If you are like the majority of Americans today, you are in great need of finding someone to help you with your debt. Debt can be extremely overwhelming. Everywhere you turn as a consumer there are companies offering you discounts to use their credit cards and banks and lenders are offering more and more credit to people who can’t afford it.

Why is all of this happening? The easy answer is that banks and creditors and anyone offering you a credit card are all looking for one thing, more money. These creditors and lenders know fully well that many people will buy on credit, not understanding the consequences of their spending. Soon after the consumer is up to their eyeballs in debt and has no idea where to turn.

Banks and creditors know that they are setting up many of their customers for these terrible and stressful situations. Do the banks care? Absolutely not. Contrary to what most of us assume about banks and creditors, they are only out to make as much money as possible.

All consumers must realize that the only reason that your bank or creditor has treated you nicely in the past is to get you to take loans and credit from them. If you have ever applied for a loan or a credit card with your bank, you will surely remember how they treat you like a king while you are applying. The royal treatment then begins to fade as you use the loan and start making payments. Then when you run into debt problems, the royal treatment that got you to trust your bank completely vanishes!

When choosing how to fight a credit card lawsuit, there are a few important things to think about. First, is an original creditor or a third party debt collector suing you? Second, did you sign a contract with whoever is suing you? Third, what is your current financial situation? In this article I am going to address all three of these questions.

Understanding who is suing you will determine a large part of your defense strategy. 9 out of 10 times the plaintiff (party suing you) will be the creditor. It is fairly rare to see a third party debt collector take a consumer to court to attempt collection. Creditors will sue only in the event that it becomes their least costly option for collection. If you can keep your bank or creditor from feeling this way, you will rarely if ever get sued.

If a creditor does sue you, you will need to defend yourself using the strategy of requesting documentation that the bank or creditor had money in their possession which they then lent to you. You will be requesting proof that the money that was supposedly loaned to you was in their possession previous to the agreement, as well as a valid, signed and dated contract between you and the bank or creditor.

Often times the bank or creditor will not be able to provide these things for you. By continually requesting these items that prove that the bank or creditor did in fact loan you money that was previously in their possession, you will expose that the bank did not have a valid contractual agreement with you. In most cases this will be enough evidence to support your defense in a motion for summary judgment.

When dealing with your original creditor you will be contacted by the bank itself, or an affiliated collection agency such as Visa collections or MasterCard collections. If you are contacted by a collection agency affiliated with your bank, they will make it clear that they are affiliated and that your account has not been “charged off”. Because of this, you are still under contractual agreement but the bank or creditor will have to prove it before you are required to pay the balance on your account in dispute.

Banks, like debt collectors, are simply businesses trying to make money. However, banks are especially money hungry. They have already made massive amounts of money due to the process banks use called fractional banking. The bottom line is that they want as much money as possible from you, not to cover their losses, because they have already done that, but to increase their earnings. If you don’t have the money to give, then you must deal with them.
The first step when dealing with your original creditor is to decide you don’t want to pay. This may sound absurd to you but trust me I have seen many people in your situation who have used the resources provided by Plan B Credit And Debt Consultants to help them out of almost any credit or debt situation.

Plan B Credit And Debt Consultants can help you through the first stages of the collections process through the use of debt validation letters. These letters are designed to help you know exactly what you must pay, if anything, and what your rights as a debtor are. These letters can protect you in the initial stages of debt collection from the abuse that is prevalent when dealing with creditors and debt collectors.

Many consumers wonder if they will get sued when dealing with a third party debt collector? This is a valid question due to the fact that there are so many credit card lawsuits going on in general. The fact is that it is rare for a third party debt collector to sue a consumer.

There are a few different reasons for this. First, a third party debt collector will almost never have a signed contract with you (the consumer) and the original creditor. This contract must exist and be signed and dated by all effected parties stating that all three parties are in agreement of the transfer of the debt to the third party debt collector. Without this signed agreement, the third party debt collector will not have a case that will stand up in court.

All that being said, if the consumer begins making payments to the third party debt collector, the debt collector will then make the argument that there was consideration even without a written agreement. This means that your actions show that you agree to make payments to the third party collector that in turn takes the place of the written agreement.

I am sure it makes more sense now why third party debt collectors are always trying so hard to harass consumers to make at least one payment. For the debt collector, this one payment is as good as a written contract!

