FINANCIALFREEDOMBEGINS WITH

YOUHelpful Tips and Tools

3 STEPSTO FINANCIAL FREEDOMWhen it comes to your financial future, everyone should have a plan. This brochure offers three action steps to help you gain control of your finances.

When it comes to your financial future, everyone should have a plan. This brochure offers three action steps to help you gain control of your finances.

1. Building a Budget Puts You On the Right Path

2. Knowing Your Credit Score Saves You Money

3. Protecting Your Identity Protects Your Assets

Use this step-by-step guide to get a handle on your money and take charge of your financial future. Begin today!

STEP 1: Build A BudgetThis is probably the single most important step of your financial roadmap. Building a budget puts you on the right path to financial freedom. This brochure provides you with some tips and tools to help you organize your finances. Use the budget worksheet provided for an honest review of your monthly expenses – then make necessary adjustments to get your budget under control.

STEP 2: Know Your Credit ScoreYour credit score is one of the most vital parts of your financial life. It follows you forever and will play a huge role in many financial situations. In this brochure, you will find measures you can take to substantially improve your credit and not allow a number to hold you back.

STEP 3: Protect Your IdentityIdentity theft occurs when someone uses your nonpublic personal information to commit fraud or other crimes. The consequences of having your identity stolen are great. This brochure outlines steps you can take to safeguard your personal information and limit the risk of identity theft.

1Let’s Get StartedWrite Down Short and Long-Term Goals • Create a personal goals worksheet (see chart below). • Think through a realistic time line for each goal. • Develop an action plan to achieve each goal.

Build Your Budget

A good budget helps you take control of your finances, stay out of trouble and achieve your financial goals.

MIN. SAVINGS TIME REQUIRED ACTION GOAL LINE COST PER MONTH PLAN

ExAMPLE

$15,000 Save and Buy Home 5 Years Down $250 Establish Payment Credit, etc.

Pay Off Increase Student 7 Years $10,000 $120 Monthly Loans Payments

Pay Off Cancel Credit 5 Years $5,000 $100 Premium Cards Cable, etc.

Create Take Lunch Retirement 45 Years $100,000 $185 Reduce Savings Going Out etc.

Begin Employ Budgeting 50 Years N/A N/A Budgeting Effectively Tools

Create a Plan to Outline Your FinancesToTal Your Earnings

Calculate how much you make per month, including any money that you receive from Social Security or other forms of income.

lisT Your MonThlY ExpEnsEs

List all of your regular monthly expenses including any money that you spend on fun activities like eating out, entertainment and hobbies; and any minimum payments that you have to make towards your debts.

MIN. SAVINGS TIME REQUIRED ACTION GOAL LINE COST PER MONTH PLAN

ExAMPLE

$15,000 Save and Buy Home 5 Years Down $250 Establish Payment Credit, etc.

Pay Off Increase Student 7 Years $10,000 $120 Monthly Loans Payments

Pay Off Cancel Credit 5 Years $5,000 $100 Premium Cards Cable, etc.

Create Take Lunch Retirement 45 Years $100,000 $185 Reduce Savings Going Out etc.

Begin Employ Budgeting 50 Years N/A N/A Budgeting Effectively Tools

subTracT ExpEnsEs FroM Earnings

Test out your budget by subtracting your monthly expenses from your earnings. This will show you how much you can expect to have left at the end of the month.

rEwork Your budgET

If your budget comes out on the negative side, rework it and look for areas where you can adjust spending.

Keep Updating Your BudgetbE honEsT abouT Your spEnding

You’ll end up with a much more realistic budget. Don’t forget to budget for fun activities as well!

iT’s okaY To changE Your budgET

A good budget is always evolving.

build in MonEY For dEbT rEducTion

Always try to find the money to pay down those debts. Always pay highest interest debts off first.

build in Your savings and invEsTMEnTs

If you have a lot of debt, you may need to skip this step for a while and that’s okay — other debt reduction should be priority one.

rEviEw Your budgET FrEquEnTlY

Review your budget at the end of each month. Look over your expenditures to see if they are matching up to your budget. Adjust your budget accordingly.

budgETing workshEET includEd in This brochurE.

Category

monthly take home inCome

Salary & Wages

Social Security

Interest Income/Dividends

Alimony/Child Support

Other Income

a. total income

monthly housing expenses

Mortgage/Rent

Property Taxes

Home/Rental Insurance

Home Maintenance & Repairs

Utilities: Gas, Electric, Oil

Water, Sewage, Trash Service

B. total housing expenses

monthly living expenses

Food (Home, School, Work)

Household Items

Clothing

Telephone (Home, Cell, Pager)

Cable, Internet

Child Care (Day Care, Sport Activities)

Alimony/Child Support

Health, Dental & Life Insurance

Medical Expenses (Prescriptions)

Medical Expenses (Doctor/Dentist)

Auto Payment

Auto Insurance

Auto Gas/Maintenance

Public Transportation, Parking, Tolls

Entertainment/Memberships

Personal Care (Haircut, Nails)

Contributions/Charity/Gifts

Pet Care

Pocket Money

Savings

C. total living expenses

monthly unseCured expenses

MasterCard

Visa

Discover

Personal Loan

Personal Loan

Other

d. total unsecured expenses

Child Care (Day Care, Sport Activities)

summary of Budget

a. total income

Child Care (Day Care, Sport Activities)

B. total housing expenses

C, total living expenses

d. total unsecured expenses

total expenses

Total Income - Total Expenses = YourDisposable Income or (Deficit*)

monthly Budget

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monthly actual

BUDGET WORKSHEET

*Note: If you have a deficit, you should seek the help of a Credit Counselor. Refer to page 9 of this brochure for guidance.

