Are you in debt? Do you think that making good your obligations seems too impossible? Are you starting to contemplate on filing for bankruptcy? You may change your mind if some one or somebody will tell you that there is another effective way to escape the quagmire of debt. Debt consolidation may be what is best for you.
You can take back your life and your credit standing by debt consolidation loan. This is because debt consolidation loan can help avoid filing for bankruptcy. It may also help eliminate unavoidable harassment from creditors. There are also debt consolidation loans that may help lower debt payments or even just eliminate interest, which may be a good help. Debt consolidation loan with a reputable and respectable lending institution may provide one easy to pay monthly payment. You will get these benefits from debt consolidation loans. However, as mentioned, only a reputable and respectable lending institution may be able to help you. Other lending institutions are unethical and may not be good for you. These unethical lending institutions may offer to consolidate your debt that will apply unrealistically high interest rates that will give you more trouble. You will fall deeper in the debt quagmire than to be able to get out of it.
It may help in deciding whether to get a debt consolidation loan or not, if you can initially assess your condition. After assessing your current situation, then you may decide for yourself if a debt consolidation loan is what you need. This basic information may help you in considering whether to consolidate your debts or not. If your monthly debt obligation is already difficult to manage, almost to the point that you say it is impossible to settle all of them. Then, you start to think filing for bankruptcy is the only neat way out. Debt consolidation loan may be what you need when you feel that after paying your credit cards, store cards and other debts, your balances do not even give you any little relief. Debt consolidation loan may also help to give you some sleep by fixing one easy monthly payment. Is it not good to feel that you are only indebted to one and not to so many who may possibly file a lawsuit against you if you fail on your obligations? I think it is. When you finally decide that debt consolidation loan is what you need, then you have to find the reputable and respectable lending institution that will help you better your credit standing. Avoid the loan sharks that will eat you up.
Only a debt consolidation loan from a reputable lending institution can lower your monthly payments. Aside from this, a reputable lending institution may help reduce if not eliminate the interest rates and late payment charges slapped on you loans. Debt consolidation loan from these helpful non-profit lending institutions may stop other charges loaded on your loan. When you finally find the lending institution that will be able to help you, you may regain your reputation and re-establish your credit worthiness.
Finally, lending institution design debt consolidation loans to help you get
back you good credit standing, thus I recommend that when you get an approval
of your debt consolidation loan, ensure re-payment and change your lifestyle
to fit a more reputable credit standing.
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.
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...(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.
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...(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.
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...(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.
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Beware Credit Card Skimming originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 00:18:06.
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...(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.
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