Made Moon Blog

Taking family trips, going shopping, and dining out is all a part of life. The idea of credit education is to help consumers understand the importance of credit card offers that provide frequent rewards or point systems for redemptions associated with purchases made from a reward credit card.

Your Needs Defined

If you enjoy traveling, shopping, dining out, etc, and you plan on utilizing a credit card on a regular basis, then a reward credit card may be a valuable asset in helping you gain some added benefit from your purchase activity.

Having a handle on your credit rating, is one key to consider while choosing which credit card to apply for, since many credit cards available with rewards programs will require at least good credit.

A “general-use” credit card is a great way to keep track of expenses and manage your overall expenses and having a reward credit card can be an advantage since you can maximize the benefits of your spending. For every meal, car rental, hotel stay, clothing purchase or gas refueling, potential rewards can be available from the use of a reward credit card, including travel rewards, retailer discounts or even cash back.

Determining Value
One key consideration while selecting a reward credit card is checking the annual percentage rate (APR). This has a great deal to do with future payments, should you fail to pay off the card each month. Rates are varied and can be as little as 7.99% to as much as 19.99%, and many others carry a floating variable APR that is based on the prime lending rate.

If you are a business owner looking for the best long term APR, you might consider several of the Platinum credit card offers which often times feature free accessibility to many of the best reward programs online. Be aware, however, that most of the zero percent APR promotional offers for these cars are for a very short time. Cardholders can however take advantage of these promotional offers and get the dual benefit of a rewards program with some of the very best reward credit cards that are currently available.

One such example would be the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select Reward Credit Card. Offering 5% back on purchases made at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugs stores, this card also gives cardholders an additional percentage on all other purchases made on the card. The APR is 0% for up to 12 months and also includes 0% on balance transfers. Be advised, however, that this does not take into account other factors to consider before applying for such a card, not the least of which is the credit that will be required to get approval.

The benefits of a reward credit card are easy to understand but should be weighed with an eye toward need, benefit, and credit worthiness.

You would not consider purchasing a car without knowing everything possible about the make, model, history, and available features, so why settle for the first credit card offer to make its way to your mailbox. An online comparison can provide peace of mind and due consideration in the decision making process.

For more information on how to decide which reward credit card is right for you, Bert Roberts recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

Today the major credit bureaus, Equifax, Trans Union and Experian rolled out a new credit scoring system that will affect YOU!
What it is…

Okay, now on to the credit report scoring systems. The scoring model system came into being about nine years ago. The Fair, Isaac Company, developed it a computer software designer (hence the acronym “FICO”). The scoring system is licensed out to The Big Three credit repositories, which in turn call it by individual names to help differentiate which repository is issuing which score. Experian calls their score a FICO; Equifax calls theirs the Enhanced Beacon; and Transunion calls theirs the Empirica Model.

The score that each repository issues on their individual reports is a reflection of the information that repository has on an individual in their respective credit files. So, the score issued by each repository will usually be different from the other repository’s scores. The primary repository will usually have the most accurate score, and if the borrower has had any credit problems over the past few years, the primary repository will usually have the lowest credit score.

However, it will sometime work in reverse - if the borrower has recently cleaned up his credit history, the primary repository will usually have the most accurate updates, and in that case, the primary repository may likely show the highest score.

You can look at two different repository’s reports on a borrower, and in reviewing the credit profiles; you usually can see what differences in the credit information are likely causing the different scores.

Vantage Score, How It Works

Using a complex matrix measuring over 30 different variables in an individual’s credit profile, the Fair Isaacs program converts the profile into a numeric score which is added to an individual’s credit report. That score is a reflection of the computer assigned credit risk for that individual. The intent is to reduce the amount of subjectivity credit decision makers (underwriters) inject into the risk analysis process. The most important variables for mortgage loans are as follows:

Mortgage history Derogatory Credit History Liens or Judgements Length of Credit History Depth of Credit History Proportion of Debt to Credit Balances Amount of Available Credit

Generically speaking, the scores can run from 0 to 1,000. The highest I have ever seen is an 889. However, it is generally accepted that anyone with a 700 credit score is A credit, and over 720 is AA credit. Individual lenders technically assign their own credit grades to the credit scores, but between various lenders they are usually pretty close as to what score constitutes what grade. Here is an approximation of the credit score/grade:

Score Credit Grade 720 and up AA 700 to 719 A 680 to 699 A-/B+ 660 to 679 B+/B 640 to 659 B 620 to 639 B-/C+/C 600 to 619 C/D 580 to 599 D/F 579 and below F

It is important to recognize that these scores are not just about derogatory credit history. They are about determining credit risk associated with a particular borrower, and points are added or taken away based on many different factors related to your credit profile.

