Archive for September, 2010

Debt Relief Agency

Debt Relief Agency

More and more consumers (big and small) and businesses (big and small) these days are seeking out the services of a debt relief agency as they grapple with heavy loads of debt and credit card debt in particular.

And this is where the services of a debt relief agency are extremely beneficial. Read on.

A good and reputable debt relief agency will have the knowledge, experience and most importantly – established relationships with most of the large creditors which consumers and businesses are seeking protection from. A good and reputable debt relief agency will be able to mediate between the debtors (consumers and businesses) and the creditors (banks and card issuers).

Some of the programs and services offered today by a debt relief agency differ from the programs and services offered in past, ancient times, like the Ronald Reagan era. Here’s how: The modern debt relief agency makes no use of debt consolidation loans or home equity loans. Likewise, the modern debt relief agency does not steer consumers or businesses in the direction of bankruptcy. The modern debt relief agency does not go there.

Rather, the modern debt relief agency is able to obtain debt reduction of 50 percent or more for consumers and businesses in almost all cases. The modern debt relief agency, one could argue, is a true modern marvel. No longer is it necessary for consumers and businesses in America to struggle under the weight of debt, especially credit card debt.

To learn more about debt relief agency and how to get started, please visit National Debt Relief Program at: www.nationaldebtreliefprogram.org

Noted financial author.


Article from articlesbase.com

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (also known as the FDCPA) is a US Statute added in 1978 with later amendments, which protects consumers from unscrupulous debt collection agencies or methods. It also gives consumers a way of challenging inaccurate information that may be held against them.

This article gives a summary of the provisions as we understand them, but it is not exhaustive (it does not include all of the details) and its accuracy is not guaranteed.

What It Covers

The FDCPA regulates debt collectors, who are defined as “any person who uses any instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mails in any business the principal purpose of which is the collection of any debts, or who regularly collects or attempts to collect, directly or indirectly, debts owed or due or asserted to be owed or due another.”

This means that it covers the situation where a debt collection agency is contacting you for payment of a debt that you owe to another institution such as a bank. If the bank is collecting the debt itself, the FDCPA does not apply, although some states have laws that regulate institutions that collect their own debts in the same way.

What Debt Collectors Must Do

- Every time they contact you, they must tell you who they are and that they are a debt collector.

- They must notify you of your right to dispute the debt. This notice is called a 1692g Notice.

- If you ask in writing within 30 days of receiving this notice, they must tell you who the original creditor was (the name and address of the company or institution that you owed the money to). They must also produce proof of the debt if you request it within this 30 day period.

- If they file a lawsuit, it must be in the place where you live or where you signed the contract that incurred the debt. So if you used to live in New York and you got into this debt while you lived there, but now you have moved to Washington, the debt collector can file a lawsuit either in New York or in Washington. Nowhere else.

What Debt Collectors Are Not Allowed To Do

- They must not phone you after 9 pm or before 8 am (your time zone).

- They must not continue to contact you if you give them written notice that you do not want further contact or that you refuse to pay the alleged debt; except that they can still tell you certain things, e.g. that they plan to file a lawsuit or that they are writing off the debt.

- They must not harass you by telephone, e.g. constantly ringing you.

- They must not contact you at your place of work after you ask them not to in writing.

- They must not go on contacting you after you give them details of an attorney who is representing you, they must contact your attorney instead.

- If you ask them for verification of the debt within 30 days of the 1692g Notice, they must not contact you until after they have sent you the verification.

- They must not engage in misrepresentation or deceit; e.g. they must not lie about how much you owe, or claim to be attorneys when they are not. They must not demand extra unjustified amounts above what you owe.

- They must not publish your name and address on a bad debt list.

- They must not threaten you with arrest or legal action unless these things are genuinely possible and planned.

- They must not use abusive or profane language.

- They must not reveal or discuss your debt with anybody who is not involved, except your spouse or your attorney, and they must not threaten to do this (e.g. they must not threaten to tell your employer).

- They must not contact you in way that reveals your debt to others, e.g. putting details on a postcard, or sending a letter in an envelope that is marked as being from a debt collection agency.

- They must not put false information on your credit report, or threaten to do so.

