Feature Article Debt Elimination
Author: John Cook
If you're reading this article right now I'm sure that you are looking for a debt elimination system that will help you get out from under you personal mountain of debt. Hopefully you're not looking for the magic pill that will suddenly dissolve your debt problem. I'm afraid that I have to tell you that there is no magic debt elimination system. We get into debt either by our poor spending habits or by not being prepared for unexpected expenses and often a combination of the two. It is not uncommon to hear of someone who has poor spending habits and a somewhat manageable debt load who has had an unfortunate event that puts them into a financial tailspin. To get out of debt and stay out of debt you must change your attitude about how you spend money or you will never stay out of debt. Getting a debt consolidation loan or going bankrupt will not help you. You must change your spending habits. You have to make up your mind that you will spend less than you earn or you will just go back into debt again. There also are those who do not excessively overspend but they are not prepared for unexpected expenses. They may have little or no debt when suddenly something happens that takes them deeply into debt. This can be an illness, an engine blowing up in your vehicle, a tree falling on your house or any number of catastrophes. Knowing this, the first step in getting out of debt is to change your attitude. You must decide that you will no longer accept living in debt and unprepared for life's uncertainties. You must decide that whatever it takes, you will do it. Without this intensity it will be difficult for you to succeed. Without this intensity new cars and the shiny advertisements will draw you back into debt. Remember, the first step to staying debt free must be an attitude change. John Cook is the author of Finance For Families.com, a website designed to assist families in making smart financial decisions. The burden of seemingly insurmountable debt is destroying too many families. You can read more at http://www.financeforfamilies.com |
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Feature Article Debt Management Solutions - Avoid Debt Elimination Scams?
Author: Carrie Reeder
Acquiring a large amount of debt is burdensome. Because of high monthly payments, many people are unable to make minimum payments. Failure to pay credit cards results in late fees and higher interest payments. Although skipping credit card payments may be tempting, this does not eliminate the problem. In fact, this makes the situation worse. Getting Control of High Credit Card Balances Eliminating debt is the only solution for gaining control of your high balance credit cards. Individuals with low credit card balances are generally able to handle monthly payments. Moreover, these people may pay more than the monthly minimum. Thus, they have the opportunity to reduce, and ultimately eliminate debt. Of course, if you are barely paying the minimum balance, which is usually the finance charges, your credit card balance may only drop a couple of dollars a month. In some cases, your balance may increase. This occurs when your finance charges are more than the monthly minimum. Beware of Debt Elimination Scams Many companies advertise debt elimination solutions. Perhaps you have seen grant programs advertising free money to pay bills. While these ads appear tempting, it is important to realize that getting a grant to start a business requires patience and effort. With this said, getting a grant or free money to pay bills is impossible. Another common debt elimination scam involves companies claiming that they can eliminate your debt legally. According to these organizations, credit card companies, mortgage companies, and banks charge interest and other fees illegally. Thus, you are waived of your obligation to repay debts by looking for loopholes. After you pay the debt elimination company a typical fee of $2,000, you are sent a document to present to your creditors. Supposedly, this document releases you from repaying debt. Document titles may read, "Bond for Discharge of Debt," "Bill of Exchange," and "Redemption Certificate." Do not fall for this scam. The documents are fake. Sadly, after a person gives the debt elimination company thousands of dollars, they are still required to repay debts.
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Feature Article Debt Consolidation Loan - A Way Of Debt Elimination
Author: Gracie Bishop
People's responsibilities for debts have been just tracked down by the government and the lenders. However for better debt payment, lending bodies could do a lot to help people with shaky mathematics understand the consequences. Law makes it obligatory for everyone to pay off their financial obligations and dues well to the stipulated terms and conditions. Wake up call for a lot of people before they find themselves with massive debts, a program of debt consolidation loan has been configured by the lending authority. It is all very well to make comments like; the individuals should take the blame for getting into debt, or have no time for those who get themselves into debts. What most readers fail to grasp is that even the most disciplined individuals due to unforeseen circumstances can end up in debt. Not all debtors got themselves into debt blindly. Under the condition of the debt consolidation loan, borrowers are optioned with secured and unsecured forms. It is just rightly rely upon the borrowers either the method is best suited to their financial upkeep. The former borrowing provision contains collateral placing, whereas the latter lending option is made devoid to pledging placing. Both of the provisions are best designed out to assist debtors in an organised way. To this prospect, obtaining has become quite handy these days, since there is a great presence of lenders online and offline. In which, processing through online is preferred. For entire of the processing, a creditor is selected. The creditor makes a calculation and then charted out a single monthly repayment scheme. Upon doing so, debtors find this debt elimination processing well under their control. Some people say that there should be a ban on small loan companies that charge ludicrous amounts of interest. People have just lost their homes and families through debt and they have to start again. Individuals get caught up the credit trap due to banks and loan companies making it all too easy to get credit. People should learn from their mistakes and I would not be making the same again. Those who say that they have no sympathy with people like should see the light and open their eyes to what is going on around them. They do not realise that even the most financially disciplined can get caught up. Gracie Bishop is associated with UK Debt Consolidations. His articles helps you to find Debt Consolidation Services even if you have poor credit history. For more information about Debt consolidation loan, online debt consolidation, secured loans, debt consolidation mortgage visit on http://www.ukdebtconsolidations.co.uk/ |
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Feature Article Debt relief from debt consolidation
Author: Jakob Jelling
By Jakob Jelling
http://www.cashbazar.com
If you are up to your neck in debt, there may seem like there is no relief in sight. In fact this is not necessarily the truth. There are ways to take all of your stifling bills and roll them up into one neat package by using debt consolidation in two very popular forms Home Equity Loans, Refinancing Loans, and a Consolidation Credit Card. All of these instruments provide the debtor with one thing "relief" from the current debt by shrinking it down to a single manageable debt.
