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18 Mar 2013

Wayne Homes Review – 8 Reasons I Chose Them

Well we are into the 7th and final part to this series and in this article I’m going to finish up with a review of the builder who I used to build my house, Wayne Homes. As part of my Wayne Homes Review I’m going to cover the 8 reasons I chose this company to build my house.

Wayne Homes definitely deserves a lot of credit for the job they did with my house, and if you’ve been following my series on building a new house you may have noticed some of the great things I liked about the building process. In fact Wayne Homes has been building houses for 40 years and won the National Housing Quality Award in 2010 and now again in 2013 for the outstanding quality they give to their customers, and I totally have to agree. I’ve never come across a builder quite like this one.

So before you consider another builder here are the reasons I chose Wayne Homes.

The Website

The first thing I like was the website. After being referred by my brother to check out Wayne Homes the first thing I did was check out their website to learn more. One thing that amazed me about their site was how much detail they covered on the house plans, in fact I could even see how much the basic cost would be.

On top of that I could even customize floor plans, do a virtual tour, see how their process works, and even talk to a live person via a chat session. In fact this is exactly what I did when I was getting started.

Great Floor Plans

The second thing that I liked so much about this company was the fact that they had so many floor plans to choose from. One of our big stipulations up front was that we wanted four bedrooms in the house with three of them upstairs and the master bedroom downstairs. The great part about Wayne Homes was that they took a lot of the design work out of the house for us.

For example we chose the Cumberland house design through Wayne Homes and it had almost everything we were looking for. On top of that we could customize it literally any way we wanted, and still the house we wanted.

Fast

The second thing I found so great about building with Wayne Homes was how fast they moved. From the day they started till the day they finished it took only three months for them to finish my house. That’s moving. I compared a few other houses in my area that started at the same time and all of them are still not even close to being done.

What made the process go so much faster is the fact that they had a well defined system in place along with individual crews hired to complete each task. For example, one crew would take care of the cement work, while another crew would frame the house, another crew would hang the drywall, speeding up the entire process. So if you don’t want your house to take 6 months to build Wayne Homes is the place to go.

Price Friendly

Probably the biggest stipulation with building that I had was the cost to build and Wayne Homes came through in fine fashion with us. We had a budget and they worked with us keep to it and not go over. In fact, Wayne Homes even gave us a $14,000 discount, which I will have to say if it weren’t for that discount we probably would not have been able to build.

On top that they also had a price for everything, and not just a round about number but an exact price. I remember when we were going through the design process and we decided to add an extra 6 feet on to the garage and they had a price for me right away. Finally, once my plans were finalized they even gave us a binder that broke down every singe cost involved and told us everything we were going to get so their would be no surprises.

Warranty

Fourth on my list is the Warranties they give you. When you’re building a new house one of my concerns was what do I do I have problems with the foundation, or the roof, or the siding. Is the builder going to stand by their work and fix it or are they going to say tough luck.

The great part about Wayne Homes is that they have a 10 year structural warranty and a 2 year fit and finish warranty. So if I do have problems with my house all I have to do is give them a call and it’s going to get taken care of.

Easy To Work With

Another thing I found very helpful during the building process was the fact that they were so easy to work with. From the lot manager to the sales reps at there Bowling Green Office they made the process so easy for me. If I had a question or an issue with something they were always their to help me out.

I remember in one case were I was having trouble getting the gas company to come out to install the natural gas lines and my lot manager ( Teric ) called them for me. Whenever I had a problem all I had to do was just give him a call and in some case text him and their were no questions asked, he took care of it. Looking back on that I don’t know how I could have got things done without his help.

Open Houses

One thing I know I was curios about was the quality of the houses they built. One thing I noticed about a lot of builders was the fact that their is no way to see the quality of their work. However with Wayne Homes they do open houses which allowed me check out a house while it was in the building process, to see exactly what goes into building a house.

On top of that they also had three show models located at there Bowling Green location, which also made it nice to see the kind of craftsmanship was going into these houses, and it was amazing.

Kept Things Clean

One thing that I didn’t realize they did was clean the house. Once everything is done they actually have a group of cleaners come in and clean almost everything from the carpet, to washing the windows. I have yet to meet another builder who does this and puts this level of effort into their houses.

