Back when life was much simpler, when credit was in the form of a firm handshake and the person’s word that they will repay the loan, the terms FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation), CROA (Credit Repair Organizations Act), FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act), among others, would have seemed like a foreign language. All anyone needed to do to “fix” their credit or to gain credit in those days was to “appear” credit worthy. In the early days of credit, a person’s credit worthiness was determined by the … [Read more...]
The 6 Simple Steps To Repairing Your Own Credit
So you’ve obtained your free credit report that is allowed to you once per year via www.annualcreditreport.com and discovered that there are serious errors on your credit report. You have scoured the Internet in search for help from companies and law firms who charge a hefty fee to correct your credit. A fee such as $99.00 to start a service on top of $99.00 per month until your credit is corrected (which could take upwards of one year!) So What Do You Do Now? Load up your printer ink and buy … [Read more...]
Dealing With Your Personal Finance Holiday Hangover
Ahhhh the New Year is up on us! 2012 here we come! Now that your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice gifts are unwrapped, the fruit cake from Aunt June is put away to age for the rest of eternity, you finally have a moment of clarity! Holy crap! I have credit card bills on their way. I have to pay for all of these merry festivities now! Not to fret, we’re here to make some sense of it for you, and to give you some guidance so that you don’t go as crazy as “Cousin Eddie” standing in the … [Read more...]
Get The Facts On FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act)
On December 4, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law as an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). This law is specifically designed to prevent fraud and identity theft which is the fastest growing financial crime today. The law sets new guidelines on how merchants print receipts, on how lending institutions process and protect your personal and financial information. It provides means and remedies for fraud and identity theft … [Read more...]
The Ins & Outs Of Vehicle Repossession
If you are a fan of “trueTV” (like me), you probably have seen a variety of people behaving badly during a vehicle repossession. Although they are very entertaining and quite humorous, vehicle repossession is serious business, and you need to understand a few things. First of all, if the repo man is at your door, arguing is pointless, the repossession order has been signed even before he got to your location, arguing will do you no good. Just let them do their job and take the car! You do not … [Read more...]
