarantee against fraud by securing certain transactions.

This means that if someone tries to thieve your money, you know the credit card will refund the payment so you don’t have to. Secondly, they have introductory offers like 0% for the first six months, which means you can effectively obtain a short-term loan provided you pay it back within the period. This can be really helpful if you’re facing temporary cash flow problems on the run up to pay day. Furthermore some cards offer cash-back incentives of up to 3%, meaning you’re effectively saving money every time you make a purchase.

Because there is such fierce competition in the market between the various card providers, it is possible for you to actually make money from using your credit cards. The free 6 month period on cards is great news for consumers. Simply take out one and transfer the balance to a high interest savings account. Provided there is no charge on balance transfers, and you always pay off the bill in full, all you need to do is let the money work for itself to earn you interest, and switch to a different card when the 6 months is over. You can expect a return of around 5% on your money per year, which is obviously a nice earner running alongside your other forms of income.

Credit cards aren’t all bad, but they can lead you into financial trouble. Do your homework before opting for one, and shop around to find the best deal that’s out there for you and your needs, whatever your purposes or intentions.

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Do you know the warning signs of falling into credit card debt? Unfortunately, many Americans don’t and are getting in over their heads because they are not using their credit wisely. These debts are threatening their financial futures. Paying your minimum payments each month doesn’t mean you have your credit problem under control.

Just paying the minimum amount benefits the credit card company, not you. Minimum payments cause credit cards debts to stick around longer and in turn continue to build interest. You become enslaved to your debt paying mostly paying on the interest instead of the purchase and how credit card companies make money.

If your stress level is constantly through the roof with worries about your credit cards, then you know you’re in over your head. What you need to realize is that the first step to overcoming your debt problem is to recognize it. Here are five more warning signs you are headed towards credit card trouble:

• You don’t payback as much as you charge – This example is a lot like trying to fill a bucket full of water only that your bucket has a big hole in it. No matter how much water you put in, it’s just going to fall out. Your credit card debt is the same way if you continue to charge on it without substantial payments back on the debt. Your debt will continue to increase.
• No plan to pay off your credit card debt – You should have an active plan to pay off your debt. It’s a safe way to control your finances. If you’re not paying off the right amounts on the right cards, you can end up paying for years to come unnecessarily. You should actually always have a financial plan for all of your balances and payments. It’s just a wise thing to do.
• You think you can afford expensive items through credit – Many people make the mistake of charging things on their credit cards because they believe that since they are not paying for everything at once, they can automatically afford it. This is never the case. Only when you have extra income, from a raise, or lower expenses. such as no more student loans, can you truly afford expensive items. Using your credit card for luxuries you can’t afford is not a smart decision towards your future finances.
• Your accounts are past due – If your cards are already past due, then you’re probably in financial trouble now which is preventing you from making payments. This can only cause you to become further in debt. The more past due your accounts are, the harder it is to get them current. Plan out a monthly budget. Figure out how much you can afford to spend for bills and how much you need to get by.
• All your credit cards are maxed out – I got news for you. If you’re already maxed out on all your credit cards, then you are already in credit card debt. You better put a plan of action together to get yourself out of that mess. Your plan should include a way pay off your credit card debt while smart decisions on using future credit card use.

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When most public safety professionals think of applying for grants, many think more of grants that are available for Fire or Police departments. After all paying for big fire engines and long term law enforcement training is a big expense that many departments cannot afford on their own or with local donations.

However, EMS stands to gain much from grants. Not only can they pay for new ambulances, but they can pay for training, equipment and more. As an example – one organization acquired a grant to pay for a multitude of training equipment to annually inservice their employees on skills not done on a day to day basis.

They sold the idea on meeting broader EMS standards and better patient care. Now that the stone is set for this, they can ask for new grants each year to update the equipment, add more skills or training and who knows what else they can work into the grant application.

Now it is important to remember that some grants are specific to what you can apply for. Some are for equipment only and others may be for a “study” project. So, read the application guidleines carefully so you don’t waste your time applying or get into trouble being awarded a grant you do not qualify for.

The whole process of applying can be quite frustrating, but it is possible. Below are some tips to point you in the right direction. It can be simpler than you think.

One thing you want to do is use the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Silly) when writing your applications. Your proposal should not leave room for interpretation of what you are saying. Be clear and concise.

When writing your proposal ask yourself these types of questions.

“Where could your department best use the money?”
“How has a lack of funding affected your department’s ability to respond, train and operate?”
“What information and data would make your case stronger?”

By doing this before the application process starts you will be better prepared to to submit it on time with as many variables to support your request for the grant as possible.

When reading the grant submission guidleines, you may see words like “should” or “shall”. Whenever you see these words in a grant application, interpret them as being a “MUST”.

Another thing you need to address is “will it meet standards?” If the grant guidelines talk about meeting a standard, then make sure in your narrative that you quote that the equipment, training, etc., will meet the standard.

Keep in mind that many grants get rejected simply because the funding source ran out of money. There’s always next month, year etc. and there’s always another grant that can suite your needs. Don’t give up.

Grant reviewers love interagency cooperation. They actually encourage this and better yet, reward you for doing it. So when ever possible try to coordinate with other area agencies to train their officers.

Not only will more officers be proficient with the equipment, but noting this cooperation on your grant application will up your award odds.

Now, should you get a “No” on your grant request, it does not mean it will never happen. Most grant applications get rejected more times than they get funded. That old saying of a “squeaky wheel eventually gets oiled” is very true when it comes to grant writing. Persistence and practice will put you on the road to success.

To get some more great ideas on grant writing and available grants. Take a look at grants.gov government-grants.org and chiefsupply.com/grants

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