On top of that while they are building the house each crew that comes in cleans up the mess they made before they leave. In fact Wayne Homes brings in a large dumpster to throw all the scrap and junk into.

Easy To Follow Process

Finally, the last reason I chose Wayne Homes is because they have a very simple process they follow. In fact, when you’re first getting started Wayne Homes gives you a complete binder that covers ever last step you have to go through, so your’e never left guessing what’s going on next.

This also goes with the payment process as well. Once the construction loan was closed we only had to make 5 installment payments while they were building the house. In fact, they would even send me a notification when the next payment was due and how much it was going to be. In the end this took a lot of the guess work out of the process and made my life a lot simpler.

Getting Started…

As I wrap up my review on Wayne Homes you might be wonder if this is still for you, and where do I get started. So here is a small list of steps to help you out.

Check Out The Website. First off, check out their website and start picking out plans that you like. Call or chat with them and ask any questions that you might have.

Stop In. Second, schedule an appointment with them to see a model center. This is the best way to see what kind of craftsmanship they put into their homes.

Put A Plan Together. Finally, while your their have them put a plan together for you. On top of that you can also have them price things out and see what kind of cost will be involved.

Wayne Homes is located and has several Model Centers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia. To learn more you check out a list of their locations here.

Categories: Real Estate, Reviews

31 May 2012

Identity Guard Total Protection Review

By Christopher Leave a Comment

If you’re considering enrolling in an identity protection service, the Identity Guard Total Protection review will show you why their program is well worth considering. This program is an industry leader in the area of identity theft protection.

There are already lots of Identity Guard reviews online, but I thought I would throw my hat into the ring as I found many of those reviews (like many identity theft protection reviews) to be unsatisfactory.

Who is Intersections Inc.?

Intersections Inc. is the company behind Identity Guard. They are one of the leading providers of identity risk management services for both individuals and corporations. They were founded in 1996 and have helped over 34 million different consumers.

Identity Guard focuses on protecting individuals from identity theft. They have received an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau. That is the BBB’s highest rating, which they received due to the length of time they’ve been operating (over a decade) and due to the low number of customer complaints, and their dedication to resolving any complaints they do receive.

What is Identity Guard Total Protection?

Identity Guard boast that their Total Protection service is the most comprehensive identity theft protection product on the market today. And I think they might well be right, although they have a serious competitor with LifeLock.

Identity Guard Total Protection is a subscription service that you pay for either monthly or yearly. While you are a member, Identity Guard automatically starts monitoring for suspicious activity, and provide various solutions to protect your information from criminals.

Who is Identity Guard For?

Like other identity theft protection companies, Identity Guard is designed for a wide range of people:

• Victims of Identity Theft – If you’ve already been a victim of identity theft, then you will not want to repeat the experience. Identity Guard can give you the peace of mind that if criminals decide to assume your identity a second time, you’re fully protected.
• Vulnerable People – The elderly are often targeted by identity thieves. If you’re worried about a relative or a close friend, Identity Guard can ensure that they are protected.
• Children – Identity Guard’s latest innovation is kID Sure, which is specially designed to protect your children from identity theft. Identity thieves have no morals concerning who they target, and child identity theft is a growing phenomena.
• Anyone! – The fact is that anyone can be a victim of identity theft due to no fault of their own. The damage to your credit rating can create long-term problems, and you may want comprehensive protection

What Does Identity Guard Promise?

Identity Guard’s Total Protection program provide a wide array of different features – to list them all is beyond the scope of this review. There are, however, a few stand out features that differentiate Identity Guard from many of its competitors:

• PC Protection – With Total Protection, Identity Guard provide a full suite of PC software to protect you from viruses and snooping hackers. This includes anti-virus and anti-malware, ensuring you’re not the victim of a keylogger. They also provide their ID Vault software, which saves and encrypts your usernames, passwords, and credit card information.
• Personal ID Risk Assessment – Upon enrolling for Identity Guard Total Protection, they will use pattern recognition technology to analyze your vulnerability to identity theft.
• $1 Million ID Theft Insurance – Like LifeLock, they offer insurance to protect you from loses and help resolve any problems that occur while you’re enrolled in their program.
• Three-Bureau Monitoring and Protection – Closely monitoring your credit report ratings is central to any type of identity theft protection. Identity Guard handle all the hassle of contacting the three credit bureaus and obtaining your credit reports for you. They let you see your updated credit reports ever quarter, which is much better than the annual credit reports that most other identity theft protection programs provide.
• Identity Theft Assistance Center – Should the worst happen and you become a victim of identity theft while enrolled in the program, Identity Guard provide dedicated recovery assistants, and their Identity Theft Assistance Center will guide you through what you need to do to restore your identity.
• Credit Analyzer – The Credit Analyzer allows you to see what effect certain actions (like missing a payment) will have on your credit rating. You may be surprised what effect some actions can have on your credit rating.