For example, once you begin start using credit accounts, you are usually going to have a credit score in the 565 to 580 range. Why so low? Well, you are just starting out, and you have no credit history to rate. Once you have 12 months of usage on your accounts, you will begin adding points to your credit history. Or if you mess up, you will destroy your credit quickly, and then you really face a tough uphill climb.

You are considered high risk when you start out, because you haven’t really proven yourself yet. As you slowly build credit over a year’s time, your score will start climbing. But now the paradox sets in. Each time you add a new credit account to your history, your score will drop. Why? Because you have added more debt to your credit load. However, once you have shown the ability to handle the new debt as well, your score will recover, usually in about six months. Once you have a 12-month rating on the new account, you will start having points added to your credit score.

Over time, you build your credit up by scoring points. To score points, you have to use credit, and your creditors have to report your accounts to the credit bureaus. Having a $200 tab at a local restaurant won’t help you a bit, no matter how good your payment record is.

You also have to pay your bills on time. Every time you show a late pay, you lose points, and it takes an awful long time to recover them. Once you show 36 months of timely payment history on any account, you are earning the maximum points. Generally speaking, you will have an excellent credit score when you have four major accounts ($1,500 credit limits or higher) all with 36 months spotless payment history, and all usually maintaining balances that are at or below 60% of your available credit limits.

A mortgage rating will boost your score even further. You start collecting points on a mortgage at 12 months, and max out at 36 months. Obviously, this too is where you will lose the most points if you have any late pays on your mortgage history, and where it takes you the longest to recover any lost points.

Where you see scores in the 770 and up range, you will usually see about 8 to 10 years history, with 3 to 4 revolving credit accounts that are rarely maxed out, a sterling mortgage history, and two or more major installment accounts (like car loans/leases) that have been paid off. If the report shows any late pays, it was likely a 30 day, one time, on a revolving account, over three years ago.

How about the guy who never misses a payment, always pays on time, and still only has a 640 credit score? Well, if he uses a lot of credit, it could be that he has too many accounts, and he carries high balances (over 60%) in relation to the credit limits. Or he could be making too many minimum monthly payments, instead of sizable payments. Or yesterday he had a 685 score, but today he has a new $25,000 credit card, with a new $20,000 balance on it. Or he has good credit, but he only has four accounts, no mortgage history, and three of the accounts are less than 24 months old.

The scoring model has weighted adjustments as well. The guy who has a strong credit history, and a lot of depth in his credit report, and blip… there pops up a 30 day late. Well, it’s been 60 days since, and the late pay wasn’t on a mortgage or a car loan, so he’s probably going to lose about 3 points on his credit score. If it was a mortgage or a car loan, he will lose about 10 points.

The guy with the 660 score? He’s probably going to lose about 10 points on a revolving account late… if it’s a mortgage or car loan, he might lose as much as 20 points. At 620, the revolving late will cost him 15 to 20 points, and a mortgage or car late could cost him a 30-point reduction in his score.

See, a computer can’t tell if you are a deadbeat, or under financial strain, or just nonchalant about paying your bills on time. And it really doesn’t matter what the reason is. All the computer knows is that if your score was already low, and you are making late payments, you are a credit risk - by giving you a low score, indicating you are a high credit risk, the credit report tells the next guy to loan you money that he is probably going to regret it!

Reliability of Scoring Models

For a lot of people, it doesn’t seem fair. But the truth is, with the advent of the scoring models, more people can borrow more money than ever before. Risk analysis has become more quantifiable, and lenders are more confident now with the predictability factors in their loan portfolio management. Thus, they are comfortable offering more loan programs, and managing the risk by adjusting the interest rates and loan to value ratios according to credit score.