Creditors on the other hand do have written agreements with almost all consumers they extend credit to. Because creditors have these agreements they are more inclined to sue if the cannot collect on the account in a less costly way.

Both creditors and third party debt collectors will be left with no choice other than to sue if the consumer sends them a cease and desist letter. In my experience I strongly discourage sending letters to cease and desist. They will almost always worsen your situation.

Financial overload is a lot of stress. It hinders your knack of finding solutions to become debt free. There are a lot of options you can choose before you can finally find the right one for you. Hopefully this debt relief article will help you in your search for answers to your financial difficulties.

Be a responsible payer, the earlier you settle your accounts the lesser your chances of being charged with tax loans. Nowadays it is difficult to trust, but your creditors took a risk on you hopeful that you would mutually benefit from the agreement. This is a win-win situation. Your creditors earn from your loan (through the interest) and you will gain a favorable credit report that is very crucial in determining your credit score.

When choosing what credit to use in your financial transactions choose the one that can give you more profit -corporate credit. This type of credit will give you several options to choose from with regard to paying your debts, plus your net worth will boost as you do business deals. Another type of credit is called personal credit, although this system keeps you motivated to pay your creditors it doesn’t give you the increase you need for your net value.

It is not a fact that bankruptcy will get you out from debts, in most cases it does the opposite. You might not know the process which happens upon filing bankruptcy. First you will be asked to write a list of all your creditors. Then you will be requested to inform all your creditors through a formal letter reporting that you filed for bankruptcy. The next event that will happen will be a lot more difficult because you will be forced to divulge all your asset information breaking the walls of your private life. Of course there will be a court room trial which is made to investigate your financial restructuring plan which will be attended by a lot of people. Another disadvantage of filing for bankruptcy is the filing fees you need to pay which is around $5, 000. You can decide on how to settle your balance, usually it would take 2 to 5 years for that which you need to pay on monthly installment base.

Many banks in the US have become strict with their laws when it comes to debt settlement. Let me give you a list of some of the banks which would not settle with anyone: Citibank, Amex, Capital One, Discover and the list could go on and on. These are just some of the facts that settlement or relief programs personnel don’t want you to know. Another thing they won’t be telling you is about their secret charges of up to 15% of your total balance which is really a big amount to waste on them! So be very careful in choosing such programs and always ask them to disclose all possible charges beforehand.

If you are capable to buy assets then do it! It is something that can give you a long term benefit even without putting effort to it after your investment. Let me give you an example: when you purchase a house you can have it rented or live in it or have someone else take care of it. For several weeks or months it will not give you a big profit yet but once you sell it after sometime say 5 years, the value of the house will increase giving you a very big profit! But just a warning, very rich people or even politicians don’t name their assets to their names for the sake of security. No one will be able to take away something from you if they don’t know you own anything, makes sense!

Hope you find this article interesting and informative. So good luck and have a debt free living…today!

Audio Podcast

People who are experiencing debt problems think that the
only way to get out from this tragic fall is by filing
bankruptcy. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is one way these people
consider but it has become difficult to accomplish because
they currently changed their laws. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is
another option to consider but it doesn’t always provide you
the protection you need for your finances. Bankruptcy in
general gives access to other people from intruding to your
assets and controlling them. These will just add weight to
your load especially if you are someone who doesn’t know
anything about the legalities of the situation.

Stopping payments and debt lawsuits are the things which
need help the most when somebody has lost his job. This will
save him from having more debts and liabilities. This may
sound unsettling especially in a difficult situation but
there are several ways to achieve this. Find a good service
that will aid you with your problem, one having enough
knowledge and skill in dealing with such matters and can
provide the legal documentation that will resolve the issue.

Deciding to use a service is a smart act as it will give
you a lot of options you can benefit from. When you are
facing a debt lawsuit it is inevitable to be harassed by
different credit agencies and sometimes you couldn’t stop
but fight back which they can use against you. These
services are capable of giving you a new contact number so
those agencies can’t contact you anymore because the service
do all the necessary actions for you. If these agencies
still have the hold of you the service will be able to
record any conversations made which is good because they can
give you the necessary counseling you need if something went
bad during your conversation with the credit company.

