19,178 Identity Theft Victims Per Day - Are You One Of Them?

Identity theft statistics are shocking. And we are told that it will only become worse, before it gets any better. Are you likely to be affected? According to recent studies, up to 7,000,000 people become identity theft victims each year, in the United States alone. That's over 19,000 cases a day, or 799 cases an hour. Whichever way you look at it, these are shocking figures. And with more and more people using the Internet, online banking, and other hi-tech services, things aren't likely to improve any time soon. In fact, another research, a survey conducted on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission recently, tells us that the situation is even worse. According to the FTC survey report, 4.6% of the US population were identity fraud victims last year - that's 10 million people. According to the FTC figures, if someone fraudulently opens a new credit card or another loan account under your name, on average you can expect the dollar amount to... Read More

Credit Damage: Getting Compensated for Your Loss

Until recently lawyers for victims of credit damage had little possibility to collect for damages beyond medical treatment, lost wages and property loss. Insurance companies threw up their hands in sympathy, claiming victims can only be compensated for what can be measured - tangible goods and services. But, what happens when the victim has lost considerable time from work, the family bank is broke and monthly payments on mortgages, car loans and credit cards payments are missed? Regardless of the haggling between lawyers and insurance companies, it's the credit victim who ends up having to live with a bad credit rating.Today, there are legally accepted means for measuring loss of credit through the procedure of Credit Damage Measurement (CDM). CDM is fast becoming a potent tool for recoverable credit damage awards when the damage is not self-inflicted. Previously, both judge and jury, and especially the insurance companies, refused to acknowledge CDM claiming it was speculative because they could not define it as tangible... Read More

3 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score by 50 Points In Less Than 30 Days

In Less Than 30 Days. "What can you do to increase that set of three numbers on your credit report that can be so important with your financing?" I came across this question as I was surfing discussion groups the other day. Check out my answer: Dear Friend, Here are 3 steps I used to take my credit score from 592 (horrible credit) to 762 (perfect credit) almost overnight. If you're interested in improving your credit rating quickly, you'll find this story helpful: In 1995 I made a decision that would ruin my perfect credit history. I quit my salary job to become an insurance salesman. The job paid commission only. Within a few months I lost everything - house, car, credit rating and my self respect. By the end of 1996 I was living with my mom, all my credit accounts were severely past due, and I was paying 22% interest on a broke-down green Geo Storm...I was a real loser. ... Read More

To Repair Credit Is No longer Satisfactory - Learn How To Earn A Millionaires Credit In 30 Days...

To repair your bad credit does not necessarily mean that you now have a good credit, absolutely not. When most people have bad credit, they either purchase a credit repair book or seek a credit expert help. But before you do anything about your bad credit you need to understand few things that can be very crucial to your credit repair success. Some people seek a credit expert's advice with the hope that a credit repair expert can do a better job of repairing their credit than they themselves could. In fact, the opposite is true. If you are not careful about who you hire as a credit advisor you can be in a deeper trouble, but that's beyond the scope of what we have room for. Back to the TWO things you need to remember when you hire credit help: 1. There is no law available to any credit repair company, expert or lawyer that is not available to you as... Read More

4 Steps to Creating Good Credit

As a consumer you've learned the importance of establishing a good credit rating with your lenders. Whether you are shopping for a new home or auto, or searching for the best deals on insurance, your credit worthiness will be judged by your credit rating or credit score.A bad credit history or bad credit habits will place "black marks" on your credit profile. These include things such as late payments, having an account assigned to a collection agency, and of course bankruptcy.Establishing good credit habits and therefore a good credit rating will improve your credit worthiness. This will be reflected in potential lenders offering you substantially lower interest rates and better deals on credit offers.Here are 4 tips to help you create a shining credit profile:1) Pay Your Bills On TimeLenders only have your past payment history on which to decide the type of credit risk you present to them. How you pay off your debts now indicates to them how you will pay... Read More

Beware of Falling Minimum Payments

If you opened a credit card statement recently and were pleasantly surprised to find that your minimum payment due was lowered, don't be so quick to "jump for joy". What may appear as a small boost to your monthly budget is actually the rock that can weigh you down in debt for a lifetime.More and more credit card companies are moving to requiring a minimum payment of 2% of your total outstanding balance. Consumer Action, a consumer advocacy group out of San Francisco, found that the number of card companies with a 2% minimum payment reached 53%, up from 43% just a year ago.Some creditors have even gone so far as to call this a "consumer friendly" move claiming it will assist consumers faced with today's economic woes. In reality, a lower minimum payment causes you to take longer to pay off your debt to the creditor while winding up paying them more money in interest payments.For example, let's say you have a... Read More