Using home equity to consolidate debts
One of the popular methods of debt consolidation today is the Home Equity Loan. What happens is that the debt is extinguished using the equity from a homeowner's home. A loan is created outside of the mortgage in order to satisfy the debts. Should the homeowner default on the loan, their house is in jeopardy of being foreclosed upon if that loan is not satisfied with a specified amount of time.
Refinancing loans
People often consume the debt by rolling it into a new mortgage. This way the house costs more money to the borrower, but the debt is extinguished at close and the debt is neatly rolled away into the mortgage securely. Upon settlement of the loan, the debts are paid in full and satisfied. The clock on the mortgage is reset to day one.
Credit card consolidation
A low interest credit card is offered to the borrower to include any outstanding credit and loan balances. The interest rate is a low fixed rate for a period of up to one year, upon the year's end it will resume at its normal rate. Upon acceptance and terms the account should be closed once paid in full and payments be made directly to the new credit card provider. Some people have been able to master paying off one credit card with another to keep the debt revolving and interest rates low. Some people fail to close out the previous creditors account and run them back up again as well.
All three of these options provide solid relief for the debt and help them reconstruct and manage their debt better.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Debt Elimination Fast!
Author: Ephram Lucas
How would you like to be debt free in only a few years, including zero mortgage debts?! Sounds too good to be true? Well check out this easy debt elimination plan from www.nodebtever.com - the plan the Banks DON'T want you to know about! First off, you need to do a little groundwork. Those debts took some time to build, so getting rid of them involves a little concentration.
Get your last half year's bank records together.Ignoring taxes, bills already paid etc, mark every entry that could in theory be reduced. It will help if you group like for like stuff together (a spreadsheet is good for this) for example, clothes, entertainment, groceries etc. What you are looking for is a way to shave 10% or more off each of these items. Make a list of ideas for each category. This is easier than it might sound - for example, in the 'Groceries' section, make a note to buy unbranded Supermarket generic products, rather than the big brand high cost versions. The amount you think you can save by doing this is your 'war chest' against debt.
Once you have done this, prioritise the bills as follows:- divide the outstanding debt on each bill by the minimum amount you can pay off each month. The smallest resulting number is your target bill. What you are going to do is continue your normal monthly payments on everything EXCEPT the target. The debt target gets the usual payment PLUS the war chest. You want to POVERPAY the debt each month to break it as fast as possible. Do this each month until the number one bill is paid. Then you move on to debt number 2 - the next smallest result of dividing the bill amount by the minimum payment. This time, of course, you can 'accelerate' the process by applying not only the 'war chest' but also the standard payments you used to pay on target number 1.
You are probably beginning to get the idea! Research from www.nodebtever.com indicates that the average US citizen can pay down ALL their debts in as little as 6 years using this method!
The important things about this method are as follows:-
You want to pay off the debt which will clear first. This allows you to 'accelerate' the process, using each item's payments on the next in the chain as the method matures. You must resist any temptation to focus on the higher interest debts - that is not essential here. If you run into problems (emergency expenditure required, that sort of thing) you can suspend the plan for the minimum amount of time it takes you to deal with the emergency, but then you must resume immediately. Oh, and by the way, DO NOT try to use your retuirement 401(k) funds for this - fund it from income and windfalls only.
About the Author(c) E Lucas 2005. You may reproduce this article on your website or newsletter as long as you include this byline and link to http://www.nodebtever.com www.nodebtever.com , the site for free debt articles and tips on elimination of debts ...
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Feature Article Debt Elimination Fast!
Author: Ephram Lucas
How would you like to be debt free in only a few years, including zero mortgage debts?! Sounds too good to be true? Well check out this easy debt elimination plan from www.nodebtever.com - the plan the Banks DON'T want you to know about! First off, you need to do a little groundwork. Those debts took some time to build, so getting rid of them involves a little concentration.
Get your last half year's bank records together.Ignoring taxes, bills already paid etc, mark every entry that could in theory be reduced. It will help if you group like for like stuff together (a spreadsheet is good for this) for example, clothes, entertainment, groceries etc. What you are looking for is a way to shave 10% or more off each of these items. Make a list of ideas for each category. This is easier than it might sound - for example, in the 'Groceries' section, make a note to buy unbranded Supermarket generic products, rather than the big brand high cost versions. The amount you think you can save by doing this is your 'war chest' against debt.
Once you have done this, prioritise the bills as follows:- divide the outstanding debt on each bill by the minimum amount you can pay off each month. The smallest resulting number is your target bill. What you are going to do is continue your normal monthly payments on everything EXCEPT the target. The debt target gets the usual payment PLUS the war chest. You want to POVERPAY the debt each month to break it as fast as possible. Do this each month until the number one bill is paid. Then you move on to debt number 2 - the next smallest result of dividing the bill amount by the minimum payment. This time, of course, you can 'accelerate' the process by applying not only the 'war chest' but also the standard payments you used to pay on target number 1.
