Articles Posted in financial wellness

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Many think owning a home is just a dream. Real estate is not cheap and there are other debts which strain an individual’s finances. Countrywide Pre – Paid Legal Services wants to help make owning a home possible.

“Make Your Move” Teaches Home Buying

Real estate is a market with many players and a distinct vocabulary. A buyer who does not understand real estate is at a disadvantage. The Countrywide Financial Wellness Plan has an educational program to introduce folks to real estate.

“Make Your Move” is a self-study education program. It is an excellent orientation to house buying. A plan member might not understand FHA loans. Our program makes FHA mortgages clear and understandable. Mortgages come in all sizes. Not all loans are suitable to an individual’s finances. Our educational program will discuss pros and cons of the various mortgage loans. Professionals such as real estate agents, FHA inspectors, mortgage bankers, and home appraisers play a role in real estate. Countrywide helps identify them and explains their unique roles. Continue reading

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Debt is something we need to expect. People use their credit cards or take out loans to cover expenses when they occur. Trouble will surface when compulsive spending becomes a habit, or an emergency happens. Not everyone knows how to handle desperate situations and their financial wellness is affected. The proper tools and guidance are necessary to get out of trouble. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services can help.

Our Basic Tools

The Countrywide network of certified counselors assists financial wellness plan members. Many problems are minor and require just basic corrections. Our counselors have the task of using the Countrywide tools to fix things.

A budget analysis is a primary tool our counselors use. A person may have no idea about cash flow. The Countrywide counselor looks at the figures. This professional identifies major expenses and how these affect a plan members income. A working budget is developed and an individual can use it to maintain financial stability. Continue reading

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Students will talk about their post-graduation plans and what jobs they would like to have. They have wonderful objectives but not all of them understand the challenges life will present. The real world can be a shock to any new graduate

The College Debt Pit

Colleges are becoming increasingly more expensive. Many young people graduate with student loan obligations the size of a mortgage. They may have little idea of how to address paying back their loans. Lack of knowledge or ideas will threaten financial wellness.

Young employees could use some assistance. They need some form of blueprint to help avoid using forbearance and to assist in paying the monthly installments properly. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers a Financial Wellness Plan to help get out of the college debt pit. Continue reading

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People always have the best intentions. They want to keep credit card debt under control, make necessary payments on time, and save for a rainy day. It’s sad, but the road to ruin is paved with good intentions. Establishing and maintaining financial wellness requires effort.

More Than Good Advice

Many folks have problems due to lack of experience with finances. Recent college graduates have little understanding of house budgets and how to allocate money. Older employees have lived from paycheck to paycheck. They do not always save money and a medical emergency can create a serious challenge. Others want to save for a house and do not know how to do it.

Good advice indeed helps, but that is not enough. Financial wellness needs the right tools to build fiscal stability. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services knows this, and we provide the means to create a healthier personal balance sheet. Continue reading

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Parents warn their children about financial emergencies. They advise the youngsters to put money aside not just for rainy day but for unexpected expenses, as well. This is commonly ignored wisdom. People are compulsive spenders, and many will not budget their cash. Everything is fine until disaster hits. An emergency can cause serious harm to financial wellness.

Problems Will Come from All Directions

Emergencies come out of nowhere to damage a person’s finances. A medical condition may require surgery and generate a high deductible’s expense. Repair work on the house, the kind not adequately covered by home insurance, will be a shock to the wallet. Millennials and Generation Z employees can get a major college debt bill in the mail. Car repairs, especially installing a new transmission, can cost in the thousands of dollars.

Hasty Decisions Harm Financial Wellness

Emergencies cause panic. A large bill can create issues that an individual never plans for appropriately. Inexperience in dealing with money challenges may result in horrible decisions. Continue reading

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Financial woes cause considerable anxiety. The debt from college loans or a medical emergency generates feelings close to panic. It doesn’t have to be that way. Financial wellness can be achieved and maintained by following a few general rules of proactive conduct.

  1. Never Take Counsel of Your Fears

The college graduate can be stunned by the loan repayments necessary to retire college debt. Many have debts as large as a house mortgage. The common worry is being forced to spend most of life paying a bill that could be more than the monthly rent. The same is true for medical bills or sizable credit card balance.

Excessive concern causes panic and forces a person to make poor decisions. These include forbearance, completely ignoring the bills, or overpaying a monthly bill when it is not necessary. Thinking calmly and making sound decisions are the best ways to meet a financial wellness problem. Continue reading

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School days are not over for some employees. A few may still be finishing up a Baccalaureate degree and others are just beginning a Master’s program. An organization’s educational system program may not cover all the expenses. An employee may have to pay the lion’s share of tuition and it can threaten financial wellness.

Making Tough Decisions

A person could have a well-paying job and still face college debt problems. Costs are rising and the required classes might be a strain on the budget. There are many college loan programs, but each has its own requirements. The employee might not know which loans are best suited for his or her financial situation. An employer might not be able to enlarge an existing educational assistance plan. However, a benefit that includes college loan counseling can be just as good.

Countrywide Offers Financial Wellness

Our program helps employees deal with common financial situations including college debt. We have a nationwide network of certified counselors who will provide the service. Continue reading

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People want to have control over their financial wellness. Every ownership creates a sense of optimism and well-being that positively affects behavior. It is sad, but there are many who are so confused about their finances that they feel trapped in a downward spiral.

These individuals make a decent income. Their challenge is not having a budget to monitor cash flow. Medical emergencies can become crises and credit card debt may run out of control. Millennials have the added burden of excessive college debt. Some form of support would be deeply appreciated. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services knows how the right assistance can resolve problems. We have a Financial Wellness Plan that organizations can offer to employees. Our benefit has very important tools to improve financial health.

Data Collection and Organization

Countrywide has a nationwide network of certified counselors. These professionals are the front-line Countrywide service providers. They will work directly with plan members. Continue reading

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People still want to own a house. This is a part of the American Dream and is a symbol of success. Many are nervous about buying a home and no one can blame them. The cost may be a financial wellness challenge.

The Significant Cost

A house is one of the largest, if not the largest, expense an average person will have. The down payment required for a home mortgage can be 5% to 10% and the sum may be in the five figures. The house mortgage will need a financial commitment of up to 30 years and is a monthly expense.

Real estate operates in an environment all its own. There are activities most people do not understand and the means to control costs are confusing. Few people want to risk their financial wellness and therefore delay buying a property. That can be a mistake in some markets where prices are going up. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services appreciates the problem home-buyers face. We have a Financial Wellness benefit that can help. Continue reading

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Too many college graduates are facing the real world with a major burden pressing them down. The cost of college has soared over the years, forcing many young people to take out sizable loans to pay for the education. There comes a reckoning after graduation. The young person is confronted with a mortgage-sized obligation.

That will affect financial wellness. The monthly payment can be hundreds of dollars; money some people do not have. Not quite knowing what to do, a recent graduate will make some poor decisions such as forbearance or filing for bankruptcy. These choices are brought on by panic and can be avoided. There is a way to manage the college loan debt, but it takes knowing what precisely to do. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers professional assistance in handling the loan monster.

Financial Wellness Does Not Have to Be in Danger

There certainly are options available to anyone facing college loan payments. There are payment plans that are income based and allow the debtor to reasonably afford repaying the loan. It is possible to get a reduction in interest rates through an auto-debit plan. There is even the ability to get loan forgiveness depending on the circumstances. Continue reading