Steps to Raise your Credit Rating

1. PAY YOUR PAST DUE ACCOUNTS.

Yes, this sounds obvious, but understand that credit scoring software severely penalizes you for having accounts with a past due balance. Making sure all of your accounts are current, and paying the amount that shows as being past due on the credit report can increase your credit score by a significant amount.

2. TRY TO “GET RID” OF YOUR LATE PAYMENTS.

Contact all creditors that have reported late payments on your credit and request a good faith adjustment that actually removes the record of late payments reported on your account. Be persistent, if they refuse to remove the late payments at first, remind them that you have been a good customer that would deeply appreciate their help. Call several times if you need to and ask for supervisors…persistence and politeness pay off in this scenario.

3. REQUEST TO HAVE YOUR CREDIT LIMITS INCREASED.

Contrary to popular belief, having low credit limits on a credit card can actually hurt your credit score. Having low available credit limits affects your “actual debt to available credit ratio”. For example, if you owe a total card debt of $10,000 and your total credit available is $20,000, you are only using 50% of your total credit available. But if you have card debt of $10,000 and your total credit available is $15,000, you change your ratio to 66% of your available credit being used. The lower the percentage of debt to available credit the better, as it shows you are able to handle having credit available without running it up to the max.

4. BECOME AN “AUTHORIZED USER”.

If you have a short and limited credit history, you can ask someone to add you to their credit card account as a joint account holder or an authorized user. When added, the primary account holder’s credit card will appear on your credit report. Credit scoring software will treat the added account as though it is your account and you will benefit from the low balance and the long payment history for that account. It is important to remember that being an authorized user is helpful for your credit score only if (1) the person is carrying debt below 10% of the credit limit on that card and (2) has had good payment history on the card for seven years or longer…and the longer the history, the better. Being an authorized user is potentially detrimental to your credit score if the person giving you the card either maxes out the credit or pays late, since this would report on your credit report too.

5. DO NOT CLOSE YOUR OLD CREDIT CARDS, KEEP THEM ACTIVE.

15% of your credit score is determined by the age of the credit file. Therefore, even if your old credit cards have horrible interest rates, closing those cards will decrease the average length of time you’ve had credit…as well as increase your “debt to available credit ratio” as discussed in point 3. Use the old card at least once every six months to avoid the account rating to change to “Inactive”. Keeping the card active is as simple as pumping gas or purchasing groceries every few months, then paying the balance down. An inactive account is ignored by Fair Isaac’s credit scoring software, so you will not get the benefit of the positive payment history and low balance that card may have had in the past.

From Money Magazine - 2005 Best Places to Retire

Athens, Georgia As much as Bob and Shirley Willoughby wanted to retire near their kids in Atlanta, they didn't want the hassles of a big city. They also knew that their children might eventually move. So the Willoughbys sought a town nearby that could stand on its own, one with a vibrant cultural scene and a strong health-care system.

Athens, home to the University of Georgia, met their requirements and then some. The town of 102,700 lacks even a hint of modern urban sprawl, giving it a distinctive, cozy feel. The pedestrian-friendly downtown lines the north edge of the campus.

Two well-regarded hospitals are within five miles of the town center; three golf clubs sit just beyond the perimeter. Entertainment includes six local theaters, wine tastings in the botanical gardens and a music scene that both spawned rock superstars REM and supports a community orchestra.

Anyone over 62 can take classes at UGA for free. And Learning in Retirement, a local member-run nonprofit, taps professors to teach classes ranging from foreign relations to geology.

To folks arriving from any big city metro area, Athens is strikingly affordable. Modest homes start at less than $150,000 and dinner for two at one of Athens' finer restaurants runs less than $50.

"This is the best decision we ever made," says Bob, a retired Alcoa executive who is taking an herbology class this semester and recently attended his first Bulldogs football game. "We'll be okay here even if our kids move."

Oconee County, Georgia #1 in Southeast, #3 in Nation

The February, 2006 issue of the Progressive Farmer Magazine has named Oconee County, Georgia as the #1 place to live in the Southeastern United States and the #3 place to live in the entire country. Counties in the overall top 10 and the regional top 20 lists are ranked first according to cost of living (the ratio of average household income to average household spending). Oconee County is just minutes away from downtown Athens and the University of Georgia which received a top ranking for Best Graduate Schools for 2006 by U.S. News & World Report.

As one of only two places that made the top 10 two years in a row, it is especially impressive since the formula for selection was changed extensively. The formula takes into account crime rates, air quality, access to health care (the number of medical professionals per thousand people), education (student/teacher ratios and college-bound percentages) and leisure activities (restaurants, museums, parks, golf courses, etc.) A four-star rating indicates the county finished in the top 25 percent of the top 200 list in a category, while one star would indicate the bottom 25 per cent. Oconee County has 4 star ratings in Education, Low Crime and Low Pollution. Received 2 star ratings in Access to Health Care and Leisure Activities.

For the entire article go to www.pfbestplaces.com