Convenience Can Be Costly

You've just opened your credit card bill and attached to your statement you find a "convenience check" included. It may already be filled out with a dollar amount such as $300, $500, or even $1,000. Your mind fills with ideas of what you could buy with this "instant" money. A new summer wardrobe, a nice dinner and tickets to a concert, a weekend getaway.But before you go off on a shopping spree, you should be aware that your "convenience check" is nothing more than a cash advance on your credit card. Cash advances on credit cards carry many extra fees, often overlooked or misunderstood by consumers.Here's a quick look at the types of fees most card issuers charge for a cash advance:1) Upfront fee of 2-4% of the amount advanced. On a $1,000 cash advance your fee will range from $20-$40 in addition to the interest charges.2) Higher interest rate than on purchases. Many credit card companies charge 18% or more on cash... Read More

Credit Repair Scams

"Erase Bad Debt !""Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report"You've probably seen these headlines and others just like it promising to clean up or "fix" bad credit. For someone who suffers from a bad or poor credit rating, these headlines are certainly an appealing offer.Imagine finally being able to buy that new car, get debt collectors off your back, and enjoy a new found freedom from your past debts.Sound to good to be true ? It probably is. Once you fall prey to the credit repair offer and pay the hefty fees involved to clean up your record, here's what happens:1) The credit repair scam artist contacts the credit bureaus and reports that the negative information in your file is false.2) The credit bureau removes this negative information from your report while they investigate the claim.3) The scam artist will then show you the cleaned up version of your credit report and "ta-da" your credit history has been fixed !But here's what the... Read More

Debit Card vs. Credit Card, What Are The Differences ?

Ah, the "good old days". If you are a baby boomer, like me, then you probably remember how important it was to rush to the bank on payday. You had to get there before the teller lanes closed so that you could have your "cash allowance" for the week. Otherwise, if you needed cash you had to write a check, then go to the bank, and "cash" the check for real cash.Fortunately the days of the mad rush to get cash from the bank are long gone. We now enjoy the convenience of using a nearby automatic teller machine (ATM) or you can even get "cash back" at your local grocery, hardware or convenience store.The card you use at the ATM is known as a debit card. When debit cards first appeared it was easy to tell them apart from credit cards. Debit cards didn't have a credit card company logo on them; instead, they usually just had your bank name, your account... Read More

How Healthy Is Your Credit

There's only one way to discover the "health" of your credit. You need to examine your credit report. Your credit report is your "consumer identity" that potential lenders will use to judge your credit worthiness.Use these tips to give your credit profile the "tune-up" it needs for 2004.Tip #1- Check for Errors Your credit report or profile is more than just a collection of who your creditors are and how much you owe them or have paid them.The first thing you need to do is carefully check that your credit report is accurate. Nearly 70% of credit reports contain errors.These errors may be as simple as an incorrect middle initial or address. Or it could be as serious as a creditor reporting that you were late with a payment when in fact you were not late at all.This error might not seem like a big deal to you. However,to a future lender like a mortgage company it makes a big difference !Carefully examine... Read More

---

Showing 1 - 10 of 459 Articles
« Previous	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46	Next »

10 Ways of Reducing the Risk of Identity Theft

1- Check your credit report regularly2- Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your home.3- minimize the amount of information... Read More

Trade Credit: How to Determine if You Should Offer Net-30 Terms to Your Customers

What is trade credit?One of the major differences between consumer and commercial transactions is that most, if not all, consumer transactions are paid in cash or by credit card at the time of... Read More

Errors on Your Credit Report: What You Should Do

There are times when you may be turned down for credit and you do not understand why. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are entitled to a free copy of your... Read More

Ways to Look Good without Selling Your Soul to the Credit Card Sharks

1. Buy clothes at thrift stores. BEFORE you buy them, however, hold the clothing to the light to make sure there are no tears, check the seams under the arms, make sure the... Read More

How You Can Help Prevent Identity Theft

How can I prevent Identity theft from happening to me? Never leave your receipt or slip in the ATM or gas pump. Pay attention to your habits, lock up or organize and file... Read More

Fair Credit Reporting Act: What You Should Know About It?

