Make sure you are credit fit this festive season
Spend wisely this festive season and ensure that your credit fitness does not get the better of you.
This summer, many South Africans are in the gym working up a sweat to look good for the beach. But how many of us work on something that’s just as important – our credit fitness?
December is a time of year when many of us could reduce our debt and build up our savings – or dig ourselves deeper into a hole.
That is why TPN (Tenant Profile Network) has come up with the Get Credit Fit campaign just in time for the festive season.
TPN is South Africa’s only credit bureau specialising in tenant behaviour.
Every time you pay your rent on time – and every time the rent is late, or you damage the property without repairing it – this reflects on TPN’s records.
“86 per cent of South African tenants are in good standing, according to the TPN Rental Monitor. The more we empower tenants to take responsibility for their behaviour, the more everyone benefits,” says TPN MD Michelle Dickens.
Readers can find out how credit fit they are at www.getcreditfit.co.za where they stand a chance to win R5000.
Once they have established whether they’re fiscally fit or financially flabby, they can learn more about credit scores and how to improve them.
Get Credit Fit is fun with a serious purpose. Financial education can be preachy, so getcreditfit.co.za is inspired by the look and feel of the same magazines that are filled with ideas on how to get into even more debt.
The point is not that all spending is bad, but not having a credit record is as bad as having a bad credit record. It is about educating consumers to be smart about the way they spend.
“Many young South African women are enjoying the freedom that comes with financial independence, but they’re also under a lot of social pressure to spend,” explains Michelle, herself a successful businesswoman.
“Falling pregnant, losing a job, having to support a family member – when things don’t go according to plan, you can end up in serious trouble. Investing in good credit behaviour now will pay off in the future, especially when tenants are ready to buy their own homes or even become property entrepreneurs themselves.”
Get credit fit this summer. Do not let a December splurge show up on your January bank statements. Win R5 000 to save towards achieving your dreams by going to www.creditfit.co.za, completing the quiz and then using the #creditfit hash tag on either Twitter or Facebook.
The winner will be chosen on December 15, so do the test and get tweeting.
