Be warned that this is NOT a great job to take on for many people.  There is a lot of pressure placed on you when you find yourself in the middle of the action.  Split-second decisions must be made and you MUST know the rule book inside and out to be effective.  And even when you are good at what you do, you’ll still never receive much appreciation from your clients (which are those screaming players and their parents questioning your every call).

Still, I like this idea as an extra source of income for a number of reasons:

• You get to take assignments on when you are available.  If you have a lot of time to devote one week, you can usually get a lot of assignments.  If you are too busy that week, they usually don’t mnd you turning down assignments.  As long as you are organized when accepting assignments and don’t have to make last minute changes, the organizations that hire you are generally very accomodating.
• You are providing a much needed service.  These organizations are giving kids a positive outlet for their energies and they are often short-handed for people willing to provide this service (which is one reason they are able to pay you quite well for your time).  You are helping kids, and earning money.  What could be better?
• The pay usually comes in a lump-sum at the end of the season.  For a baseball season, for example, most organizations offer you a bonus if you will complete the entire season with them.  They hold your pay until the very end and then will add on a nice chunk if you’re still accepting assignments at the end.  So you get a nice big chunk of money all at once – which you can use to solve some specific financial problems or use for something special.
• Tournaments usually offer cash on the spot.  When you become established as a good official, you’ll often be asked to serve for weekend tournaments – which are generally outside of the organization who assigns you to weekly games.  These weekend tournaments typically pay you cash at the end of the tournament for all the games you’ve worked – which gives you some pocket spending money and isn’t something you’ll have to report on your taxes.
• You can earn better assignments by becoming better at what you do.  These organizations are always coming around to monitor new members (and keep an eye on old timers to make sure they’re still performing well).  Once you’ve shown that you can perform at high levels, you start getting better games – which pay more!  I love jobs where your pay is based on your performance!

To give you an example of this last idea, I was called at the last minute one time during my very first umpiring season to work a high school JV game.  I hadn’t been assigned anything above the 12-13 year old leagues yet, but they needed someone that next day and was wondering if I could do it.  I eagerly said “yes” and showed up.  I was supposed to have a partner work with me, but they couldn’t find one.  So I worked the game all by myself.

“Your Momma wears army boots!”

About the 3rd inning, one of the pitchers pulled an illegal pick-off move, and I immediately called a “Balk” on the pitcher - allowing the runner on 3rd base to score.  The coach of the pitcher’s team came unglued!  Their pitchers have been using that move all year, he told me, and not once had it been called a balk, and I must not know what I’m doing, and had I ever umpired a game before, and did my mother wear army boots??? 

I calmly told him that my understanding of the rule book was that it was a balk.  He was welcomed to protest the game it he wanted to, but I believed it to be a balk and it would continue to be called a balk so he better inform his pitchers not to do it again.  (I was really nervous that I was wrong, but I held my ground anyway because my gut told me I was correct.)

After the game, that coach pulled me aside and thanked me for the way I performed.  He said it was true that I was the first umpire to call that move a balk all year, but that I was also the first one to be correct.  He was impressed that I had gotten it right and impressed with the way I had handled the confrontation.  He patted me on the back and told me he’d put in a good word for me with the organization, and the next thing I knew, I was getting JV assignments the rest of the season and was even invited to do the post season playoff games – a big honor (and big money).

Will you get rich off of umpiring?  No.  But getting that check for a few thousand dollars at the end of the season for working a few evenings and weekends doing something fun and performing a service – I think it’s a great thing to do. 

How to get started:

Check with local little leagues or schools and find out who assigns the umpires or officials.  They usually work several months in advance of the actual season (baseball umpires are getting started as early as December in some places for the coming season, for example).  These organizations will have orientation meetings and some training programs (usually an all day Saturday clinic for newbies) to help you get started.  You’ll have some equipment and uniforms to buy (check second hand stores and ebay for bargains) and you’ll be ready to go.

Have fun and “Play Ball!”

All I can tell you is, I’ve dealt with literally thousands of credit reports over the years, some good and some (ahem) not so good. And based on that experience, seeing reports with excellent scores vs. the kind of reports you take around the office and show your colleagues as you marvel at the way people have screwed up their credit to the point of wondering if they really did it on purpose.

So, with what I’ve seen over the years, here goes:

“You should have 5 credit accounts!”

