Chances are, when you're reading this article, you've typed this particular set of keywords in the search box: free debt consolidation. And without a doubt, a number of articles came out as a result, this being one of them, or else you just happened to stumble upon this accidentally.
No matter, the next thing I'm sure of is that as you sum up the articles made available for your convenience, the range of content varies, mainly because of the ambiguous term "free". One article could be talking about free debt consolidation with free pertaining to no service fee needed. Another article could see that as free information being given out about debt consolidation.
But this article has the foresight of predicting that happening in advance so we'll be discussing both possibilities in the following paragraphs.
Although everything comes with a price, some organizations or companies do make free debt consolidation possible.. in a way. If you reckon, debt consolidation is having a person or a company assist you in taking care of your bills. This service usually does not come for free but there are credit counseling agencies that are non-profitable who do give you free debt consolidation, but only within reason, of course. And sadly, that's all there is to it.
Now this one, I can say more about. Most debt consolidation companies, if not all, offer free consultations. In those free consultations, you can ask about everything that confuses you, from A-Z and they would answer your questions patiently. After all, what's a few pints of saliva if ultimately, you find you like the debt consolidation program they're offering? And there are all those free information over the Internet that you can read. Some websites provide information regarding the debt consolidation companies to watch out for and tips to get yourself out of a debt consolidation contract. There was even one article that I came across that was adamantly against debt consolidation companies in general. Furthermore, he goes ahead to warn readers from companies that supposedly provide people with debt settlement and debt negotiation. Those companies are reputedly worse because the tactics and means they use are, say, paralegal.
In any case, whether you may be searching information about free information or free fees for debt consolidation, it's better to think things about a thousand times over before making a decision. It's a sad fact of life that only a few things in life come for free and information and debt consolidation are not excluded. Information that is free may be erroneous or lacking in evidential support. Debt consolidation that is free, on the other hand, may not be free at all and may simply add on to your financial worries.
Therefore, it's better to be wary than sorry. Don't trust what
comes to you for free right away. It's better to trust debt consolidation
programs that have clear cut costs and fees rather than debt consolidation
programs that, albeit free of charge, have terms too ambiguous for one's
sake. At least, with debt consolidation programs that have charges, you know
exactly what you're getting into. The terms and conditions are clear
so you know what you're giving up and what you'll be receiving
in return.
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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