You are probably beginning to get the idea! Research from www.nodebtever.com indicates that the average US citizen can pay down ALL their debts in as little as 6 years using this method!
The important things about this method are as follows:-
You want to pay off the debt which will clear first. This allows you to 'accelerate' the process, using each item's payments on the next in the chain as the method matures. You must resist any temptation to focus on the higher interest debts - that is not essential here. If you run into problems (emergency expenditure required, that sort of thing) you can suspend the plan for the minimum amount of time it takes you to deal with the emergency, but then you must resume immediately. Oh, and by the way, DO NOT try to use your retuirement 401(k) funds for this - fund it from income and windfalls only.
About the Author(c) E Lucas 2005. You may reproduce this article on your website or newsletter as long as you include this byline and link to http://www.nodebtever.com www.nodebtever.com , the site for free debt articles and tips on elimination of debts ...
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Feature Article Debt consolidation
Author: Jakob Jelling
Debt consolidation is a concept that most people are aware of and often is a good idea. Basically when consolidating your bills or loans, you combine the total amount owed and make a single monthly payment instead of many smaller payments through out the month. While this is often a good solution to debt problems, there are a few things that need to be considered first.
The first thing to consider is if a consolidation loan is in your best interest. Regardless of how you end up procuring a consolidation loan the basic facts are the same, you are borrowing more than you currently owe to get one monthly payment. Is this convenience worth the extra cost of the fees and interest on a loan for money than you currently owe?
Depending upon your situation there may be several courses of action to consider first. Step one is to take a serious look at you personal budgeting. Do you need to make changes to how you are currently spending your income? If there is too much debt to be repaid at once can you enter into a payment arrangement with your creditors to allow you the time that you need to get ahead?
If you are not able to work your way out of your current situation then you need to look at other borrowing solutions. The first option should be to examine what possibilities you already have. Do you have a mortgage?
If you have a mortgage there may be a few options available to you. First you may be able to increase the amount of your current mortgage. In order to increase the amount of your current mortgage you may have to switch lending institutions and basically re-mortgage your home while other places will simply add the extra amount to your current mortgage. The other similar option you have is to take out a second mortgage on your home. In this case you are borrowing against the equity in your home that you have already built up.
If you do not have a home but do have good credit then you may have other options available to you such as an unsecured loan. An unsecured loan is a good faith loan meaning that the business that lent to you trusts you enough to repay the loan. This type of loan will not impede your ability to buy and sell property since they will not but a lien on your assets. This may be important to you if you are planning on selling your vehicle or other assets in the near future.
Debt consolidation can be a valuable tool if you know what you are doing and how you got to this point. Debt consolidation may offer lower interest rates, lower monthly payments and only a single bill to pay once a month thus making your budgeting easier.
However, the cost of this convenience can be fairly high. Often companies will charge you for settling a loan earlier than arranged thus adding to the total amount owed. Generally consolidated loans payments are less than what you are currently paying. This is because the term is longer than before. Another way lenders make money is by offering loan insurance that you may already have. It always pays to shop around for any product since the company offering it at the time is usually charging more for the convenience of bundling it.
As you can see a consolidated loan can save you money but may not be the best option available to you. The key is to shop around and do your homework. Find out what various companies offer, what kind of interest rate you should expect to pay based upon your credit rating and what alternative options you have available to you. For example you may be able to borrow from your 401K plan and you will not be charged interest on the loan if you make an arrangement to repay the loan with your employer. A 0% interest loan is a much better option than a consolidated loan.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Dealing with dual real estate agents
Author: Jakob Jelling
Historically, real estate agents have represented the seller of a property. The seller, after all, is usually the one who pays their commission, and agents therefore have a fiduciary relationship with the seller. This in no way means that agents may operate outside the bounds of the law and ethical conduct of course. It just means that the real estate agent is just that, an authorized agent of the seller for a particular transaction.
More recent trends have introduced buyer's agents, who usually work on a fee basis exclusively for the buyer, and dual agents. Dual agents represent both seller and buyer, particularly in cases where the agent's company is the listing company. Dual agency is legal in most U.S. states; however, most consumer advocacy organizations recommend against using a dual agent. This is because there is an inherit conflict of interest for the agent - they receive a commission based on the selling price of the property. The higher the price, the higher their commission, so their reasoning is that dual agents never really have the buyer's best interests at heart.
If you've decided to work with a dual agent, this will need to be disclosed to both the buyer and seller, and they both have to agree, in writing. Dual agents are bound by law and ethics to treat both buyers and sellers honestly, equally, and fairly. Dual agents can be prevented from divulging confidential information about each party to the other. This could severely harm negotiating positions.
The bottom line in dealing with a dual agent is to remember that the buyer and seller have conflicting interests in the price and other terms of the sale. It's very difficult for an agent to truly and equally represent both parties, since the conflicting interests make that inherently impossible. If you do choose to use a dual agent, be sure the exact nature of your relationship with the dual agent is clear, know what services the agent will be performing for you during the transaction, how the agent will be paid, and how any conflicts that arise will be handled.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Crisis Fund
Author: Terry J. Rigg
What would it be like to have a pot of money available when you
have an unexpected expense? I used to think that unexpected
expenses was something that happened very rarely. But it seems
like these days I have as many unexpected expenses as I do
regular bills. One of the vehicles is always needing tires or
repairs, the washing machine needs replaced or buying a new
water heater (like I did just last week). That is where the
Crisis Fund comes in.