If you have been subjected to practices which are against the terms of the act you can report the collection agency to the Federal Trade Commission. You can also sue the collection agency, but it would not be worth while for most people to do this. That is why the Federal Trade Commission takes the role of enforcing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Debt Relief Center

Debt Relief Center

These are both trying and exciting times we live in. On the one hand, there is a greater need today than ever before for things such as a debt relief center, and on the other hand consumers today have greater access to a debt relief center and the wonderful, debt elimination programs and services which they offer.

A debt relief center can help consumers as well as businesses who are struggling with debt, whether that debt be ,000 or as much as 0,000 or more. A debt relief center can pave the way for a fresh financial start with debt mostly a thing of the past. So how does a debt relief center work, who can apply, and how to get started? Read on.

There was a time when consumers and businesses in debt had very few options for dealing with this debt. They had, for the most part, only bankruptcy and debt consolidation loans/home equity loans available to them. Yet, these programs always did come with serious, negative consequences, and they still do. The modern debt relief center of today makes no use of these old, antiquated financial mumbo jumbo programs.

The modern debt relief center is able to reduce and eliminate up to 50 percent or more of debt. This is debt that is completely forgiven and never needs to be repaid. Nothing is liquidated, seized or turned over as in a bankruptcy proceeding, and no new loans are needed or taken out as with a debt consolidation/home equity loans.

The debt relief center of today is fast, effective and can work for you. To learn more about the modern day debt relief center and how to get started, please visit National Debt Relief Program at: www.nationaldebtreliefprogram.org

Noted financial author.


Article from articlesbase.com

Related Debt Relief Center Articles

Nevertheless a law suit is a possibility and you want to have all of your bases covered when making any important financial moves. If you retained a law firm they will still have the legal right to contact the opposing collectors’ attorney and negotiate a settlement, keeping you from ever stepping foot in court. This is favored by the collectors because they know for sure they will be receiving money without the hassle of going to court. On the other hand if you hired a standard debt negotiation company they will not be able to legally do anything for you if you were to get sued; they cannot offer legal advice nor can they contact the opposing attorney and work out a settlement. You will be left trying to figure out what to do on your own and may very well end up with a judgment. This is a huge benefit the law firm has over a company.

This next issue I am bringing up is very important to understand; many people do not and end up finding out the hard way. This has to do with how the organization is set up to work in compliance with your states laws and regulations concerning debt negotiations. The vast majority of standard debt negotiation companies are not correctly set up to work in all states, and quite frankly many of them are not even set up to properly run in their own state. This can cause huge problems for their clients! Why? Because the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has been severely cracking down on debt negotiation companies that are not set up right and promptly shutting them down. When this happens often times the company does not have the funds to refund its clients their fees for services they will now not be able to carry out. Leaving people still stuck in debt with no one to negotiate for them and having lost in some cases thousands in fees.

When you retain a law firm they will be in compliance with all state laws to properly execute the negotiations; they will also have a sound working knowledge to how the laws work within your particular state, whereas many national debt negotiation companies do not. Please do not allow yourself to fall into this nightmare of a scenario this can be the difference between you losing money and having to file for bankruptcy or you achieving debt freedom effectively through credit card debt negotiation.

One more issue you must realize is that a law firm must offer full disclosure to potential clients. Meaning they must fully explain both the good and bad concerning credit card debt negotiation and then extensively review your individual financial situation to determine whether this would be the right path for you.

Many debt negotiation companies just go on and on about how great their program will be and never discuss any of the potential pit falls to this process. This behavior is what often times gives the debt negotiation industry a bad name.

I know I have been pretty much focusing on the negative aspects of credit card debt negotiation because I feel it’s important for people to understand the whole picture; but for millions of people this process is helping them escape a financial nightmare. Especially with the state of economy right now people are in dire need to save as much money as they can and get out of debt quickly to get ahead in life. And the facts are credit card debt negotiation if done properly will save you a tremendous amount of money and you will be debt free very quickly. Imagine all the money you put out each month for minimum payments being able to stay in your pocket? How would that change your life?

Like I said I have been in this industry for almost a decade now and currently I work for an outstanding law firm with a great history and an amazing record with the BBB. If you want an up front and honest evaluation of your situation to see if this is the right fit of consumer debt relief for you than follow the link below in the signature file and fill out an application. I will go over in extensive detail how this process works and whether you are an ideal candidate. I hope after reading this article you feel more educated as to how this process works and what to look out for when you are interviewing companies to potentially help you out.