The models aren’t perfect, and a lot of mistakes still occur. But there has been extensive research and verification on the reliability of the scoring models, by heavyweights such as FNMA and FHLMC. The research holds up. If you are a 640 FICO, you are a greater risk than a 700 FICO individual. You personally may never have a problem on a new loan, but of all the loans that lender made to 640 FICO borrowers; he knows he is going to have a higher default rate that on the pool of loans he made to 700 FICO borrowers.

More than that, he knows approximately what the percentage rate difference of the defaults is going to be between the two groups, and he will adjust his interest rates to make up for the higher losses he is going to absorb for the lower scoring group. He has no way of knowing if it will be you, or the other 640 FICO individuals who default… only that it will happen at a higher rate than 700 FICO defaults. And of course, if you are a 600 FICO, the risk you pose more than doubles.

Now here’s the fun part. Figuring out where you rate in terms of credit grade. For a car dealer, if you have two decent lines of credit, and you had a couple of payment problems over two years ago, but you have been clean since, even though your score is a 585, he’s going to get you a loan. To build you up, he tells you that you have “A” credit, so you are not paying as much attention to the financing being at 14.99% instead of the 8.99% that a real “A” borrower is getting. And not knowing any better, you go out the door thinking you are an “A” credit borrower.

Same thing with some of the consumer loan companies, or electronics stores, carpet stores, furniture stores and so forth that either carry their own financing, or have profit sharing arrangements with consumer finance companies. It is worth keeping in mind that these types of companies can easily repossess the goods, or come after you in court, without a great deal of risk in terms of loss. It’s a lot easier to get credit from those kinds of lenders.

Same things with credit card offers. But, these scores can make a big difference in the card offers you receive, what kind of credit limits they will ultimately give you, and what kind of interest rates they are going to charge - both introductory and long term.

If you have a 700 FICO score, everybody wants your business, and you are going to find your mailbox stuffed with credit card offers all the time. You are also going to see a lot of 2.9% and 3.9% promotional rates for as long as 12-month periods, $10,000 to $25,000 credit lines, and long term fixed rates as low as 7.99%

If you are in the 660 to 699 range, you’re mailbox is going to be stuffed too… and you’ll probably see a lot of six month 2.9% to 3.9% introductory offers as well. But you’ll likely see most of your long-term rates hovering in the 12.99% to 15.99% range.

Chances are, you’ll still see a lot of credit card offers in the 620 to 659 range, but you are going to be getting mostly generic standard high rate credit card offers. Some will offer you 3.9% introductory rates, but most of them will be for about three months or so, and then the card cranks up to 17.99% or higher, on a variable rate basis.

From 600 to 619, you’ll still get quite a few offers too, but not too many low introductory offers. You might even get one or two that might offer you up to a $5,000 credit limit, but most will be in the $1,000 to $3,000 range, and you’ll be starting right out at the 17.99% and up variable rates.

With a 580 to 599 credit score, you’ll be seeing a lot of offers too - but they will be for $500 to $1,000 credit lines, no introductory low rate offers, and most will be starting out in the 19.99% and up variable interest rate range. Many of the offers will be for secured cards - in other words, to get the card, you have to post a savings account deposit with the card issuer, and you will only get a credit limit equal to your deposit. Most of these plans limit you to $500 until you show a 12-month rating on the account.

So now we have the new and improved Vantage Score that will provide a universal method for credit grantors and consumers to monitor their credit worthiness.

This is an article that was released today on the new system:

The nation’s three consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - today jointly announced the introduction of a new credit score designed to simplify and enhance the credit process for both consumers and credit grantors. VantageScoresm is a direct result of market demand for a more consistent and objective approach to credit scoring methodology across all three national credit reporting companies. This approach is unprecedented in the marketplace.

The new VantageScore leverages the collective experience of the industry’s leading experts on credit data, scoring and analytics. Under the new scoring system, credit score variance between credit reporting companies will be attributed to data differences within each of the three consumer credit files and not to the structure of the scoring model or data interpretation.

