Photo by Jessica Sauck

It was 2006 when Caroline McGowan opened Caroline’s Kitchen in Mankato, Minnesota. Customers would walk through her door empty handed and come out 30 minutes later with an entire month of meals for their family to enjoy. Her business was the newest trend in food preparation and it was making life easier for many. Then in 2007, Caroline’s Kitchen closed.

Recently, Caroline came to visit me. We talked about her business experience while she prepared her delicious cream puff recipe. Food and business just seem to go together, particularly for Caroline who has a knack for combining her two passions.

“I grew up with the idea that you can own your own business,” says Caroline. “I knew from watching my dad that owning a business was a different mentality and how much work it can be. And, I wanted it. I wanted to own a business.” In preparation for starting a business Caroline saved her money. Then when she was laid off from her job in Minneapolis, it was a perfect time for her to pursue her dreams. “The ‘make and take’ business was a new trend and it was catching on in the cities. To learn more about this business, I went to work for a ‘make and take’ before opening my own store in my hometown, Mankato.”

Caroline did so many things right. She learned the business, had money set aside, worked and reworked her marketing plan until she was happy with it. She knew how much work it would be and the need to build repeat business. Although she did expect to have competition, she didn’t plan on so much of it. “I opened in January,” says Caroline.”It was a new concept but people were liking it. I was starting to get repeat customers. Then a second ‘make and take’ store opened in May or June, and then a third one in the fall. It was too much for this market to handle, and my life savings had run out. I had to close. The hardest part was having to end my dream. Then I had to find the inner strength to research and find a new dream.”

Four years later, Caroline is coming back strong. In addition to her job, she started Sweet Caroline’s on the side. She is in the concession business selling lemonade and other sweet treats at fairs and events that draw a crowd. Her goals are different than they once were, but she still has an entrepreneur’s spirit.

If you are a woman who regularly experiences the frequent or urgent need to visit the bathroom, with or without the accidental leaking of urine, you may have a condition known as overactive bladder syndrome (OBS). OBS is defined by the International Continence Society as “urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia.” There are several types of bladder problems that commonly affect women, including stress urinary incontinence, painful bladder syndrome or interstitial cystitis, urinary tract infections, prolapsed bladder and pelvic floor disorders.

OBS symptoms can range from an occasional nuisance to severely affecting a woman’s quality of life. The complaint of bladder problems, especially urinary incontinence, may be embarrassing to talk about, and therefore, a woman may be hesitant to bring up the topic with her health care practitioner. There is also a commonly held belief that bladder problems are “normal” and an inevitable part of aging, and despite the distressing nature of the problem, many women do not seek treatment.

Fortunately, there are options for treating this annoying problem and discussing your symptoms with a health care practitioner is the first step in finding an appropriate treatment. You and your practitioner should first determine that the symptoms are not the result of a urinary tract infection or more serious medical condition. Your health care provider should take a detailed history of your urinary complaint, including past medical and surgical history and medications you are taking. Testing should always begin with a urinalysis to rule out infection. A physical examination is valuable in determining the health and appearance of the external genital anatomy and to assess for evidence of any existing physical conditions. You may be asked to complete a 2 to 3 day voiding diary, which should reflect how many times in 24 hours you visit the bathroom to urinate, how often and how much you leak urine, and measurements of fluid intake and output.

If you are referred to a specialist, either a gynecologist, urologist or urogynecologist, you may also have a simple test to measure a postvoid residual (an ultrasound measurement of what is left over in your bladder right after you urinate), and urodynamic testing (a “stress test” for the bladder).

Once it is determined that you have OBS, also known as urge incontinence, you have a choice of treatments to consider (see Table 2). Behavior modification is the cornerstone of treatment, and your effort in adhering to recommendations has a profound impact on the successful management of OBS. You may be advised to eliminate certain foods and beverages from your diet for a few days or more to identify if anything you regularly consume is making the symptoms worse (see Table 1). You may be encouraged to use “bladder retraining” with the goal of gaining control over your bladder rather than your bladder having control over you. Pelvic muscle exercise therapy and biofeedback may be resources available with a referral from your health care practitioner.