If you have a budget in place, most of your regular paycheck is
already allocated for something. Ideally about 10% should be put
aside for savings. It would be a good idea to use about half of
your savings for long term savings and half for your crisis
fund. Your long term savings would be used for large purchases
like a home or money for college for the kids while a crisis
fund would be used smaller purchases.
Your long term savings can be invested in many ways to yield the
best interest rate you can find since the money is intended to
be tied up for years. Your crisis fund needs to be in a savings
account or a checking account that earns interest to make the
money available on short notice.
You may even want to use your crisis fund for bills or expenses
that you know will be due in the future. A few examples of this
could be school clothes for the kids, insurance payments that
are due every three, six or twelve months or even a balloon
payment on your mortgage.
One of the major reasons to have a crisis fund is to prevent the
use of credit cards. All of the purchases you would make with a
credit card could be made out of your crisis fund. With the
average credit card interest being 18% or more, just having the
cash available could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
If you don't think you have money for a savings of any kind you
might want to think about ways of cutting back on something else
to creat a crisis fund. If money is extremely tight, you will
probably have to put off starting a long term savings.
Even putting $5 or $10 a payday away will help when you need it.
About the AuthorTerry Rigg is the author of Living Within Your Means - The Easy
Way http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/ebookadpage.html and editor
of The FREE Budget Stretcher Newsletter and Budget Stretcher
web site http://www.homemoneyhelp.com. He has 25 years of
experience counseling individuals and families concerning their
personal finances. ...
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Feature Article Credit establishment 101
Author: Jakob Jelling
By Jakob Jelling
http://www.cashbazar.com
There will come a day when you need credit. You may want to buy a home or a car and your credit rating will become very important to help make these dreams come true. One of the first things you will need to learn is the basic principle of money management, especially the ability to repay your creditors on time within the 30-day grace period they establish for you. Most people secure credit cards as the first way to establish credit in High School or College. Upon getting the credit card, usually a low spending limit, the ability to repay the card in an orderly fashion will help you establish a positive credit rating with the major repositories.
How your score is recorded
Upon making your monthly payments to the Credit Card Company or bank, your information is electronically transmitted to a credit-reporting agency. Trans Union, Equifax and Experian are the three major credit agencies. Once you have made your payments consistently your rating will rise accordingly. Once your rating has hit 650 or better, your mailbox will become flooded with attractive offers for credit cards and loans. People will want to give you the world because you can pay your bills in a timely manner.
What else is affected with the credit rating?
You may be surprised but if you do not act financially responsible, it can prevent you from getting a job, renting an apartment or even opening a bank account. The fact of the matter is that your credit rating is very important in today's society. Your ability to keep it up to date by monitoring it is crucial. Once a year you can pull a free credit report from each agency. Check the report for accuracy, should it be reporting errors contact them immediately to resolve the issue. Some people might think a simple phone call can fix everything. That couldn't be farther from the truth, repairing damaged credit takes time and only you can do it. Once you file a claim, stick with it and make sure it gets resolved. Once a correction has been made you will receive notification or an amended report from the agency showing the change. Your credit report has much more at stake for you in the present and in the future, watch it closely.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Credit counseling and its effects
Author: Jakob Jelling
All to often credit is fun, easy to get and even easier to use. Many people find that even though they have an excellent income, that they can not keep up with their current debt load and even if they are managing to make their monthly payments they are not getting ahead. Is there a solution to this situation without having to claim bankruptcy or adversely effecting your credit score?
Credit counseling may very well be the answer for this type of situation. Credit counseling is designed to help correct your problem without impacting your credit score and may actually help improve your credit score. Credit counseling works by ensuring that all of your creditors are getting paid on time, eliminates the trap of revolving credit and helps you to learn to over come your credit problems.
Upon entering into a credit-counseling program you will be asked for financial details and to surrender most of your credit cards. Almost all programs acknowledge that you need a credit card or two for business or travel and will not try to restrict your ability to work and live in a reasonable fashion. Once your situation is assessed a plan will be made so that your will be debt free in three or four years and you will be offered the help you need to keep out of the situation that you are currently in.
While your credit score will not be effected an entry will be placed on your file. The entry on your file will generally say "DMP" or "credit counseling". This entry is put there to you from obtaining additional credit cards. Once you have completed your credit counseling this entry is generally removed or updated to reflect that you have finished the program.
One thing that will effect your credit rating is the promptness of your credit-counseling agency. When you are in a credit-counseling program you will give the agency a monthly check that they will use to pay your creditors. If the agency does not pay your creditors on time or in full your credit score will be impacted. Be sure to check out the history of your credit-counseling agency to avoid this.
As you might assume, committing to a credit-counseling program does require a lot of work and conviction from you. The hardest part for many people is to break the habit of reaching for a credit card to pay for a bill that just came in the mail. The second hardest thing for most people to do is to learn to live within in their means. Everyone likes instant gratification and often we feel entitled to it, but perhaps if we had shown a little more discipline in the first place we wouldn't need credit counseling now.