Steve Bis is a senior debt analyst and research assistant with the LHDR which practices primarily in credit card debt negotiation.

I have been working in the credit card debt negotiation industry for almost a decade now and have helped thousands of people find the right path to debt freedom. I will state right up front this will be a rather long article as I will be going over what credit card debt negotiation is, the benefit of the process, the disadvantages of the process, and I will also explain the differences between how a debt negotiation company works vs. a law firm. There are quite a few differences in some key areas concerning the debt negotiation process and it is important to understand these differences before making a decision.

I would also like to say that this process is not for everyone, some people simply do not have the financial resources to make it happen and others do not have the right mind set.

For starters what is the debt negotiation process? This is a process of negotiating on past due accounts to reduce the amount owed from the original balance; the benefits of doing this will be saving money on what is owed (in many cases debtors save up to half of what they owe) and getting out of debt much quicker than paying monthly minimum payments.

You will notice I said “negotiating on past due accounts”. You must fall behind for the creditors to be at all willing to negotiate on an account. If you think about it why would they take less than what you owe if you are current? When you just pay your minimums they have you precisely where they would like you. This is referred to by many as the “credit treadmill” the cycle of paying monthly minimum payments at high interest; these schemes are set up to keep consumers in debt for over three decades and lose at least five times the original balance in interest alone. Thus making the fact of getting out of debt within 2-4 years through debt negotiation such a motivating factor for many people stuck in this position.

Unfortunately the prospect of falling behind for many debtors is quite scary. Naturally when falling past due on these credit card bills your credit score will go down, there is simply no avoiding this. The trade off for saving thousands on what you owe is a temporarily lower credit score. Now I say temporarily because the damage is not permanent and once you actually begin putting the negotiations through and show you owe no more credit card debt your score will naturally rebound. Approximately one third of your credit score is your “debt to credit ratio” which will be in much better standing after you clear out your debts.

This brings me to where a credit card debt negotiation law firm can offer a vastly different and more beneficial service than a standard company; because most of the benefits a law firm can offer have to deal with the negative effects of falling behind on these accounts.

One of the negative side affects of falling past due is the creditors will be attempting to collect the debt, meaning they will be calling and harassing you the debtor. Now for the first few months of falling behind the debt stays in house with the original creditor and no one can legally stop them from calling to collect the debt. However once the original creditor passes the account to a third party collector is where things can change. If you have a law firm representing you they will notify the collector upon them being retained, that you are a client. According to the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collections Practices Act} at this point the collector legally cannot call you and must deal with the law firm only. This is a huge benefit and can greatly reduce the level of collection activity you will receive while going through the debt negotiation process.

A standard debt negotiation company does not have the legal power to stop any collection calls. Many times they will tell you to go and send out cease and desist letters on your own time, which is the extent to which they will help you concerning calls. Any companies that are not law firms and claim to you to have the ability to stop calls are not telling you the truth and it would be wise to avoid using them.

Another adverse affect to falling past due is the possibility of a law suit. The creditors hold the legal right to take you to court in an attempt to collect the debt. However you must realize that this is not their normal course of action it simply costs to much money and time to take you to court with no guarantee of collecting any money. Click here to read part 2

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The other category of expenses is what we call “luxury expenses,” such as vacations, presents (Christmas, Birthdays…), beauty and fitness treatments, etc.. It is even more necessary to be careful and frugal with these kinds of expenses. Of course, don’t get me wrong; we all need some well-deserved vacations! It is important to give your partner something nice on your anniversary!

And, beauty and fitness treatments (including going to the health club, spa, hairdressing, etc.) boost our confidence and make us feel better with ourselves. There is no need to deprive yourself from such enjoyments but you need to find the ways such that these expenses do not make your financial situation worse.

1. Holidays: try to get it an “all included” plan. Most of the time they are cheaper than purchasing your hotel stay, meals and tickets separately. Choose the travel agency carefully — it has to be one with a good reputation. Don’t just get any “bargain”. Your holidays dream could become your worst nightmare.

What about going to a campsite? Your family may appreciate the contact with nature and the change of scenery.