Medications may also be recommended to suppress the overactive bladder “spasms.” The goal of medication for this condition is to decrease the frequent and urgent “call” from the bladder to the brain, thereby decreasing the frequent and urgent visits to the bathroom, and consequently, the incontinence. There are several medications available for OBS, and the choice of medication is often dependent on your health care practitioner’s familiarity and experiences with each. As a general rule, no individual name brand is particularly superior to another and their mechanisms of action are similar. It is important to remember that medications for OBS do not cure the condition, but do help manage the symptoms.

If your OBS has a severely negative impact on your quality of life and despite your best efforts, fails to improve with behavior modification, medications, and pelvic muscle therapy, you may be a candidate for a surgical procedure called sacral nerve stimulation. This surgery involves implanting a device similar in nature to a cardiac pacemaker that modifies the signals your nervous system sends to and receives from you bladder.

As is common in other conditions requiring life-long management (weight management, for example), relapse is not unusual. If your symptoms of OBS recur, recall what was initially helpful in managing your symptoms and go back to those techniques. When symptoms improve, it is natural to loosen up on your vigilance in managing them. Go back to what worked.

If you recognize symptoms of overactive bladder syndrome in yourself or someone close to you, be encouraged knowing that help is available. Make an appointment to discuss your symptoms with your health care practitioner.

TABLE 1: POTENTIAL BLADDER IRRITANTS

TABLE 2: TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR OVERACTIVE BLADDER SYNDROME (OAS) AT-A-GLANCE

Glossary of Terms

Frequency-usually defined as the need to void more than eight times in a 24 hour period.

Urgency—the feeling of a strong need to void that is difficult to delay.

Urge incontinence—the involuntary loss of urine associated with the feeling of urgency.

Nocturia—waking up more than once per night to urinate.

How to Combat Financial Fear

Style Minneapolis: Come to shop, leave as friends

Trust is a very big issue in any relationship and can weigh very hard on your heart, especially if your thoughts are consumed with a concern. Here are a few suggestions to help you confront trust issues:

1. Each person in the relationship has the right to be in a relationship that is caring and honest, and where they are respected. We need to respect ourselves enough to realize we deserve to be treated with respect and we need to respect our relationships enough to give respect as well.

2. Trust God to reveal the things you need to see and know about the situation. If you do this, you should not feel the need to check on their every move, like a private detective working overtime. Believe me, this can be exhausting and unhealthy. After your initial investigation, if nothing shows up, trust that you will be shown what you need to know when and if there is anything to know, and you will be given the strength to handle whatever it is at that time.

3. Begin to rebuild trust by starting with the small stuff. Ask your spouse to do something he or she can easily achieve. Request your business partner to perform an easy task. Give your child an easy chore to be done by a certain time. Then build from there. Do this while encouraging them so they know you want them to be successful.

4. Remember that we live in a troublesome world so there will be times we will have to forgive and ask for forgiveness in our relationships. There will be times you will have to decide if you want to continue in a relationship or not. There will be times you will have to take one step at a time to rebuild a peaceful trust again.  I’ve been there and done that many times in the relationships I hold dear to my heart. It’s hard to believe but, I have to say, each struggle has only made those relationships stronger today.

If the relationship in question means a lot to you, make a commitment to do all you can to make it work. Don’t hesitate to seek the advice of a professional when you feel you can’t find peace in situations. Sometimes you may only be a simple suggestion away from a solution to the situation.

Blessed living, loving and trusting!

Photo by Jessica Sauck

Name: Jan Taplin

Hometown: Mankato, MN

Business: Chrysalis Chiropractic LLC

Mankato, MN

(507) 625-9355

www.gentlebackcare.com

Title: Owner/Chiropractor

At Chrysalis Chiropractic, Jan Taplin focuses on transforming lives in body, mind and spirit because they are all connected. “You cannot treat one without affecting the other,” Jan says.

When did you first become interested in starting this business?

Over 20 years ago. I used to have migraine headaches when I was 19 years old and chiropractic adjustments have helped me to not only be free of migraines, but also “normal” headaches. I also was in a motor vehicle accident in which I was thrown from the vehicle, yet was back at work three weeks later because of chiropractic care.

Who has been your greatest mentor and why?

My father was my mentor. He owned his own business as an auto mechanic. When I was eight, I told him I wanted to be a mechanic. He responded, “Don’t be a mechanic, because then you are trying to fix everybody else’s problems.” Ironically, my first career was social work. He is also my inspiration to go into the community to teach people to increase balance and flexibility to avoid falls because he died six weeks after a hip fracture.