As you can see, credit counseling is a good and reasonable option if you find yourself with too much debt. Credit counseling will not effect your credit score and will ultimately make you a better person as you will learn better skills for handling your money. If you find yourself slipping into revolving credit card debt problems make sure you take the correct steps to resolve the problem before you are forced into bankruptcy.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Credit counseling and its effects
Author: Jakob Jelling
All to often credit is fun, easy to get and even easier to use. Many people find that even though they have an excellent income, that they can not keep up with their current debt load and even if they are managing to make their monthly payments they are not getting ahead. Is there a solution to this situation without having to claim bankruptcy or adversely effecting your credit score?
Credit counseling may very well be the answer for this type of situation. Credit counseling is designed to help correct your problem without impacting your credit score and may actually help improve your credit score. Credit counseling works by ensuring that all of your creditors are getting paid on time, eliminates the trap of revolving credit and helps you to learn to over come your credit problems.
Upon entering into a credit-counseling program you will be asked for financial details and to surrender most of your credit cards. Almost all programs acknowledge that you need a credit card or two for business or travel and will not try to restrict your ability to work and live in a reasonable fashion. Once your situation is assessed a plan will be made so that your will be debt free in three or four years and you will be offered the help you need to keep out of the situation that you are currently in.
While your credit score will not be effected an entry will be placed on your file. The entry on your file will generally say "DMP" or "credit counseling". This entry is put there to you from obtaining additional credit cards. Once you have completed your credit counseling this entry is generally removed or updated to reflect that you have finished the program.
One thing that will effect your credit rating is the promptness of your credit-counseling agency. When you are in a credit-counseling program you will give the agency a monthly check that they will use to pay your creditors. If the agency does not pay your creditors on time or in full your credit score will be impacted. Be sure to check out the history of your credit-counseling agency to avoid this.
As you might assume, committing to a credit-counseling program does require a lot of work and conviction from you. The hardest part for many people is to break the habit of reaching for a credit card to pay for a bill that just came in the mail. The second hardest thing for most people to do is to learn to live within in their means. Everyone likes instant gratification and often we feel entitled to it, but perhaps if we had shown a little more discipline in the first place we wouldn't need credit counseling now.
As you can see, credit counseling is a good and reasonable option if you find yourself with too much debt. Credit counseling will not effect your credit score and will ultimately make you a better person as you will learn better skills for handling your money. If you find yourself slipping into revolving credit card debt problems make sure you take the correct steps to resolve the problem before you are forced into bankruptcy.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Credit card fraud is usually preventable
Author: Jakob Jelling
One of the worst things that can happen to you is credit card fraud. This is even worse if you don't pay very much attention to your credit reports, since you may not find out about the fraud until there are very serious problems to deal with. Even if it's possible to get out of paying for most of the fraudulent purchases that are made on your card, you will often have to pay for some of them - and you will have to go through the hassle of dealing with a stolen credit card if you're not careful.
One of the major places where credit card fraud happens now is online. Therefore, you should be very careful about the companies that you give your credit card number to. Ideally, you should figure out a way to avoid giving out your credit card number at all. There are several payment services online that will help you make your online payments without giving out your credit card number to unauthorized parties.
You should also make sure that if you are entering your credit card number that it is being entered into the right field on the right page, and that it is being sent over a secure connection. If the connection is not secure, then anybody online might be able to find the information that you sent.
Another place where credit card fraud is common is over the phone. For this reason, you should avoid giving your credit card number to people or companies over the phone if at all possible. You should also listen to your instincts regarding the phone and internet. If you have any doubts about the safety of giving your credit card number, then you should probably not do so. After all, when it comes to things like fraud, you're much better off safe than sorry.
If you do find that there are charges on your credit card that you don't remember making, then you might be a victim of credit card fraud. Luckily, there are a lot of options to people who think that their credit card might be stolen. The first thing you should do if you think that your card or card number has been stolen is to call up your credit card company and immediately cancel the card. This will keep the person who has stolen your card from using it anymore. While you'll still have to deal with what has already been done with your card, you will at least have limited the damage.
To keep yourself from being a victim of credit card fraud, however, the most important thing to do is just to use common sense. If something seems shady, then it probably is, and you shouldn't risk your credit card number if you are unsure of the situation.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Feature Article Credit Card Fool
Author: Thomas A Martucci
We allow the credit card industry to make fools of us and we do nothing about it. If someone told you that you were being made a fool of, wouldn't you address the issue? I know I would.
Credit card companies have revenue of $76.03 billion dollars and the majority of this revenue comes from late penalties and over limit and cash advance fees. $29.2 billion came from late penalties, $15.2 billion from over credit limit fees and $3.04 billion from cash advance fees. This amount is 62% of the credit card companies' revenue and this does not include finance charges. Nice profit!
The above is the reason why credit card companies can afford to mail over 5 billion credit card offers per year. This equals to 6 offers per household per month. Maybe the $2 billion in postage alone is a reason why our government does not look into the credit card industry seriously.
Every bank and retailer wants you to have their credit card. Having their credit card enables them to make huge profits. In 2001 both Sears and Circuit City reported that over half of their corporate profits were from finance related revenue. Do you think this could be the reason why retailers always have an employee at the front door of their store offering you to sign up for their credit card and in return you receive a special gift or extra "so called" discount? Most special gifts and extra discounts end up costing you more than the original purchase due to finance charges.