Be very careful in choosing the service you will use
because the solutions to your financial debts mainly rely on
them. Make sure they are people with a good reputation and
have the experience needed to get you out of this bad
situation. They should be able to put an end to debt
lawsuits and defend your assets. You also have to check on
their available program that suits your needs and check if
their price is reasonable.

Audio Podcast

Are you looking for tips on how to save money? You are not
alone. There are so many people out there who have the same
problem as you. Saving money can be difficult to achieve but
it can be done by just making little changes. Take time to
read the following list of ways to save money and you’ll be
surprised at how much money you can save over the course of
a year just by doing so.

1. Find some time to compare store prices for the basic
commodities you purchase. This will help you decide
which store offers the most competitive price for
those products.

2. Purchase store brands which are cheaper compared to
House brands Private label brands (PLBs) in the United
States, own brands in the UK, home brands in
Australia and generic brands. It doesn’t hurt to try
consumer-friendly products once in a while.

3. Never go shopping if you feel like you are hungry for
it! Trust me it will just totally ruin your budget.

4. Are you the type who buys something and just end up
regretting it when you reach home? This is called impulsive
buying -it happens when you are held up in the hype of a
circumstance. You can resolve this by not going to stores
when you don’t really need something. Make a list of the
things you need and stick to your budget.

5. When you buy meat or packages of poultry buy the
family sized cuts. You can repackage them to the size
your family needs on your meals before putting them in
the fridge.

6. Cooking ingredients are at their lowest prices during
their season. Buy as much as you can, but be sure you can
consume it before they get withered.

7. Never miss on your car maintenance to avoid bringing
your car to a shop which would really cost you a lot. It is
also a hassle on your part because it takes some time to get
it fixed.

8. Just stick with a regular gasoline for your vehicle.
High octane fuel is a good product but if it will mean
spending more money then it gets bad.

9. If you are planning to buy a car go for the used
one. Leasing a car might eventually become your burden
especially when financial tough times strike! If you are
really capable then just cash it out! Also consider the
car’s fuel efficiency such as hybrids.

10. Don’t bring your ATM cards with you. Find a secure
place to hide it to avoid impulse buying. You can just
withdraw some amount to suffice for the whole week and
don’t go
beyond your budget.

11. Do you read your magazines and newspapers every day? If
not stop your subscription. You can do it online instead!

12. Learn how to recycle! Used clothes can be reused into
washing sponge or cleaning clothes. Buy all all-in-one
cleaners instead of individual ones to save money.

13. Purchase your clothing during off season or if its
on sale and choose classic styles which you can use more
than once and could use for years. Just add a few
number of current trends.

14. Make gardening a hobby, especially if you have enough
space to grow vegetables or fruits. This will lower your
food bill and keep your family healthy and safe from
harmful chemicals which might be present to food found
in grocery stores.

15. Having an herb garden is a good way to save money too.
If you get these ingredients for free then in a month time
you’ll be able to save a lot.

16. Change your diet plan. If you love meat and poultry
products then try to leave those foods for a while and get
used to eating vegetables. Being a vegetarian will make you
more savings because vegetables cost less compared to other
food products.

17. Buying items in packages costs less than purchasing
individual wraps.

18. Don’t settle on milk formula for your baby,
breastfeed. Breast milk is still the best food
supplement you can give to your child plus it’s
free!

19. Puree your own version of nutritious baby food. Those
present in market have other chemicals added into it which
may not be good for your baby, apart from that, homemade
food are more affordable than those which are chemically
prepared.

20. Switch babysitting services with a couple in your
neighborhood so you won’t have to pay extra for someone
to look after your child.

21. Homemade products such as pastries and cookies are good
gifts to give on occasions. Try doing some for gifts rather
than buying from stores.

22. Bonding with family or friends is one of the things
we enjoy the most but it doesn’t have to be expensive.
There are a lot of parks all over, so bring
them there and have a picnic instead.

23. Be independent from spa and beauty salons. Do it on
your own! Learn to manicure and pedicure yourself and
instead of visiting expensive spa treat yourself with a
home facial.

24. Use your credit card on your purchases to save you from
transaction fees. Payments made through debit cards oblige
you to pay for processing fees.

25. Concerts or plays usually cost a lot! Be an usher
and get free passes to these events!

26. If you are likely to be impulsive in buying -shop
online! This will save you the effort of roaming around
10 different stores just to see your available options.
And sometimes in doing this you will see other things
which you may fall in love with at first sight, and
purchase
it even if you don’t need it!