What advice do you have for anyone starting a business?

Find the balance between being realistic and optimistic. If you set your goals too high, it’s easy to get discouraged, but if you set your goals too low, you don’t challenge yourself.

What sets your business apart from the competition?

I use an Arthro-stim® adjusting device. It gently taps the vertebrae (back bones) and the soft tissue which allows the adjustment to take place without the body tensing up. There are other chiropractors that use similar devices.

One special technique I use is called Koren Specific Technique. So I find where the adjustment is needed based on feedback from the body. You can be adjusted while you are sitting, standing, walking, etc. Most of us don’t spend a lot of time lying face down, so it’s nice to check and correct the misalignment in a more natural position.

I also offer affordable levels of care. People who are taking an active part in becoming healthier don’t pay as much as those expecting to get “fixed up” without doing their part.

The best part about my job is…

the children who are getting care because I know that they will grow up to be healthier adults.

The worst part about my job is…

teaching people that chiropractic is so much more than for treating back pain and neck pain. Since the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions in the body; and the spine is what protects the nervous system. It can also damage the nervous system when it is not in proper alignment, and it doesn’t always cause pain right away.

My long term goal is…

to have a healthier community, therefore, I am an active member in the Age Well Network and the Community Alliance to Create Health (CATCH) all-stars challenge.

The biggest obstacles have been…

learning all of the computer programs, handling finances and recognizing all the scams that come in through e-mail, phone or regular mail.

Is there anything that would help others prepare for your line of work?

Learn the history of chiropractic and understand the principles behind it. If you are interested in becoming a chiropractor, contact several doctors and ask to make an appointment to visit with them and find out if you can shadow them. Ask a lot of questions and keep an idea journal.

Where would you like to be in five years?

I would like to have my clinic in a country setting where practice members can take a walk, relax, sit out in the fresh air and just get away from the hectic lifestyle, even if it’s for just a few minutes before or after they get their spine checked.

Photo by Jessica Sauck

Rachel Lawson is a busy mother of two who has found the perfect outlet for her creativity and keen color sense. She’s a Granicrete installer who transforms ordinary concrete into beautiful surfaces.

In 2008, the cast and crew of ABC’s hit show Extreme Home Makeover surprised a family in Rachel’s hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota. Rachel volunteered her time to help build a new house for the family. While working in the home’s new kitchen, she came across a product that she’d never seen before. “The kitchen countertops were so cool,” Rachel says. “I wondered, ‘Where did they get these?’ I thought the designers chose a really expensive stone. The countertops had depth to them, which looked amazing.”

Several months later, Rachel received a call from her mom, “She told me about Granicrete, a concrete system that gives the upscale look of granite or marble for a fraction of the cost,” Rachel says. “Mom told me that they were offering installation classes and she offered to pay for me to take one. Then she told me that Granicrete did the Extreme Home Makeover house and, suddenly, everything clicked! I told her, ‘Yes! I want to do it – right now!’”

Granicrete Minnesota owners Tom and Jean Eaton offer custom countertops with a concrete overlay system that the installers can design to look like real stone. “But, it’s better than granite or marble – Granicrete never has to be sealed and it has no seams,” Rachel says. “It’s beautiful, durable, bacteria and stain resistant. And, it’s totally custom, with endless color and design possibilities.”

Granicrete installers do decorative concrete resurfacing, custom texturing and custom coloring. With a wide variety of colors and tools to choose from, installers can create the homeowner’s desired look. Margaret Knutson of Albert Lea is a prime example. She found inspiration for her counters in a chunk of marble she had in her garden. After pricing granite and marble for her kitchen, she turned to Rachel. “Granicrete cost one-fourth of that,” Margaret says. She showed Rachel the marble inspiration and asked her to make her countertops look just like it. “Rachel had the entire countertop installed within three days. I love it!”

Granicrete offers a wide variety of products including countertops, indoor and outdoor flooring, showers and landscaping solutions. This award winning product is used by top architects and designers in new and remodeled homes as well as in commercial settings. “I love installing Granicrete because of the creativity it involves and the beauty of the finished product.”

