Money and Finance Articles

To file a dispute with Experian credit bureau you must write a dispute letter. When they receive your dispute letter they will investigate the disputed listing.

However the first step is to request a copy of your credit report. This can be done for free from annual credit report. It is your right to have a free copy of your credit report from each credit bureau once a year.

Once you have received your credit report you need to identify what marks are incorrect. These are going to be the marks that you will dispute.

You will dispute the items by creating your dispute letter and mailing it to Experian credit bureau. Once they receive your letter they will determine if it is valid or invalid.

If your dispute is considered invalid you will get a letter from them requesting additional information about the dispute. You need to respond and provide them with the information requested.

If your dispute is valid then an investigation will be held into the mark. In an investigation the bureaus will contact the business that made the negative mark on your report and ask them to verify the debt, the dates and the balance.

Frequently an investigation will result in the removal of a bad credit item. This happens because many businesses are not going to spend the time or money verifying a disputed debt.

Your other option to dispute bad credit is to hire a credit repair service. If you do hire a service all you will need to do is identify what items you wish to dispute.

In case an item is verified then a credit repair service can be very helpful because they have advanced dispute techniques. These include; creditor direct intervention, escalated dispute information requests, and debt validation.

If you have multiple bad credit items you wish to dispute then I suggest hiring a service, in addition they will have no problem getting a valid dispute submitted. However if you only have one or two bad credit items to dispute then you can do it yourself.

You should also know that a dispute letter must be sent to each credit bureau. Failure to do this and the other two major credit bureaus will still show the negative listing even if Experian removed it from your report.

In sum you can dispute Experian and have them remove negative credit from your credit report. You must either hire a service or dispute the listings yourself.

Close Unused Amenities - Close the pool in the winter if no one is using it. Cut hours for the fitness center if there are times when no one is there. If there are amenities no one is using or times when people truly are not using them no one will really mind when they are cut.

Memberships - If the Gym is nice enough you can sell memberships to the local community. at $40 a month 100 memberships would bring in an extra $4000 per month. Set it up as atomatic payments and many people will keep the membership long after they quit using it. You can also charge quest fees.

Advertising - Sell advertising to local business. They may be willing to pay for advertising in the newsletter or common areas. You can also allow Google to place ads on your website through adsense. You can find out more about adsense by going to Google and clicking on advertising programs.

Landscaping - Many developers only look at the initial landscaping cost and not the cost of maintenance. When replacing landscaping be sure to look at the recurring costs.

Collect Monies Owed. Past Due fees can hamper a condo association. You can often hire an attorney to handle collections for a percentage of what is collected. Attorneys may even be able to recover attorney fees. Attorneys may even be able to recover attorney fees.

Insurance Claims - If in the last 5 years your association had to get a loan (like those from SBA or FEMA) for repairs (Storm, Hurricane, Natural Disaster, Tornado or any accident) your regular attorney many not be enough. Contact an attorney who focuses on insurance claims. Many insurance companies deny underpay insurance claims. Many times the law states that the insurance company has to pay the legal fees. Moreover, many Lawyers will handle insurance claims in a way that no funds will be out of pocket.

Rehabilitate instead of Replace. Copper pipes can be restored to better than new condition with epoxy pipe lining from CuraFlo. It is generally 30% cheaper than re piping and is much less obtrusive. RLS Solutions offers sewer rehabilitation which can increase their life and save on costs.

Property Manager - employ a property manager who is experienced in cutting costs. A PM with experience will also know which contractors come in on budget and which ones have a history of completing jobs late.

Do you have customers that avoid doing business with you because they owe you money, if so a Collection Agency may be of help to you.

By hiring the proper Collection Agency you will accomplish many things. Not only will an established Collection Agency be successful in collecting your past due accounts, but once the accounts have been collected the customer that was avoiding you, most likely, will come back into your company to do business with you once again.

Are your employees spending more time trying to collect past due accounts than they are doing the job you hired them to do? This is where a Collection Agency can really help your bottom line.

A Collection Agency that has experienced professional debt collectors can be very successful in pursuing and collecting your past due accounts and at the same time allowing your employees the time to do the job you hired them to do.

In the end you have to decide if paying a small fee to recover the money that if rightfully yours is worth it.

When someone needs cash and their pay check is still not due for another week, many will turn to a lending source that will offer them a guaranteed payday loan. It can be the quickest and easiest way to get the money you need. It is a short-term loan that can help you cover your expenses until your next payday.

If you need to get a payday loan or cash advance, you’ll want to check to make sure it’s legal in your state. 12 states prohibit lenders from offering this type of loan. These loans are also illegal in Canada. However, some states allow this practice without any problems.

If you live in a state that allows this type of loan, you will be good to go. However, with this type of loan you will need to make sure to read the fine print. These loans are usually quite pricey. You will usually have to pay 10 to 15 percent of the loan amount in interest, and this is often over a two week period.

