Breaking news:
Soon you'll be able to get your credit report for free.
A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months, from www.annualcreditreport.com. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights and how to order a free annual credit report.A credit report contains information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy.
Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.Consumers in Western states will first be able to order their credit reports under the federal law beginning December 1, 2004.How do I know when I'm eligible to get a free report?Free reports will be phased in during a nine-month period, rolling from the West Coast to the East beginning December 1, 2004. Beginning September 1, 2005, free reports will be accessible to all Americans, regardless of where they live.
Consumers in the Western states – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – can order their free reports beginning December 1, 2004.Consumers in the Midwestern states – Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – can order their free reports beginning March 1, 2005.Consumers in the Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas – can order their free reports beginning June 1, 2005.Consumers in the Eastern states – Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia – the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories can order their free reports beginning September 1, 2005.
How do I order my free report?You can order your free annual credit report online at www.annualcreditreport.com, by calling 877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.
The article was taken from http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/ycr_free_reports.htm and is for information purposes only.
Cheers to your credit health,
Jenell
the debt free lady
Saturday, January 08, 2005
ARM Yourself-Get Your Credit Reports and FICO scores..
Tip of the Day:
Knowledge put into action is power...
Arm yourself with the facts. Then arm yourself with the facts of your own financial situation. Face the music. How can you know where you are going in your financial life unless you know where you have been and where you are right now....
The time is upon us where we can no longer ignore our credit scores. In today's society, even some employers check our credit reports before even considering us for employment. Have you tried renting an apartment lately, even they check our credit now...
Folks we have to arm ourselves with knowledge and truth---- our families are depending on us....
Imagine going into a car dealership, a bank, an insurance company, or mortgage loan office already knowing exactly what your credit score is and knowing that you have done everything possible to ensure that you walk in with the best possible score for your credit situation.
Here is a great place to start... check out the fre***ee Credit Education section and try this cool new tool that gives you an estimate of what your score is and what it is based on...
Click this link now:
Free FICO® Credit Score Estimator
P>S> Don't forget to read up on how to protect yourself against identity theft while you are there.
Cheers to a successful financial life,
Jenell
The debt free lady
"Helping others pursue excellence in Financial Matters"-(HOPE---FM)
Knowledge put into action is power...
Arm yourself with the facts. Then arm yourself with the facts of your own financial situation. Face the music. How can you know where you are going in your financial life unless you know where you have been and where you are right now....
The time is upon us where we can no longer ignore our credit scores. In today's society, even some employers check our credit reports before even considering us for employment. Have you tried renting an apartment lately, even they check our credit now...
Folks we have to arm ourselves with knowledge and truth---- our families are depending on us....
Imagine going into a car dealership, a bank, an insurance company, or mortgage loan office already knowing exactly what your credit score is and knowing that you have done everything possible to ensure that you walk in with the best possible score for your credit situation.
Here is a great place to start... check out the fre***ee Credit Education section and try this cool new tool that gives you an estimate of what your score is and what it is based on...
Click this link now:
Free FICO® Credit Score Estimator
P>S> Don't forget to read up on how to protect yourself against identity theft while you are there.
Cheers to a successful financial life,
Jenell
The debt free lady
"Helping others pursue excellence in Financial Matters"-(HOPE---FM)
Friday, January 07, 2005
Interesting Facts....
If you find yourself in debt----you are not alone...
"Consumers owe $7.3 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve-double the amount they carried into the last recession." -- -Newsweek
"Consumer credit debt has topped $2 trillion for the first time, continuing what debt experts view as an alarming surge in recent years". -Washington Post
"Bankruptcy filings for the year ending June 30, 2003 hit an all-time high of 1.65 million, a 10% increase over the same period in 2002." - www.shacklefree.com
"Every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone's identity, opens account in the victim's name and goes on a buying spree." - -www.cbsnews.com
Jenell
The debt free lady
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
"Consumers owe $7.3 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve-double the amount they carried into the last recession." -- -Newsweek
"Consumer credit debt has topped $2 trillion for the first time, continuing what debt experts view as an alarming surge in recent years". -Washington Post
"Bankruptcy filings for the year ending June 30, 2003 hit an all-time high of 1.65 million, a 10% increase over the same period in 2002." - www.shacklefree.com
"Every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone's identity, opens account in the victim's name and goes on a buying spree." - -www.cbsnews.com
Jenell
The debt free lady
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
There Are Ways to Get Out of Debt....
Why have I started this blog....
Everyday I talk to individuals and families who need help with debt and credit but don't know where to start... so here goes.....
Who needs help, Americans do!
America is in the middle of a serious financial crisis. As a nation, we're wealthier than ever before, yet we're paying a serious toll with problems such as debt, credit, interest and stress. As a result, we are left crying out for real answers. We want solutions that will help us live a better quality of life with no debt and financial security. We would all love to spend our days enjoy the things that make life worth living. Whether our goal is to become debt free or to improve our credit or to become financially independent- or all of the above- We all have to ask ourselves this question, "How do I get there from here?" I am a debtor but my goal is to be an wise investor.
