While we are not sure exactly how “Embrace Your Geekness Day” came into existence…or why…we figured we would exploit the random day to bring you some smart debt relief tips on credit debt consolidation and debt relief. Most of these tips will focus on technology and savvy digital activities to stay within a tech geek theme.
So if you can tolerate silly holidays that seemingly have no purpose or deeper meaning, but have a mind for and passion for all things digital tech age, here are some tried and true methods to be debt-free from your friendly neighborhood geeks at Golden Financial Services.
Download a Financial Planning App
There are a ton of these out there, and all seem to perform a similar, but still different function. Aside from Golden Financial’s Budget and Snowball Payment Method Calculators that help you plan for making affordable payments while freeing up cash flow, WalletHacks lists Personal Capital and its mobile app as its top choice:
“When it comes to a financial dashboard, the clear leader is Personal Capital. It has a rich suite of tools built around investments, with a nod towards expense tracking similar to Mint, so you can get a sense of where everything is at a moment’s notice.”
Skip the Bank Loan, Get a Loan Online with Private Funding
Before the internet and the rapid advancement of digital technology and apps, you had to walk into a bank in your Sunday best, sit down with a bank associate, and hand them a stack of papers that told them you were worthy of a loan. While this process had all the markers of today’s loan application process, bank statements can now be sent via digital file, additional income sources can be proven with screenshots, and your credit history is only a portion of the process. Traditional banks use a pool of working capital from their customers to fund loans. In contrast, companies like Lending Tree, OneMain Financial, and LendingClub fund their loans from private investors. These investors might be able to take a chance on funding your loan based on your income and lifestyle, even if your credit score isn’t close to perfect.
TheStreet also lists details about Avant to help you understand how filing a loan application online can be the best way to receive an immediate infusion of funds into your budget:
“With Avant, consumers can get loans from $2,000 to $35,000 fairly easily, as the company seeks to disrupt the lending industry. Founded by Paul Zhang, John Sun and Al Goldstein in 2012, the fintech company is now reportedly worth $2 billion.
The online lending company boasts over 600,000 customers and generally caters to consumers with lower credit scores who might struggle getting loans otherwise, helping all consumers get instant loans online.”
Planning Finances in Excel
If you have never used Microsoft Excel before, you may be staring at rows and columns of boxes while feeling completely overwhelmed at how to use them. The days of balancing a checkbook with a pen and ink are rapidly fading into the arena of stories your grandfather tells your kids at family gatherings. Luckily there are several tutorials out there to get you started, and Excel offers a myriad of amazing functions for helping you track your spending and expenses, and income, all the way down to the nickel.
If you need help understanding your overall debt value, Golden Financial’s Debt Calculator can help you fill in the details. The Calculator takes all potential debts into account; monthly utility bills, loans, auto, mortgage, etc. When you complete the calculator, you are armed with a total dollar amount to provide a clearer picture of the monthly summit you must climb. Take this dollar amount into Excel, and use a sequence of formulas to produce a full landscape of your financial situation.
Smart Home Notifications
The last Embracing Your Geekness Day entry on our list is a little outside-the-box, but isn’t that the theme for being a geek? With Google Nest and Amazon Alexa smart home devices, you can now have a full financial conversation with the robots that help you manage your home! While the technology is still developing, Smart connections with your apps can now tell you when bills are due, help you predict financial rainy days, and facilitate planning vacations. If you can imagine asking a piece of technology in your home about how much money you will need for a night in Vegas or a family drive to the Grand Canyon, you are starting to think like a geek!
For more tips and weekly musings about financial help and debt relief, keep it locked on our blog! Call (866) 376-9846 for a free debt relief consultation or send us an email at info@goldenfs.org.