By combining cutting-edge, patent-pending analytic techniques with a highly intuitive scale for scoring, VantageScore will provide consumers and businesses with a highly predictive, consistent score that is easy to understand and apply. VantageScore uses score ranges from 501 to 990. Consumers and credit grantors alike will recognize the logical score groupings that approximate the familiar academic scale:

901-990 - A 801-900 - B 701-800 - C 601-700 - D 501-600 - F

VantageScore is being independently marketed and sold separately through each of the three national credit reporting companies via licensing agreements with VantageScore Solutions, LLC. VantageScore is commercially available beginning today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Paisola is an international motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is an expert in the field of Personal Real Estate Investor Training. He is a professional speaker who has been featured on CNN, CNNFN, and the Wall Street Journal. He can answer your questions on the “Basics of the Real Estate Investing Business” to detailed issues regarding your specific transactions. Life Experience Robert Paisola is a Professional International Seminar Speaker in the Areas of Real Estate Investing, Tax Lien Investing, Rental Property Management, Real Estate Coach and Mentor Training and Business Management. He has served companies throughout the world.

If you are interested in learning the business from someone like Rob email his office at robert@trumpworldwide.com or call our offices Nationwide toll Free at 1-877-517-9555 or visit http://www.allexperts.com/displayExpert.asp?Expert=38419

Today we have grown into a nation looking for instant gratification, the buy now pay later syndrome. So, without a good credit rating it will be very difficult to get the things you want at the time you want them. Consumer credit has become widely accepted as a substitute for ready cash, so having good credit is the key to your future of getting all you deserve, and the key to opening doors that make your life more comfortable and worry free.

As a consumer it is to your benefit to fully understand how credit works and every aspect of what is involved when you apply for any type of credit, including the major credit reporting agencies that hold your credit report file. When you understand what the banks and other creditors are looking for, and you know what is in your credit report, you will be able to control your financial future and make the best choices for yourself and not accept anything less than what you deserve.

When you apply for credit, lenders want to know about you, your employment history, your income, your assets, and most importantly they want to know about your credit history. A lender will get lots of information directly from you through a credit application, then, they will pull your credit bureau reports to confirm this information and review your credit references and credit report scores. Then upon evaluation of your credit application combined with your credit report, the lender will determine your credit risk and make a final decision on whether or not to grant you credit and at what rate of interest they will charge you.

So, now that you know the process of getting credit, let us take a deeper look into the factors that can either be an asset or liability to you when applying for credit - your credit report.

What is a credit report

Your credit report is your financial resume, a summary of your financial reliability, containing both personal and credit information. Your credit report is maintained by credit reporting agencies, also known as credit bureaus, and provided to lenders, employers, insurance companies, landlords and other companies who have a legitimate need for this information, based on the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Your credit and personal information is reported to the credit reporting agencies from various creditors, in most cases electronically, instantly updating your file.

What is in my credit report

Your credit report is divided up into five main areas: personal profile/identifying information, inquiries, credit history, public record information and your credit score.

PERSONAL PROFILE / IDENTIFYING INFORMATION - this is where all your personal information is recorded - your name including any alias and possibly your spouses name, current and previous addresses, Social Security number, date of birth and current and previous employment. You might find some of this information is incorrect or incorrectly spelled, this can occur when creditors pull your credit bureau as they usually enter in the information though the computer where data entry errors can occur, and these mistakes will update your credit bureau report. However, if there is information that is not even close, such as an address, this should alert you to investigate this further as it is a possibility that you may be a victim of identity theft.

INQUIRIES - in this section you will find listed all the parties that have requested a copy of your credit report and the date it was done over the past two years. There are two types of inquires, soft and hard. A hard inquire is when you have applied for something and is initiated by you, for example, you have applied for a loan or mortgage or completed a credit application for a credit card or even applied for insurance. These hard inquiries are the ones that appear on your credit report and are visible to creditors when they access your credit report. A soft inquiry only shows on your credit report when requested by yourself and do not show to the creditors. A soft inquiry can come from your existing creditors that are monitoring your account, companies that are looking to offer you promotional applications for credit and each time you request a copy of your credit report.

CREDIT HISTORY - in this section you will find an itemized list of your credit cards, loans and mortgages, both currently active accounts and past closed ones. The information reported includes, type of account, when it was open, the high balance or limit, monthly payments, date of last payment, how the account is paid including any late payments, date of last activity and a rating of how the account was paid.

