If you need money for some personal purpose, then you have an easier option of borrowing the required amount of funds through taking an unsecured personal loan. You will come across many lenders in the loan market place when you start looking for one. You must, however, first take into account all aspects of the loan for a suitable deal. Know that the lenders are willing to give these loans for any personal purpose including home improvements,...more
Virtually everyone who is in debt wishes he or she was in less debt. For the purposes of this article, debt is anything that you pay for with cash or credit during the course of a week or a month. It should not come as a surprise that many consumers simply have no idea where a sizable chunk of their income goes each month. This invisible debt can add up quickly, but it can also be easily identified with a little bit of effort.There are some...more
There are times when consumers need help with their debt. While there are many ways to get help, one of the most effective is to use consumer credit counseling services. These organizations and agencies can go by different names. You may hear of them as debt consolidation or debt management companies.These types of consumer debt agencies and companies have been around since the early 80's when banking laws changed and credit card debt soon after became far easier to accumulate. Because so many people were getting so far into debt and were having problems meeting even the minimum payment requirements, the banks began to take some action.Back then the only real course of action for indebted consumers was to file for bankruptcy. This was bad news for both the consumers and the banks. As an option to bankruptcy, the banks helped to establish and fund consumer credit counseling organizations. By doing this, they were able to recover their money as well as help out those who were in financial trouble.Over the course of time, two types of consumer credit counseling companies have come about. One is the non-profit type organizations that help consumers to make budgets and to communicate...more
Some credit card users may begin to notice what are called opting out policies on the back of their credit card statements. These opt out notices are being delivered to some credit card users who are in jeopardy of having their interest rate increased by the credit card issuer. There are several reasons why a credit card issuer may decide to...more
Debt collection has become an issue with some consumers. Generally, debt collection procedures do not begin until after the lender has tried a variety of ways to get paid what is owed them. Some of the more common methods that lenders use include sending letters of delinquent payment and perhaps placing phone calls to the borrower's home. When...more
Active duty military personnel who are having financial problems with their mortgage payments have some avenue of help under the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act which can be very beneficial to them and to their families.Who is eligible for this program?The provisions of the SSRA apply to active duty military personnel who had a mortgage obligation prior to enlistment or prior to being ordered to active duty (for Reservists). This includes members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, as well as commissioned officers belonging to the Public Health Service and those in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who are engaged in active service. Military reservists ordered to report for military service and those persons ordered to report for induction under the Military Selective Service Act as well as guardsmen called to active service for more than 30 consecutive days are also covered under the act.In the area of home mortgage protections, the act limits the amount of mortgage interest that may be charged on home loans incurred by a service member (including debts incurred jointly with a spouse) before he or she entered into active military...more
Cosigning on a loan can be a great way to help a family member or close friend when they need help, but it can also be a great way to ruin your own credit if things do not work out.Before you decide to cosign on a loan, you should always read the...more
Many consumers know that they have a credit score but they may not know what the score is. As well, many consumers know that there are some actions or inactions that they can take that will help or hurt their score. Again, they know the broad...more
Most consumers are aware of the current problems that some financial institutions are experiencing. This has caused some concern for large investors, those with CD investments over the maximum amount that is covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance...more
By now most American consumers have heard about the sub-prime mortgage crisis. It would be difficult not to have heard about it. What many consumers have not heard much about is the increasing belief that even homeowners with prime mortgages may be...more
Did you know that today more individuals are turning toward personal bankruptcy as a way of solving their financial hardships? It is true.During the period from 1998 through 2000 there was a decrease in the filings for bankruptcies but that is not...more
Do you know what to do if your credit cards or ATM cards are stolen? You might be surprised at how many people do not.All consumers should know that the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) offer procedures if...more