|
|
| Credit Information |
|
|
|
|
akron/canton government grants, albany government grants, albq, bakersfield, birmingham government grants, boise government grants, buffalo, charleston, cincinnati government grants, cleveland, columbia, sc, columbus government grants, dayton, daytona, fl, des moines government grants, el paso government grants, fort myers government grants, greenville, sc, honolulu government grants, jackson government grants, jacksonville government grants, knoxville government grants, lancaster government grants, little rock government grants, madison, milwaukee government grants, monterey, new orleans, oklahoma city government grants, omaha, philadelphia government grants, pittsburgh government grants, raleigh government grants, richmond government grants, rochester, santa barbara government grants, santafe, sarasota, spokane, syracuse, tampa government grants, toledo, virginia beach government grants omaha government grants, philadelphia government grants, pittsburgh government grants, raleigh government grants, richmond government grants, new york government grants, santa barbara government grants, santafe government grants, sarasota government grants,
Beware the Shopping Mall Monster
Like me, you've probably been offered a fair old number of these by now... ..and, if you're like most people, chances are you maybe own at least one or two. They always seem to put in an appearance at just the right (or wrong) moment... It might be Saturday and you've just seen the clothing item of your dreams. That can be a pain, though, if this month's paycheck isn't due for another week. You're undecided. Until, that is, you're offered... ..a store card. One of the horrible ironies about store cards is that the vast majority of people who sign up for one actually had no intention of making a purchase before they left the house. But if you're caught in the above situation, the convenience factor frequently wins the day, doesn't it? Add on top of this all the little goodies thrown in as a sweetener... An introductory discount on goods ? typically around the 10% mark ? extra money off during sales periods etc... But let me tell you what the sales assistant probably won't... For starters, did you know that many department stores will currently charge you anything up to 30% interest on that little card they offer you? (yes, even those ones with the pretty pictures.) That's around double the interest of your standard credit card! Sound scandalous? Well, hang around... it gets a lot worse! Here are just a few of the pitfalls you should look out for the next time you're offered a store card...
Probably the worst thing about store cards is that it's very easy to build up an array of them so that, before you know it, there seems to be more of them in your wallet than there are coat hangars in your wardrobe. And in what seems like no time at all... .. you've just spent way, way beyond your means! If you feel you must buy on credit why not use a credit card with a low or even 0% rate? After all, if you're going to have debts, you may as well make them cheap ones! A store card might seem handy and convenient but they generally come with a horrendous hidden cost. So next time you're a tempted to take on another piece of plastic, make sure you get all the facts up front. Your bank balance might just thank you for it. Copyright © 2004 by Colin McCaig mailto:colin@cmcaig.com About The Author Colin Mc Caig is dedicated to helping others become debt free and start their own home-based business. Get his free 6-part mini-course. Learn the powerful secrets to becoming debt-free using only the money you have today. Send a blank email to: mailto:colindebtfre@demandmail.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Ghost of Expected Surprises Here, Cratchet, what do you think you're doing? Taking Control of Your Credit History Your credit history is important; in fact, in this day and age, only family and your time are more important than your credit history! The first time you established a payment commitment over a period of time for a purchase, you began your history of credit, and the credit bureau created your account. Payments such as the electric company, a rental agreement, a cell phone, a car payment or a low-rate credit card which you also have a responsibility to repay are not reported to the credit bureaus as a part of your credit history. They can, nonetheless, be important in your financial history. Watch Out For Credit Repairs It is very easy to find a site that is neat, professional-looking, and one that offers a free three-agency credit report and free credit report without a credit card. Making Sense of Credit Card Fees In addition to the APR (annual percentage rate) and the finance charges, most credit cards have a number of 'fees' associated with their use. Some fees are unavoidable with a particular card (like an annual fee or a program participation fee), while others are triggered by certain circumstances. The most common fees are listed below. To get a better idea of what your credit card may cost to use over the course of a year, check your card's terms and conditions and your user agreement to see which fees may apply to you. Understanding Credit Report Score Understanding credit report scores is important when you see your credit report because you need to be able to make some sense of it. 10 Dirty Tricks Credit Card Companies Play The credit card companies make billions each year in legitimate interest charges and fees, but are under constant pressure from the shareholders to increase their earnings. To make this extra money the credit card companies sometime adopt some dirty tricks to make this money. As the credit card industry becomes more competative, less money is being earned from each client from interest charges and the number of these dirty tricks increase. To protect yourself against these unscrupulous procedures that steal your money we will