Girl, Get Your Credit Straight!: A Sister's Guide to Ditching Your Debt, Mending Your Credit, and Building a Strong Financial Future » (Reprint)

GLINDA BRIDGFORTH is founder of Bridgforth Financial Management Group, a company that emphasizes holistic coaching. In 2006, Glinda appeared on Oprah in a five-part series called “America’s Debt Diet.” The author of the bestsellers Girl, Get Your Money Straight! and Girl, Make Your Money Grow!, she writes articles for Essence and is featured regularly on television and radio programs nationwide. She lives with her husband in Detroit.

Is “retail therapy” your favorite pastime—even though you really can’t afford it? Do you ignore the balance on your credit card statements, vowing to pay them off at some point down the line? Is your debt preventing you from living your dreams—like buying a home or starting a family? If so, girl, it’s time to get your credit straight!These days, with easy access to multiple credit cards and glossy advertisements that entice us to spend at every turn, it’s all too easy to start racking up debt—and even little slip-ups can lead to real damage over time. In this highly practical follow-up to her bestsellers Girl, Get Your Money Straight! and Girl, Make Your Money Grow!, financial expert Glinda Bridgforth delivers a power-packed plan for paying down debt, repairing your credit score, and securing your financial freedom—along with a future that makes your heart sing.Beginning with simple, engaging exercises to help you assess your spending habits and get clear about what you owe, Girl, Get Your Credit Straight! presents a detailed road map for eliminating debt, one step at a time. You will learn how to: • Devise a system for tracking expenditures, anticipating end-of-month shortfalls, and paying bills on time, every time• Find ways to supplement your income• Consolidate loans to pay off debt faster, decrease stress, and save time and money• Negotiate with your creditors to come up with a payment plan that works for you• Discover the best loans to use for refinancing debt or making major new purchases• Understand how credit bureaus work—and take steps to improve your scoreFilled with Bridgforth’s warmhearted wisdom and advice, and complete with worksheets, affirmations, and inspiring stories of African American women who’ve restored their credit and built new wealth, Girl, Get Your Credit Straight! is a fresh, empowering guide for any woman who wants to say goodbye to debt—for good.

Acknowledgments     ix
The Straight Story     1
Digging the Debt Ditch: Life in the Financial Hole
Why We Debt: The Emotional and Cultural Factors at the Root of Your Debt Balance     15
Your Credit Report and Score: What They Mean and How They Work     49
Climbing Out of the Hole: Practical Tools and Debt-Reducing Strategies
Pay Off Debts and Get Your Priorities Straight     97
Establish a Spending Plan That Meets Needs and Ditches Debts     143
The Secrets to Boosting Your Creditworthiness     179
Couples in Credithood     201
On Level Ground: Forward-Thinking Strategies to Prevent Debt, Preserve Credit, and Keep Your Spirit in Check
Increase Your Income: 101 Ideas to Raise Extra Revenue     237
Protecting Your New Financial Health and Financing Your Wildest Dreams     287
Healing Rituals for the Spirit: Prayer, Affirmation, Meditation, and Visualization     319
Index     331