PUBLIC RECORDS - this information is obtained from local, state and federal courthouses and includes bankruptcy records, foreclosures, tax liens, monetary judgments, court-ordered payments, and over due child support payments. Public records are a negative credit reference and will lower your credit score. They also stay on your credit report anywhere from six to ten years.

CREDIT SCORE - your credit report scores are a rating determining you credit risk and the likelihood of defaulting on a loan. Lenders will use this score as a tool to assist them in deciding whether or not they will lend you money. Your credit score is a snap shot of your credit at that point in time, and can change on a daily basis. The score is a three digit number ranging between 300 and 850. Statistics show that the higher the number the less likely you will default on a loan, therefore you are a good credit risk; and the lower the number the greater chance there is for you to default on your payments, making you a greater credit risk.

When your credit score is low, you still may be able to borrow money but, you will most likely have to pay a higher rate of interest and you may not get all the money you request and possibly have to pay additional fees, basically you are at the mercy of the lender. However, the higher your credit score is the more you are in-charge, you can get any loan at the best possible rates with no restriction.

Your credit score is a complicated calculation, where the credit reporting agency takes into consideration many factors, including but not limited to, your payment history - late payments, both current and previous will bring down your score; your credit balance in relation to you limit - if you are at your maximum credit limit or if you are over it will bring down you score; the number of inquires - if you have to many in a short period of time it will bring down your score; the length of time you have had credit, the total number of outstanding debts and any derogatory information or public records, such as bankruptcies, collection, judgments and written off accounts - will bring down your score.

Where does the information on my credit report come from?

Your credit history information is gathered at companies called credit bureaus or credit reporting agencies. There are three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. They receive information voluntarily from creditors and the credit reporting agency updates and maintains your credit report file with this information. Creditors report, loans, credit cards, mortgages, on a regular basis electronically. Your file is also updated when you apply for credit, as the information from your credit application is submitted to the credit reporting agencies when they pull your credit report.

Who are the major credit reporting agencies

There are three major credit reporting agencies. Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. These are independent companies from one another, and it is important for you to know that they do not exchange information. This means that it is quite possible that you not only have a separate credit report with each of them, but that they may contain different information. There are hundreds of smaller credit bureau companies across the country however these major credit companies are the largest and the main bureaus that the banks and financial institutions use. You will find that creditors may use one of the three credit reporting companies, however it is not unusual for them to use all three.

Who has access to my credit report

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) contains rules regarding who can access your credit report. Generally speaking, a credit reporting agency may only provide information from your credit file when the requested relates to the extension of credit, collection of a debt, a tenancy applications, an application for employment or insurance, the issuance of special licenses or potential financial dealings that involve you. The law also gives these companies access to your report as part of an ongoing business relationship. An example of this would be you have a loan at a bank and you miss your payment, this gives that bank a right to obtain an updated copy of your credit reports. Credit card companies use this option a lot. They consider it part of the maintenance of your account. As credit cards are revolving (not a closed end loan), a customers circumstances can change, so credit card companies will obtain updated credit reports on their customers to review them and look for warning signs of a customer getting over extended in credit which could result in problems fulfilling their obligations. This is how credit card companies can either raise or lower your credit limit or interest rate automatically. However, in the case of an employer, this law does not apply and they need the employee’s permission each time they wish to request a copy of your credit report.

You are also entitled to copies of your credit reports, and today with the internet there are many fast and easy ways to obtain credit reports online. You can purchase a copy from each of the major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian or Tran Union, the cost may vary however, under the latest Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules they are restricted to the maximum amount they can charge you. Check with your state laws, as some states require the credit bureau companies to provide you with a copy of your credit report periodically for free. The FCRA gives you the opportunity to receive a copy of your credit reports if you have been denied for credit or other benefits based on your credit report, you are entitled to receive a free credit report from the credit bureau that provided the report. The FCRA also allows you obtain
totally free credit reports. If you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft or fraud, if you are unemployed or if you receive welfare assistance.

Linda Meadley is very knowledgeable in the field of credit. Throughout her 20 year career she has worked as a mortgage and loans office, credit manager and financial advisor, assisting consumers in their financial endeavors. To further assist consumers she has a web site dedicated to credit reports. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about credit reports, and where you can obtain totally free credit reports.