Granicrete Minnesota
2610 YH Hanson Street, Suite 101
Albert Lea, MN 56007
(507) 373-3547
www.granicreteminnesota.com

Rachel’s Interiors
www.rachelsinteriordesigns.com

Photo by Jessica Sauck

Rural Blue Earth, Minnesota, resident Deb Oothoudt has been through many physical and emotional challenges. She begins her story with a bit of background information about her growing up years and credits her parents as role models for setting a daily example that was more valuable than mere words of instruction and advice, “They literally showed us with their walk of faith, the way they lived out their faith in the community.”

Her father was one of a group of men who founded King’s Aid, a non-profit organization dedicated to distributing clothing and household items to Texas, Mexico and many other destinations all over the world. Deb says, “From the time I was very young, we were going on mission trips everywhere.” They would spend a week during Christmas vacation with their parents and other families unloading and distributing clothing. She cites a scripture passage from Deuteronomy 6 that instructs parents to teach their children by example as they “walk along the road” and says, “I really honor them for being that example for me.”

Deb became acquainted with her future husband while working with her church youth group, “I was 26 when John and I started dating. Although, when he asked me to go to a concert, I didn’t realize we were going on a date. I thought it was a group outing. I couldn’t figure out why he made sure I sat in the front seat by him. He was trying to hold my hand. He had to tell me later that it was supposed to be our first date.”

For their next date, which also happened to be Valentine’s Day, John offered her a choice: Bowling, a movie or a picnic. “I chose picnic—he must have known that was what I was going to pick because he had everything packed and had even blown the snow out to access a small lake nearby.” As they were driving Deb began to wonder about her decision, “We drove down there, it was a deserted location. I didn’t really know this guy. What had I gotten myself into?”

“When we parked, he told me I had to promise not to look back.” Putting horror movie plots and serial killer stories aside, she complied and finally heard him say, “You can look now.” To her surprise, he had arranged an elegant picnic in the back of his SUV complete with his mother’s crystal goblets and a silver ice bucket containing a bottle of sparkling water. “It was really fancy. He had talked to my sister and found out all of my favorite things. He had even made a special photo album about his life.”

They were married a year and a half later in 1993. Describing their first year of marriage, Deb candidly states, “There was quite a bit of head-butting,” as they adjusted to married life. After a year of marriage, they decided to start a family and in a short time Deb became pregnant. “I was excited, scared and so sick that everyone found out right away.”

When the time came during her prenatal care to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, the doctor was unable to hear anything. An ultrasound was scheduled and together she and John received the devastating news that their baby had no heartbeat. She wept in the small dark room and then went home to wait. Several weeks later, she went into labor and delivered the baby they would have named Dana, “You don’t know how much you want to be a mom until you aren’t one.” A private funeral service allowed family and friends to support Deb and John.

When more than a year had passed without conceiving a child, the couple began the arduous process of infertility diagnosis and treatments. Wondering why, when she had become pregnant so quickly before, they were having trouble now, she says, “Infertility becomes like a silent part of your soul. People don’t like to talk about it. It feels like a betrayal of your own body.” The couple’s faith sustained them through this time though trusting and waiting was not easy. Deb also began to wonder, “Is there some other reason I’m not supposed to get pregnant?”

Not long after having that thought, around Christmas time, she noticed a small indentation in her breast but put off seeing her doctor until February. Her doctor referred her to a surgeon, “He told me to wait a couple months and come back. I wasn’t supposed to worry about it because I was only 29.” At Deb’s insistence, however, she underwent a fine needle biopsy.

Two days later, Deb received a phone call telling her that the biopsy had revealed a malignancy. She had breast cancer.

The couple elected for a referral to Mayo in Rochester, Minnesota, “I received great care and with their help we came up with a plan for my treatment.” She underwent a modified radical mastectomy. Numerous lymph nodes were involved which often lowers the survival rate.  After being released from the hospital, she came home to recover. “I felt good and bounced back quite quickly.”

As her body healed, the hours spent resting became Deb’s time to consider her life, her faith and her priorities, “I had been looking for a swingset because I was babysitting my niece and nephew and I finally found one advertised for sale. My grandparents had come to see me and I looked out the window to see my dad, my grandpa and my husband putting it together. I thought of the words from Jeremiah 29:11 and the promise of ‘a future and a hope.’”

The next phase of her treatment required chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Deb says bluntly, “It was horrible.” However, as she continues her story, she also remembers how her mother carried a rocking chair up the stairs so that she could be close to her bedside. She also recalls how her nephews picked her a bouquet of lilacs, that someone planted her garden and how good it felt when her hair grew back in the fall.

