Optimal Living Magazine Fit, Fabulous & Full of Faith Issue

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THE PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE Walking in Wisdom for 2017 A s the Editor of Optimal Living Magazine, I am often in a position to make important decisions in a short period of time. Most of the decisions I need to make are pretty obvious… However, I recently felt an uneasiness in my spirit regarding whether to travel out of state for a business trip. So, I started to inquire of the Lord concerning the matter. At first, I heard absolutely nothing at all from God. So, I decided to wait on Him, before confirming my flight arrangements. Finally, by the next morning, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to simply "use wisdom." Every move you make, every step you take, whether big or small, is significant in the eyes of God. Proverbs 4: 10- 14 says, “Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” As we move forward into the year 2017, we must look at things circumspectly before making choices, because evil is not often displayed in plain sight. It is often hidden in the details that we are not privy to seeing immediately. Yet God, in His infinite wisdom, gives us opportunities to seek Him and walk in victory! He gave us the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives; the Holy Spirit to teach us, in all things, discernment to let us know when something isn’t right, and a mind. After applying wisdom to my situation and getting the much needed peace in my heart, the choice that I made kept me from danger, helped me to maximize on my time, and worked out wonderfully for every person involved. I encourage you today to walk circumspectly in all that you do and to keep God’s Word and prayer at the epicenter of your life. Always remember, successful people walk in wisdom! Olmagazine OptimalLivingMagazine NEVER MISS OUR BLOG POSTS! www.optimal-livingmagazine.com 4 Optimal Living Winter 2017
By Kelly Long 5 Harvest Matters Simple Ways to Increase Your Credit Score Happy New Year! One great way to get started is by understanding what your credit score is and what it means for you. For many people, without an attractive score, usually ranging from 650 or greater, you are forbidden in most cases to make certain purchases (unless you have all the cash necessary, of course). In some cases, people have even been denied job opportunities and lost jobs because of their low credit scores. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to get your financial house in order. Nevertheless, being “credible” is simply a matter of positioning yourself for wealth building opportunities. In 5 simple steps, I am going to help you master and take charge of your credit score. Whether you are trying to establish or reestablish your credit score to purchase a home, a new vehicle, or to acquire a loan for a new business venture, I’m going to share with you some simple and powerful tips that can increase your FICO score to obtain your financial goals. Before you endeavor to take advantage of the tips listed below, be sure to obtain your credit report and scores. A few websites to consider are: www.creditkarma.com, www.annualcreditreport.com, and myfico.com. 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Credit Score Correct All Errors. Errors 1 can be found in 80% of all credit reports. It is your duty to review your report and check for errors. By law, you have the right to challenge any error that is on your report. If your dispute proves to be true, then the law requires the bureaus remove the error, which in turn will increase your score. For a free credit consultation and more information about how to restore your credit A PLUS CREDIT REPAIR SOLUTIONS 800-839-0848 Pay Your Bills On Time. Most people know this, but have no clue how serious this first point 2 is, so let me give you an example. Let’s say your credit score was a 700 and you had a mortgage or credit card that you were paying on successfully for 10 years without ever being late. But one month you just so happen to miss a payment because of some hardship. I can guarantee that your score of 700 would have dropped by 50-70 points because of that one missed 30-day payment. Now imagine what would happen if you missed two or more payments? Enough said. Make the intended effort to pay your bills on time in 2014! Keep all balances low. Whether you have remaining balances on your store cards, credit cards, and/or installment loans, your goal should always be to 3 pay them off to zero. You may have heard that keeping a low balance on your credit cards have a positive effect, but I would challenge that and say no, not at all. The less debt you are carrying, the higher your credit score will prove to be. So if you have a card with a zero balance, surely that’s better than having a card with a 10% balance remaining. NOTE: 30% percent of your score is the amount owed on all cards and accounts. Types of credit in use. The types of accounts you have established determines 15% of your credit score on your report. What I mean by types 4 of credit in use is simply a diversity of accounts. You will have to establish an installment account, such as a car loan, or a borrowed loan from a banking institution while managing several credit cards (two or three credit cards, at least two). As you pay on these accounts over time, without being late, your scores will gradually increase. Don’t ever close existing accounts. You should never look to close out existing accounts, especially if you had a very positive history with the creditor. 5 Closing out your existing accounts because you are no longer using them could impact your score negatively. I highly recommend keeping those cards open. Another reason for keeping the cards open and active is simply due to the history behind the cards. The longer the history behind the card, the more positive effect the account will have on your score. In conclusion, if you follow these 5 simple and powerful steps, you will almost immediately see an increase in your overall FICO score. Some would have you think that fixing your credit score is next to impossible, but I would say it’s simply a matter of taking the initiative to follow the guidelines above and maintain a consistent and good history for all established accounts. After all, you were created to “be the lender, not the borrower”. Winter 2017 Optimal Living 5
Page 1 and 2: Winter 2017 FIT, FABULOUS, FULL OF
Page 3: Winter 2017 Tanisha Hopson Publishe
Page 8 and 9: What Healthy Sisters Do To Stay Fit
Page 10 and 11: Intentionally Loving Myself The Wei
Page 12 and 13: 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our G
Page 14 and 15: A Time of Intercession Father God i

Optimal Living Magazine Fit, Fabulous & Full of Faith Issue

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