At the rate how mailboxes are bombarded with credit card offers, it’s probably amazing for anyone not to have considered these cards at least once. Nonetheless, credit card companies now make it even easier for consumers to apply for a credit card through instant approval card applications. There are a few things you should know before actually making a card application online or through the phone.

1. You need a good credit history

In order for quick approval, it is essential for a potential user to possess a good credit history. This means that the user pays his bills on time and does not have any financial hiccups in his credit report. The credit report is obtainable from a credit bureau, which will be contacted by the card company at the time of the application. If all goes well, the credit card will be approved within minutes.

2. Interest rates corresponds with the health of your credit report
If your credit history is not something you are proud of, there is a slight possibility that your application will not be instantly approved. You don’t have to worry if this occurs though, as these companies may make allowances for you due to high competition in the credit business. Most of the time, they will just charge you higher interest rates as you are of a greater risk. Also, due to the extra qualification process, the arrival of your card may be delayed.

3. You need to wait a few days for the card to arrive
A common misconception with these cards is that the applicant will instantaneously receive the card upon approval. No matter how fast your Internet connection is, the card is delivered in an envelope, not in bytes. Thus, it is not a very good idea to have an urgent transaction depend on these card applications.

4. You need to do your research
Do not let the convenience of getting a quickly approved credit card cloud your judgement on your selection of a credit card. It is not worth making higher payments in exchange for a shorter wait for a credit card.

5. You need to find a secure connection to submit your personal information.
As with all forms of online transactions, you should never use a public computer to submit your personal information. With the recent spat of identity thefts, it is wiser to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to credit cards.

Adam Goldman recommends Find Credit Cards to find instant approval card applications. See www.findcreditcards.org/type/instant-approval.php for more information.

What you might not know about credit.

Some people don’t know about a loop hole in the credit reporting system.

You probably know that a loan in your name gets reported to the credit bureaus. And this borrowed money shows up on your credit report.

The more you owe on your credit report the lower your credit score will be.

But there is a way to get loans and credit cards that never show up on your credit report.

When you get a credit card in the name of your business, it will never be reported on your personal credit report. So you can get large amounts of cash from the banks I work with everyday and it will never show up on your credit report.

And you can start a business on paper for almost nothing. Just pick out a cool name for your new business and submit it on-line.

That means no matter how much cash you take out in the name of your business, your credit score never drops.

This is the best way most people have ever seen to get cash and use it to buy real estate, because the money is invisible.

Tom Kish. Real Estate Guru

Tom is a public speaker and trainer on the topics of real estate investing and small business cash flow. He is available for public speaking, consulting, and one on one coaching for your business and real estate investing pursuits.

http://cashflowexperts.biz/cmd.asp?ad=137545

Image this if you will, one day you receive your statement in your mailbox and of course you do not assume anything out of the ordinary because you only used the card one time last month, which was to buy your niece a birthday present. No big deal you think, this can be paid off in full, and so you take the statement and sit down with your checkbook ready to send it off. You open your statement and you find it full of purchases three to sears and many to places you have never even been to and know you did not make. What do you do now?

Are you aware of your rights that you possess when a fraudulent purchase is made upon your credit card?

Here we are going to talk about fraudulent charges, first of all, this means charges that you, yourself did not make. The federal law has implemented certain rights that will help you if there is ever an instance of charges upon your card that were not made by you. This law, called the Fair Credit Billing Act, limits the responsibility placed on you for charges you were not aware of to only $50. If you find, when opening your statement, that there are unauthorized charges on it, there is a specific procedure you must follow in order to resolve the issue right away.

The first thing that you should do is call the company and explain to them that those charges are not yours and were not made by you. The company will then give you a specific set of instructions you should follow. Additionally, take some time out to look over your other statements, ensure that there were no other unauthorized charges made that you might have missed.

Typically, the reporting credit card business will most probably ask you to sign a statement confirming these charges were unauthorized. It is important that you refrain from using this card while the charge dispute is in process.

After the charges are resolved and removed from your statement you should obtain a copy of your credit report, obtain one from each major bureau to ensure that the particular credit card record has been updated with them. The reason for this is because it is likely that during the dispute these charges could have formed late payments that might have been reported to the credit bureaus.

Jeff Lakie is an avid writer and also the founder of the
Loan Source website. We can help you obtain a free no
Obligation Secured Loan Quote online in a matter of minutes.