She corrects herself, “It was horrible and beautiful.”

“I wondered why God would let this happen to me—and then knew the answer: That no matter what happened, He would never leave me or forsake me. Whether I was walking into the chemotherapy room or lying on the bathroom floor, too sick to move, God was with me all the time.”

Her recovery was not without incident. There were complications along the way and a recurrence of the cancer in her chest wall. Eventually, she finished all of her treatments, “The fellow patients from the waiting room gave me a rose my last day. We had such fun laughing and talking, like meeting friends for doughnuts and coffee every morning. That family is precious to me still.”

In late 1999, Deb was diagnosed with ovarian cysts. “I was in so much pain. The doctors were watching them carefully and one looked especially suspicious. They decided because my cancer was estrogen receptive, it would be best to remove my ovaries. I ended up having a hysterectomy. That was a hard hill to climb.”

Earlier that year, she had participated in a cancer walk and met a woman who worked at an adoption agency who asked if they had ever considered adoption. “We were definitely open to adoption but finding an adoption agency would be difficult. Our choices were limited because the birth mother would be unlikely to choose someone who had cancer. Race or ethnicity was never even an issue.”

“While I was in the hospital, John decided to stay with me and sleep on a cot in my room. I remember his phone ringing and he went out in the hallway to answer it. He didn’t tell me right away, but I soon learned that it was the adoption agency asking if we would be interested in adopting a little boy.”

“I came home after a hysterectomy expecting a child. Only God could put that together.”

They spent the next few weeks getting the paperwork in place, a process that normally takes months, “It was crazy. I did my best to recover quickly. Josiah was born on February 2, 2000 and together they boarded a plane to meet their son, “There were lots of tears—to have someone put a baby in your arms—it’s too precious to even be called a gift.”

Two years later, another call came, “This time they had a little girl for us.” Born one month premature, their new daughter Lizzie was close to her normal birth weight when they went to get her, “She was so tiny and sweet. Someone approached me in a store and thought I was carrying a doll.”

Cancer free since 1997, Deb is able to look back and sort through the memories, good and bad. Josiah is now 11 and Lizzie is 9. The children attend parochial school in Fairmont. They have limited contact with one of the birth parents—to the extent that the birth parent wants. All communication goes through the adoption agency.

“I am so blessed,” Deb says as she opens her Bible and read this verse from Psalm 113: He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord. “Many people do not want to use the word ‘barren’ to describe infertility. But that’s how it feels. Empty. This verse showed me that being barren does not have to be permanent.”

There’s nothing barren about the Oothoudt’s country home, which, complete with a baseball diamond, play house, bikes, kayaks and a four-wheeler, reflects the joy Josiah and Lizzie have brought into their lives, “Here I am, I never thought I’d be married. I always wanted to be a mom. I thought I couldn’t. Now I’m a stay at home mom—who’s hardly ever at home!”

Sharing the importance of faith, family and optimism are important to Deb, “It is not hopeless! When diagnosed with infertility or cancer or whatever, we don’t have to let that define our lives. Get the treatment you need, then get on with your life. I don’t want my tombstone to read ‘Survivor’ but rather ‘Whew, that was fun!’”

Mary Broviak - Photo by Jessica Sauck

As the weather turns cold and the snow begins to fall, Dennis and Mary Broviak’s home in Huntley, Minnesota, becomes a cozy winter retreat. The transformation begins the week before Thanksgiving when Mary unpacks the numerous totes packed with their holiday décor. For the next five days, every ornament is thoughtfully placed on her tree and her eclectic collections are carefully arranged. Mary’s display of what she refers to as “junky Santas” continues to grow and the whimsical, mismatched assortment adds a playful element to the room.

After everything is in place, Mary spends a day filling baskets and assorted containers with fresh greenery arrangements. On the dining room table, Mary’s striking centerpiece is composed of vintage blue fruit jars filled with fresh cranberries and greenery topped by floating votive candles.

Dennis and Mary enjoy antiquing and incorporate their many treasures into the winter decor. They collect antique furniture, Red Wing crocks and Watt Pottery. Their home is filled with special finds purchased from antique stores and auctions. “My husband bought most of the pieces in our home,” Mary says. Dennis has a keen eye for beautiful antique furniture. One of his unique finds, a large icebox, is now used as their home entertainment center. Dennis refinished the historic piece and it’s now the focal point of their family room.

