You may be getting spring fever right about now, but with the April 15th tax deadline approaching, there’s no better time to settle in and think seriously about your finances. It’s for this reason that since 2004, April has been declared “National Financial Capability Month.” But just how important is this, and why does it matter?

National Financial Capability Month is a presidential proclamation. While this sounds awfully serious, the proclamation in this case has to due with raising awareness during a certain month, much like Women’s History Month (March) or National Preparedness Month (September). April, when most of us are thinking about our taxes anyway, is now the country’s official time to encourage citizens to empower themselves financially.

The proclamations over the past several years have focused on these key items:

Strengthening our economy post-recession

Although our economy has grown since the 2008 recession, there’s still a missing link between hard work and fair opportunities — but the smarter financial decisions Americans make, the better off our economy will be as a whole.

Encouraging financial literacy

The government recognizes that, between lack of education and misleading techniques employed by certain financial institutions, Americans don’t always possess the financial literacy they need for success. Campaigns such as “Know Before You Owe” and the new simplified mortgage forms were introduced as a response to the need for fiscal transparency.

Guiding citizens through major financial decisions

The financial “big three” — college, a home, and retirement — aren’t a reality for all Americans. This is why the government has been working to make saving and borrowing safer and easier for more people with programs like myRA.

Why National Financial Capability Month Matters

Since 2008, our country — and our fellow citizens — have had to reevaluate our relationship to money. A complex network of events, practices, and behaviors robbed many people of the financial futures they had been working toward. This is why both the government and the people of the United States come together each April to take a fresh look at the state of our affairs so we can build stronger futures together.

Each of us is responsible for our own financial literacy, but not all of us have had the same opportunity to become truly financially capable. That’s why National Financial Capability Month matters — it’s a time to seek out resources offered by the government and other institutions that will empower us to make smart money decisions.

Here are a few good places to start:

MyMoney.gov

For basic, easy-to-understand information on spending, saving, borrowing, investing, and earning, see MyMoney.gov.

ConsumerFinance.gov

The consumer finance bureau offers a lot of good information on how to safely and securely engage with finance institutions, whether you’re opening up a credit card or taking out a loan.

MyRA.treasury.gov

Find out about the government’s new type of retirement account that’s safe, affordable, and completely free of start-up or maintenance fees.

One of the best things you can do for your finances — and your credit score — is to learn as much as you can. The more you know, the more power you have, and the better off you are likely to be when it comes to money.

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You may be familiar with “chip and PIN” cards, those high-tech credit cards that actually contain a small microchip. Traditional credit cards use a magnetic stripe to process payments, but this technology is inherently problematic. Between dubious card reader practices and learning to forge a signature, they simply don’t offer consumers a high level of protection. The chip and PIN cards were developed in the early 2000s to put an end to some of these common security complaints.

The chip is more secure because it can’t be cloned. This, combined with the wireless technology of the past ten or so years, has made it possible to process payments with a secure card directly in front of the consumer. No more taking credit cards to a back room, far out of sight, where potential danger lies.

President Obama signed an executive order to make the move to chip and PIN cards within the government starting in January 2015. There’s a strong push to get the rest of the country to switch over by October — a mere 6 months away. Unfortunately, US businesses have been slow to adopt this new technology. The problem has to do with infrastructure — the innumerable credit card machines found in practically every establishment across the states — and less to do with the credit card companies themselves.

So do you need to get a chip card?

Sooner or later, yes. But don’t drop what you’re doing just yet. Since not all retailers accept them, it’s advisable to keep a traditional credit card handy just in case. But if you value the extra protection the chip has to offer — and we hope you do — talk to your credit card company about issuing you a new card. You’ll be ahead of the game, and have more secure finances because of it.

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4 Items Deleted
57% of the Items Challenged were deleted in one round!

Click on the image to view the full size pdf!

Here are the items that were removed or improved:

JJ Marshall & Assoc Inc

LVNV Funding

Nevada Federal Credit Un

Although these are Cathy’s actual results, we have to tell you that your results WILL vary because everyone’s report is different.

But if you would like to receive results on your report, then call the number on the top of this page or click on “Join Now” and we can get started improving your credit score so you can begin living the life you deserve today!

Round 4 Bouthahiri Las Vegas, NV

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11 Items Deleted
65% of the Items Challenged were deleted in one round!

Click on the image to view the full size pdf!

Here are the items that were removed or improved:

Civil Judgment

BAC Home Loans Serv

Chase / Bank One Card Serv

First Nationwide Bank

HSBC Best Buy

Professional Collections

Sears / CBNA

SLC Stud Loan Trust

USAA Fed Svg Bnk

Utah Central Credit Un

Although these are Kevin’s actual results, we have to tell you that your results WILL vary because everyone’s report is different.

But if you would like to receive results on your report, then call the number on the top of this page or click on “Join Now” and we can get started improving your credit score so you can begin living the life you deserve today!

Round 1 Lawrence Law Sandy, UT

The post Kevin in UT has 11 removed from his Credit Report appeared first on National Credit Federation.

Click on the image to view the full size pdf!
Here are the items that were removed or improved:

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

EOS CCA

Dell Financial Services

Fivepoint Credit Union

At Home w/ Bassett / GEMB

Chase Manhattan Mortgage

If you would like to receive results like these, then call the number on the top of this page or click on “Join Now” and we can get started improving your credit score so you can begin living the life you deserve today!

Spragg

The post Eric in TX has TU Results appeared first on National Credit Federation.

Capital Accounts

Receivable Recovery

IC Systems Collections

Texas Bay Area CU

The post Deleted 60 percent of Michael's TransUnion appeared first on National Credit Federation.

Civil Judgment

Wachovia Bank

Professional Debt Mediation

IC Systems Collections

CMI

West Asset Management

AFNI

US Bank

Seaboard Credit Union

HSBC Bank

The post TransUnion Results for Johnny in Jacksonville appeared first on National Credit Federation.

Bankruptcy

Kohls / Chase

Bank of America

WFS Financial

Mountain America Credit Union (paid as agreed)

Carmax Auto Finance (Paid as agreed)

Equable Ascent Financial

Child Support

Household Credit Services

Utah

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