01 May
Posted by Thomas Kafen as Repair Credit Score
Most people don’t know it, but, more and more, people are turning to the internet for their bad credit auto loans. The internet is a great place to shop for auto loans because it consolidates all of the information that might take you days to find elsewhere. Even with all of this information, a lot of borrowers are still cornering themselves in dealerships, where they think they’ll be able to get more empathy. Though it might seem like a traditional lender would be more sympathetic, they are simply no match for the online lenders. Online lenders are more understanding, and, because of competition, their rates are often much better. The
One method for removing late payments from credit reports is that of using what is known as “goodwill requests”. A goodwill request is simply a request to the creditor to remove a late payment in the name of good customer service, and to preserve the future relationship with you (the customer). Goodwill requests should be based on maintaining a good relationship with the creditor, not on who is right or wrong.
So rather than writing the creditor and claiming you weren’t late, or admitting that you were… simply write them and tell them how long you’ve been a customer, how much you like their service, and how you’d really like to remain a customer of theirs if you can. Then ask them if they will remove the late payment as a gesture of goodwill. Read more…
Did you ever see the movie Friends With Money? Jennifer Aniston plays a house cleaner in LA with three well-off friends who don’t get it that not everyone can swing pricey restaurants on a daily basis.
Its likely most of us have been there at some point. I remember a time when money was tight and a friend of mine had her birthday dinner at one of the most expensive restaurants in town. Not only did the group order a lot and the bill get split evenly, but everyone had to pitch in for the birthday girl. On a tight budget, it was a social/economical nightmare.
Whether you’re trying to take the frugal route or you just don’t make as much as some of your friends, here are a few tips for navigating that fine line between living within your means and living it up together.
1. Be ho
In this article I’m going to go over several common strategies for getting collection accounts removed from your credit reports. Collection accounts can be sticky and difficult to deal with, and depending on the situation if you make the wrong move you could find yourself getting sued by the debt collector. Along those lines, I need to mention this one rule: Always know the statute of limitations on debt collection for your state, and always know whether or not it has expired for the debt in question. THIS INFORMATION SHOULD AND WILL AFFECT YOUR TACTICS. Don’t think being past the SOL will prevent a lawsuit by itself, though. If the amount is large enough, a collector may still sue and hope for a default judgment (i.e. Read more…
20 Apr
Posted by Gabrielle Geoghegan as Repair Credit Score
Close your eyes and imagine your ideal pad: is it in the city, near all the noise and late-night pizza joints? Are there roommates (or a significant other)? Big TV or little TV? Time to have your dreams slam into the reality of a budget.
Rent will eat up the biggest chunk of your budget so be prepared to be thrifty. Extra charges for electricity, gas, hot water, a garbage disposal, an occasional plumber, cable and Internet are just plain necessary. Let me share a few apartment-hunting strategies that I’ve used over and over:
If you have made some mistakes with credit and you find yourself with an unfortunate credit report or a low credit score, it IS possible to get back on track with some time and effort. (Click here for smart tips on boosting your own credit.)
But in some extreme situations, getting help from a qualified credit counseling agency is the way to go. In fact, I did just that when I was struggling to make loan payments after college. And it helped. If you do seek credit help, beware of bogus agencies. Here are some taglines, compliments of the Federal Trade Commission, to watch out for:
“Credit problems? N
There is no doubt that the numerous dishonest acts of many credit repair companies and certain individuals have given credit repair a bad name. When reviewing information about credit repair from government websites and pamphlets, the word “scam” is usually in close proximity. The FTC website states that “No one can legally remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report.” This is echoed in other government resources as well, stating that the removal of “accurate and timely” negative information from a credit report is illegal. Some people take this to mean that credit repair itself is illegal.
They’re wrong.
Credit Repair, by definition, is the process of improving a person’s credit score. Read more…