Do you have a hard time paying your credit card bills? Starting to get notices from waiting creditors to pay? Worried that you might lose your properties like your house because of credit debt? Chin up: Dealing with credit card debt is not as hard as you may think.

If there’s any consolation, you’re not the only one facing such situation. At some point, many people like you face financial crises with credit card debt. But you must remember that your financial situation doesn’t mean it should go straight to the dogs, making it worse than as it is.

Here are some tips to help you cope with your credit card debt:

Make a Budget. If you want to have a grab of your financial situation before you lose everything, making a budget is what you should do first. Assess how much do you get from your income or other means and your expenditures. For example, if getting that posh apartment means you have to limit your meals to once a day, then it is not a great and sound budgeting decision. Your goal is ensure that you can answer for all the basic necessities: food, housing, clothes, health-related costs, among others.

Contacting Your Creditors. Remember: Running away from your creditors is not the answer. It is not a solution, and may in fact lead you to bigger problems. If you are having trouble paying off your debts, address this immediately with your creditors. State to them sincerely and fully the reason why it has become hard for you to pay these debts, and check if they could give you a revised payment arrangement that will put you at ease on your payment terms. Do not let creditors turn over your situation to someone or an agency to do the collecting for them, as this means that they have given up on you.

How to address Debt Collectors. There is a law that gives certain conditions for debt collectors as to when and how they should ask you to pay. The federal law, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, clearly states that those collecting debts may not bug you, give false assertions, or do practices that are not fair when they are getting to collect money from you.

Credit Counseling. You could also consider getting the aid of groups or institutions that will help you in your problems. If you managed to have an improved payment arrangement of your debt with a good credit counseling organization, creditors may approve of your proposition and accept your modified arrangement plan..

Bankruptcy. Generally, personal bankruptcy is known as the last choice to fix your ballooning credit debt. A bankruptcy unfortunately stays on your financial information report for years. Getting additional credit, buying a house, sometimes even getting a job might be hard for you. Technically, however, it is a legal way of addressing your credit debt.

David Riewe is a Publisher and Online Marketer. Visit his Credit Resources Blog Below: www.push-button-online-income.com/creditcards/

Inaccuracies on credit reports cost consumers thousands of dollars every year. Approximately 80% of Americans have inaccuracies on their credit reports. What causes these inaccuracies? How do they affect your ability to purchase with credit or obtain a job? What can you do about these inaccurate items?

A recent study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, for example, found that four out of every five credit reports contained errors, and one in four “contained errors serious enough to result in the denial of credit or denial of an employment application.”

Among the major credit report accuracy findings of the survey:

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the credit reports contained serious errors - false delinquencies or accounts that did not belong to the consumer - that could result in the denial of credit;

Forty-one percent (41%) of the credit reports contained personal demographic identifying information that was misspelled, long-outdated, belonged to a stranger, or was otherwise incorrect;

Twenty percent (20%) of the credit reports were missing major credit, loan, mortgage, or other consumer accounts that demonstrate the creditworthiness of the consumer;

Twenty-six percent (26%) of the credit reports contained credit accounts that had been closed by the consumer but incorrectly remained listed as open;

Altogether, 70% of the credit reports contained either serious errors or other mistakes of some kind. Among the survey’s major access to credit report findings:

Of the consumers that did obtain their credit reports, at least 14% of them were forced to call back 3 or more times after receiving busy signals or had to write a letter in order to receive their report; and 12% of the consumers waited two weeks or longer to receive their report once they finished requesting it. It took more than a month for one California man to receive his report.

Overall, 15% of consumers who attempted to participate in the survey either made at least 3 phone calls and never got through or requested their reports but never received them.

According to a study by the Consumer Federation of America and the National Credit Reporting Association four percent of the cases showed that consumers had a margin of at least 100 points between the three credit bureau scores. The causes of these errors are many: typographical, merging of consumer information by creditors, similar names or residences of consumers, or incomplete information provided by lenders.

Doug Parker, CEO
RMCN Credit Services, Inc.
888.469.7372
http://RepairMyCreditNow.com

There are literally thousands of credit cards out there to choose from. You receive offers in the mail, in your email, over the phone, and on the websites you surf to on the Internet. We are all inundated with credit offers, but are all credit card offers worth taking? The answer is a definite no. There are many things about accepting the offer of a credit card you need to know.