That’s the number. If you want the very best score possible, you should have 5 accounts. And here’s the kind of accounts they should be. At least 3 of these accounts should be “revolving” credit accounts – 4 or all 5 can be revolving if you want, but at least 3 should be. If I was to paint the ideal credit profile for you, you would have:

• One car loan account (Installment-Type Account)
• One Visa card account (Revolving – Type Account)
• One American Express card (Revolving)
• One Department Store card (Revolving)
• Something else – Gas card (Revolving)? 90 day same as cash loan (Installment)? Another Department Store card (Revolving)?

At least one of the revolving accounts would have a high-credit limit over $2,000, and none of them would have a balance at the end of the month over 30% of the high-credit limit (i.e. $2,000 limit = no more than a $600 balance). Plus, at least one of the revolving accounts would have a history of being open and active for at least 24 months and 2 others would have been open at least 12 months.

Don’t Start Closing Accounts

Above is what I would consider the “ideal” profile. That’s what you’re shooting for. If you already have more accounts than this, or you have a different mix of installment vs. revolving – Do Not Start Closing Accounts! If you close a good account, you could seriously affect your credit score. Here’s a sad real-life case:

“And remember, a person’s credit rating affects other things, like home owners insurance and car insurance, and could even affect your ability to change jobs in the future, too.”

You Can Protect Yourself From Identity Thieves

Did you know you can prevent those offers from coming using www.optoutprescreen.com? A very simple service to use. You simply pull up the site and enter your information and that’s all there is to it. By “opting out”, you prevent credit card and other companies from obtaining your information for marketing purposes from the credit bureaus. Within a matter of weeks, your flow of junk mail and pre-approved offers will be reduced to a trickle.

Does “Opting Out” Work?

Yes, it works. Credit card companies find you by buying lists from the credit bureaus. By “opting out”, you are removed from these lists – by law. You’ll still get some offers for awhile after you put your name on the “opt out” list, because many of the companies have already purchased your name. But they update their mailing lists constantly with new lists, so pretty soon, your name will cycle out of their system. You’ll also continue to get offers from companies you already do business with as your info for those offers isn’t coming from the credit bureaus, but is coming from their own internal records.

So, yes, it works remarkably well to reduce these offers. But the real question is, “Should you Opt Out?” It may seem like a no-brainer to assume that, well, of course you should opt out. Why would you want all these companies to have access to your personal information which they put into their offers and send through the mail to you – and easy access for thieves? Here’s an easy way to protect your identity, so why not?

Why Would You NOT Opt Out?

Many of you reading these articles are trying to learn how to improve your credit scores. So here’s some advice: If you have poor credit or limited credit – DO NOT OPT OUT! At least, not yet. You see, if you’ve had credit problems in the past, the credit card accounts that you currently have probably have very high interest rates. Once you’ve missed a payment deadline – even one time after many years of faithful payment history – your credit card company probably raised your interest rate on you. A 30 day late, and you’ve likely got a 30% interest rate on that card now.

As you focus on fixing your credit and you get your payment history back on track, you’ll once again be rewarded with a higher credit score. And as your score increases, you’ll qualify for better credit card offers. If you “Opt Out”, you will not get these offers coming to you, which would give you an opportunity to shift your high-interest rate balances to lower interest rate cards. Remember, the only offers you’ll get will be coming from credit card companies that you already do business with – the ones charging you 30% interest – if you opt out. You think they want to cut off the amount of interest they are charging you? No way.

So, if you have weaker credit and high rates on your current cards, don’t put yourself on the “opt out” lists because you WANT those credit card offers coming in, for a while at least. Once your credit score gets to where you want it – go ahead and Opt Out.

So you may be paying off your bill in full each month when the statement comes, but if you are charging up the balance during the month to above that 30% mark, and your credit card company chooses that time when your balance is high to report to the bureaus, that’ll cost you points against your score.

Keep Your Balance Low – Or Ask for a Credit Limit Increase

To stay under the 30% magic number, you should either watch your spending to keep your balance low, or you can call the credit card company and ask that your limit amount be raised. If you have a good payment history with them, they’ll be thrilled that you asked because they’ll be expecting you to start charging more on the card so they’ll get to collect more interest from you.

If your balances are higher than 30%, the best and fastest way to raise your score is to pay down these balances. The problem with this plan for many people is that their credit cards have such high interest rates that most of their “extra” payments get eaten up by the interest and fail to reduce the balance by very much each month.

