CMA FINANCIAL BRIEFS: Cómo eliminar las deudas de la tarjeta de crédito! Be Prepared this nbenefits enrollment season

This October, employees across the country are preparing to modify their current benefit selections or enroll in a benefits program offered by the companies for which they work.

Benefits packages vary from one company to the next. What we are most familiar with are health benefits – which can help employees cover the cost of medical insurance – 401(k) savings plans and life insurance programs.

Suzanne Spisak, Benefits Director at Comerica Bank, advises the importance of carefully reading your company’s offerings to understand what is new and determine your selections based on any life changes you may have experienced or are planning in the upcoming year.

“Paying attention during your company’s open enrollment period can be one of the best decisions you make all year regarding your budget and your well being,” says Spisak. “But be sure to evaluate all your options. As things shift – sometimes unexpectedly – from one year to the next, you should assess your benefits to ensure you and your family are covered.”

Spisak offers the following tips as you prepare for benefits enrollment:

Review all benefits. The recent economy may mean that a spouse has lost his or her job, and the employed spouse has to shift his or her benefits package to accommodate the other’s needs. Some individuals may be planning to start a family or looking forward to retirement and need to adjust their plans accordingly.

“Remember these are financial decisions – in addition to being decisions about your overall welfare – so just as with anything else, you need to work your benefits plans into your family budget and goals,” says Spisak.

Ensure proper coverage for your children. For those with children, it’s a good idea to examine how your company’s health insurance plan covers them. They may only be eligible up until age 18, or they might just receive coverage until completing their college career. If your son or daughter is about to graduate, you may have to find alternative means to provide health insurance until they find a job.

Research flexible spending plans. Another good benefit to consider is the flexible spending plan. Individuals unfamiliar with flex spending may be pleased to learn that it is an account consisting of money contributed on a pre-tax basis through payroll deduction. These funds can be used to pay for day-care services – for children up to age 13 – prescriptions and other health care expenses. You’re reimbursing yourself with this plan, because users anticipate future out-of-pocket expenses and reimburse themselves from the money they have set aside.

“Flex-spending users should be conservative with the amount they set aside. At the end of the year, the funds are not rolled over into the next,” explains Spisak. “As part of your benefits planning, go through your prescriptions, anticipated doctor visits and other medical-related spending to determine how much you want to contribute to this type of account.”

Life insurance planning. If you’re not enrolled in a life insurance plan, open enrollment is a good time to start. And, even though it seems daunting, individuals should review their life insurance needs and decide who they want to be their life insurance beneficiary.

Spisak also encourages everyone to attend benefits informational sessions offered by their company and to read through their benefits materials. If you are enrolling through an online system, make sure you know your username and password, so that you can make elections when you are ready. Lastly, mark the open enrollment dates on your calendar and don’t wait until the last minute to plan.

Source: Comerica Bank

For more information, please contact Kyle Tarrance at ktarrance@allynmedia.com or 214.871.7723.

SPANISH:

Dado el actual clima económico, es muy fácil recurrir a las tarjetas de crédito para pagar las necesidades diarias ante la falta de dinero en efectivo. No lo haga. Los estudios muestran que el monto promedio de la deuda de la tarjeta de crédito por hogar subió un 25% desde el año 2000. Una de las mejores formas de estimular la puntuación de su crédito es comenzar a reducir la deuda de su tarjeta de crédito.

“La deuda de la tarjeta de crédito es muy fácil de acumular y puede ser muy difícil de eliminar”, indica Ariel López, gerente de un centro bancario de Comerica Bank. “Antes de cargar cualquier cosa, asegúrese de tener los fondos para pagar. Establecer un presupuesto y eliminar la cantidad de tarjetas de crédito que se tiene es una excelente forma de evitar mayores deudas”.

Para evitar la deuda se requiere una planificación. Los siguientes consejos le ayudarán a evitar tener problemas con sus tarjetas de crédito. Si ya tiene una deuda, estos consejos también pueden ayudarle a revertir el problema:

Haga un presupuesto. Antes de hacer o cargar algún gasto, necesita saber cuáles son sus gastos fijos mensuales. Después de calcular su costo de vida (alquiler/hipoteca, alimentos, facturas), evalúe cuándo le queda. Pagar cada mes el saldo de todas sus tarjetas debería ser su objetivo. Si no tiene dinero en su presupuesto, no siga gastando. Una clara señal de que está en problemas con el manejo de sus tarjetas de crédito es si únicamente puede pagar el monto mínimo cada mes.

Solamente tenga una o dos tarjetas. Es un concepto bastante simple: mientras menos tarjetas tenga, menos problemas tendrá. Es más fácil controlar sus gastos con una o dos tarjetas, que con cinco o diez. Si cuenta con muchas tarjetas, páguelas de una a una. No transfiera los saldos de las tarjetas entre sí; esto aumentará las tasas de interés y se reflejará de mala manera en su informe crediticio.

Compre solamente lo que puede pagar. Si no tiene dinero para respaldar una compra, no la haga. Las tarjetas de crédito no son mini préstamos. Esto nos lleva de regreso al presupuesto. Si desea comprar algo que no es esencial, ahorre para comprarlo. No lo cargue a su tarjeta ni acumule deudas o intereses correspondientes. Si se encuentra en una situación de emergencia, como un problema de salud o una reparación de emergencia de la casa o el automóvil, cargue el gasto pero, a la vez, haga un plan de pagos para eliminar la deuda en pocos meses.

Pague con puntualidad. Un pago fuera de término puede impactar de forma negativa la puntuación de su crédito. Una forma simple para pagar menos es pagar puntualmente. Incluso si está pagando el monto mínimo, no tendrá cargos adicionales, los cuales equivalen a tirar el dinero. El objetivo, en principio, es minimizar. Las cuotas vencidas eliminan mensualmente esta posibilidad.

Fuente: Comerica Bank