Why Go for Total Protection?

Identity Guard provides an array of different solutions, ranging from Basic Protection to Total Protection. This is an Identity Guard Total Protection review. Of all the solutions on offer from Identity Guard, it is the one I recommend.

The problem with their other solutions is one of completeness. To form a robust defence of your identity, you want your protection to be as comprehensive as possible.

Identity Guard’s Total Protection service offers enhanced identity theft protection that some of Identity Guard’s cheaper solutions don’t.

Perhaps most significant addition in the Total Protection program is the computer protection. While many of us use our computer for things like online banking and shopping, not all of us are computer wizards. Often, when a computer is compromised by identity thieves, it isn’t obvious to an average computer user that their computer is logging their every key stroke. Few identity theft protection companies offer protection against this sort of identity theft.

Does it Do What it Promises?

Identity Guard Total Protection has been rated “Best in Class” by both PC World in 2008 and Javelin Strategy & Research in 2009.

Consumer reviews for Total Protection have mostly been highly positive – in fact, it is often described as the most complete identity theft protection available. So while no identity theft protection service can guarantee that you’ll never become a victim of identity theft, you do have the peace of mind that the risk is substantially reduced. And further more, if you do become a victim, you have the support you need to deal with the problem promptly.

TopTenReviews.com gave Total Protection four and a half stars out of four, and says that “It is still a good value for identity theft protection alone, not to mention that it is a tremendous value considering the additional Internet security they provide for free for as long as you remain a subscribing member. A big selling point for identity theft protection service is their superior customer satisfaction and great company reputation.”

Are There any Disadvantages?

There are some minor absences in the Total Protection program:

• Do Not Call Registry – Although its easy enough to do yourself, Identity Guard don’t automatically sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry.
• 24/7 Support – While the 8am-11pm Mon-Fri and 9am-6pm Sat support is good, it would be nice if Identity Guard offered 24/7 live support.
• Family Plan – While it is possible to sign up your child for identity theft protection thanks to the introduction of Identity Guard’s kID Sure program (for which they charge an additional $4.99 per month per child), it would be nice to have the option to sign up your entire family and have access to all information from one account to make things simpler.

How Much Does Identity Guard Total Protection Cost?

The program costs $17.99 per month. There is a two week trial offer available for those who want identity theft protection but are unsure whether this program is the one for them.

So sign up today and get the Identity Guard Total Protection Plan and get 2 weeks FREE.

Chris H.

13 May 2012

LifeLock Ultimate Identity Theft Protection Service Review

By Christopher Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for protection against identity theft, whether for yourself or someone close to you, LifeLock’s Ultimate Identity Theft Protection Service may be what you are looking for. In this LifeLock Ultimate review, I will explain what the service offers so you can make an informed decision as to whether it is the solution you are looking for. In fact when you sign up now you can get a 30-Day Free Trial + 10% Off Your Final Purchase of LifeLock ULTIMATE

In a nutshell, LifeLock Ultimate provides a comprehensive service to both protect and keep tabs on your identity. This makes it harder for identity thieves to steal your identity, and means that you will be alerted if any suspicious activity takes place. LifeLock ensure that you are aware of what is going on and provide support so you can take swift action if you have been targeted by criminals.

Who Is LifeLock Inc?

LifeLock Inc. are an US company that specialize in identity theft protection. They were founded in 2005. Since then, they’ve established themselves as an industry leader in identity theft protection.

They’ve won numerous business awards, such as the 2010 Communitas Leadership Winner for Law Enforcement Training Program. This is down to the company’s focus on working with law enforcement agencies and elected officials. They also work to educate consumers on identity theft, both in terms of the threat it poses and how consumers can protect themselves.