I may not be able to confront these institutions that are trying to make a fool of me, but I can fight back by believing that "Cash is King" and using cash instead of credit will save me money in the end.
It's a New Year and personal money management should be on the top of your list for 2006. Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com Thomas Martucci started developing the BUDGETkeeper SYSTEM in 1999. As a business owner for over twenty years, he understood the necessity of maintaining a budget in his business. However, at home, a budget never made it into the necessity category until a financial firestorm hit and made home budgeting a task that had to be done, like it or not. Thomas worked for several years to perfect a home budgeting system that worked for his family and could work for others as well. Visit our website at www.budgetkeepersystem.com for more information about the BUDGETkeeper SYSTEM. ...
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Feature Article Credit Card Fool
Author: Thomas A Martucci
We allow the credit card industry to make fools of us and we do nothing about it. If someone told you that you were being made a fool of, wouldn't you address the issue? I know I would.
Credit card companies have revenue of $76.03 billion dollars and the majority of this revenue comes from late penalties and over limit and cash advance fees. $29.2 billion came from late penalties, $15.2 billion from over credit limit fees and $3.04 billion from cash advance fees. This amount is 62% of the credit card companies' revenue and this does not include finance charges. Nice profit!
The above is the reason why credit card companies can afford to mail over 5 billion credit card offers per year. This equals to 6 offers per household per month. Maybe the $2 billion in postage alone is a reason why our government does not look into the credit card industry seriously.
Every bank and retailer wants you to have their credit card. Having their credit card enables them to make huge profits. In 2001 both Sears and Circuit City reported that over half of their corporate profits were from finance related revenue. Do you think this could be the reason why retailers always have an employee at the front door of their store offering you to sign up for their credit card and in return you receive a special gift or extra "so called" discount? Most special gifts and extra discounts end up costing you more than the original purchase due to finance charges.
I may not be able to confront these institutions that are trying to make a fool of me, but I can fight back by believing that "Cash is King" and using cash instead of credit will save me money in the end.
It's a New Year and personal money management should be on the top of your list for 2006. Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com Thomas Martucci started developing the BUDGETkeeper SYSTEM in 1999. As a business owner for over twenty years, he understood the necessity of maintaining a budget in his business. However, at home, a budget never made it into the necessity category until a financial firestorm hit and made home budgeting a task that had to be done, like it or not. Thomas worked for several years to perfect a home budgeting system that worked for his family and could work for others as well. Visit our website at www.budgetkeepersystem.com for more information about the BUDGETkeeper SYSTEM. ...
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Article Page Main Financial Sites
Feature Article Credit Card Debt Elimination
Author: Gary Gresham
Credit card debt elimination can be done with a good plan and a little patience.
The important thing is to find what works best for you and stick to your plan. The rewards are well worth it and you'll save yourself a lot of money in the process.
You can choose to either start paying off the credit card with the highest interest rate first or you can get rid of the credit cards with the smallest balance first. The important thing is to know exactly how you are going to approach your credit card debt elimination before you begin.
First, set a realistic budget for yourself to lower your spending in all areas and stick to it. Living by your budget will help you pool your available cash for your credit card debt elimination plan.
The most important you must do immediately is eliminate your credit card spending. You can never succeed with credit card debt elimination if you continue to add to the outstanding balance. The interest on that debt added with a climbing balance will make credit card debt elimination impossible.
It's important to pay your credit card bills on time and always pay more than the minimum payment on the bills you want paid off first. Paying the minimum payment doesn't eliminate that high credit card interest rate. That's exactly what the credit card companies want because they are making a killing off of that interest.
If you are concentrating your bill paying efforts on one bill at a time, then you should still pay at least the minimum on the others. Once each bill is paid redirect your resources to the next bill so your credit card debt elimination can become a reality.
A tip that some have been successful with is contacting creditors to ask for a lower interest rate. Even if most creditors say no what if some of them say yes? The interest savings to you will multiply your credit card debt elimination efforts and save you money. It's worth a few phone calls and your time to try this.
One last tip is, if you choose to close your credit card accounts, do not close them until after the bill has been paid. Some credit card companies often will penalize you by raising interest rates if you close an account that carries an outstanding balance.
The most important thing to remember is to begin your plan right now. Think of how you will feel when you are finally free of high credit card interest. The sooner you start, the sooner your ultimate goal of credit card debt elimination can be accomplished.
About the AuthorThis article is supplied by http://www.credit-repair-facts.com where you will find credit information, debt elimination programs and informative facts that give you the knowledge to correct your own credit and credit report. For more credit related articles go to: http://www.credit-repair-facts.com/articles_1.html
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Feature Article Credit cards for people with bad credit scores
Author: Jakob Jelling
By Jakob Jelling
http://www.cashbazar.com
Sometimes life lands you in a situation that causes your credit to suffer. A job loss or illness can send your credit rating south leaving you with nothing to do about it. Some creditors may let you slide a month or two, but your records will still show a delinquency. A stolen identity can also leave you feeling violated and unable to resume a normal life with credit. It is during these times you may have to search a little harder to find companies that wan to deal with people who have bad credit. There are a handful of lenders who will help you re-establish your creditworthiness by using one of their credit cards.