The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is designated to promote accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of every "consumer reporting agency" (CRA) or Credit Bureau. Learn what the law... Read More

Practical Suggestions for Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

It's no surprise that thousands of Americans are victimized by identity theft each year. Last year more than 9,000,000 people were victims of identity theft amounting to some $45 billion dollars.By the time... Read More

10 Simple Steps to Manage Your Credit

By far the greatest invention the banks have ever come up with came out in the 20th century. Also the new field of Credit Management was born with the invention of the credit... Read More

Credit Score - Reporting Your Financial Health

Credit score is one of the most basic, determining factor while loan borrowing. Credit score is the criterion for the creditor to ascertain whether to give you credit or not. Credit score is... Read More

Debt Collection Agencies

Debt collection agencies are often a viable option for receiving payment on overdue bills. Here you can earn how debt collection agencies work and what to look for in reputable debt collection agencies.Using... Read More

Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone uses, without permission, your personal information in order to commit any frauds or crimes. Identity theft is a felony that is becoming more and more common. That is... Read More

Why Is It important!

Your credit is the most important thing you have other than your breathe. There are three types of people in this world. There are those who have excellent credit. Those who have OK... Read More

A Summary of the Fair Credit Reporting Act

This summary of the Fair Credit Reporting Act will explain what you can legally do if you want to repair your own credit report. No matter what you hear, you can dispute credit... Read More

Low Interest Credit Cards: A Thing of the Past?

With interest rates rising, low or zero percent credit cards may soon become a thing of the past. However, the wise shopper can still secure a low rate by carefully shopping around. Here... Read More

Why Americans Find Predatory Lending Offensive

"Menis - the author translates as "indignant rage" - It is the kind of rage arising from social betrayal that impairs a person's dignity through violation of "what's right." (p21), Achilles In Viet... Read More

Free Credit Report ? Watch Out for Scams

Many people may still not be aware of an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that Congress passed last year. This amendment allows U.S. citizens to receive a copy of their... Read More

Learn About Prepaid Credit Card

Prepaid credit cards also called stored value card can be ideal for individuals who are unemployed, have bad credit or difficulty obtaining an unsecured credit card. Prepaid credit cards are also excellent for... Read More

Why Consumers Need a Nationwide Credit Freeze NOW

What do a shoe retailer, an online discount broker, and a popular clothing retailer all have in common? All three - DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ameritrade, and Polo Ralph Lauren - sustained breaches to... Read More

Free Credit Reports - How to Maintain Your Credit Profile

Maintaining your Credit ProfileEvery consumer should be maintaining their credit profiles to ensure the highest scores possible. To do so, you must first order your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus:... Read More

Which Citi Mastercard Is Right For You?

You've decided to apply for a Citi MasterCard, but with so many different cards to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? Here is a brief guide to... Read More

What Can Happen to You as a Victim of Identity Theft, Facts & Figure

Is identity theft really that serious? Thousands of people every year are victims of this terrible crime. Thieves use your personal information to commit fraud or other crimes in your name and can... Read More

Dont Trade Your Future for Todays DooDads

"Easy Low Down Monthly Payment," "Buy Now Pay Later," "You Deserve the Car Today and We Can Finance It for You," & "Spend Today, 0% APR until Next Year!" We see those statements... Read More

10 Dirty Tricks Credit Card Companies Play

The credit card companies make billions each year in legitimate interest charges and fees, but are under constant pressure from the shareholders to increase their earnings. To make this extra money the credit... Read More

Understanding Credit Report Score

Understanding credit report scores is important when you see your credit report because you need to be able to make some sense of it.Your credit score is used by anyone loaning you money... Read More

How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft

To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take.The most important one is to ask periodically for a copy... Read More

Credit Damage: Getting Compensated for Your Loss

Until recently lawyers for victims of credit damage had little possibility to collect for damages beyond medical treatment, lost wages and property loss. Insurance companies threw up their hands in sympathy, claiming victims... Read More

Dealing With A Collection Agency

Step I - Selecting A Collection AgencySelecting a credit collection agency is perhaps the most important and difficult task. Some factors you must consider while selecting a collection agency are:- Experience and professionals... Read More

The Art of Stoozing to Make Money from Credit Cards

Make Money from StoozingStoozing, this is a sophisticated method of making money from credit cards that offer 0% introductory periods, the method requires cast iron discipline in never spending on the cards.But, I... Read More

Establishing Credit ? What You Need To Know Part 2

In my previous article "Establishing Credit ? What You Need To Know Part 1" I discussed the need for a good credit history and what lenders were looking for prior to loaning an... Read More