What is LifeLock Ultimate?

LifeLock Ultimate is a protection program for which you pay a monthly fee. It is one of the most comprehensive identity theft protection services available, if not the best outright.

While enrolled, LifeLock provide an array of services to both protect you from identity theft, and to spot suspicious activity so you can take preventative measures. They also provide support so if you are the victim of identity theft, they can tell you the appropriate steps to take.

Who is LifeLock Identity Theft Protection For?

This program is suitable for a wide range of different people:

You have already been a victim of identity theft – If you’ve been a victim once already, then it is more likely that criminals will try to use your information again. If this is the case with you, LifeLock Ultimate can protect you from recurring identity theft.

If criminals already have your details – Perhaps criminals already have your details, due to, for example, robbing your home or through hacking a computer you use for online banking. Enrolling in this program can help make identity theft more difficult for criminals, even if they already have your details. And if the worst does happen, then LifeLock will make sure you’re aware that it is happening sooner rather than later.

You are a target for identity thieves – If you are affluent or you just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, identity thieves may target you specifically. If you have a lot to lose, and don’t have the time to address the threat of identity theft yourself, then enrolling in the LifeLock Ultimate can prevent any problem before it occurs.

A vulnerable family member or friend – Identity thieves have a wide range of ways to extract confidential information, and vulnerable people (such as an elderly relative) can be much more susceptible to such tactics. Enrolling them in LifeLock Ultimate will mean you can rest easy on their account.

You want plain-and-simple protection – More than anything else, as you’ll see in the rest of this LifeLock Ultimate review, the program is about providing peace of mind concerning identity theft. Indeed, some businesses are now providing identity theft protection for all their employees. Being the victim of identity theft isn’t a pleasant experience.

What does LifeLock Ultimate Promise?

LifeLock automatically order credit reports on your behalf from all three credit bureaus. LifeLock also tells the credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on your reports. These usually last 90 days, but LifeLock ensure the fraud alert is in place for as long as you are enrolled to their program.

They also issue alerts to you personally if suspicious activity occurs that involves your identity. Their TrueAddress service alert you if someone has tried to change your address, a common tactic of identity thieves. Their eRecon service searches the Internet, specifically looking at criminal websites, to see whether your confidential information has been leaked online.

LifeLock can even help you if your wallet has been lost or stolen with their WalletLock service. They help you both cancel and replace your credit cards, your driver’s license, your social security card, and so on.

If that wasn’t enough, LifeLock also offer great support. I’ve personally contacted LifeLock support staff on two occasions, and in both instances I had a representative on the phone within five minutes.

Why Ultimate?

LifeLock offer two programs for protection: LifeLock and LifeLock ULTIMATE. This is a LifeLock Ultimate review, and you may ask yourself “Why spend the extra on the Ultimate program?”

Simply put, the Ultimate program offers more comprehensive protection than LifeLock’s basic program. The monitoring is more intensive, including daily monitoring of all credit bureau reports and payday loan monitoring, amongst other enhancements.

I believe that if you’re looking for identity theft protection, it is better to nip the problem in the bud once and for all. The Ultimate program can allow you to do that, so if a thief specifically targets you, they will soon give up and move to a less protected target. That means they’ll leave you alone and your life can return to normality.

Do it for Yourself?

Some of actions LifeLock take on your behalf as part of their Ultimate program, you could do for yourself for free. For example, you can obtain your credit reports from the three credit bureaus without the assistance of LifeLock or anyone else.

I mention this because some people may prefer to learn about identity theft and save their money.

That said, doing it for yourself can be confusing for the uninitiated, and it does come at the cost of your spare time. It’s also likely that doing it yourself will also not provide as strong a defense against identity thieves. The main difference is the speed with which LifeLock can alert you of any problems and collect relevant information like your credit reports.

LifeLock specialize in taking these steps for others, so you can be confident that they’re done correctly, rather than fumbling around in the dark yourself.

Does it Do What it Promises?

