What is on Your Credit Report?
Your credit report is a very important piece of the puzzle in your financial picture. It contains a historical record of your personal and financial information including a listing of your current and past debts and the timeliness of your payments. The information contained on your credit report is ... more...

Real Estate Investing in Rentals the "$10 Million Real Estate Investing Mistake"
Renting to tenants is no longer where the money is for real estate investing. I became a multi-millionaire landlord in the 1980s by buying $10 million in rental houses. Yet, I consider this real estate investing approach the biggest mistake in my real estate investing career. I call it my $10 ... more...

The Five Most Popular Questions About Bankruptcy
WILL MY CREDITORS STOP HARASSING ME?Yes, they will! By law, all actions against a debtor must cease once bankruptcy documents are filed. Creditors cannot initiate or continue any lawsuits, wage garnishees, or even telephone calls demanding payments. Secured creditors such as banks holding, ... more...

How to Get a Business Loan in Five Steps
Need funds to startup or expand your business? Follow these steps:A lender looks at a loan request in three sections known as the "three C's". They are:Credit. Did you pay previous lenders back as contracted?Capacity: Can you afford to pay back this loan?Collateral: If you don't pay back the loan ... more...

How to Evaluate and Raise Your Credit Score
Why do some people get offers for pre-approved credit cards and others dont? What do car dealers know about your financial health that you dont know? The answer is your credit score.Your credit score is a number generated by a mathematical formula to estimate how likely you are to pay your bills. ... more...

Bill Consolidation Company Basics
Bill consolidation companies handle payments for your accounts and lower your rates. They can also negotiate waivers for late payment fees. Before signing up with a company, you will want to compare rates and terms. You also need to monitor your payment statements to be sure there are not errors ... more...

Free Credit Reports Now Available From the FTC
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has set up a new website (www.AnnualCreditReport.com) where US residents can obtain free copies of their credit reports from the three major credit report bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). The FTC site was set up as part of the Fair and Accurate Credit ... more...

Payday Loan Companies - Are Their Rates Too High?
Payday loan companies do provide cash at higher rates than other types of credit programs. But these rates are for short periods, so fees are often small. While payday loans are not for every credit situation, they can help during a financial emergency.Are Rates Too High?Payday loan rates are ... more...

How To Get A Credit Card No Matter How Bad Your Credit Rating
Your credit is bad. Perhaps you have a string of unpaid bills haunting your past. Maybe you declared bankruptcy within the past 10 years, or defaulted on a student loan.All of the above can block your access to obtaining a major credit card, such as VISA or Mastercard.But bad credit is not the ... more...

Credit Traps Snag Consumers
Nearly 20 years ago I worked for a small consumer advocacy organization in Washington, DC. Each week we received sacks full of mail from consumers across the country requesting our list of credit cards with low interest rates and no annual fees. If you wanted a low interest rate on a credit card ... more...