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People with fair credit have just been elevated to a status once reserved only for those with good to excellent credit – Rewards Worthy! Heretofore, credit cards with cash back rewards have rarely been offered to credit newcomers or rebuilders. And, while they may have felt somewhat privileged for just having credit extended to them, [...]
If you are one of the millions of people who are trying to climb their way out of a financial hole with hopes of rebuilding their credit and “doing it right” this time, chances are you have received dozens of “pre-qualified” or even “pre-approved” credit card offers. While they may appear as a potential step [...]
Unless you are among the unbanked or underbanked in America, those who by choice or circumstance don’t show up on the banking grid, you have come to realize that it is virtually impossible to get through life without the use of plastic. You need a credit card to make purchases online, to book travel, and [...]
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If any good came out of the financial crisis and the Great Recession, it’s that it made many of us become more financially literate and more aware of the need to pay attention to our finances. We now think before making purchases and we are better at prioritizing our expenditures. We certainly understand our credit [...]
There’s nothing more maddening than checking your credit card rewards balance only to learn that they have expired or are about to expire before you have a reasonable chance to use them. According to a study done by Synovate, a market research firm, only a quarter of eligible cardholders redeemed points in 2010. That means [...]
I have a confession to make. I’m a coupon clipper, but it hasn’t led to extreme couponing, yet. My friends and family know that I’m a proud coupon clipper, and because I’m not shy about sharing my shopping exploits, they know that I’m pretty good at it. Based on a typical family budget, I should [...]
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Inflation: The Ultimate Confidence Game The current dilapidated state of the economy has been decades in the making, and the establishment has grown alarmingly desperate and cynical in its efforts to stem the decline of public confidence; because, for all of them, the public’s perception of the country’s economic health is vital to their own [...]
Consumers beware, foreclosure fraud is rampant in today's post financial meltdown era. Unquestionably, the worst of the carnage left after the financial meltdown has been the millions of foreclosures that continue to plague the housing market. Although the number of foreclosures has dipped back under 1 million in 2011, it is expected to increase again in 2012, after a lull in processing caused by the “robo-signing” foreclosure fraud scandal at the hands of some of the major banks.
As if the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, spawned from the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, wasn’t controversial enough, it is now under fire as a result of President Obama’s “recess” appointment of its new director, Richard Cordray. The quotation marks are there because the appointment is certain to come under legal challenges by [...]
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We’ve covered the issue of debt/credit protection plans offered by credit card issuers on several occasions, essentially exposing them as a sham and a shameful exploitation of fear-stricken consumers who are willing to pay a premium to protect their credit in times of hardship. Now, the new consumer watchdog agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is [...]
Many people who now live financially responsible lives, have had their past come back to haunt them. After years of paying bills on time, building up their credit scores, and qualifying for mortgages, they might receive a call one day from a collections agency informing them of an outstanding debt – from 10 years ago! [...]
After a three year lull in the credit card industry, offers are starting to flood consumers’ mailboxes ,and people who have been on the sidelines as far as credit card use are starting to bite on them. For people who got into trouble with past credit card usage, it would be a wise thing to, [...]
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Unfortunately, the prospect of a foreclosure has become all too real for tens of thousands of people. And, the fact that there are still thousands of pending foreclosures is a partial cause of depressed home prices which threatens even more people when their homes become upside down in their mortgages. Avoiding foreclosure may not be easy in some circumstances, however in most cases it can be done if you take the right steps.
Clearly bankruptcy is not a destination on anybody’s financial map, but it’s where you could end up when you encounter roadblocks and your life is detoured by the unexpected. So, everyone who arrives at bankruptcy takes a different path, but the road back to financial health and prosperity has but one starting point and with it the opportunity to map out a new financial future.
Coming to terms with a bankruptcy becomes much easier for people when they view it as a clean slate, which is really what it is. In fact, it is intended to give people a chance to start anew with a fresh opportunity to build a secure financial life unencumbered by the weight of past hardships.
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