2. Presents and gifts: Objects don’t necessarily show your love and appreciation to others, your actions do. Don’t think that just by getting the most expensive gift you will show how much you love that person. Sometimes creating the right atmosphere will enhance the value of a “normal” gift. For example, if you prepare a nice meal for your parents or a candle light dinner for your partner before giving them a present, you would be showing your appreciation more that just giving them something, even if it is expensive. Our society is facing a big problem: assuming money or gifts can replace the quality time and care we need to give to our loved ones.

3. Beauty and fitness treatments: you can apply the same principle we explained regarding holiday plans: compare the prices of the plans or treatments that different places offer and get the best overall value, not just cheap items that end up being a waste of money. There are many things you can do as well to improve your health and fitness apart from going to health clubs and they are not as expensive: walk, jog and cycle more, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get yourself into an exercise routine at home, do your housework yourself (such as cleaning, gardening), washing and waxing the car) — you will burn many calories and save some money.

There are good books in the market explaining how you can take care of
your skin, hair and body using home made recipes or exercise using things that you have at home. Even that heavy encyclopedia that nobody uses anymore could help you for weight lifting, giving some tone to your arm muscles!

You will be amazed finding out how some simple things you have at home such as mayonnaise, (it is great for dry, damaged and brittle hair), sugar and hand cream (a massage in your hands with sugar and hand cream will leave them as soft as silk) will do wonders for you.

Debt elimination has become a popular fact in the present along with methods like debt settlement. It is a clear fact that many consumers are in a constant search for the best debt relief method because they are being pressed daily by the world economic crisis. This is a main reason for debt settlement to grow rapidly in the recent past. But, today it is provided with a new dimension.

With the Federal Trade Commission of the United States lending its eye upon this strategy, it has become regulated today. This has helped not only consumers but also legitimate settlement companies. Consumers get the opportunity to get in touch with the most legitimate relief service which will get them out of trouble easily. Legitimate settlement companies on the other hand will get the highest reputation needed.

It is because the new laws will be a reason for fraudulent debt relief companies to shut down their proceedings. Here, it is stated that a relief service cannot request an upfront payment from consumers who come in search for a legitimate reduction plan. Therefore, fraudulent relief services are thrown out of track and the most legitimate will survive making life easier for consumers.

Furthermore, a safer background for consumers is created by the new regulations confronted by the Federal Trade Commission of the United States which states that, a settlement company has to pay a dime if they do not achieve the promised level at the end of the relief plan. It has certainly become a confidence booster for the present day consumers and reminds the rest about how new settlement laws make it easier to get out of debt.

Getting out of debt is not impossible but it will not happen over night. Consumers who are serious about debt relief need to be determined. If you have over $10 k in unsecured debt you should really consider debt settlement. Consumers can expect to realistically eliminate 60% of their unsecured debt with a settlement.

Debt Relief Help – Legitimate Options to Erase Your Debt For Good

One of most persistent issues to encounter in life is the increase in debts and loans that a person accumulates over the years. Unless you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth, you can only buy properties by taking out one form of loan or the other. Same with owning a vehicle, and other properties.

Even buying groceries and other items that we need we use cashless alternatives instead of cash because we think it is more convenient over paying in cash or the latter we do not realize the impact they have until we see our bills and statements and become overwhelmed with the actual amount that needs to be paid and this is how debt suddenly creeps up on you, until one day you need debt relief help to get out of it.

Initially, we are not too concerned about the expenses we have incurred, even with all the additional penalties and taxes. At times, one thing that we often do is resort to simply settling the minimum due per month. After a while you will see the digits start to climb up. Until one day, the statement you receive conveys a debt total that is so high that it gives you a migraine.

Often we get too rattled by the thought of debts to pay that we make a mistake, and not do anything at all. The debts pile up since not paying them in full means they get to incur penalties and additional charges and interest. Fortunately there is a good reason for us to smile nowadays. The government has pronounced renewed support for debt settlement programs by supporting organizations offering debt relief help.

Today, cleaning up your debts and financial problems can be done quickly if you approach it correctly. Debt settlement for one is a great deal, you do not have to worry about meeting the creditor’s demand for automatic settlement of the whole bill, because under this scenario the payments are mapped out and made to fit with your capability to pay. Do your research and find a company that will help you settle your debt.

It is better to get debt relief help through a professional because they know how to negotiate with your lenders to both reduce your debt and to get you more favorable payment terms. If you are in debt getting help quickly will not only reduce what you owe but will possible save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars a month that you would normally spend just making interest payments. Get help today and get out of debt.