Since the finance charges can be pretty hefty, be sure to borrow only what you need and only what you will be able to pay back on your next payday. If you fail to pay back the loan by the due date, usually two weeks from the date the loan was issued, the interest will continue to compound leaving you with a debt that may be near impossible to pay back. You will definitely want to be wise when determining the amount of money to borrow.

In some cases, lending sources require that you write a post-dated check in the amount borrowed plus fees for them to hold onto. You are still expected to show up in person by the due date of the loan to pay it back, but if you fail to do so, most institutions will cash the check you left with them.

If your payment check bounces, you’re looking at a lot of extra fees and interest. Payday lenders usually make a lot of money on people that pay late and to avoid really paying out a lot, you need to make sure you pay back your loan before it’s due.

If you decide to take a cash advance or payday type loan, it will be fairly easy to find. If you’re in a state where it’s legal, you will find quite a few payday loan stores on any major street. You can also find these loans easily online.

To improve your credit score can seem like an impossible task. The scoring model seems to factor in tons of information and makes it seem as if you have no control over your score.

Well they are wrong. No matter how bad your credit score is you can take a couple easy steps and improve it.

1. Dispute and remove negative items on your credit report. This can be done yourself or you can hire a service to do it on your behalf.

2. Pay off any verified bad credit item on your report. In exchange for your payment have the lender remove the item from your credit report.

3. Pay your bills on time. It is estimated that missing a payment can damage a good score by up to 50 points.

4. Open a new line of credit. Your score will receive the most benefit if you have a revolving line of credit. We suggest an unsecured credit card.

This will also help you build a positive payment history by paying your monthly bill. However if you can not qualify for an unsecured credit card then open a secured card, but make sure it reports to all 3 bureaus.

In addition by keeping your balance at approximately 10% of the credit limit it will build the most credit. This shows that you use your credit and use it responsibly.

5. Pay off large debt. Your score will get a bump if you have high available credit to debt. The bureaus want to make sure you are not overextended and by showing them you have available credit your score will get a bump.

These are the five factors you should focus your efforts on. There is however one last factor that is surrounded by controversy.

6. Piggyback credit, this is when you are added as an authorized user to a good credit card account. The benefit is this account is now reported on your credit report.

This tactic has been widely abused by some credit repair services. The scoring model has changed to discount this method however it is disputed as to if that change has occurred or not.

In sum if you can take care of steps one through five then you will improve your score. With a high credit score your quality of life will also improve.

What is the definition of debt?

Debt is something that is owed to someone else. An individual person or company / business owing a debt is called a debtor. The entity that is owed the debt is is labeled a creditor. Debt is primarily used to borrow purchasing power with a promise to pay back at an agreed upon time. Most businesses / companies use debt as a tool of their overall corporate finance strategy.

Some types of debt

There are numerous types of debt obligations. They include loans, bonds, mortgages and promissory notes. It is common to borrow large sums for major purchases, such as a mortgage and pay it back with an agreed premium interest rate over time, or all at once at a later date (balloon payment). The amount of money outstanding is usually called a debt. The debt will increase through time if it is not repaid faster than it grows. In some systems of economics this effect is termed usury, in others, the term “usury” refers only to an excessive rate of interest, in excess of a reasonable profit for the risk accepted.

Larger companies can issue debt in the form of securities, known as bonds. Each bond entitles the holder to specific interest and principal payments. Bonds are traded in the bond markets, and depending on the rating are relatively safe investments in comparison to stocks.

For additional info Google “debt

One of the benefits of living green is it can extend your lifespan. This may be surprising, but it is very true. There are many things that not only help the earth, but they help you, too! Eating fresh organic foods, cutting down on driving, and many other things will help you live greener, longer!

By eating healthy, organic foods you are not only helping your body by giving it fresh food, you are saving the earth from being contaminated by pesticides. Organic meats help by keeping the environment free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Plus you’re avoiding all those nasty things from going inside of you! By eating fresh, organic foods, you are avoiding all the processed foods that do a better job of clogging your arteries than they do of providing nutrition.

One great (and easy) way to live greener is to join your local Freecycle email list. Instead of throwing away unwanted items, you can post them on the list ? it’s more than likely that someone will have a need for them. Of course, when you need something, you can look there first before going out and buying new things. Freecycle keeps a lot of trash out of landfills and is a great money saver.

You can substitute some of your household items for more green friendly items. One such item is compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs are much more energy efficient, which means that they use a lot less energy (and save you money) while being about the same price as any other light bulbs ? they also last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

You can also get rid of your existing yard lights and replace them with solar powered lights. These do just as good of a job of illuminating your outdoor spaces, but use no electrical power. You can find solar powered yard lights in a variety of pleasing designs and you can install theme yourself without the assistance of an electrician. Solar powered holiday lights are also available, letting you save money on your electric bill while dressing up your home for the holidays.

Another great way to save money while doing something to live greener is to use rechargeable batteries ? these have greatly improved in recent years and are long lasting, easy too use and of course save money as well. When the batteries are finally used up and cannot take another charge, they may be recycled at almost any hardware store.

