Tell my audience about yourselves. What made you want to start your website littlehouseinthevalley.com?

Little House was initially created to promote healthy, financial management to our readers. Many individuals feel that only rich people need to properly manage their money and credit but in fact, smaller incomes need to be monitored and managed just as much if not more.

Please name some quick and easy ways for a person to improve their credit even if they’ve recently been through a divorce or some type of financial calamity?

You can’t improve your credit until you know what’s hurting it. Get a copy of your credit report. You need all three and can get them directly for free from Experian, Equifax and Transunion. You may have to pay for an actual FICO score, but you don’t necessarily need that to start making improvements.

Then, carefully review it and discover what is positive on your report and what is negative. Once you’ve determined that you can start strategizing.

Buying a used vehicle can be a difficult and arduous process for anyone. What advice/tips do you specifically give to women that “go it alone” in the car buying process?

Do your homework! There are definitely more guys “into cars” and simply have learned more about them, but Women should always narrow their search down to 2 or 3 cars they are interested in and research them online. MSN Auto, Consumer Reports and Kelley Blue Book are all very trusted resources to get your initial questions answered before you ever meet anyone at a lot.

When a person walks into a car dealership what are some credit questions you recommend that the consumer asks the salesman or finance manager?

None. If you don’t already know your credit standing and how APR’s work you shouldn’t be financing a car. Financially savvy people typically already have the loan worked out with their bank before-hand. The dealership will probably sell you a car no matter what your score is, but make sure you get a low APR over the term of the loan. They can do the math right there in front of you and show you exactly how much interest you’ll be paying and what that car will ultimately cost you in total.

How long does the credit restoration process take?

That greatly depends on what your credit report tells you. You might only have a couple of items that are easy to repair, or you might have loads of debt (even some you forgot about) that could literally take years to erase. If you are concerned about improving your credit the sooner you start the better.

If a person can’t purchase a vehicle in cash, what’s the ideal down payment you recommend they have? Does a larger down payment mean a shorter loan and APR?

More money down helps in the long-term of the loan because you are borrowing less money and in theory will pay it back quicker. BUT, make sure you discuss the percentage rates. A smaller loan doesn’t mean you are paying less for it.

If you’re a first time car buyer and you’ve never shopped for insurance before, what are some tips to get the lowest payment possible? What are some questions you should ask your insurance agent?

Auto insurance has gotten extremely competitive and you can now get quality insurance very inexpensively. There are literally dozens of websites that let you compare companies and their rates based on your zip code and a few short questions.

Besides littlehouseinthevalley.com what are some of websites/blogs you would recommend our visitors visit while trying to improve their credit?

CreditKarma.com is great. Although not 100% accurate, you can easily sign up for a free account and view your credit details (again, not 100% accurate), but very close and they also have a credit ‘Report Card’ which is very useful in discovering how your credit score is made up and specific advice on how to improve it. It doesn’t show up as an inquiry on your credit report if you use CreditKarma.com.

Uncle Casey
Little House in the Valley
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This is our twenty-fifth interview in our “1000 Interview Challenge” If your interested in an interview, please contact me.

This interview was conducted by Shane McC. Shane currently is attending RISD studying computer programming. He enjoys traveling and plays hockey. He played for the Boston Junior Bruins of the EJHL during the 01-02 season. You can follow him on Google+

Tell my audience about yourself. What made you want to start your website moneysmartguides.com?

I started MoneySmartGuides because personal finance is not taught in schools. As a result, most of us learn personal finance from our parents. If they weren’t great with money, chances are we won’t be either. By taking some time to learn the basics of personal finance, we can take control of our lives. I try to teach my readers some of the basic ideas so they can handle money wisely.

Please name some quick and easy ways for a person to improve their credit even if they’ve recently been through a divorce or some type of financial calamity?

The easiest way to improve your credit is to pay your bill on time each month. The second would be to keep your debt levels under control, since your debt to credit ratio is an important factor too. These aren’t sexy, but surprisingly, personal finance isn’t either. Anything that claims to fix your credit in 5 minutes is a scam. Like everything in live, it takes some time to improve your credit.

When a person walks into a car dealership what are some credit questions you recommend that consumer ask the salesman or finance manager?

You want to know what the current offers the dealer or manufacturer are offering. Ideally, you should run your credit BEFORE going to dealership. That way you know what your score is. Some sleazy car salesmen (not all, just a few) will tell you that your score isn’t good enough for the special financing. Always ask to see the report they run.

How long does the Credit Restoration process take? Generally, it takes 7 years.

If a person can’t purchase a vehicle in cash, what’s the ideal down payment you recommend they have? Does a larger down payment mean a shorter loan and APR? You should put down enough of a down payment so that you can afford a loan no longer than 5 years. If you have to go out farther than that, you can’t afford the car. With that said, don’t just focus on the monthly payment. Negotiate the overall price of the car. A salesman can get you to “afford” almost any car when you tell him you want a monthly payment of X dollars. If after negotiating the overall purchase price, you can’t afford the monthly payment of a 5 year loan, you either need to put more money down, or you just can’t buy the car.

If you’re a first time car buyer and you’ve never shopped for insurance before, what are some tips to get the lowest rate possible?

What are some questions you should ask your insurance agent to know your getting the best possible deal? You should shop around a few different agents. Once you get one quote, show that to the next agent. You want to make sure you are comparing apples-to-apples. Insurance policies can be complicated, so showing them your quote ensures they are quoting you the same coverage. I would urge you to steer clear of the state minimum coverage. The point of insurance is to cover you should you get into an accident. If you only have the minimum coverage and get into an accident, the insurance company will only cover you so much. The rest is your responsibility. If you don’t have enough money to pay out of pocket in the case of an accident, then you need to get more coverage from the insurance company.

Besides moneysmartguides.com what are some of websites/blogs you would recommend our visitors visit while trying to improve their credit?
I personally enjoy reading Bogleheads.org, the finance forums at FatWallet.com.

Jon Dulin of Money Smart Guides
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This is our twenty-fourth interview in our “1000 Interview Challenge” If your interested in an interview, please contact me.

This interview was conducted by Shane McC. Shane currently is attending RISD studying computer programming. He enjoys traveling and plays hockey. He played for the Boston Junior Bruins of the EJHL during the 01-02 season. You can follow him on Google+