ACCC Provides Five Tips for Paying Bills
BOSTON (PRWEB) March 27, 2018 -- Paying bills on time is crucial to living a healthy financial life. It is imperative for consumers to keep track of each bill, so they don’t fall behind on payments and become crippled by debt. To help consumers get organized, national nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) has put together five tips for paying bills.
“It is important to be aware of every bill you are responsible for paying and when each one is due,” said Steve Trumble, President, and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. “Paying bills on time not only reduces stress, but it also saves you money and boosts your credit score.”
According to the NFCC’s 2017 Financial Literacy survey, 22 percent of respondents say they do not pay their bills on time. The survey also found that older adults are more likely to pay their bills on time than younger adults aged 18 to 34 (20 percent vs. 27 percent). Eleven percent say they struggle to pay their bills each month and 44 percent of those struggling receive calls from collectors.
ACCC offers five tips on paying bills.
1. Organize – Organize all of your bills in a folder kept in a safe place or file on your computer. Make sure to keep track of when each bill is due.
2. Open every bill – Some people avoid opening and looking at their bills each month and allow them to pile up. It is important to open every bill and read through it carefully to ensure there are no added fees or mistakes in billing.
3. Schedule time to pay bills – Set up a time, whether it be weekly or monthly, to sit down and focus on your bills and keep up with your finances.
4. Decide on a method – Decide whether you want to pay bills online or send a check to the address provided. Online payments are quick and easy and often offer the option to set up pre-scheduled automatic payments. Sending a check by mail can take a couple of days to process before you see the money come out of your account.
5. Build an Emergency Fund – Having an emergency fund can reduce the pressure when it comes to paying bills. This fund adds peace of mind knowing that should you experience an unexpected expense, you will have money set aside and your everyday finances will not be interrupted. It is recommended to have a minimum of three-six months’ of expenses set aside in an emergency fund. However, for even more peace of mind, an ideal emergency fund to shoot for would be six-nine months
ACCC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides free credit counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and housing counseling to consumers nationwide in need of financial literacy education and money management. For more information, contact ACCC:
• For credit counseling, call 800-769-3571
• For bankruptcy counseling, call 866-826-6924
• For housing counseling, call 866-826-7180
• Or visit us online at ConsumerCredit.com
About American Consumer Credit Counseling
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. In order to help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living, and retirement. Consumers can use ACCC’s worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.consumercredit.com/financial-education.aspx
Marissa Sullivan, American Consumer Credit Counseling, http://www.consumercredit.com/, +1 617-646-1067, [email protected]
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