The price you will pay
Searching the Internet will give you a good idea of what types of credit card companies will deal with bad credit. Companies like Capital One, Orchard Bank, Providian Financial and even Citibank have plans to help you get back on your feet again. But at what price will you have to pay? The price is interest. Interest rates from these companies can be up to 25-30% annually. So it is important to manage your money and credit more wisely.
One of the many benefits of using one of these preferred lenders is that they report positively to the major credit scoring repositories. That means if you make timely payment it will be in your favor and will help boost your credit rating back up. The interest you pay is a small price to pay to get back on your credit worthy feet.
The secured credit card route
Most of the major banks and lending institutions may seek a deposit matching mechanism called a secured credit deposit before backing a credit card for you. This card is used the same way that a normal credit card is, however the cardholder must fund it before using. If the cardholder deposits $100 into the interest bearing account their credit card is funded at 100% of their deposit. Some credit cards can at their disposal issue double or triple matches to boost the amount the creditor can spend. The deposit of $100 can return $300 in credit terms. Secured credit cards also report positively to the credit agencies and will eventually become normal revolving accounts and the balances held for deposit are credited back to the cardholder's account. A very positive way for people with bad credit to obtain the financial vehicles they need.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Article Page Main Financial Sites
Feature Article Credit cards for people with bad credit scores
Author: Jakob Jelling
By Jakob Jelling
http://www.cashbazar.com
Sometimes life lands you in a situation that causes your credit to suffer. A job loss or illness can send your credit rating south leaving you with nothing to do about it. Some creditors may let you slide a month or two, but your records will still show a delinquency. A stolen identity can also leave you feeling violated and unable to resume a normal life with credit. It is during these times you may have to search a little harder to find companies that wan to deal with people who have bad credit. There are a handful of lenders who will help you re-establish your creditworthiness by using one of their credit cards.
The price you will pay
Searching the Internet will give you a good idea of what types of credit card companies will deal with bad credit. Companies like Capital One, Orchard Bank, Providian Financial and even Citibank have plans to help you get back on your feet again. But at what price will you have to pay? The price is interest. Interest rates from these companies can be up to 25-30% annually. So it is important to manage your money and credit more wisely.
One of the many benefits of using one of these preferred lenders is that they report positively to the major credit scoring repositories. That means if you make timely payment it will be in your favor and will help boost your credit rating back up. The interest you pay is a small price to pay to get back on your credit worthy feet.
The secured credit card route
Most of the major banks and lending institutions may seek a deposit matching mechanism called a secured credit deposit before backing a credit card for you. This card is used the same way that a normal credit card is, however the cardholder must fund it before using. If the cardholder deposits $100 into the interest bearing account their credit card is funded at 100% of their deposit. Some credit cards can at their disposal issue double or triple matches to boost the amount the creditor can spend. The deposit of $100 can return $300 in credit terms. Secured credit cards also report positively to the credit agencies and will eventually become normal revolving accounts and the balances held for deposit are credited back to the cardholder's account. A very positive way for people with bad credit to obtain the financial vehicles they need.
About the AuthorJakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate. ...
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Article Page Main Financial Sites
Feature Article Consumer Intelligence: Choosing Smart Debt Consolidation
Author: Holly Bentz
There is an onslaught of American consumers acquiring more debt. It makes for the business of debt consolidation management an emerging industry. Nonetheless, as the marketplace of the indebted continues to reach proportionate heights, it does not do much for the consumer. According to IRS commissioner, Mark W. Everson, "The new breed [of non-profit credit counseling agencies] appears to be more focused on marketing debt management plans than providing educational or charitable services."
Over the last seven years, the United States economy has been quite turbulent. Pre-9/11, American consumers demonstrated gluttonous buying behavior. Wallets and purses tightened after the crisis at the World Trade Center. As the economy continues to boomerang, many patrons are feeling the aftershock of a previous time of financial depravity. Subsequently, credit counseling services, debt management plans and debt consolidation loans are inundated with clients to serve.
The overwhelming number of grievances regarding non-profit credit counseling agencies is an emerging concern. Tens of thousands consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau regarding the unethical and false representation of the debt management organizations. The government is looking into the problem via the Internal Revenue Service. It may conjure new audits and income for the country, but it may not impact predatory organizations for victimizing consumers entrenched in debt.
Services Offered by Credit Counseling Agencies
By and large, both for-profit and non-profit credit counseling agencies extend invaluable debt management support. The significance of a counseling agency offers the following services:
* Acts as a liaison between creditors and debtors
* Helps consolidate unsecured debt
* Offers educational information
* Assists people with better personal financial management
The stereotypes associated with the indebted consumer are not all true. Unlike the classification of the irresponsible consumer who has charged their way into a financial stupor, a vast percentage of people have incurred extenuating circumstances. The misfortunate scenarios can be anything from a job layoff in a dying industry, to a medical fatality to the devastation of a divorce or even death.
Credit Counseling, an Ultimate Alternative to Bankruptcy
For the American who finds themselves ensconced in unforeseen circumstances, there are alternatives. Since bankruptcy can leave a big stain on one's credit report (up to ten years), credit counseling is the ultimate opportunity. As any industry has ethically bankrupt groups, the same is true of the debt management and credit counseling sector. With the escalation of American debt, a few illicit firms have been inspired to use consumer's misfortune to their fortunate advantageous.