list 10 dirty tricks credit card companies play to their clients so you'll know what to expect and look out for. Of course that there are not only 10 dirty tricks credit card companies play to their clients but knowing at least these 10 tricks will help you to not be a victim. Big Brother Knows Whats in Your Credit Report - How About You? Whether you are aware of it or not, credit bureaus have been keeping tabs on you and how you use credit. When it's time for you to apply for a mortgage, credit card, or personal loan, your credit report is what lenders look at to decide to approve you or not. Rate Tarts Losing Ability to Cherry Pick A "rate tart" is someone who switches from one zero per cent introductory credit card deal to another to avoid paying interest; however they may be set to become something of the past. Recently a number of the major credit card companies, including Egg, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and MBNA have introduced transfer charges for people who want to shift their outstanding credit card balances to a new card to take advantage of a zero per cent introductory rate. How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take. How To Save Money On Credit Cards Some credit cards offer a cash advance option. But how good a deal is this? Do You Know The Top Five Credit Card Mistakes? When you're dealing with credit cards, you're playing with fire. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people out there who don't realise that, and make all sorts of dangerous mistakes with their credit cards every day. Save Money and Lower your Payments by Improving or Repairing Your Credit Having a better credit score not only represents easier access to money from lending institutions, but more importantly represents instant money in your pocket. Good Credit is King, When Qualifying for Mortgage Programs If you want to purchase a new home or refinance your current mortgage, be sure to check out the wide array of loan programs available. If you have less than excellent or even poor credit, you can still qualify for a loan. If you have outstanding credit, though, you are in the proverbial driver's seat, when it comes to selecting your loan program. Be sure to find a good mortgage consultant, and carefully explain exactly what you need. Here are just a couple of "outside-the-box" programs that come in handy for some people but require excellent credit ratings. Its Your Credit - Take Care of It! Thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Act, American consumers can receive a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus-Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. You can order your free credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or calling 1-877-322-8228. Learn How to Improve Your Credit Score Having a damaging credit record can hurt you in many ways. It may prohibit you from making an important purchase such as a home, car, computer or vacation. Without a healthy credit report you are severely limiting yourself from possible lenders. If you do find a lender you will undoubtedly be charge exorbitant interest rates far exceeding what recipients would receive if their credit history is in good standing. So how can you fix your credit score if you've been less than diligent with repayments to creditors? Well contrary to what many advertising scams will tell you, you can't fix your credit overnight. In most instances it takes 7 years for a payment infraction to be deleted from your credit report. If you were to file bankruptcy it would take 10 years. Obviously fixing the problem before taking such drastic measures is desired. Bankruptcy must be used only as a last case scenario and the implications must be fully understood before proceeding with such severe measure. Besides bankruptcy staying on your credit history for 10 years and posing large problems if you decide to seek out a financial lender, it can also impact other areas of your life. For instance you may be rejected from certain jobs, prohibited from taking on certain responsibilities and positions within your own company if you are a business owner and you will still be in the bad books of the people who you may require to lend you money. Which Credit Bureau Should I Use To Check My Credit Report? There are three main credit bureaus in the United States; Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Each bureau collects your personal and financial information which is then sold to lenders such as banks, credit unions, credit card companies, mortgage and auto loan lenders. Your credit report is the product of this collected information. Lending and credit companies use your credit information to determine if they will approve you or not and at what interest rate you will pay. Shoppers Beware - Tis The Season It's the number one complaint from consumers and it only takes a moment for you to become a victim. While you search for holiday bargains, identity thieves are searching for targets - unsuspecting consumers. Here are some tips to help you safeguard your identity and other valuables: 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 back then, you often had to apply to a bank in Arkansas where interest rates were capped by state law. Credit Card Companies Are Out for Your Money You're probably thinking "Tell me something I don't know" but in this time of low interest rates you might be thinking that you've got a great deal since credit card interest rates are low. Wrong. Credit card companies have a cutoff as to how low their interest rates will go. Repairing Your Credit Score and Clearing Derogatory Marks on Your Credit Report Raising your credit score can be a fairly simple and straightforward process unless you have derogatory marks that need to be disputed (which will be explained below).
|
credit repair
http://www.kazzoom.com/FLORIDA-FL-GOVERNMENT-JOBS.html
http://www.kazzoom.com/PENNSYLVANIA-PA-GOVERNMENT-JOBS.html