WHEELS UP // Business

The Outlook // Read Up //

Fix Your Credit Book: Succeeding When a sense of humor, an By Ali Velshi You’re Supposed to Fail: openness to experience, a The Six Enduring Principles refusal to give in to anxiety There are two types of High Achievement and an ability to find people of people in the world: who can provide a few extra those who have Author: Rom Brafman boosts of help and strength. credit scores above is a California-based Tunnelers, Brafman 700 and those psychologist and the believes, see life from a who don’t. This is co-author of two best- slightly different and more for the latter. sellers, Sway and Click. creative angle than most of us. But we non- If you’re tunnelers, if we’re mindful and willing, also reading this, you Why do some people triumph despite the can develop some of these skills. may be a traveler; a terrible cards life deals them—troubled or Though Succeeding When You're global citizen. In a sense, absent parents, crushing poverty, lack of Supposed to Fail can’t be classified we all have been global citizens since encouragement—while others are defeated strictly as a business book, it does offer the Great Recession. Who knew that a by them? Brafman explores this puzzle in both managers and employees practical butterfly trading stocks in Greece creates this short but provocative book. Those who lessons for helping each other through the a hurricane in U.S. markets? There’s not succeed he describes as “tunnelers”—people sometimes overwhelming challenges of the much you can do about that. What you who simply don’t let the odds determine work world. Those of us who have been can do is fix your own situation, starting where they go, but dig their way through lucky enough to have been dealt good cards with your credit. the obstacles. will find that the game can still turn against You may know that you’re entitled to So how do they do that? Inner drive us from time to time. So if and when that one free credit report per year. You get it partly explains it. But just as essential is happens, how will we respond? by going to AnnualCreditReport.com, not developing a temperament that includes —Gene Rebeck the one with the catchy TV jingles. While you’re at it, pay for a “score." If it’s lower Pay for a than 700, fix it. Check By the Numbers // credit score. the report for errors and contact both Self Publishing If it's lower the creditor and the More authors are passing on than 700, credit rating agencies traditional publishers for new (Equifax, Trans Union fix it. and Experian) to get self-publishing methods. $0.99- the mistakes fixed. $2 $2.99 If the report is correct and your score is Million published e-books. C

low, you need a strategy to lower your self- most buy to ost debt, make your payments on time or Profits young- both. It’ll take three to six months to see adult sci-fi/ fantasy author an improvement in your score if you work 1,500 Amanda Hocking hard to fix your credit problems. Average cost for an earned self- publishing her 3 A good way to raise your credit score author to self-publish a troll-inspired time. one at list fiction best-selling on appeared have H is by getting your lenders to lower their hardcover and soft cover ighest number of self-published books that book, plus Kindle and trilogy before she rates. Unfortunately, they often want you Nook versions. was offered a to have less debt and better payment book deal by habits before they will. But it can't hurt to St. Martin’s Press. try. Even if they say no, they may tell you what you need to do to get a lower rate. Times York New The I’m optimistic that things aren’t getting Number of people who have worse in the global economy, but it’s still 1.1 Million self-published through Lulu.com. going to be a tough slog for at least the next year. It’ll continue to be a challenge

to get a mortgage, sell a house or make top 35 money on stocks. Paying off high-interest Percentage of profits that self-publishing debt could be the biggest investment you companies are starting to offer authors can make this year. in the ever-expanding market. The 70 industry standard had been 25 percent. Ali Velshi is CNN's chief business

correspondent. photos: cnn (ali velshi); michael hendrickson (book). illustration: peter grundy.

28 January 2011 deltaskymag.com