When Bad Credit is Unfair

Before addressing unfair credit dings, I would first like to talk about all the people whose jobs are a Labor of Love.

So many great Americans, Canadians, and people on every continent labor day after day serving others.

The labor of love might be volunteer work or for pay. Either way, your work is serving and helping others, and you know who you are. I want to take time out to acknowledge you, your generosity, the giving of yourself, and the many sacrifices you and your family make in your line of duty.

Serving others is rewarding and challenging. You suffer in ways most people don’t understand. It can be painful — both physically and emotionally.

Take the case of a firefighter who risks his life saving people, their pets, their homes, their businesses. Firefighting is grueling physically and mentally. After years go by, it takes a toll on a person’s body. I know: my father-in-law was a firefighter.

Today, I would like to say thank you and give honor to all who serve and who served. You are what makes our country great!

Unfair Bad Credit

When a person who has worked their entire life in their Labor of Love gets hit with a disaster through no fault of their own, what happens to their credit and finances?

What happens when insurance isn’t enough to cover medical bills? When income isn’t enough? What happens when savings is gone? All of this and they are barely hanging on, living each day in physical pain, fighting to stay alive?

And still, the medical bills just keep pouring in like a flood… ?

Sometimes, a person is forced to make hard choices. Do you pay your mortgage and property taxes to keep a roof over your head? YES. Do you let some credit cards slide? MAYBE, if you call and they refuse relief and you have no other choice. Do you let medical bills slide into collections? YES, if your insurance won’t cover and you cannot afford to pay both the medical bills and your home loan. You must prioritize.

Always protect your home first. Don’t take turns paying your mortgage and paying other bills. A mortgage is different in that there is no wiggle room for “ping pong” payments. When you are late, you must pay the entire balance, including late fees, all at once to get caught up. It’s not like a credit card where you can carry a balance month to month. A partial mortgage payments gets rejected and then you are in even more trouble.

Protect your dwelling place. After that, pay what you can. If you lose a credit card, that is not a disaster, as long as you still have a home to live in.

Life can be unfair. Life has been unfair to good people who labor in love, to people all throughout history. One day, God will make all things right.

Until then, do the best you can and don’t worry about what you cannot control. Live your life with inner peace, knowing how many people you served, knowing the results of your labors are living on in others.

God bless you all and please pass this on to others who labor in love.