LifeLock has a $1 million guarantee. This means that if you are a victim of identity theft while enrolled in the LifeLock ULTIMATE program, LifeLock say “If you need lawyers, we’re going to hire the best we can find. If you need investigators, accountants, case managers, whatever, they’re yours. If you lose money as a result of the theft, we’re going to give it back to you. […] We will do whatever it takes to help you recover your good name and we will spend up to $1,000,000 to do it.”

This guarantee suggests that LifeLock believe that they’re more than capable of keeping the promises they make. If they didn’t, one would expect them to quickly go out of business.

The consensus amongst many consumer reviews of the LifeLock services backs this up.

As one example, TopConsumerReviews.com gave LifeLock’s program five stars, the highest they’ve awarded out of all their identity theft protection reviews.

In their review, they said “if you are concerned about identity theft, LifeLock will put your mind at ease. By taking the steps necessary to protect your identity, LifeLock provides a strong defense against identity thieves.”

Are There any Disadvantages?

Since LifeLock Ultimate places a fraud alerts on your credit reports, that makes credit approval more complicated. This is obviously a benefit if someone is trying to assume your identity, but it is an obvious drawback when you yourself want to apply for credit.

This negative is the price you pay for extra security from identity thieves. If this becomes a serious issue for you, you can ask LifeLock to not update your fraud alert.

Another point worth mentioning is that approving many new cards through LifeLock could become annoying. I recently signed up for a Marathon Gas card, it was simple enough to approve it with LifeLock – I simply logged in and accepted it – but it could become time consuming if you have to approve many cards at once.

Customer Testimonials

Below are what several different customers thought of LifeLock’s services.

We looked at a number of companies and found LifeLock had the best product for protecting people from ID theft plus much more. I wish we had found them before my wife and I recently became victims.
Bobby Joe Harris – Retired Police Chief

As the owner of a small business my employees are an extension of my family. I looked into LifeLock and immediately paid to sign everyone up. I just couldn’t live with myself if one of my employees had to deal with the problems of ID Theft and I could have prevented it with LifeLock.
Brian Tritch – President of Applied Creative

Thieves broke into my home and got everything – my passport, birth certificate, social security card, and several other priceless items. They could have ruined me financially. I had heard about how LifeLock guarantees identity protection. So I put them to the test. A few days later, I started getting phone calls that the thieves were trying to open new credit accounts using my identity. LifeLock’s system worked just like they said it would and stopped the thieves early.
Aaron Freeman – Scottsdale, Arizona

How Much Does LifeLock Ultimate Cost?

The standard price to enroll in LifeLock Ultimate is either monthly payments of $25, or for a single yearly payment of $275.

However, you can get a 30-Day Free Trial + 10% Off Your Final Purchase of LifeLock ULTIMATE when you sign up now.

Categories: Reviews Tags: identity theft program, lifelock ultimate, lifelock.com, review, reviews

01 Feb 2012

ING DIRECT High Interest Saving Account Review

By Christopher 1 Comment

This product is no longer available.
Product: ING Direct High Interest Savings Account.

If you’ve been around for any amount of time you may have seen me promoting the ING Direct High Interest Savings Account. To put it honestly I love this program because it has so much to offer, in fact I don’t like to recommend any product unless I use it myself. So in this article I’m going to share my thoughts about this product, some of its pitfalls, and in the end of the article I’m going to walk you through a step by step process of how to set up an ING Direct Savings Account to give you a detailed idea of how simple it really is to open an account.

What I Like

When it comes down to it their are a lot of things I could cover here that I like about this program. However, to keep it short I will keep it down to the top few.

High Interest Rate. What it all comes down to in my opinion with this account is that it gives an incredible rate of return. At the time of this writing it’s currently around 0.80%. No I know that don’t sound like much but when I consider the rates on saving accounts at my local banks they are only doing 0.15%. My local bank can’t even compete on this kind of level.

No Minimums. On top of that their is no minimum deposit required. This is a problem I see with almost any other bank. In fact, I recently went to my local bank to see what their best CD rates were doing and in order to get their top rate of 2%, I had to invest $10,00o over a period a 5 years were I would not be able to touch the funds.

No Fees. Finally, you don’t have to worry about any fees with this program. In fact, I scanned my account through and through and could not find one fee. Hows that for honest service.

Concerns And Issues

Now any review of a product wouldn’t be right without at least mentioning some of the concerns and issues that I didn’t like about this account. So here are a few that I had.

