Solve your debt in 5 days or less!

deal only with the original creditor (WHOEVER THE CREDITOR 
IS) 


If Someone Owes You Money

If you are owed money and have not received any payment over 
a reasonable period of time, there are several steps you can 
take to collect, even before going to the expense of hiring 
a collection agency or lawyer. 
While making these moves, you can collect evidence in case 
it becomes necessary to take the matter to court. 
Call The Debtor
This method, handled properly, can have surprisingly 
successful results. For best results, have another person of 
the line to witness the conversation. In case the debtor 
denies the call, you have a witness who can testify 
otherwise. 
Write The Debtor
Write a letter that confirms and reviews all the pertinent 
points of the telephone conversation. The goal is to make 
your letter clear enough to make it stick in court. 
If The Debtor Is A Business
File a complaint with the BBB or the trade organization in 
which the debtor is a member. Make sure you stick to the 
facts in order to avoid being sued for libel. 


Your Consumer Rights

Consumer credit reporting agencies (CRAs) collect credit 
information on you from banks, department stores, credit 
card companies, and other types of financial institutions 
that may extend you credit. 
CRAs make money selling the information they have in their 
databank, including information about your credit profile. 
Because of this, it is only prudent that you exercise your 
legal rights as a consumer, know what is in your credit 
file, make sure they are accurate and challenge it and have 
it corrected when necessary. 
CRAs are required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to tell 
you the contents of your file. There are several ways to 
contact a CRA: 
IF DECLINED FOR A LOAN, call the lender who is required by 
the FCRA to give you the name, address and phone number of 
the CRA it used in evaluating your loan application. 
IF YOU'RE JUST CURIOUS, you can find out the contents of 
your file by calling the CRA nearest you. They are usually 
listed in the phonebook under Credit Reporting Agencies. 
If your report contains inaccurate information, you may 
challenge the inclusion of it in your file. One option: If a 
lender has made an error, point it out to the lender and 
request that corrected information be sent to the CRA. 


The Free Credit Card Trap

They arrive in your mail - a conspicuous looking mail piece 
from some "official looking" bank claiming that you have 
been Pre-Approved for a MasterCard or VISA credit card. 
Of course, you don't have to have any credit. You can even 
have bad credit or have just filed bankruptcy or even be 
rated as a "slow payer." It doesn't matter because these 
companies want to give you a second chance! These companies 
want to make it easy for you to obtain a credit card because 
they only want your money! 
How the thing works is that you must send $35 to receive an 
application that provides you with a name and address 
listing of banks willing to give you a VISA and/or 
MasterCard without any credit approval. That's a stiff price 
to pay for a sheet of paper, don't you think? The 
instructions that come with the application will let you 
know how the scheme works. You must open up a bank account 
with the bank once that bank approves you. Big deal! They 
make it appear that you have won some contest or something 
and people will feel "good inside" that someone has approved 
them. 
But that's not all. The minimum amount you must deposit is 
$200 but you can deposit as much as you want. In return, you 
get a MasterCard or VISA credit card with a credit limit up 
to the amount you deposit. Wow! What a great honor! This is 
no break! Think about it. If a stranger gave you $200 to 
hold for him until Friday wouldn't you feel safe in granting 
them a $200 loan? I mean _ it's their own money you've got. 
If they default, you've got the full amount to pay off the 
loan. It takes a twisted mind to take $200 from you, grant 
you $200 credit with your own money plus charge you 
astronomical interest rates just to take the money from your 
hand and give it back to you. That's insane! 
Of course _ to combat this insanity, the great and wonderful 
banks claim to help fix your credit report. They say that if 
you maintain payments in a correct fashion, this information 
will be reported to the credit bureau. Yea, right!  When 
Shell calls the credit bureau to check your credit for a gas 
credit card, your report shows 47 defaulted loans and a 
bankruptcy. However, there is one company that you make 
payments to on-time. Big deal. Don't you think the rest of 
your bad credit will still be the deciding factor in Shell's 
final decision. You bet you bottom dollar! 
Look at this: the bank makes money from the interest of your 
deposit. The bank also makes money by charging you 18% to 
22% interest for the right to use their MasterCard or VISA. 
Plus the bank is guaranteed their money because if you don't 
pay on time, they take the money out of the bank account you 
opened with them along with any interest you have 
accumulated. 
Why would anyone with $200 to deposit want a credit card 
with a $200 limit? If you have $200 and want to buy an item 
for $200 _ go out and purchase it. That way, you'll own it 
lock, stock and barrel. No interest, no payments, no hassle! 
Plus, you won't owe your soul to the company store _ 
sort-of-speak. 
Credit is a wonderful thing if you use it intelligently. I 
know people who charge $100 at the beginning of the month 
and use that $100 to make $300. It's free money for 30 days. 
Then, when the bill comes, they immediately pay the entire 
balance and come out smelling like a rose with $200 to the 
good. Credit is also needed in certain circumstances for 
establishing clout. You can't call in a telephone order 
unless you can charge the purchase to your credit card. This 
delays you getting items you want now. 
In fact some companies will try and make you feel "low 
class" if you don't own a credit card. I am proud to say 
that I DON'T OWN one. When I'm in a store and they say 
"Would you like to put this on your charge?" I promptly say, 
"No, I pay for everything I buy!" They immediately shut up. 
And if they would snap back with a rude answer, I'd leave 
the stuff sitting on the counter, walk out of the store and