How do I know which credit card offers to accept and which ones I should stay away from? If there is one thing consumer advocates and the banking industry do agree on, it is that the abundance of convenient credit gets a lot of people in trouble because they are financially uninformed. Financial education is included in the most recent version of the Bankruptcy Reform Act.

That bill makes it much harder for consumers to bankrupt their unsecured credit card debt when they go into bankruptcy. It would also require credit counseling prior to filing for bankruptcy and instructional courses on personal financial management after bankruptcy.

So the only financial education available comes way too late, since you’re already in trouble when they offer it. All this means we have to be even more careful when choosing which credit cards to sign up for.

Credit card issuers are often accused of tempting consumers into carrying more debt than they can afford. Once you are in debt and barely able to make the payments, late fees and higher interest rates increase the burden on your limited budget. This is the signal that collection agencies will soon be calling you.

How do I avoid that? Choosing which credit cards you accept is just as important as how you use the credit cards you do accept. The rest of this article will focus on choosing credit cards wisely.

Do You Know What You Can Afford? Credit card company’s offers can be hard to resist. Teaser rates, rebates, and rewards are all used to convince you to use their credit card. It’s up to you to figure out whether you are financially stable enough to accept them. If you think that just because they sent you an offer for credit, that you must be able to afford it, you’re wrong.

That means, it’s up to you. Don’t let the bank or lending institution decide what you can afford. That will only get you in trouble and into credit card debt. When they send you a credit card offer, they don’t know how many other offers you are getting, so they don’t know what you can or cannot afford.

You decide whether or not you can afford to have more credit or not. Look at the credit cards and loans you now have. What is your total credit limit including all of your credit cards, loans, and accounts? What is your total debt owed to those credit cards, loans, and accounts? These are all things you should think over before you fill out that credit card application.

Comparing Credit Card Offers; Some things to watch for are the annual percentage rates. You need the lowest rate possible for the credit cards you plan to use the most. Watch out for hidden fees, such as processing fees, dispute resolution fees, and more. Also any credit card with interest rates that enlarge and decrease under a lot of different circumstances should raise a red flag. Study the terms very carefully before you decide. Compare the terms for each credit card you are considering or compare them to a credit card you already have and are happy with.

And if you’re looking for a specific type of card If you are looking for a card that gives rewards, airline mileage, discounts, etc., use the calculator at bankrate.com and pick out the one that fits your specific needs.

For more information about how to obtain credit cards, get credit reports, reduce credit card debt, or prevent Identity Theft, go to http://creditcards.youngparentsmagazine.com Jennifer Tarzian also has a lot of information at http://www.youngparentsmagazine.com for young parents you can use. Chris McElroy has been an advocate for consumer rights on the Internet since 1995 and also runs a missing children’s organization at http://www.kidsearchnetwork.org

People ask me all the time, “Aren’t there positive uses of a credit card like rebates and airline miles?” The truth is that responsible use of a credit card does not exist, and credit card debt is a major problem in America.

There is NO positive side to credit card use. You will spend more if you use credit cards. Even by paying the bills on time, you are not beating the system! But most families don’t pay on time. The average family today carries $8,000 in credit card debt according to the American Bankers’ Association.

Rebates
Now let’s talk about the rebates. If you were using a credit card at 5 percent, you would have to spend $160,000 to get $4,000 rebates on new cars that lost $6,000 of value when you drove them off the lot. That is not a good deal! The credit card companies and new car dealerships want you to believe the lie.

The Power of Cash
When you pay cash, you can “feel” the money leaving you. This
is not true with credit cards. Flipping a credit card up on a counter registers nothing emotionally. If you use credit cards instead of cash you will spend 12 to 18 percent more. This is money you could have saved or used to pay off debt.

If you “have to” use plastic, I suggest a debit card. I use
them for travel and the occasional convenience of ordering something over the Internet or phone. Other than that, I use cash.

This content is provided by DaveRamsey.com and may be used only in its entirety with all links included. Dave Ramsey is changing the face of America by helping people beat debt and build wealth. Read more of what Dave says about credit card debt.