At heart, most New Yorkers are very generous people. They are typically quick to contribute to causes, and this year has, unfortunately, been big when it comes to causes. Hurricanes have ravaged Texas and Puerto Rico. Mexico City was struck by an earthquake that killed at least 10,000 people. Then, not much has changed with traditional causes. Sadly, there are people going hungry in New York and all over the world. Homeless people still need warm clothes, food, and shelter, and homeless animals need care and attention too. No matter what tugs at your heartstrings, there’s an organization eager to take your money. Of course, making charitable donations is a wonderful way to give back. Yet, it is possible for generous New Yorkers to stretch themselves too thin.
Why New York Consumers Should Budget for Charitable Donations to Protect their Finances and Credit Scores
These days, it is incredibly easy for New Yorkers to give money to their favorite causes. Armed with a credit card and a smartphone, a charitable donation is just a tap away. Often, organizations use social media to solicit funds for causes. So, while scrolling through your Twitter of Facebook feed on your lunch break, you may encounter several opportunities to donate. Even when checking out at the grocery store, New York consumers are frequently asked to contribute $1, $3, or $5 to this or that charity.
Obviously, it’s great to give. Most charitable causes and relief funds rely exclusively on generous donations from regular people. So, no one who has the means and the desire to donate should stop giving entirely. However, even small monetary donations add up if made frequently enough. In fact, many New York consumers end up charging a lot more than they realize to their credit cards by not keeping track of how often they hit the “give” button.
Getting carried away with credit card charges – for anything – can lead to lower credit scores. If your credit card balances creep up too high (over 30% of your available credit), your credit score takes a hit. Also, if you charge more than you can afford to pay off at the end of the billing cycle, you pay interest charges on the rolled over balance. This is, unfortunately, how New York consumers build debt and cripple their finances with overspending.
Therefore, if giving is in your nature, you should carve out room in your budget for charitable donations. Plan out exactly how much you can realistically give to causes every month, and keep track of contributions so that you don’t go over budget.
Other Ways for Generous New Yorkers to Make Charitable Donations
If your budget is stretched tight, but you still want to help out your favorite causes, there are ways for New York consumers to contribute that don’t involve money.
For example:
Donate your time.
There are probably hundreds of volunteer opportunities available right in your own New York neighborhood. Just check online for organizations in need of people willing to donate their time to a cause.
Donate unwanted items.
When was the last time you cleaned out your closet or basement? Chances are, you have extra clothes, furniture, or small appliances that are in perfectly good shape. Instead of just taking up space in your home, these items could go to people who really need them.
Spread awareness on social media.
If you feel strongly about a cause, share your concerns on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. It’s possible that many of your friends and followers (in New York and elsewhere) are unaware. Letting them know about your charity may inspire them to offer money, time, or household items/clothing.
How New York Consumers Can Spread their Kindness to their Credit
Sticking to a realistic budget and keeping your credit card balances low are two ways to protect your credit score. Then, another important part of building and maintain a good credit score is regularly checking your credit reports. Most New York consumers probably don’t know that about 80% of credit reports are flawed in some way. Also, many of these credit report inaccuracies are harmful to credit scores.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), entitles consumers to accurate credit reports. This means that if you find mistakes on your credit reports from TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax, the responsible credit bureau must remove the error(s).
Unfortunately, the credit bureaus don’t always cooperate, so you shouldn’t attempt the dispute process on your own. Instead, call Credit Repair Lawyers of America in New York. When you contact our firm, and experienced credit attorney will handle your credit issues and get you clean credit reports for free.
The Free and Legal Way to Get Better Credit in New York
Don’t let errors on your credit reports bring your credit score down. At Credit Repair Lawyers of America, we’ve been cleaning up credit reports for consumers since 2008 for free. How do we do it? All of our fees come from the defendants in settled cases. This is why our clients pay nothing for the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation about what we can do for your credit. Set up your free consultation today by calling Attorney Carl Schwartz at (646) 859-3045 or sending him a message through our contact page.
For more information about Free Credit Repair, please visit https://creditrepairlawyersam.com/credit-repair-free/.