Consumer Smart Credit Counseling
Nonetheless, for the American consumer in quest of credit counseling here are some consumer smart strategies to identify an illicit credit counseling firm from an ethical one.
* Any non- profit that charges excessive fees
* Fails to offer free personal financial advice for a do-your self solution
* Neglects to discuss or disclose fair consumer's legal rights
* Prior to providing counseling services, requires an upfront payment for credit repair
* Advises the consumer to dispute all information contained in the credit report
* Encourages the consumer to contact a credit reporting agency, directly
* Supports illegal actions the consumer can take to amend their credit (for example creating a new credit identity)
* Prescribes that the consumer to restructures a good credit rating by applying for an Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
Essentially, whenever a professional agent, business consultant or financial counselor recommends any type of fraudulent activity, the consumer is liable for prosecution, as well. If you seek help from a credit counseling agency or debt consolidation firm that recommends any of the above fast fixes for your credit rating, report the unethical recommendations to the Better Business Bureau.
Five Consumer Smart Strategies to Employ Before Opting for Debt Consolidation
Conduct a background research on debt management firms. Check with your state's attorney generals office and the Better Business Bureau. If the credit counseling firm has a propensity for committing fraudulent business tactics, they will be listed on either the Better Business Bureau or the Attorney General's office.
* Determine whether the service extends workshops on budgeting and managing personal finances. (It is one of the more prominent signs of an ethical credit and debt counseling/consolidation program).
* Request how the financial counseling agency is paid. Generally, when debt representatives are paid on a commission basis, they are motivated to improve their financial status versus their customers. Do not forget to present the same question to any non-profit debt organization as well.
* Inquire the credit counseling services hours of operation. The credit and debt service should be open during normal business hours. Be leery of debt management firms that contact you via telemarketing.
* Request a list of fees. Before finalizing a credit counseling agreement, request a detailed overview of the fees associated with the company. Overall, steer clear of any credit or debt management firms that carry exorbitant fees or abnormally high deposits requirements.
Finding the right debt consolidation program to get one's personal finances on track is a matter off applying the above consumer intelligent tactics.
© About-Personal-Loans.com. All rights reserved.
About the AuthorHolly Bentz is a finance writer and a contributor to http://www.about-personal-loans.com/ " About Personal Loans . ...
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Personal Finance Back To Snippet Back To SITEMAP How to Clean Up Your Personal Finances
Author: Rachel Lane
Are you one of those people who doesn't open their bank or credit card statements? Do you take out store cards on the spur of the moment? Have you been with the same bank simply because it is less hassle than changing? If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, fear not confused consumer, help is at hand, with some assistance from a few internet tools. * Internet tool number one: ** The consumer champion site for personal finance information Websites such as Fool.com, Fool.co.uk and Moneysavingexpert.com have proved extremely popular with consumers. Fool.com is more geared towards the US market, whilst Fool.co.uk focuses on the UK market. Both have an extremely diverse selection of information from investment and high risk options to personal finance and low risk options. There are extensive discussion boards, newsletter subscriptions, finance calculators and competitions. These sites not only answer your questions, they make you want to ask more. Fool.com, Fool.co.uk and Moneysavingexpert.com are community based sites and function on consumers exchanging information between themselves, whether that's about passing on recommendations or expressing concerns. The article "Ten Reasons To Fear The Future" by Cliff D'Arcy" on Fool.co.uk is a particularly good introduction to the financial aspects of modern life. Martin Lewis has almost become a household name in the UK through his website Moneysavingexpert. The outspoken journalist and presenter offers a comprehensive resource on a range of personal finance topics. If you can put up with the cheesey photos of Mr Lewis and his catalogue poses, you will undoubtedly find this site extremely helpful. * Internet tool number two: ** The price comparison site for personal finance information Kelkoo, moneynet.co.uk and Lowermybills.com (US) are now commonly exploited by consumers to ensure they are getting the best deal on their purchases. However, it is probably fair to say that more people shop around for clothes and music, than they do for their personal finance products, which is worrying as these cost significantly more. * Internet tool number three: ** Online banking and account aggregation tools The internet can be a scary thing and there is still much scaremongering about online security. However your details are often as secure online, as they are offline and providing you choose and hide your password effectively – there should not be a problem with people accessing your confidential information. Choose a password of eight characters or more, preferably replacing some letters with numbers, such "1nternet" or "passw0rd". Set yourself up with online accounts and you can proactively manage your finances yourself, without waiting for statements through the post or call centre agents to take your query. You can also save yourself bank charges by transferring funds yourself over the internet. Some banks charge large amounts for transferring funds when you can do it for no additional cost at all. Personal finance doesn't have to be about debt and the efficient co-ordination of funds may save you hundreds of pounds in the long-term. Resources:
http://www.fool.com
http://www.moneynet.co.uk About Rachel Rachel would be really interested to get feedback on whether anyone actually reads this section. Rachel has written about living in straw huts, having the 'Best Hits of 1987' in her music collection, eating Green and Blacks chocolate and the fact that on her left foot - her second toe is bigger than her big toe. If someone feels like rescuing Rachel from obscurity, she would be grateful for an e-mail out of here. Rachel also writes for the personal finance blog Cashzilla – http://www.cashzilla.co.uk Don't spam it though or she'll eat you. Contact details
Rachel Lane Rachel@positiveinterest.com ...
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