When does a collections agent over the phone cross over the line into harassment? Collection agencies are restricted from utilizing obscene language or threats of violence. However, they are allowed to insult your integrity and make you Read the rest of this entry

By Joseph Nykoluk:

Part 1 – What Will A Good Credit Counselor Do For You

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One good thing that you could do is go to various news sites and key in a search term like “credit counselor” or “credit counseling” and see what comes up. One thing for sure is that what you read is pretty current, sometimes only hours old. That’s what I have done. Recently there is been criticism of how some credit counselors act when trying to win you over to sign up with them.

Some of the criticism surrounded issues as to their effectiveness as well as to their legality. On the other hand you will also find Read the rest of this entry

By Joseph Nykoluk:

Assuming you have already found a good credit counselor to help you pay off your debts, you will want to know the process they will go through so that they act in your best interests.

Process #1

First off the credit counseling service will contact your creditors and start negotiating with them to create a debt management plan specific for your needs. The goal of a successful plan set up by your counselor is to Read the rest of this entry

With the recent downturn in the economy, many people are realizing that they cannot afford to sustain the lifestyle that they have grown accustomed to living. Fortunately, this does not mean life cannot be enjoyable. There are a number of easy ways to live within your means without hurting your quality of life. With a little planning and knowledge you can live on budget without feeling the financial strain.

The following are a number of ways to live within your means while making life more enjoyable: Read the rest of this entry

Yup, there are some myths about debt consolidation that the banks don’t want you to know. Some may shock or even anger you, but it is a message that must be told. For example, you probably think you can’t do it yourself and you NEED a professional agency to do it for you. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I did it and so can you! Let’s dive into some of the most common myths people have about credit repair. Read the rest of this entry

Needing a good credit counseling service and actually finding a good service are two different matters. So, how can you find a good counseling service you can be happy with?

The first thing you should check is that they belong with the BBB, the Better Business Bureau. When looking at their website look for the BBB logo and make sure that it links to the Better Business Bureau. When you go to the BBB site to Read the rest of this entry

If you’ve ever been in a money jam you may have considered employing credit counselors or debt consolidators in a bid to cure you of your money problems. Money problems can be caused by recessions, inflation, high interest rates and bad money decisions. Everyone wants your money because they know you will give it to them if they have something they think you want but not necessarily need.

You may need help but there are a lot of other people and companies out there that also know you need help. But like anything else, Read the rest of this entry

Your goal of being debt free is just like any anything else. Try asking yourself if you want to lose weight or if you want to be rich. It doesn’t really matter what your goal is. What ever you want to do in life is GOING TO TAKE WORK – PERIOD! If you think that life is a free ride then you need to give yourself a slap, and I mean a good hard slap. You’ve heard the expression – “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” – haven’t you?

I mean, if you’re going to have a half-assed attitude about achieving your goals (and I don’t care what those goals are), then why are you even wasting your time having a goal in the first place. But hey, sometimes people set goals out of desperation. Only when people are backed up in a corner do they Read the rest of this entry

What Does Having A Bad Debt Mean?

Most people in the civilized world has some debt, but the question becomes more serious when it involves bad debt. So what is bad debt? Put simply, bad debt is debt that is not being repaid when it should be. It does not matter if you live in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America or Europe. If you borrow money and do not pay it back you have a bad debt.

Examples of bad debt include such things as a credit card or a loan to which you did not make your required scheduled payment. Making your credit card payments is very important as it can Read the rest of this entry