remember: PHoTocoPy THis sHeeT before using iT. uPdaTe monTHly

difference +/- notes

BUDGET WORKSHEET

*Note: If you have a deficit, you should seek the help of a Credit Counselor. Refer to page 9 of this brochure for guidance.

remember: PHoTocoPy THis sHeeT before using iT. uPdaTe monTHly

Know Your Score. Save Money.It’s not only a good idea to know where your credit stands, it can save you money. Federal Law now entitles consumers to one free credit report from each of the major bureaus per year. Call 1-877-322-8228 or visit annualcreditreport.com to get your reports. The individual bureaus are listed on the back of this brochure.

rEviEw For accuracY

Checking your credit report for accuracy is an important step before applying for any type of credit. Make sure your report is accurate, and make good on any delinquent accounts. Check to make sure all your personal information is correct and that nothing has been on the report longer than allowed by law. Learn your “FICO” (Fair Isaac Corporation) credit score. Credit scores are generally three-digit numbers between 300 and 850. The higher the score, the better your financial standing and the more likely you are to be approved for credit.

TakE acTion

Submit any mistakes you find in writing and send by certified mail to any business that you feel has reported your payments in error. Remember to: • Track all correspondence with the company and the credit bureaus. • Confirm all terms and settlements in writing. • Pay past due accounts. • Bring maxed out accounts below their limit. • After you’ve resolved the negative items, work on getting positive information added. You might have to reestablish your credit by opening a new account.

2Know Your Credit Score

Sometimes all that matters is one little number: your credit score. Here’s how you can substantially improve your credit.

alTErnaTivE crEdiT rEporTing

While the three credit bureaus track credit cards, mortgage payments, bank loans and the like, they do not track payments on recurring bills, rent, or even payday loan payments. This can make it difficult to build a solid credit history.

in casE You nEEd hElp

If your debts are overwhelming, creditors aren’t willing to work with you, and you can’t seem to come up with a payment plan on your own, consumer credit counseling may be an option for getting back on track. Consumer credit counseling can be an alternative to filing bankruptcy.Once you consult with a credit counselor, the counselor will assess your debt level and work out a payment plan based on your income. Some credit counselors can negotiate lower interest rates and set up a debt management plan with your creditors.Remember that some credit counseling organizations charge high fees (which may be hidden) or urge consumers to make “voluntary” contributions that cause them to fall deeper into debt. Ask these questions when selecting a counseling agency: • What services do you offer? • In addition to helping me solve my immediate problem, will you help me develop a plan for avoiding problems in the future? • What are your fees? • What if I can’t afford to pay your fees or make contributions? • Will I have a formal written agreement or contract? • Are you licensed to offer your services in my state? • What are the qualifications of your counselors? • What assurance do I have that information about me will be kept confidential and secure? • How are your employees compensated?

Credit Reporting AgenciesExperian 1-888-243-6951 experian.com

Equifax 1-800-685-1111 equifax.com

TransUnion 1-800-916-8800 transunion.com

Identity Protection Basics

saFEguard Your social sEcuriTY nuMbEr

• If possible, remove it from your driver’s license, insurance cards and paystubs. • Don’t use it on checks, or carry it in your wallet.

proTEcT Your crEdiT cards

• Most Credit Card companies offer identity theft protection to their customers. • Reduce your risk of identity theft by opting not to receive credit card offers in the mail. Opt out at optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688. • Call credit card companies immediately to report any questionable charges. • Sign any new cards you receive, and cut up old credit cards before discarding them.

proTEcT Your dEbiT cards & chEcks

• Review monthly statements for accuracy. • Do not carry your PIN number on you. • Always take your receipts with you. • Shred old bank or other financial related documents you no longer need.

guard Your Mail FroM ThEFT

• Deposit sensitive outgoing mail in post office mailboxes rather than in an unsecured mailbox. • If you’re planning to be away from home, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 or visit https://hotmail.usps.com/holdmail/ to request a vacation hold.

3Protect Your Identity

Know the steps to safeguard your personal information and limit the risk of identity theft.

If Your Identity Is StolenIf your wallet is lost or stolen, or you suspect your identity has been compromised, consider the following actions: • Contact credit bureaus immediately. • File a police report with local authorities and keep a copy of the report. • Close any accounts that have been tampered with or established fraudulently. • Ask the credit bureaus to put a “Fraud Alert” on your credit file and your Social Security number for a period of at least a year. • Reputable consumer credit counseling agencies may be of help if you have further questions about the process. Be wary of companies that say they can fix the problem immediately or that charge high fees. • Report theft to the Federal Trade Commission by visiting online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft or calling 1-877-IDTHEFT

Further Preventative ActionsReview your credit reports from all three credit bureaus once a year. You can receive them at no cost by visiting annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. You may also order reports directly from the individual bureaus listed below.Keep photocopies of all cards in a safe place at home. If a card is lost or stolen, particularly while traveling, have the numbers readily available.

disclosure: This brochure is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide financial or legal advice.

About EZCORP

This brochure is provided courtesy of EZCORP, Inc. and our family of brands. Founded in 1989,

EZCORP is a leader in the specialty consumer financial services industry with over 1,200 stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. We are dedicated to satisfying the short-term cash needs of consumers

who are both cash and credit constrained.

eZcorP, inc.1901 capital Parkway

austin, TX 78746www.ezcorp.com

75637 info crediT bro

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