Now that spring has arrived, many of you may already be thinking about spring cleaning chores.  While images of mops, broomsticks, and vacuums traditionally come to mind, cleaning up your credit is an important part of maintaining your household. Start off your spring credit cleaning by getting a copy of your credit report through a reputable site that offers free credit reports like www.annualcreditreport.com . Once you have your credit report, the true cleaning can begin. First……..

Singled Out: Making Ends Meet When You Are Single

You’re single. After work, you alone choose to go to the movies, the gym or Home Depot. No arguments about finances—you’re free to spend based on your own values. Although there are many advantages to being unattached, the cost of living expenses isn’t one of them.

Struggling to make ends meet, singles are more prone to suffering from debt. In the past year, 62% of those seeking budget and credit counseling help from nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) agency were single. How can this be?

Couples who spilt the bills enjoy……..

Homeowners: How much do you budget each month for housing expenses?

While home maintenance is needed all year long, springtime seems to be the time homeowners focus more on their homes and make plans to spruce up “the place” or plan the improvements or updates they want to make during the good weather ahead.

The responsible homeowner budgets for home maintenance expenses and anticipates future repair expenses. That’s the best way to protect your investment and ensure a safe, comfortable living space.

How much should you budget each month to keep your home in good condition? That depends on the value of your home. The experts at ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions agency typically recommend setting aside at least one percent of your home’s value annually for maintenance and repairs.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Noon – 1:00 pm

G10 Biotechnology

Sponsored by:  Cornell University Benefit Services.  Contact Mary D’Ambrosio Zielinski for more information at 607-255-9662.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Noon – 1:00 pm

G10 Biotechnology

Sponsored by:  Cornell University Benefit Services.  Contact Ken Walcyk at 888-883-6320 for more information.

Share ideas, information, solutions — and maybe even a few laughs — with people facing the same challenges you face.

Retirement can be exciting and daunting at the same time. You have so many decisions on income and assets, healthcare, home, travel and more. Get fresh perspectives from people you can trust — your peers.

You’re invited to join myretirement.org, an online community exclusively for TIAA-CREF participants. Share your stories, wit and wisdom with others preparing for retirement and those who are already there.  myretirement.org is packed with information and ideas.

Here is how to access to myretirement.org:

1. Go to www.myretirement.org
2. Click “Enroll now”
3. Enter promotional code: benefit
4. Complete the registration form

TIAA-Cref Income Options, provided by TIAA-CREF (running time: 42 minutes)

Retirement and Beyond for Contract College Employees (running time: 22 minutes)

Retirement and Beyond for Endowed Employees (running time: 16 minutes)

For more information, visit the Cornell Benefits Services – Financial Education and Planning webpage.

Income tax scams offer special refunds or tell you how to avoid paying taxes, in exchange for you sending them money. There are no special deals and you may get set up for tax penalties. There are many good books at the library or free IRS material telling you how to claim all the credits you legally can get. If someone does your taxes for you…   click here to continue reading.

This newsbrief is brought to you by Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central New York.

Review your credit report – Much of your financial future depends on the contents of your credit report. Therefore, your first step should be to obtain your report, review it for accuracy and dispute any errors. Since you can access your credit report free of charge, there is no reason to neglect this important piece of your financial life. Consumers are allowed one free report from each of the three major bureaus once every twelve months. You can get all three at once, which is a good idea if a major purchase is on the horizon… click here to continue reading.

This newsbrief is brought to you by Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central New York.