Page 11 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - September 2014

CHEHALIS TRIBAL LOAN FUND NEWS Preparedness Expo Emergency Top Ways to Boost Your Credit Score • Do not close old credit cards even if you Saturday, September 27 The Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund has assisted many don’t use them. The more credit you 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM tribal and community members with clearing/ have available and do not use, the lower boosting their credit scores. Here are some tips (better) your credit utilization ratio will Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School you can use to boost your credit score. be. 225 Dennis Street, Tumwater WA „ Monitor your credit. You can get „ Stay on top of your balances and payments. Wheelchair Accessible your free credit report once a year at Not making payments on time lowers your Learn about how to prepare for natural disasters. annualcreditreport.com credit score signifcantly and causes you to This expo will have guest speakers, information „ Fix any errors on your credit report. Almost pay fnance charges. Know your balances and booths to assist your family to prepare for 52 million Americans had errors on their payment deadlines. Late payments destroy disasters. credit report in 2012. In order to fx any errors, your scores! you must contact the Credit Bureau with the „ Get a secured credit card. Having and using error. Here are the three main credit bureaus: credit responsibly will raise your credit Chehalis Tribal 3rd Annual Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. score. But if you are unable to get a regular, unsecured card, then getting a secured credit Suicide Prevention/ „ Minimize your credit utilization rate: In order card that actually reports to credit bureaus to fx your credit score, it is important to know monthly is a good option. Awareness Walk specifc variables that affect it. A higher credit utilization ratio affects your score negatively Please come into our offce if you would like Sunday, September 28 because it shows that you are using more of assistance with cleaning up your credit, debt your credit limit. In other words, it is good to consolidation, home improvement loans, or a Starts at 11:00 AM have a large amount of credit available, but bad business loan. Meet at the to be using a large fraction of it. Gathering Room • Try not using your loans and/or credit Julie Burnett, Executive Director cards to their limit. Diana Pickernell, Loan Coordinator Join us for a Memorial Walk in honor of Suicide Prevention Month F.I.R.E. Summit Walk will be followed by a Facilitating Indigenous Revolution through Education lunch in the Community Center, and a Guest Speaker Sponsored by DBHR G2G Prevention Grant via Tsapowum Chehalis Tribal Behavioral Health and Lucky Eagle Casino SAVE THE DATE!!! ANNUAL CHEHALIS TRIBAL ELDERS HOLIDAY BAZAAR November 13, 2014 Saturday, December 6 8:00 am – 2:30 pm 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM South Puget Sound Community College Chehalis Lucky Eagle Casino The F.I.R.E. Summit is a joint project between the Nisqually Tribe, the Squaxin Island Event Center Tribe, the Chehalis Tribe and SPSCC. We are working together to support the success October 3 and 4 of Native students in higher education. Join us for a Native students day at college. Interested Vendors contact Trudy Marcellay Featuring Guest Speaker Sherman Alexie and Family Reception trudymarcellay@comcast.net or call 360-360- at Squaxin Island Tribe’s 888-5808 to reserve your table now. Little Creek Casino and Resort Learn more: Eileen Yoshina Director of Diversity and Equity (360) 596-5383 eyoshina@spscc.edu Limited spaces frst come, frst serve. Special thanks to Ruth Whitener for the Blue Butterfly design chehalistribe.org  greatwolfodge.com  luckyeagle.com  eagleslandinghotel.net Page 11