Uniroyal | Kim Danger and Uniroyal Team Up to Help You Handle Your Finances

KIM DANGER AND UNIROYAL® OFFER NEW FINANCIAL E-BOOK

“Smart Financing” Is First E-book of 2009

GREENVILLE, S.C. - (Feb. 25, 09) - With the start of the new year, Uniroyal® Tire and Kim Danger want to make sure you have what you need in order to get the most out of 2009. Working together, the pair has released the first in their 2009 series of four free e-books to continue the “More Mileage for Your Money” campaign. “Smart Financing” walks readers through the steps of building an accurate budget, paying down debt, and financially preparing for retirement. You can download the e-book at www.UniroyalTires.com/moremileageforyourmoney.

Finding your way to financial well-being does not have to be a mysterious process. Here are some easy steps you can take to get your finances in order. First, you need to get an idea of where you stand.

Gather all your financial records from at least the last six months, or a full year if you can.
List all your assets, including your home, your vehicle, investments, retirement account balances, etc.
List all your liabilities. Make sure to include your mortgage, home equity loans, student loans, credit card balances, and all your other debt.
Your net worth is calculated by subtracting your liabilities from your assets.
Your debt-to-equity ratio is your liabilities divided by your assets. Ideally, this will not be more than a one to three ratio.

Knowing your credit score is crucial to understanding your financial situation. Once you get it, make sure that you are monitoring it closely. Start by settling any debts in collection and see that any inaccuracies in the report are corrected. Keep your credit card balances low instead of maxing out your accounts (balances kept at 75% of the limit are considered high). Also, keep accounts open instead of closing them once debt has been paid off in order to strengthen your credit rating. Finally, avoid checking your FICO score too frequently — anything more than once or twice a year could raise red flags and impact your score.

Begin examining your daily and monthly expenditures. For example, look at your car insurance payments. If your deductible is set at $500 consider raising it to $1,000. Yes, you’ll have to pay more out-of-pocket if you’re in an accident, but you could save up to 30% on your rates throughout the year. Or, if you car is worth less than $2,000 you may want to drop collision insurance completely (but be aware, you’ll need the money to replace your car in the event of an accident). Consider bundling your auto insurance with your homeowner’s insurance to save even more.

Now that you have a better idea of where you are going, avoid common mistakes as you get there. Pay yourself first, budget for irregular expenses, and build in wiggle room. It is a good idea to calculate your cost of living off a six-month average, but give yourself additional room inside these boundaries. An inflexible budget is sure to fail.

For more information, including how to set up a monthly budget, how to comfortably trim expenses, and managing debt, go to www.UniroyalTires.com/moremileageforyourmoney. This e-book is the fifth e-book in Uniroyal Tire’s “More Mileage for Your Money” series featuring the savvy tips of Kim Danger. The website features all the previous free e-books, as well as Danger’s series of thrifty videos.

About the “More Mileage for Your Money” Campaign
In 2006, Uniroyal Tire created a public service campaign to help consumers address increasing gas costs and rising everyday expenses. Today, the “More Mileage for Your Money” campaign not only offers easy tips for saving money on gas and automotive costs, but also provides straightforward advice on a variety of family areas. Working in partnership with Kimberly Danger, Uniroyal Tire will continue to offer a series of videos, tips and e-books throughout 2009 on the topics of smart financing, pampering yourself, entertaining family and friends, as well as back-to-school shopping.

About Uniroyal:
Uniroyal Tire is one of the world's leading tire brands for passenger and commercial cars, pick-ups, light trucks, mini vans and sport utility vehicles. Dating back to 1892, Uniroyal Tire has developed a reputation for providing high-quality, affordable tires including its Tiger Paw® and Laredo® tire series. Uniroyal tires offer just the right combination of dependability, traction and grip in almost every weather condition, and come with one of the industry's leading warranties. Visit Uniroyal Tire online at www.uniroyal.com.

Contact:
Tonya Polydoroff
(864) 458-4511
tonya.polydoroff@us.michelin.com

Karla Comer
(336) 819-6955
kcomer@trone.com