Delays To Transfer Funds. First off, one thing I found out quickly in the beginning was that their is a delay to receive funds from your account. In fact, it will typically take 3 business days in order to transfer money from your ING Direct High Yield Savings Account. What’s more once you open the account you will not be able to pull any of the money out for the first 10 days the account is open. However when I did some research I found that this was a security measure that was put in place because of a special banking law.

Interest Rates Are Variable. Second, I also found out that the interest rate can change at any one point and time. In fact, since opening an account I’ve seen my ING Direct Saving Account rate drop from 1% to 0.80%. However, when you look at the big picture it’s still a far better rate, but just know that it can change at any time.

Can Only Link To Your Checking Account. That’s right, in order to open the account, fund it, and transfer money you can only link your checking account. This means you can’t link any other type of account to your ING Direct Orange Savings Account. However, on a lighter note you can link as many as 3 checking accounts to one ING Savings Account.

Who Should Have This Account

When it comes down to it this account would not be a great account to have for day to day use, however I’ve found the ING Direct Savings Account to be a great fit for those looking to build up an emergency fund. In fact, this is exactly what I use my account for. With the long wait periods of 3 business days I’m not tempted to spend the money. In fact, if you check out my 8 Step Debt Plan you will see that I recommend this as the perfect tool save for an emergency fund.

However, I’ve also found this as a great tool to also save for vacations, and Christmas as well. When it comes down to it this is the best way to save money because I’ve found that an out of sight out of mind approach with the ING Direct Hight Interest Savings Account has helped me save far more as a result.

How To Open An ING Direct High Interest Savings Account

Now that I’ve covered the up’s and down’s and who would make a great fit for this type of savings account I’m going to show you how easy it is to open one of these accounts. The first thing you need to do is sign up for the ING DIRECT USA – High Yield Savings with the Orange Savings Account℠. by clicking here. Once there you should see a page that looks like the one below.

New or Existing User. Once on this page click the Continue Button to get started. From here you will go to a page that will ask you if you are new or current member. For simplicity I’ll assume you are a new member so click on the button I Am New To ING DIRECT. The page should look something like the picture below.

Account Type. From here you will be brought to the application page were you will need to sign up for the account. This page is broken down into 3 sections. In the first section you will need to determine the type of account you want to open. You have the choices between a regular ING Direct Savings Account, a joint account, a living trust account, or a living trust joint account. I suggest the regular account unless you want to add your spouse to the account. The page should look something like the page below.

Primary Application. Once this section is completed move on down the page and fill out the necessary account info. The account form will look something like the one below.

Security Question. Once you have your basic info in place move down to the final section on this page which will ask you to fill out a security question. Fill this out and click continue, but don’t forget to write down the answer to the security question because you will be asked this in certain occasions.

Create Your PIN Number. Now that we have the application complete the next step is to create a PIN number to access the account. To do this type the number and then do it a second time on the keypad aside of the first one. This will verify your PIN number. Then click submit.

Disclosure Notices. Next you need to click both check boxes to approve the disclosures put in place by ING Direct. These discloses basically inform you that they will email your account statement each month. Once done click continue.

Funding Info. From here you will need fill out the proper funding info and click continue. You can also set up your account as an automatic saving plan to make withdrawals from your checking account an a monthly basis if you prefer.

Confirm Your Account. At this point once you’ve added your funding detail simply review you account info over and your done. From here you will need to confirm your checking account within 60 days. What will happen is ING Direct will send 2 small amounts of money to your account. For example in my case they sent me a small deposit of 5 cents and 2 cents. For there you will have to report these 2 numbers to ING in order to confirm the account. Once this is done your account will be ready to go.

Call To Action

As a final thought the ING Direct High Interest Savings Account is a great way to save for your future even when you consider the few concerns I’ve talked about. On top of that you can even manage this simple account right from your iphone if you want. So what are you waiting for sign up for a ING DIRECT USA – High Yield Savings with the Orange Savings Account℠.

Do you have an ING Direct Savings Account? Feel free to share your thoughts, comments, tips, and questions below.

Cheers!

