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Find or Refer a Contractor in Tyler

Clearpoint Financial Solutions has Made a Big Difference for this East Texan!

December 14th, 2010

tyler texas financial servicesLike a huge percent of the population, a few years ago, I found myself in a fairly steep financial hole. After a major cross country move and a period of Job hunting I found that my credit card debt as ballooning. Every month I was robbing from Peter to pay Paul. Even making the minimum payments was giving me an ulcer. Finally, after realizing that I was never going to pay my way out I decided to look around for some creative solutions.

I rejected bankruptcy out of hand. I didn’t want to go through the financial and legal rectal exam the process required. More significantly for me however was my desire to pay the money back. Not that I was living recklessly or particularly irresponsibly, but I had borrowed the money, and I wanted to pay it back!

I don’t mean to cast dispersions on those who take this option. I know folks who have accepted this option due to truly uncontrollable circumstances like impossible medical bills. But this was not true in my case. I just couldn’t justify trying to get out of debt that I had accepted in good faith. Of course this also ruled out most of the companies that advertise on television offering to “settle your debt for a fraction of what you owe!” While bankruptcy of course requires seven years in order for the client’s credit to recover, negotiated settlement may never fully recover due to the fact that potential lenders see the loan applicant as potentially skipping out on future debt. Nothing in this life is free, and most of these offers smack of scams to me.

I was wary of debt consolidation companies too. I understand the principle but taking out another loan to pay the others seemed fraught with other dangers, like interest rate increases… not to mention the fact that I was in no ways certain to qualify for a loan large enough to consolidate all of my debt. So I looked around for another option. I found one in the form of Clearpoint Financial Solutions.

The company is a thirty year old, not for profit financial counseling organization. They also come highly recommended by the Better Business Bureau. I searched for consumer evaluations and only found one negative review. Admittedly I didn’t search exhaustively, but as far as I could see it’s a legit company. Of course they negotiate with the borrower’s creditors in order to get a low stable interest rate. The borrower is unable either to use his or her credit cards or apply for new loans or new cards as long as they are enrolled in the program. Participants make a single monthly payment to Clearpoint, and they disperse an agreed upon amount to the creditors. This approach is much better for the borrower’s credit long term than either bankruptcy, or negotiated settlements.

Credit counseling programs like Clearpoint may not be for everyone, but it’s been great for me. After just a few years in the program I have paid off a sizable chunk of what I owe, and I stand to be debt- free next year, (aside for my mortgage). With financial times being what they are being without an added monthly bill (especially one that size) is going to feel pretty good! Personally I would recommend Clearpoint any day. I was and will be a huge relief for me! For more information on Clearpoint Financial Solutions, see their web site at http://www.clearpointcreditcounselingsolutions.org.

Freedom Automotive and Muffler of Tyler, Inc.

January 19th, 2010

Freedom Automotive & Muffler of Tyler, Inc. is located on Highway 64 West in Tyler, TX almost half-way between Loop 323 and the Tyler Pounds Airport. The company has been a Better Business Bureau Accredited business since April 20th, 2006. The Better Business Bureau has not processed a single negative complaint on this company in at least thirty-six months. 

Freedom Automotive in Tyler

Freedom Automotive in Tyler

 Their main focus and expertise is in muffler and exhaust installs and repairs, but they are capable of all automotive repair and installation.

I first went to Freedom Automotive & Muffler because I had close friends who recommended them to me as a mechanic shop that was honest and affordable. I’ve had several friends who have used them with good results. I will also be sending my close friends and family to them in the future for any type of car work.

The reason I needed a mechanic was that my car was having minor electrical problems. The lights would only go to high beams or off. I couldn’t very well drive around with no lights or only brights, but I didn’t want to pay for work on my high mileage car. I had been planning to sell my car and purchase another used car, but I had to leave for a family visit in New England for the Thanksgiving holiday. I went into Freedom Automotive and was met by the co-owner Mrs. Hayes. She was so incredibly helpful and considerate. She had the guys look at it and then made some calls to find the multi-switch that I needed. She called her different auto suppliers and found out that the part was not a normally stocked item and was therefore going to cost over two hundred dollars. The cool thing was that she cared that it was expensive to me. Even though she could do nothing about the cost, it earned my business.
I had to leave for a cross country road trip within less than a week, so I decided to get it fixed and try to sell it very quickly. I did some looking at used cars and had a potential, but I checked with Jep Hayes at Freedom Automotive. He was very helpful. I asked if the car would be worth keeping. He looked at my car and told me that it was a good car and would easily run another fifty thousand or more miles with a new timing belt. He said that he personally drove all of his cars into the ground, because it worked out to be cheaper. He also helped me see that when buying a used car you are buying the previous owner’s mistakes and something they are wanting to be rid of which may turn out to need tons of repairs.

I talked with my wife and we decided this was probably the best decision. So we had them install a timing belt and do a couple of other things. Then I paid another company a little to install new speakers, and the results were amazing. It was like we had a new car. Only we spent about three thousand dollars less than we would have and avoided debt. The car has been running great for a few months now. He even fixed an almost deafening squeal that had been “fixed” by other mechanics about seven or eight times. The car hasn’t squealed since.

This company earned my trust by being honest and helpful. They didn’t try to convince me to replace parts that didn’t need it. I went to them with the repairs I wanted done and they found the cheapest parts they could and did the work quicker than I could believe. Even though they had other vehicles they were working on, they took my pressing time need into account and finished the job early before my trip. I was more than pleased with their service and work ethic and even their friendly advice.

(903) 593-6637
Fax (903) 593-9028
11655 St Hwy 64 W
Tyler, TX 75704