Dennis and Mary have three grown children and three granddaughters. Mary’s decorating includes a family tradition for the little ones, “Every year I hide a small red bird in the Christmas tree,” Mary says. “They are always so delighted to find it. Then they take turns hiding it over and over again.”

“I love this time of year,” Mary says. “When the decorating is done, I put on a Christmas CD and settle into my rocking chair.” Surrounded by beautiful ornaments, twinkling lights and fragrant arrangements, her home is a peaceful place to celebrate the holidays.

For years Dennis enjoyed carving – all of the carved Santas on display were made by him in his workshop. Photo by Jessica Sauck

For most Americans, debt is an essential financial tool for achieving a desired lifestyle. Therefore, it is important to establish and maintain a good credit rating if you intend to make substantial debt-financed purchases in the future.

Why Credit Is Important

It is important to establish credit if you plan to buy a home or automobile some day. Credit cards also provide a means of reserving a hotel room or obtaining cash while traveling.

If you are a college student, recent graduate or nonworking spouse, you can begin to establish credit by opening a savings or checking account in your own name. You can then apply for a department store credit card. Having someone else cosign a loan for you will also get you started.

Creating a positive credit history for yourself requires using your credit card intelligently. Following are some dos and don’ts to help you manage credit effectively:

• DO NOT charge more than you can easily pay off in a month or two.
• DO NOT be fooled into paying just the low minimum payment amount listed on a bill. Credit card issuers make money on interest; there is nothing they would like more than to have you stretch out payments.
• DO consistently pay your bills by the due date.
• DO use credit for larger, durable purchases you really need, rather than nondurables, such as restaurant meals that are better paid in cash.

Missing Payments

When you miss a payment, the information goes into your credit report and affects your credit rating. If you are judged a poor credit risk, you may be refused a home mortgage or rejected for an apartment rental. In addition, a prospective employer looking for clues to your character may dismiss your job application if your credit report reflects an inability to manage your finances. In most states, an auto insurer may put you into its high-risk group and charge you 50 to 100 percent more if your credit record has been seriously blemished within the last five years. Many property insurers also review credit histories before they issue policies.

How Credit Reporting Works

Credit reporting agencies gather detailed information about how consumers use credit. Businesses that grant credit regularly supply credit information to credit agencies that then compile this information into credit reports, which are sold to banks, credit card companies, retailers and others who grant credit.

Your credit report helps others decide if you are a good credit risk. This information should be supplied only to those parties who have a legitimate interest in your credit affairs, including prospective employers, landlords or insurance underwriters, as well as others who grant credit. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the federal statute that regulates credit agencies, requires anyone who acquires your credit report to use it in a confidential manner.

The following information is likely to appear in your credit report:

• Your name, address, Social Security number and marital status. Your employer’s name and address and an estimate of your income may also be included.
• A list of parties who have requested your credit history in the last six months.
• A list of the charge cards and mortgages you have, how long you have had them and their repayment terms.
• The maximum you are allowed to charge on each account; what you currently owe and when you last paid; how much was paid by the due date; the latest you have ever paid; and how many times you have been delinquent.
• Past accounts, paid in full, but are now closed.
• Repossessions, charge-offs for bills never paid, liens, bankruptcies, foreclosures and court judgments against you for money owed.
• Bill disputes.

Be Credit Smart

Like other areas of your life, your credit history requires maintenance. Even if you pay your debts on time, do not assume that your credit rating is flawless. Mistakes do occur.

FCRA entitles you to review information in your credit file. If you have been denied credit, the company denying credit must let you know and give you the name and address of the credit agency making the report. Once you have this information, you can send a letter to the agency and you will receive the information in your credit file, at no cost, within 30 days.

Obtain a copy of your credit report periodically and check it for accuracy. Federal law entitles you to a free credit report from each of the three national credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – once a year. To get yours, visit www.annualcreditreport.com. (Keep in mind that other websites claiming to offer “free” credit reports may charge you for another product or service if you accept a “free” report.) If you wish to dispute any information in your file, write the agency and ask them to verify it. Under the law, they are required to do so within a “reasonable time,” usually 30 days. If the agency cannot verify the information, it must be deleted from your file.

This article is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. Consult your financial advisor if you have any questions.