Where do you stand?

Organization can be a great tool to help improve your financial situation, as well as your credit score. If you know where you stand, you will have a better chance of managing your finances and credit score from this day forward.

Let's get you organized. The information you are about to put together is sensitive, so make sure that you put it in a safe place, encrypt the file if you can, and keep a printed copy for your files.

If there is one thing that I learned from my father, is that one should keep good records. It really does help, not only yourself, but if something were to happen to you, someone else can help pick up the pieces more easily.

Now, get a copy of every statement you get in the mail from your creditors, bank accounts, insurance policies, utility and phone companies and investment accounts.

Open up your favorite spreadsheet program (Google Docs & Spreadsheets, Excel, Works, etc.) and create columns for the following information.

• Account Type (Bank Account, Credit Card, Insurance, Utilities, Investments, etc.)
  
• Creditor Name
• Account Number
• Phone Number
• Web Site Address
• User Id
• Password
• Contact Name (if any)
• Ballance due
• Assets owned

Rename this tab "Accounts"

Now, start filling in rows with the information you have from all of your statements. It is important to keep up on this document at least once a month, and you will always have up to the minute information about your accounts close at hand.

Compare this list, with your credit report. You can compare these two documents to ensure you are safe from credit fraud, identity theft and false info on your credit report.

As Sun Tzu said, "Know yourself, and know your enemy and in one thousand battles, you will always remain victorious."