Beating The Beast At It's Game

By Ashley Loveless Cunningham

This book in your hands is a compilation of my story and how the circumstances of my life led to the failures and successes that I experienced. One of the reasons I wrote this book is because I discovered that there were not enough financial advisors talking about credit, credit history, and how to manage credit that I decided to take up the challenge.

You will learn about credit history and credit score. I will also show you how your credit scores are calculated as well as why your credit history is important. I will show you how interesting facts on credit as well as the influence of socioeconomic status on life
Do you know that your upbringing can also affect your financial habits and life? I will show you how. I will take you through popular misconceptions and common myth about money. Not just that, I will reveal to you the truth about money. I will take show you some of the most common financial mistakes that eventually result in bankruptcy. Whether or not you are already facing financial difficulties, taking note of these mistakes could be the turning point you need in your life.
One of the most fascinating parts of this book is that I will teach you how to stay on top of your credit report, how to Steer clear of any credit repair scams, how to take stock of your past mistakes, how to Obtain a secured credit card and how to increase your credit mix. In this book, I have discussed different sources of financial aid as well as mental health support groups and how you can maximize them for a better financial life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley Loveless Cunningham
• Release date: Oct 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201138622

Book preview

© Copyright 2021 - All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Legal & Disclaimer

The content and information in this book is consistent and truthful, and it has been provided for informational, educational and business purposes only.

The content and information contained in this book has been compiled from reliable sources, which are accurate based on the knowledge, belief, expertise and information of the Author. The author cannot be held liable for any omissions and/or errors.

Once you use the information and contents contained in this book, you have automatically agreed to hold harmless the Author from and against any costs, damages, and expenses, including any legal fees potentially resulting from the application of any of the information provided by this book. This disclaimer and applies to any loss, damages or injury caused by the use application, whether directly or indirectly, of any advice or information presented, whether for breach of contract, tort, negligence, personal injury, criminal intent, or under any other cause of action.

The Speed of your success is limited only by your dedication and what you’re willing to sacrifice Nathan W. Morris

Introduction

This book in your hands is a compilation of my story and how the circumstances of my life led to the failures and successes that I experienced. One of the reasons I wrote this book is because I discovered that there were not enough financial advisors talking about credit, credit history, and how to manage credit that I decided to take up the challenge.

So far in my career as a Credit Specialist/financial advisor, I have helped a lot of people plan their lives. I have also had a good number of people tell me that the things that I have taught them have made their lives better. I will share most of my teachings in this book as you read on.  I have taken my time to clearly narrate some of the terrible decisions that sent me to rock bottom in 2015.

You will learn some valuable insights about the nature of bankruptcy and debt in particular and how money works. I will show your baby steps that you need to take daily to experience a significant turnaround in your life. This book compiles the journey of my life. Hence, I will hold your hands and show you the way from the rock bottom to the mountain top.

You will learn about credit history and credit score. I will also show you how your credit scores are calculated as well as why your credit history is important. I will show you how interesting facts on credit as well as the influence of socioeconomic status on life

Do you know that your upbringing can also affect your financial habits and life? I will show you how. I will take you through popular misconceptions and common myth about money. Not just that, I will reveal to you the truth about money. I will take show you some of the most common financial mistakes that eventually result in bankruptcy. Whether or not you are already facing financial difficulties, taking note of these mistakes could be the turning point you need in your life.

One of the most fascinating parts of this book is that I will teach you how to stay on top of your credit report, how to Steer clear of any credit repair scams, how to take stock of your past mistakes, how to Obtain a secured credit card and how to increase your credit mix. In this book, I have discussed different sources of financial aid as well as mental health support groups and how you can maximize them for a better financial life.

To achieve financial independence or financial freedom; you have to Equip yourself with the right financial knowledge, you have to live your life according to a budget and stick to it,you may need to take some Financial Management Courses where you will gain knowledge about how money and investments work, you have to monitor your Credit Score, you have to know how to track your spending. This and many more information have been extensively discussed in this book. I’m sure you cannot wait to enjoy this great book.

Chapter 1: Why You Should Understand Credit

In 2015, my life as I knew it collapsed around me. I was in a dark place, and it was perhaps the first time I knew I truly had to make a real change.  My whole life was in shambles.  I didn’t believe that something like that could ever happen to me.  In short, I was what the people who contribute to what is trendy these days as down bad.

About Me

Okay, let me circle back a bit and start the story from a less dramatic point. My name is Ashley. I am a Financial advisor and credit expert for my company New Credit Inc LLC. With a degree in Business Administration from Troy University. I have been in the Credit Repair industry for over ten years. To put that in layman's language, I help people learn how to spend their money without it bankrupting them and how to ensure that they still have enough money to spend in twenty years, or thirty or forty.

Of course, as a kid born in Alabama in a single parent household, with a mom who worked and provided a great life for myself and my siblings,  you'd again probably be able to imagine the hobbies I had. Yes, I love shopping, traveling and entertaining . Also, I am a researcher. I guess hanging with many tech types will do that to you, but it is only a hobby.

Now I am sure that you are wondering, what lead me to this career choice? Firstly, as you will see in subsequent chapters, my mom didn’t educate me on credit, not that she didn’t want to, it just wasn’t a topic we discussed at the kitchen table. We were taught to go to work and make a great living for yourself. It wasn’t until I had to actually use my credit that the antennas went up.

Thirdly, as a financial advisor that has helped a lot of individuals and other wealthy people plan their lives and who has had a good number of people tell me that the things that I have taught them have made their lives better, the fact that my finances would crumble in such a nearly farcical manner is ironic. And it is the fact that I have tasted both worlds. That is why I am qualified to write a book like this.

I do not need to say that it took a lot of work, but I survived that year. I am still paying for some of the terrible decisions that sent me to rock bottom in 2015. Still, in the process of being in that place and the effort, I took to get myself out of that mess, I got some valuable insights about the nature of bankruptcy and debt in particular and how money works in general that have necessitated it for me to publish this book. Before 2015 I was maintaining my finances and credit very well, until life happened  . However, after 2015, I discovered that I needed to hire a financial advisor to guide me in the right direction to get back on track. As much as I enjoyed  talking about credit, credit history, and how to manage credit that I decided to take up the challenge, and let someone help me.

In my travails, I learned that the crash into bankruptcy for most people is not one colossal crash or boom that sends the whole thing down. It is a series of tiny mistakes that look harmless in isolation but are costly when they add up. I can now see everything I did wrong and all the incremental steps I took that I didn't think much of until they all led to 2015, when I found myself in way over my head. Here are a few of the lessons I learnt from that experience

I was not alone

According to Fay (2021), credit-card debt soared, reaching its all-time peak of $1.028-trillion in July 2008 (an average of $8,640 per household). Most of that debt was due to unexpected medical bills. I became acutely aware that a lot more people were carrying more debt than they would let on. It was as if my predicament had given me an understanding of what it means to be in credit debt.

You can get yourself out of credit card debt

I examined the process I took to get myself out of the fix I got myself in, and I discovered that if I had applied the same strategies to my life before 2015, I would be far more debt-free and financially secure than I am at the moment. I did discover that the difference between the rich and the poor in America is how the rich