How to Rebuild After Bankruptcy: Part 7
Over the last several months, we’ve covered six essential strategies for building and maintaining a high credit score. These are tried-and-true methods that experts recommend for improving credit and overall financial well-being. But they’re not silver bullets. When it comes to improving your credits, you can’t start throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. You have to make a plan and play the long game. Sit down and create a plan for how you will use these individual strategies to build a higher credit score and better financial habits. Maybe you’ll start with a couple of secured cards or as an authorized user on another account, spending no more than 10%–20% of the credit ratio. After a year of making your full payments on time every month, when your credit is better, you apply for an unsecured card. Start using that card regularly, be consistent with your payments, and start looking for opportunities to increase your credit limit or take out larger, reasonable loans as needed.
apps you can use to help monitor your score and get notifications when your credit limits increase on an account and how that impacts your score. It’s also important to regularly review your credit report and look for errors that bring your score down. You can dispute these errors and have them removed from your report, which will help bring up your credit score. isn’t free or extra money. Good credit means using credit to make reasonable purchases and then quickly paying all of that credit off. Making the minimum monthly payments won’t help your score. Overspending and going into debt will cause you to end up in the same place. If you’re going to use a credit card to improve your score, commit to using it responsibly. Your credit will not magically improve overnight or even over the course of six months. It can take 12–24 months to finally reach that 720 score. Building credit means sticking to your plan as much as possible, and if you do that, it’ll pay off in the end. Ultimately, the secret to having a good credit score is being responsible with your money. Credit
Plan for Success
While you’re using credit, you must also be proactive and monitor your credit score. There are
Roasted Corn Salsa
Word Search August Word Search
Corn is plentiful during the summer months, and this easy-to-make salsa is sure to be a hit at your next get-together.
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F L E M N P O K C A B R B X N Z B D H L A Z O N A E Q C R M L S N I C N S P L M W Z T E I I L E S K A H P M L E A V E S W S A T J L E U H U J A Y W I V R K F U C S T W T U E F H O U Q J Q T H N B Z A D U F J T D A A S E I E F J U T K G V S R W M R Y L O W D Q M J G X U F X O J V L F O Y W K J K S G D U Y F R Y H E K Q T Y T Q U Y I H G M N I L F M F Y O I A
Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Heat a cast-iron skillet to high. Char corn, turning occasionally, for 10–14 minutes until kernels begin to blacken in spots. 2. Using a sharp knife, remove corn kernels from cobs and transfer to a large mixing bowl. 3. With a wooden spoon or potato masher, gently crush corn to release starch and juices. 4. Add jalapeño, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Mix to combine.
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2 medium ears of corn, shucked
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1 jalapeño or Fresno chile, seeded and thinly sliced
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1/2 red onion, diced
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1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
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1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, sliced
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Juice of 1 lime
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5. Top with lime juice and season with salt.
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Kosher salt, to taste
6. Serve alongside your favorite tortilla chips.
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