Once you get started, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to live greener. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel? both physically and mentally. Plus, you’ll feel better knowing you’re doing your part to have a healthier planet to live on. So go ahead? live greener and live longer. You’ll be happy you gave it a try.

The Rush card also known as the baby phat rush card is a prepaid debit card. It was created by Russell Simmons a co founder of the hip-hop record label Def Jam.

This is how the rush card works; you deposit money into your card/account, then you use your card to make purchases, money is taken out of your account to pay for those purchases. This card does offer guaranteed approval.

There is no chex systems check or a credit check. The rush card comes as a black card and the baby phat rush card is a pink card.

This card does give you free direct deposit. To use this you will only have to fill out a form and turn it into your employers’ payroll department.

Your paychecks are then directly deposited into your rush account/card. You will still get the details from your employer. It will show the amount of your deposit and taxes and hours worked.

If you are in need of cash this card can be used at over 800,000 ATM’s world wide. You also have free online account access.

You card can be used to make purchases over the phone and online. In addition your rush card allows you to write physical paper checks.

To do this you simply go online and fill in the payees details. This includes address, name, and amount of payment.

Then hit send and a paper check will be sent to the individual. The is a good method to use when paying your monthly bills, because you will not have to pay for money orders.

With bill pay you can save money on buying money orders. If you use direct deposit you will no longer have to pay check cashing fees.

However, we do not recommend the baby phat rush card. This is because they have many fees that other prepaid cards do not have.

An example of these fees is the convenience fee the rush card has. With this fee you are charged every time you use your card.

The convenience fee is $1.00 with a monthly maximum of $10.00. However you will be charged a convenience fee for every purchase you make in a month.

Then at the end of the month all the extra charges above 10.00 will be credited back to your account at the end of the next calendar month.

That can end up being a full 2 months before you are refunded. This is unbelievable especially because many of us use are card more than ten times in a month.

It’s hard to believe that someone can be charged these fees. In addition having to wait so long to get your refund.

To enroll in bill pay the rush card will charge you $2.00 and then another $1.00 for every check you write from your account. There are other prepaid cards where this service is free.

The rush card claims there are no hidden fees however that seems to be a very contradictory statement. Especially when you are forced to read the fine print to discover that you will be charged one dollar for every purchase you make.

In sum, look at some other prepaid cards. They have fewer fees and better benefits for being a card holder.

Taking care of the basic day to day requirements and still getting by with some funds left over is a modern day financial rarity.

When spending goes beyond buying the necessities, it gets tricky. Especially when you don’t maintain a set budget and reckless spending can certainly exhaust your finances prematurely. Fortunately, when you find yourself strapped for cash you can employ Payday Loans in order to take care of your expenses. In less than 24 hours or so, after applying, you can have the money in your account. The cash advance can help you out until your next payday arrives. You will be able to get an amount anywhere from 80 to 750 pounds.

To cater for all your requirements, there are various payday cash loan lenders available when it comes to payday loans. After making an application for your payday cash loan, once it has been approved, the money will be deposited into your bank account on the next business day. For payday loan repayment, you will usually have a timeline of about two to four weeks. You need to inform your payday lending institution if you find yourself incapable to repay the payday cash loan amount on time.

Extending the repayment period of your payday cash loan is in most cases possible, however your lender will have to first look at your current situation. An extension period may be granted to you by most payday loan establishments as long as you can repay the interest due at the time of the original due date.

It is easy to spend your cash fast if it is easy to obtain. Payday loans normally however come with high interest rates, and that is the reason why it is so readily accessible. It is always a good thing to look at your pocket.

Take into consideration that you are only borrowing a small amount to meet your specific needs but it is not a good thing that you may have to give back more or less the same amount for interest. It is always a good option to shop around before you decide to take on a deal.

You do not have to wait extremely long, because you can acquire the entire amount of your payday loan in many cases the same day, that is the reason why many prefer to use payday loans. By depositing the hard cash that you are approved for, straight into your account, you will receive the benefit of getting the entire amount of the payday loan right away.

By depositing the amount that you are approved for, directly into your account, you will get the benefit of getting the requested amount of the payday loan right away. Available for your immediate usage, these payday cash loans can be approved in as little as a couple of hours and in all probability, in even less time than that.

Not all collection agencies are created equal.

A debt collection agency will help to solve one of the most annoying problems for businesses: past due accounts, which is money that is owed to you that you are having difficulty collecting. While there are ways of handling the problem internally, tracking down the non-payers and implementing a debt recovery solution can be a drain on time and finances, especially for small businesses.

To recover the money that is owed, many businesses will turn to a debt collection agency. Most specialize in bringing in payments from overdue accounts. A good debt collection agency will balance their tactics and behavior because it will reflect on your company. The key is to choose one that has a realistic chance of collecting your debts while presenting a respectable image.

Once you know what to look for, any search engine can connect you to a qualified debt collection agency that will help you recover the money you are rightfully owed.

Be sure to ask about Full Service vs. Discount firms

In closing, it is very important to select an agency that can best represent you by portraying the correct company image. If you do not do this you run the risk of alienating your customers and destroying your reputation.