Village Tip: 8 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

The 5th principle of our Declaration of Financial Empowerment pledges us to to engage in sound budget, credit and tax management practices. Dr. Boyce Watkins shared some sound tips with his blog readers about improving our credit scores. I thought that villagers would find these tips of interest as well.

People always want to improve their credit score, not only because a good credit score will help them have a cheaper interest rate when they borrowing money, but also because a good credit score will help their lives much easier. But if you forget to pay several bills on time or did something hurt your credit, what you can do to repair the damage? The following is some tips for improve your credit score.

1. Always pay your bills on time, but if you missed the deadline, get current and stay current.
2. If you have problem making the ends meet, you should get in touch with your creditors to help you with managing your credit and pay bills on time.
3. Pay off debt rather than moving it around.
4. Don’t close unused credit cards as short-term strategy to raise your score.
5. Don’t open numbers of new credit cards that you don’t need just for increase your available credit, apply for and open new credit card only as needs.
6. Don’t close paid-off, old accounts.
7. Keep balances low on credit cards.
8. Re-establish your credit history if you have had problems.

Source #1; Source#2; Source #3;

My credit score has taken a beating over the past few years. I plan to use these commonsense tips to improve it. It is never too late to do the right thing!  What say u about credit cards, credit practices or credit scores?

Troy Davis Scheduled for Execution on September 21st

We are very sad to learn that the state of Georgia plans to execute Troy Davis on September 21st. Most villagers know that Troy Davis has been on death row in the state of Georgia since 1991. He was convicted on August 19, 1989 of the murder of Georgia police officer, Mark MacPhail.

On August 24, 2010, the conviction was upheld, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia declaring, “Davis is not innocent.” The judge did not say that Davis is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, implying that the standard for exoneration had been lifted unreasonably high.

The Supreme Court refused to hear his final appeal -- even though many of us feel that Troy Davis is innocent of all charges.

Georgia's Board of Pardons & Paroles will hold a final clemency hearing in the next week or so -- a final chance to prevent the execution of Troy Davis. The Board of Pardons claims that the execution would only take place if there is “no doubt” about the guilt of the man they are killing.

Many villagers think that there is 'plenty of doubt':

1. Of the nine original witnesses in the case, seven have either recanted or contradicted their original stories. One witness said in a CNN news interview "If I knew then, what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row."
2. Of the two witnesses who have not recanted, one of them (Sylvester Coles) was a suspect in the murder. A witness even claimed that Coles bragged at a party about having killed an off-duty police officer.
3. Nine individuals have signed affidavits indicting that the murder was committed by Sylvester Coles

Troy Davis survived three previous execution dates .... but, in order to do so again it will take action by all of us. Here are some ways that you can help.

1. Request clemency from the Board of Pardons
2. Sign Amnesty International petition to the Board of Pardons
3. Sign Your Black World petition to the Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and President Barack Obama
4. Organize locally for Troy. Sign up now to rally in the coming days to stop the execution of Troy Davis.
5. Tell everyone you know! Spread the word about this injustice on Twitter by using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt. Be sure to tell your Facebook friends as well.
   

Please take action to help us save the life of Troy Davis.