If you are like me, you have been bombarded with ads that read like this (real ad)
BACK2ZERO can completely eliminate your credit card balances to zero-every penny of your credit card debt. No loans. No penalties. No debt consolidation. No counseling. NO bankruptcy. No loss of your home or other assets. All for $99.
The facts are ladies and gentlemen:
No there is no one size fits all solution, every financial situation is different, but...
Yes there are about 6 fundamental options to handle our debt problems and none of them are overnight cures:
Jenell
The debt free lady
Everyday I talk to individuals and families who need help with debt and credit but don't know where to start... so here goes.....
Who needs help, Americans do!
America is in the middle of a serious financial crisis. As a nation, we're wealthier than ever before, yet we're paying a serious toll with problems such as debt, credit, interest and stress. As a result, we are left crying out for real answers. We want solutions that will help us live a better quality of life with no debt and financial security. We would all love to spend our days enjoy the things that make life worth living. Whether our goal is to become debt free or to improve our credit or to become financially independent- or all of the above- We all have to ask ourselves this question, "How do I get there from here?" I am a debtor but my goal is to be an wise investor.
If you are like me, you have been bombarded with ads that read like this (real ad)
BACK2ZERO can completely eliminate your credit card balances to zero-every penny of your credit card debt. No loans. No penalties. No debt consolidation. No counseling. NO bankruptcy. No loss of your home or other assets. All for $99.
The facts are ladies and gentlemen:
No there is no one size fits all solution, every financial situation is different, but...
Yes there are about 6 fundamental options to handle our debt problems and none of them are overnight cures:
Debt Consolidation Loans
Debt Settlement
Debt Negotiation
Roll Up Programs ( Do it yourself methods)
Filing Bankruptcy
Comprehensive Debt Management services
There are right ways to get out of debt, the question is---Which way is right for you and your family?
More extensive details to come on each option in upcoming blogs or if you need more information now just email me with your questions.Jenell
The debt free lady
Use Credit Wisely! Did you know....
Credit Card Corner
NEGOTIATION WITH DEBT COLLECTORS
Did you know you can negotiate with debt collectors? Most people don't know this little tid bit. They either blindly accept what the collector says or they put their heads in the sand and hope he goes away. It's time to become an educated consumer. I'll ask this question again--------- Do you use credit cards?
http://hop.clickbank.net/?worthytips/cccapers
If you do I'd like to recommend you check out the new site of financial wizard, Tom Koziol. It's the site for his new book called, "Credit Card Capers. All Their Dirty Tricks Exposed." Tom will guide you through all the dirty tricks that Credit Card Issuers play to get your money out of your hands and into theirs. And believe me... there are a LOT of them. He'll show you ways to keep YOUR money where it belongs... in your bank account. Stayed to for more on this topic in upcoming blogs
http://hop.clickbank.net/?worthytips/cccapers
The debt free lady
NEGOTIATION WITH DEBT COLLECTORS
Did you know you can negotiate with debt collectors? Most people don't know this little tid bit. They either blindly accept what the collector says or they put their heads in the sand and hope he goes away. It's time to become an educated consumer. I'll ask this question again--------- Do you use credit cards?
http://hop.clickbank.net/?worthytips/cccapers
If you do I'd like to recommend you check out the new site of financial wizard, Tom Koziol. It's the site for his new book called, "Credit Card Capers. All Their Dirty Tricks Exposed." Tom will guide you through all the dirty tricks that Credit Card Issuers play to get your money out of your hands and into theirs. And believe me... there are a LOT of them. He'll show you ways to keep YOUR money where it belongs... in your bank account. Stayed to for more on this topic in upcoming blogs
http://hop.clickbank.net/?worthytips/cccapers
The debt free lady
Make getting out of debt your top priority in 2005!
Breaking News Just In!
Bankruptcy laws may be tighteningCredit card issuers want U.S. to put limits on use for unsecured loans!
U.S. banks have been charging off more consumer loans in recent years after consumers stopped repaying or had their debts discharged through bankruptcy proceedings, and that will likely increase as interest rates rise, said John McCune, a banking industry analyst with SNL Financial in Charlottesville, Va.
http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/jan05/288766.asp
Bankruptcy laws may be tighteningCredit card issuers want U.S. to put limits on use for unsecured loans!
U.S. banks have been charging off more consumer loans in recent years after consumers stopped repaying or had their debts discharged through bankruptcy proceedings, and that will likely increase as interest rates rise, said John McCune, a banking industry analyst with SNL Financial in Charlottesville, Va.
- The 25 largest U.S. banks charged off $19.3 billion in loans in 2000; that grew to $27.5 billion in 2003, SNL data show.
- In 2003, Citigroup led the pack with $7.5 billion in charged-off consumer loans, followed by Bank of America Corp., based in Charlotte, N.C., with $2.3 billion, according to SNL data. JPMorgan was next, with $1.6 billion.
- The biggest boom to creditors from the proposed legislation is that many consumers will be discouraged from filing under Chapter 7, said Edward Janger, a professor at Brooklyn Law School.
-
The bill allows creditors to demand a hearing before a judge to determine whether a person filing for bankruptcy would fail the means test and should instead file under Chapter 13. The cost of hiring an attorney to prepare for and attend the hearing would deter many applicants, he said.
http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/jan05/288766.asp
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