1. MANAGING YOUR DEBT AND YOUR CREDIT SCORE

2.   REDUCE YOUR DEBT  Step 1: List your outstanding debts  Step 2: Prioritize which debts to pay first  Step 3: Negotiate with creditors  Step 4: Get help if you need it!!

3.   LIST YOUR OUTSTANDING DEBT Creditor (list by interest rate from highest to lowest) Balance DueInterest rate Current Monthly Payment 1. 2. 3. 4. Total debt and monthly payments

4.   PRIORITIZE WHICH DEBTS TO PAY FIRST  Remember that you need the pay at least the minimum monthly payment set by the creditor  If you can, pay more each month on the accounts with the highest interest rates; advantage – saving money interest payments  An alternative is to pay more each month to clear the smallest outstanding balances first; advantage – you may perceive faster progress

5.   WAYS TO GET HELP WITH YOUR DEBT  Negotiate direct with your creditors  Find a trained, certified counselor, free of charge or at low cost, through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling: http://www.nfcc.org/ or http://www.debtadvice.org/http://www.nfcc.org/ http://www.debtadvice.org/  If at risk for foreclosure, contact Hope Now on their 24 free hotline 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) or website http://www.hopenow.com/http://www.hopenow.com/

6.   CREDIT REPORTING AND YOUR FICO SCORE  Credit reports are obtained from the 3 nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion  A credit report provides information on your borrowing activity  A credit score, also known as FICO® score, is based on the information in your credit report  Creditors use credit scoring to determine whether to give you credit, and to set an interest rate

7.   THE INFORMATION IN YOUR CREDIT REPORT  Personal Information: Your name, address, SSN, date of birth and employment information  Accounts: type of account (bankcard, auto loan, mortgage, etc.), the date you opened the account, your credit limit or loan amount, the account balance and your payment history  Inquiries: a list of lenders who accessed your credit report within the last two years  Negative Items: delinquency information such as overdue debt, bankruptcy, tax liens

8.   ABOUT FICO SCORES  They range from 300-850, higher is better  The median FICO® score in the U.S. is 723  The FICO score considers: –Payment history - 35% –Amounts owed - 30% –Length of credit history - 15% –New credit - 10% –Types of credit used - 10%

9.   WHY IS MY FICO SCORE SO IMPORTANT?  The higher your credit score, the better your chance of qualifying for credit  The higher your credit score, the lower your loan payments!

10.   EXAMPLE OF EFFECT OF FICO SCORE ON LOAN PAYMENTS Payments on a 36 month auto loan of $25,000 FICO® score APR Monthly payment 720-850 6.196%$763 690-719 7.700%$780 660-689 8.824%$793 620-65911.187%$821 590-61914.597%$862 500-58915.442%$872 Source: myfico.com September 18, 2008

11.   WHEN SHOULD I CHECK MY CREDIT REPORT & FICO SCORE?  Check your credit report at least once per year  Check your credit report & FICO score at least 6 months prior to applying for a big loan, to give you time to improve your FICO score if needed

12.   HOW DO I OBTAIN MY CREDIT REPORT & FICO SCORE?  You are entitled to a free credit report once every 12 months from each of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion  AnnualCreditReport.com is the official, centralized service for a free credit report (online, by phone or by mail) and your FICO score (for which you may pay a small fee)  Direct from the credit reporting agencies: ■ Equifax: 800) 685-1111, www.equifax.comwww.equifax.com ■ Experian (formerly TRW): (888) 397-3742, www.experian.comwww.experian.com ■ TransUnion: (800) 888-4213, www.transunion.comwww.transunion.com  www.myfico.com - a fee is charged www.myfico.com

13.   DISPUTING ERRORS ON THE CREDIT REPORT  Contacting the credit reporting agencies directly: ■ Equifax: 800) 685-1111, www.equifax.comwww.equifax.com ■ Experian (formerly TRW): (888) 397-3742, www.experian.comwww.experian.com ■ TransUnion: (800) 888-4213, www.transunion.comwww.transunion.com OR  Contact the entity/creditor for which debt is reported; contact details for creditors are stated on the credit report

14.   WHERE CAN I FIND FURTHER INFORMATION AND ADVICE? miFICO.com  Understanding your credit report and credit score  Fixing errors in your credit report  Tips on improving your FICO score  Identity theft; advice on prevention, detection, and action to take if it happens to you  Credit calculators