27. If you are someone who likes to give greeting cards
then buy a package of blank notes and write your own
messages. Your recipient will like it better this way
better
than giving them ready to read cards. Just be creative
and
personalize it to your own style and design!

Start to save money now by doing all the ways listed above.
It will definitely keep you out of financial troubles and
will increase your savings in the bank.

Audio Podcast

You might be one of the millions of people who believe

that filing bankruptcy is the only way to conquer debts.

But is it a fact or a myth? Here is some truths you might

not know about bankruptcy.

There are different bankruptcy laws in the US that

determine the different types of bankruptcy. One type is

Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In 2005 the laws of Chapter 7

bankruptcy were changed, making the whole process almost

impossible to accomplish. This is actually one of the

faster ways to starting anew. However, there are several

disadvantages you also should know about before you

decide to file. You will lose your privacy as you will be

forced to divulge your remaining assets to pay any

remaining balances to creditors, even if you don’t want

to. All decisions making authority will be given to the

court and you will lose all control over your money.

On a different note, Chapter 13 bankruptcy is easier to

qualify for. This is another type of bankruptcy which

will also take over the control of your finances and

assets. True the people in the courts might have more

knowledge and experience in handling these sort of

matters, but no one wants to give away their rights,

power, and money to someone else. You will also be

obligated to pay them for these “services” and will be

bound to pay them regardless of the turnout. Is this the

kind of solution you want?

There is a better option to be free from debt. Use a

knowledgeable, experienced service provider to guide and

assist you in beating debt! This allows you full control

of your finances and offers step-by-step counseling,

techniques, and materials to guide you out of your

financial troubles. What you really need is a long term

solution for debt resolution not just a “quick fix” that

will haunt you and your credit for years to come.

Audio Podcast

When your credit score is high you are considered a credible investor and your objective is to maintain your score to the highest number possible. How to do that? Follow these proven steps to do it:

1. Order individual reports rather than ordering in group. This will lessen your chance of getting involve in future problems. You can also start a dispute over the internet faster this way as ordering by bulk takes some time. Don’t worry too much about how much it would cost by doing individual credit reports purchase because when you already get the score that you want, every investment you made will be paid off!

2. Credit card agencies give the best customer service to their clients, so take advantage of this. Call them to increase your credit card lines so you can have the chance to earn up to 60 points which will improve your credit to more available ratio amounts on your bank account.

3. The ideal ratio to attain the cheapest debt-to-available-credit is 25%-35% You can achieve this by reorganizing your debt.

4. Your credit card reports determine your ratio. Keep reorganizing your debts by paying your debts at the soonest possible time you can.

5. The reason why your credit score decreases is because of the high debts shown on your credit reports. You can change this by looking for lenders who don’t mind tracking records or making reports of your debt. You may seek help from good friends and family who trust you with these matters. Just remember to invest your money wisely and don’t break the trust given on you!

6. There are really times where you can receive wrong credit reports that affect your score but it is easy to alter this. You can fax the incorrect credit report to the credit agency and in most cases they would correct your credit reports immediately.

7. Initiate a dispute over the internet for negative offensive reports about you. This will end your being reprieved due to some derogatory information on your credit reports. You will be surprised with the increase of your score when the issue is solved.

8. Of course you want your highest score to be pulled off by lenders on your purchases, but it doesn’t always get selected. Your middle score is the most significant score of all as it is the one being selected almost all the time by lenders. So always try to increase your middle score. Once you do this the maximum score that you had before will become your middle score!

9. Find people with good credit history. Family and friends are the best pick. Ask these people to put in your social security number to their account so all the years of good credit history will show up on your credit reports. When this happens, your credit score will increase accordingly. It won’t harm the people who added you to their account because they won’t have to add their social security number on your card, thus protecting their credibility.

10. There are also cases where you receive reports showing that there are debts which haven’t been paid yet. If you are in this situation pay the full account to clear out those items from your credit report. Have the company delete those items to avoid future problems.

Audio Podcast

This a report from Bloomberg.com….

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-21/wall-street-aristocracy-got-1-2-trillion-in-fed-s-secret-loans.html

Audio Podcast