If your credit score is dismal and you’d like to bring up those numbers with credit repair, you aren’t alone. There are millions of people who have suffered financial setbacks, been through a foreclosure, made poor economic decisions, or who simply got in over their heads and are now suffering because of it. A poor credit score can make it difficult or impossible to get a home loan, open a credit card, or purchase a car. If you need to repair your credit, consider working with a company that specializes in credit repair, but be sure you work with a reputable company.

There are various types of credit counseling and repair services available. You should compare several companies and talk to a customer service representative in order to find out how they compare to each other before choosing the service you want to work with. There are several key elements to look for in a good credit repair service:

-reasonable pricing. After all, you’re trying to recover from a difficult financial situation; exorbitant fees can lead you into more difficulty. Beware of companies that use a sliding scale depending upon how much debt you owe. This can lead to padded pricing that may put you further into debt. A flat fee per month is your best bet. It should be reasonable and shouldn’t fluctuate. This way you can easily include the cost in your monthly budget.

-detailed analysis. Every service that offers to repair credit will ask you to provide your credit score and report for evaluation, but not all of them will explain your report to you. If the company simply says, “we’ll handle it from here” without explaining what needs fixed and how they’ll do it, avoid them. The best services will provide a detailed evaluation of your credit report so that you understand what’s going on and how to move forward.

-customized solutions based on your individual financial situation. Does the company ask relevant questions? Do they take into considerations not only your obligations, but your goals, situation, and aspirations? The more they want to know, the better their service will be.

-counseling after your credit report is repaired. Look for a company that will offer you counseling and financial guidance even after your credit history has been restored. Their goal should be not only to repair your credit, but to help make sure you won’t have bad credit in the future.

-legal expertise. To repair credit effectively, a company has to understand a multitude of complex state and federal laws. A credit service staffed by lawyers and legal specialists can represent you more efficiently because they have an intimate understanding of the legal issues and can use them to your advantage.

Choosing the right credit repair service can mean the difference between raising your credit score by a few points or a few hundred points. With the right repair service in your corner, you’ll soon be back on solid financial ground with a strong credit score.

Are you a member of the Echo Boomer generation, those born between 1977-1999? There is a growing concern among members of the Echo Boomer generation regarding their future retirement. When planning for retirement, financial advisers typically discuss counting on three sources of income to fund retirement: Private funds such as savings and IRA’s, employer sponsored funds such as Pensions and 401(k)s, and government sponsored funds such as Social Security. While these sources of income provide for the retirement needs of the Baby Boomer generation, they will not support the needs of the Echo Boomers. First of all, most companies no longer offer pensions to their employees. Additionally, recent economic turmoil in the US and abroad has led to many employers lowering 401K contributions or canceling them all together. Lastly, social security is expected to run out by the year 2030, about 20 years before the first Echo Boomers start to retire.

It is therefore important for members of the Echo Boomer generation to carefully look at planning their retirement. The conventional advice of “buying stocks, bonds, and mutual funds” “investing for the long term” and “diversifying” must be carefully considered. Currently the US economy is on the verge of high inflation, possibly hyperinflation, due to the trillion dollar stimulus packages and deficit spending of the US government. While these types of investment vehicles usually increase as inflation ensues, they do not increase at the same rate as inflation. Remember, during your retirement years your income will be fixed, but everyday living expenses, such as food, energy, and utility expenses, are variable expenses that will cost more as inflation steals away the purchasing power of the US dollar.

The best way to plan for retirement is to:

1) Start planning now. Do not put off what can be accomplished today.

2) Plan as if your only source of retirement income will be from private funds. Anything above and beyond that (pensions, social security) will enhance your lifestyle.

3) Protect your money from inflation by investing in asset classes that perform well during inflationary cycles, such as precious metals and commodities.

4) Diversify your money into different asset classes by investing in tangible assets, paper assets, and real estate