"ICFE’s Top Five Money Do's"
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Knowledge and financial self-discipline are the consumers best
defense
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RELEASE: May 2001
CONTACT: Paul Richard, ICFE Executive Director
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San Diego, CA. “Most people need
to remember about five, common sense
things when dealing with their finances to avoid costly mistakes and even greater debt accumulation” says the nonprofit Institute of Consumer
Financial Education (ICFE), a San Diego based group helping consumers become better spenders, regular savers and wise users of credit.
“More Americans are paying off short term credit card debt than ever before and developing new money management skills should become a
natural part of the process of debt elimination,” said ICFE executive director, Paul Richard, who was bankrupt at age 25 and now helps
consumers avoid the pitfalls of excessive debt.
“Knowledge and financial self-discipline are the consumers best defense, even in a soft economy, to avoid compounding past mistakes and
avoiding new money missteps” says Richard.
The top five ‘money-do's’ are:
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Obtain and maintain your financial education to be in a position to
make intelligent spending and other financial decisions. This helps one
avoid becoming overconfident and unprepared. |
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Project your income and expenses for the next twelve months and then
track the variances. This is another form of budgeting and developing a
spending-plan promotes better spending decisions. Spend money thinking
of your future as well as your present. You have an obligation to be
as good to the person you are going to be in 20, 30 or 40 years from now
as you are to yourself today. |
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When investing, focus on the relationship between the risk and the
projected return of your investments. Many investors overlook the
possibility of not getting their entire investment back because they are
focusing on early, high end returns. Have a plan and a purpose for your
investing. Focus on making good decisions rather than beating out
a real
or an imagined opponent. |
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Maintain organized records for tax and general financial planning
purposes. This is often as easy as having twelve envelopes, one for
each month, and placing all pertinent financial statements, receipts
etc. into an envelope monthly. |
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Manage your money so expenses don't exceed income. Everyday spending
decisions, especially credit based one, will have a far greater negative
effect on one's financial future than any investment decision one is
likely to ever make. |
The ICFE’s Web site at http://www.icfe.info has
many helpful spending tips and worksheets for setting up a one-page spending plan and more. To receive the same information by mail, please
send $1 and a self-addressed, 55 cent stamped envelope to:
ICFE Spending-Plans,
PO Box 34070,
San Diego, CA 92163.
About the ICFE:
The Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE),
founded in 1982 by the late Loren Dunton - creator of the “certified
financial planner” (CFP) designation - is dedicated to helping consumers
of all ages to improve their spending, increase savings and use credit
more wisely. The years between 1984 and 2000, the ICFE was also known as
the National Center for Financial Education (NCFE).
The ICFE is a nonprofit consumer education organization that has helped millions of people through its education programs and resources. Over
one million “Credit
/ Debit Card Warning
Labels” and “Credit
/ Debit Card Sleeves” are in circulation world wide.
The ICFE’s on-line help for consumers who spend too much
was featured in PARADE Magazine (June 9th, 2002) in the Intelligence
Report section. The money helps and tips are from the “Money
Instruction Book,” a course in personal finance, which was completely
revised and updated in 2002 and is positioned to become among the premier
programs in the new bankruptcy and debtor education initiatives.
The ICFE’s “Do-It-Yourself Credit File Correction
Guide,” now in its Twelfth Printing, is in use by thousands of consumer credit and debt
counselors in addition to tens of thousands of consumers. It received a
“buy” rating in July, August and November from nationally syndicated
financial columnist, Humberto Cruz in his column, “The Savings Game".
BottomLine Personal newsletter gave the Guide a “Send For” rating in
September 2001. The ICFE and our do-it-yourself approach to credit file
correction was featured on NBC Nightly News on 04-30-02. The Spanish
edition of the Guide premiered in January 2002. Syndicated columnist,
Robert Heady also gave the ICFE Guide a “buy” rating.
The ICFE Web site at: www.icfe.info helps consumers with
mending spending, learn about the
proper use of credit, budget and expense guidelines, how to set up and implement a
spending-plan and also access financial education courses and videos and how to
teach children about money. Other ICFE services include a
free eNewsletter, and an
on-line resource center of financial education
learning tools, including videos, books and personal finance courses.
Consumers may learn more on the Internet about the "Do-It-Yourself
Credit File Correction Guide" here, or fill out our request
form, indicating your areas of interest.
For more information contact Paul Richard ICFE Executive Director at 619-239-1401.
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