Categories: Reviews

18 Jul 2011

DebtGoal.com Review: An Online Do It Yourself Debt Relief Program

By Christopher 3 Comments

A few years ago I was talking to a friend of mine who want to get out of debt. They had a sufficient cash flow however it seemed that they were slowly falling deeper and deeper into debt with no way to stop it. The problem was that they didn’t have a viable way to organize their debt and pay off without continually going in circles. This is when I told them about DebtGoal. In fact, DebtGoal gets you out of debt faster. Start your FREE 7-day trial today!

In this review I’m going to show you exactly how this program works, what I like about it so much, what I don’t like, and finally who this program will suit the best. Are you ready to get started?

How DebtGoal.com Works

First off, DebtGoal is not a debt negotiation company. Instead they are a do it yourself debt relief program that allows you to pay off your debt on your terms. In fact the chart below show exactly why they are different from a debt settlement company.

To get started with DebtGoal all you have to is sign up for your free 7 day trial. Once your signed up into the program you’ll need to add all of your debts by linking your accounts directly into the program. The great part about doing this is you’ll be able to see how much debt you owe in real time, how much interest you owe, and even when your debt payoff date is.

In the picture below shows how your account would look with all of your debts added into the program.

Once all of your debts have been added you can now choose the type of plan you want to use to pay off your debt. With DebtGoal they have 3 different plans to choose from. They are as listed.

Debt Stacking. This plan works by paying of your highest interest debt first.
Debt Snowball. This plan works by paying off your lowest balance debts first.
Custom Plan. With this option you order your debts in the specific order you wish pay your debt off in.

Below is a picture of the different plan you can choose from.

After you’ve decided on which plan you need to start your Smart Pay Plan. This is a plan were you decide how much you plan to pay extra towards the program each month. For example, in the picture below if you would make a total payment each month of $2500 to the program you would be out of debt by December 2025.

However if you would add $500 more a month to your program you would be out of debt nearly 5 years sooner. However with the DebtGoal program it allows you enter in your own debt free date and it will automatically show you home much you need to pay each month.

Finally, once you’ve added your debts, chosen a plan, and determined how much money you wish to pay towards each debt you can now track the progress. In fact DebtGoal will send email reminders and show you exactly how much you should pay off towards each debt as you progress through the program.

What I like About Debt Goal

The first thing I like about DebtGoal is that it also shows you different ways to accelerate the debt process and get you out of debt faster. For example in the picture below debt can even show you how to negotiate you credit card debt so you won’t have pay as much.

The next thing I like so much about this program is that it keeps everything right in front of you. On top of that once the plan is set up it basically runs itself, all you have to do is make the payments exactly as the program request. So if your someone who hates to manage things this program would be a prefect fit for you.

Finally, the last thing I like about this program so much is that it keep you in control throughout the entire process. So if you want to change your plan at any point you can. With debt negotiation companies, credit counseling, and bankruptcy you have to follow the plan that is laid out by a third party company.

What I Don’t Like

Now as great as this program is their are still a few downsides. I also felt that no review is a good review unless I cover a few of the negatives. First off, one thing I don’t like about this program is that it’s not free, however their is a 7 day free trial period and you can also quit the program at any time. On top of that the program cost around $12 a month, but when you consider the thousands this program will save you in interest payments, paying a small $12 fee might not be so bad after all.

The second issue I found with this program is that I noticed is they didn’t have an App. Don’t get me wrong the DebtGoal program is very good but I feel it would be great if they would offer some sort of App so you could check your debt progress on the go. However I’m certain over time that this will eventually happen and for now you can get updates via emai.

Is Debt Goal For You

Now that we know how the program works, what I like about the program so much, and a few things I don’t like, you might be wondering is this program really a good fit for me? If you can answer YES to the following questions this program might just be for you.

Do you want to get out of debt yourself but just don’t know how to do it?
Do you have several debts to but need a way to manage them?
Do you want to save on paying to much in interest on your debts?
Do you want to get out of debt in the near future and not a century from now?

I you answered Yes to all of these questions your in the right place.

To get started Enter your credit card issuer and your balance to see how much you could save by negotiating a lower APR.

Update: DebtGoal.com is now SavvyMoney, and even though the name has changed it still offers the same great benefits so check them out now.

Categories: Reviews Tags: Debt Goal, DebtGoal, DebtGoal reviews, DebtGoal.com