Facing the Real Enemy

So the real enemy you are facing is not the high balance, it is the high interest rate on the credit card. This interest rate reflects the amount of your monthly payment that goes directly towards the credit card company’s profit line without providing you ANY benefit. It did not buy you any goods or services. It just went from your bank account to the corporate vaults of the credit card company, providing you with nothing in return.

If you have several high-interest credit cards, please begin today to attack these accounts with a vengeance. Think of them as masked intruders breaking in to your home and stealing your property. That is what they are doing – stealing your income, your lifestyle, your ability to provide items of real value to your family.

Would You Allow a Thief to Steal From You?

You wouldn’t put up with a thief breaking in to your home and stealing your money every month, would you? Then why put up with that credit card company doing the same thing – stealing your money through the use of high interest charges?

If you have a good payment history on these cards, you can make a simple phone call and request that your interest rate be lowered. If you don’t have good payment history on these cards, then you are at their mercy – just like having a gun held to your head. Start making your payments on time and in a few months you’ll be able to try again calling for a rate reduction. Don’t let them steal your future with high interest rates. Fight back!

Together with your counselor, you will review all of your financial records and come up with a viable option for debt management that is unique to you. The debt counselor will help to create budgets, spending plans, and the actions you must take to overcome your debt challenges.

Choosing reputable credit counseling services

There are many credit counseling agencies these days to choose from, non-profit and otherwise. Be sure that you pick one that is accredited by the NFCC, as they regulate the consumer counseling service industry. Alerts have even been issued by the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission for consumers to be very cautious when choosing a consumer credit counselor.

For more than a decade, the agency named Consumer Credit Counseling Services has dominated the credit counseling and debt management industry. Today, especially in our current economic climate, there are many companies cashing in on the demand for debt counselors. However, not all of these organizations are reputable. Some charge extremely high fees, and they do not even pay your bills on time. Trust and legitimacy are huge issues, especially since these debt management counselors hold your financial life in their hands.

Credit counseling agencies are able to negotiate special programs and lower payments with creditors to save your financial health. When you choose a reputable credit counseling company, it could be one of the biggest decisions of your life. Here are some ideas to help you choose:

• Ask as many questions as you can about the repayment plans and how secure of an agreement will it be.
• Check what their fees will encompass and get it in writing. Read agreements carefully.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints, and if the issues were resolved or not.
• Check that they are accredited by the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies.
• Do not work with any company that says that they can erase your bad credit history, guaranteed. This is a common scam or, at the very least, a shady business practice. Legitimate credit counseling agencies will focus on your finances and debt load. There are legitimate credit repair companies that will focus separately on your bad credit.
• If they are non-profit, ask them where their funding comes from and who regulates them.
• Are their counselors trained and certified; if so, by which counseling association?
• Make sure that they tell you when your payments are due and when they will be paid.

Understanding the powers and limits credit counselors have

Creating a budget based upon your income and expenses, a certified credit counselor will ascertain a feasible payment plan that you can afford. Once all have agreed on the plan, you send your monthly payments to the credit counseling agency, and they pay your creditors. They can often obtain lower interest rates and waive fees, since many will have business relations with creditors.

Things they can do:

• Stop collection and debtor calls.
• Help avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure. (It is actually now law to visit a credit counselor before declaring bankruptcy.)
• Reduce or eliminate late fees and over-the-limit fees.
• Decrease your interest rates.
• Lower your total monthly payments.
• Make a schedule for you to pay off all of your debts and collections within three to five years.

Things they cannot accomplish:

• Erase bad credit. Accurate bad credit can only be diluted with time and the practice of good credit.
• Settle for less than agreed – that is defined as debt negotiation, which can be very costly.
• Do magic with your credit report; only making consistent payments and time will improve your credit.

Non-profit credit counseling programs are not necessarily non-risk

There are a myriad of non-profit credit counseling services available, but this may not necessarily mean they are the best company for you. Regardless if you choose a non-profit organization or a business company, it is important to work with trained and certified counselors that are backed by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

An excellent organization is the Consumer Credit Counseling Services, and they are located almost in every city. These credit counseling agencies usually obtain their funding from government financing, and you will be charged less. A good indication of the reliability and professional standards of conduct and ethics is that they have fair fees and provide educational materials. However, because they rely on government funds, there will be limitation in the services they can offer you.

