Light at the End of the Tunnel
A Market Update - May 2009

The battle cry for the bulls over the last several months has been that things have “stopped getting worse”. It doesn't seem like a real powerful call to arms. However, when you are attempting to find light at the end of the tunnel, the call is much more powerful than it appears on surface. In reality, economies and markets don't go down and then straight back up. They go down, move sideways for a period of time and then begin progressing higher. That said, the economy does appear to be firming and this is the first step to a recovery. We're not going to tell you that we are out of our economic recession or this bear market. But, the signs are starting to build that the economy is firming. We continue to believe we will see the economy experience true organic growth in the fourth quarter or the first quarter of 2010.

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Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

By Don Nestor, CPA, CFP

Every day, Americans are applying for credit cards, car loans and home loans. Some of us will be approved and some will be denied but your credit score is the key to that decision. It is a very important number that lenders use in order to determine whether or not to extend credit to you, and what the interest rate and conditions of the credit or loan are. The lower your score, the less likely you will be approved for loans. If you are approved but have a marginal score, you may have to pay a high interest rate. The rating agencies break down your credit score into five categories; Payment History (35%), Total Amounts Owed (30%), Length of Credit History (15%), New Credit (10%) and Type of Credit in Use (10%). That said, there are several things you can do to improve your credit score or even raise it.

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