If you're still in high school, as rich as Croesus or a favorite of Lady Luck, perhaps the term debt consolidation wouldn't even ring a tiny bell to your ears. But if you're like the rest of us, with a huge number of bills to pay month after month, creditors to alternately hide from and beg, then I'm sure you know what debt consolidation is all about.
But just for the heck of it, let's assume that one of this article's readers has been sleeping under a rock and has no idea what we're talking about. But the fact remains that he does need a little help financially. Well, debt consolidation is the process of accumulating your bills for one month, adding them up and giving them over to the kind debt consolidation specialist who's willing to help you for a teensy weensy price. Instead of paying off some, disregarding the others, you get to pay just one flat rate every month and that's it. Finish. Sounds wonderful right?
And because I'm a good person, I'll discuss the merits of debt consolidation and the numerous ways it can help you.
The first important thing that debt consolidation can help you with is getting your creditors, bless their nagging souls, off your already aching, heavily burdened back. We all know how these creditors can be nasty at times. They're good at semantics and etiquette, I'll give you that, but a threat is still a threat, albeit nicely worded. The phrase "to avoid taking legal actions" never cease to make us shudder, doesn't it? But that's when debt consolidation come in to help you. With your permission, they take charge of your creditors. You need not see them again anymore. Big help right? Big, big help!
Now, the next form of help that debt consolidation companies provide you with is part of the program you'll be working on with whoever your debt consolidation specialist is. One of the questions they'll ask you is just what kind of help do you need. Do you want your monthly payments to be significantly lowered? Do you need help to keep your interest rates low? Do you require help in talking your bank manager into giving you an extension on the deadline of a loan you've taken? The help you'll get from debt consolidation depends on the program you're going to take but rest assured that what you want, you will get.
It's not however a bed of roses with all debt consolidation companies. Sometimes, they help you the other way around. If you had the misfortune to make business with an unscrupulous debt consolidation firm, then that firm may just help push you into further bankruptcy. One way to avoid this is not choosing online debt consolidation companies and not releasing classified information about yourself unless needed.
I've said this before but I'll say this again. In the end, it's
what you want that matters. Those outstanding bills do not signify the end
of the world for you. Where there's a will, there's always a way,
albeit sometimes rocky. You alone can help yourself and if you think debt consolidation
is the way to do it, then so be it. But if you're hesitating a bit and
you think that you're better off without external help and relying on
yourself, then that's a good thing too.
The Fed Proposes a Rules to Limit Credit Card Fees
The Federal Reserve has proposed a rule that would limit penalty credit card fees - those fees that are imposed when you default on your credit card, e.g. miss a payment. Right now, credit card companies are charging the maximum penalty fee to the majority of their customers. If it's passed by Congress, the new rule could end that practice.
The rule would stop credit card companies from charing fees that are more than the violation. For example, if you go over your limit by $5, your maximum over-the-limit fee would be $5. The rule would stop inactivity fees and prevent cardholders from being charged multiple times for one violation.
You can let the Federal Reserve know what you think about the proposed rule by commenting at their website. Make sure you leave a comment for R-1584.
The Fed Proposes a Rules to Limit Credit Card Fees originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 02:10:52.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
...(more)Watch Out for Unauthorized Charges From iTunes
Note: This news story came out last year, but many readers are still facing problems with fraudulent charges from iTunes.
A MyFox New York story warns about fraudulent credit card and check card charges that appear to be from iTunes. The first signs of the fraud include charges or pending authorizations from a APL*ITUNES business for $1.00 which might seem to be accurate or an email for gift card receipts that were purchased with your account. The fraud is happening to a wide-variety of people who may or may not have an iTunes account. From the news story:
The high-tech scam has claimed victims from New York to California. At the heart of it all is Apple's wildly popular iTunes. Victims say it starts with an unexpected e-mail for purchases they never made. That's how Rachel Katz from Manhattan found out, "I got two emails thanking me for my purchase."
But by the time victims get the e-mail receipt it's usually too late. The receipts appear to be legitimate, and come from Apple, generated by the user's iTunes account. The receipts show purchases for iTunes electronic gift certificates and charges that hit checking accounts, credit cards or PayPal depending on what the user has linked to his or her iTunes account.
Some of the thieves wait for the $1.00 charge to complete before hitting the account with even higher charges. Sending an initial small charge through first allows the thief to determine whether the account is legitimate.
Many victims of the fraud are having trouble fixing the situation. Neither the banks nor Paypal nor Apple accept ownership. Meanwhile, victims are left without hundreds, even thousands of dollars.
Brett Larson with MyFox recommends deleting your credit card information from iTunes. Instead, he suggests you fund your account with an iTunes gift card. The cards can be purchased from many retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy. Or, you can make iTunes purchases with single-use credit card number available from your credit card company.
I just deleted my credit card information from iTunes by going to Store --> View My Account. I clicked on Edit Payment information and next to "Credit Card" I selected the radio button next to "None."
If you notice an authorization or charges from Apl*itunes, contact your bank immediately. Here are some Tips to Avoid Credit Card Scams and information about disputing inaccurate credit card charges.
via Consumerist
Watch Out for Unauthorized Charges From iTunes originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 02:05:33.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
...(more)Are Some Creditors Trying to Hide the True Cost of Credit?
Credit card issuers are now required to include credit card repayment time and cost on the front of your billing statement, but they may be trying to skirt that new requirement.
Credit card issuers are now required to give a minimum payment warning letting you know just how much you'll end up paying in interest if you make the minimum payment on your credit card. They also have to clearly state late payment penalties including late fees and penalty rates. Both these disclosures are supposed to be printed on the front of your billing statement.
The rule applies to printed statements and if you check your billing statement online, you might not see the warnings unless you download the PDF version of your statement. Could this be the real reason why some private-label credit card issuers started charging consumers a dollar to receive paper statements?
CreditCards.com reports that back in December of 2009, retailers who issue through Alliance Data Systems gave cardholders the option to get their statements online or pay $1 for paper statements. Of course, there'll be some customers to pay the fee because they can't or won't check their accounts online. The ones who opt for online statements could miss out on vital information about how much they're paying for credit.
Are Some Creditors Trying to Hide the True Cost of Credit? originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 02:42:48.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
...(more)Credit card skimming is a type of credit card theft that allows thieves to steal your credit card information without stealing your credit card. After being hidden in ATMs and other credit card machines, credit card skimmers collect your data in what would have been a legitimate transaction. Waiters, retail clerks, and other customer service representatives can hold skimmers in their hands and swipe when you're not paying attention. Learn more about credit card skimming, how to recognize a skimmer, and how to avoid the theft.
Related Posts:
Beware Credit Card Skimming originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 00:18:06.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
...(more)5 Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund
It's tax season and for many taxpayers that means a tax refund is due. If you know you're getting a refund, you've probably already started thinking about how you're going to spend it. Buying consumer goods would stimulate the economy, but paying off some credit card debt would stimulate your get-out-of-debt plan. See 5 Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund for some ideas on what you can do with this year's income tax refund.
5 Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 00:18:53.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
...(more)2005 All rights reserved - Debt Consolidator