Consumers have many options when it comes to credit counseling companies offering many of the same services. In fact, there are many debt management businesses that provide exceptional service to help you manage your credit woes. Because these businesses are not limited by government funds of a non-profit organization, they are able to offer you additional services, such as online counseling, money management coaching, and more personalized customer care. There are for-profit credit counseling organizations that offer online services, as well as face-to-face consultations.

Whether you choose a profit or non-profit credit counseling program, online or face-to-face, it is important that you use good judgment. Research thoroughly and ask questions; do not be hasty in making your decision – after all, it is your financial life and your future that is at stake.

Understanding how credit card debt impacts your financial health

Credit cards are great for quick and easy purchases without having to carry hordes of cash in your wallet. However, this quick and easy route often leads to impulse buying you can’t possibly hope to pay off anytime soon. Credit card companies know this, and allow you to only pay a minimum balance on your purchases. They hope you do this – the rest of your balance begins earning huge amounts of interest for them, often over 15%. In the blink of an eye, your debt balloons as interest is compounded onto interest.

All your credit cards and their balances are recorded on your credit report. The higher and balance and the more credit cards you have, the worse your credit score. Credit cards are listed as a revolving account, which means there is no end date for your credit loan – which is what a credit card is. Credit bureaus note how well you manage your monthly bills – credit card balances makes up about 30% of your credit score. Pay your bills off on time, and you will have a good credit score … mostly.

I Pay My Bills Off On Time, But My Credit Score is Still Low. What Gives?

The problem is that when credit card companies report your activity to the credit bureaus, some use two tactics to hurt your score. They are:

1. They DO NOT report your credit limit – this is more so their competitors don’t see how they lend out their credit, not to hurt you
2. They report your balance BEFORE your monthly amount is due

So, what happens if this is the case with your credit card company? Well, in a nutshell, bad things happen:

Not reporting your credit limit – If this is the case, the credit bureaus can not properly calculate your ratio of utilization. If the maximum amount you placed on your card was $2000, the credit bureau will believe your credit limit to be $2000. If you constantly rack up $1800 on your card, it looks like you are using 90% of your credit limit! For a healthy credit score, your credit card balances should be below 50% of your credit limit. By not reporting your credit limit, the credit card company is seriously dragging down your score.

Reporting your balance before your bill is due – Even if you completely pay your bills off on time, but always have high balances, the amount owed on your card will constantly be recorded, month after month, instead of a zero balance.

So, what’s the solution? Order your credit reports and find out if your credit limit is being recorded. Then, call your credit card company and find out when they close their dates and mail out your bill. Calculate your balance and pay it BEFORE they mail it out.

Other Little-Known Factors That Affect Your Credit Score

• Don’t close those little-used credit cards! – Remember the utilization ratio? That is, how much you spend versus your credit limit? The credit limit on ALL your cards are calculated together. So, say you usually have a $2000 balance on all your cards, and you have three cards with a total spending limit of $10,000. That means your utilization ratio is 20% – an indicator that you manage your credit cards pretty well. However, say you don’t use one of your cards, and it has a credit limit of $6,000. You decide to close it. BOOM, suddenly your total spending limit is $4,000, making your ratio 50%. Ouch, your credit score will be hit! Instead, cut up that card, or only use it occasionally to keep it active.
• Older, established credit is good – The older the credit, the better. A long, regular pattern of paying your bills on one of your accounts shows you as a solid, dependable consumer. Close that account, and your credit history will be shorter, potentially lowering your score.

Harnessing your rights under the Statue of Limitations

Commonly unknown to consumers, the Statue of Limitations is a powerful law that protects you against lawsuits from your creditors. Once a certain amount of time has passed, which varies depending upon each state, a collector or creditor can no longer sue you for the debt. The interpretation of the Statue of Limitations also varies between states. Generally, the Statue of Limitations begins ticking after your last payment. If you make an interim payment, it would reset the Statue of Limitations clock, since this proves you are actively engaged with your creditor or collector.

Therefore, if you have old debt, inactive accounts, or debt no longer listed on your credit report, then you may not have to repay those amounts under the Statue of Limitations. However, simply because your debt is no longer on your credit report does not mean that you are free from paying, if the statue of limitations has not been reached.

If you have reached the Statue of Limitations for your state, and your debt has reached the seven year mark where it is erased from your credit, then you are in a good position for debt relief. This means that you do not need to repay this debt because it has surpassed the legal Statue of Limitations timeframe – and the debt no longer appears on your credit report or hurts your credit score.