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by Rob Smith

Today, many Americans find themselves in a financial crisis.

Personal bankruptcies are being declared in record numbers with one out of every 100 families experiencing this tragic legal process, according to a survey conducted by American Express.

Although the stigma has lessened, the effects can be long-lasting. Finding employment or getting an insurance policy can be difficult if bankruptcy is part of a personal record.

Acquiring material possessions, taking trips to popular vacation destinations or dining out regularly at fine restaurants will eventually lead to faded memories. But the aftereffects of many credit card charges can linger for decades due to the power of compound interest. Paying three to four times the original purchase amount in fees and interest charges is a definite possibility. Making minimum payments on credit cards or other unsecured debt will eventually bury consumers in debt quicksand.

Here are six tips that can help to completely eliminate personal debt if individuals are willing to make some lifestyle changes:

Itemize debts from the smallest balance to the largest regardless of the interest rates. List the minimum amounts due on each bill. Make the largest payment possible on the smallest debt and make minimum payments on all other consumer debt. Once Debt #1 is fully paid, apply the payment from Debt #1 to Debt #2 (plus its minimum payment). Work through each debt obligation using this strategy until all debt is fully paid. Some financial planners would recommend reducing high interest rate balances first but the goal is to erase debt balances quickly and to gain momentum instead of focusing on interest rates. Attempting to pay-off a large, high interest rate balance first could lead to frustration and diffuse any good intentions to eliminate debt.

Cut up the credit cards. This will take some courage but it’s necessary in order to get out of debt completely. If a plastic card is necessary, consider a debit card which acts like cash, not credit.

Don’t borrow by establishing a home equity line of credit. The inability to make these loan payments, could eventually lead to a home going into foreclosure.

Develop a money spending plan based on the “10-10-80″ formula. The first 10% goes to charitable organizations or to a place of worship. The next 10% goes to personal savings. The final 80% is used to pay for basic living expenses. Keep in mind, that these are ideal percentages. Consider lower percentages to start if it’s difficult to give or save 10%. The importance is in the order, giving, saving, and spending.

PAY CASH for things. No cash, no purchase.

Get debt counseling but be cautious of credit counseling agencies, debt management plans (DMP), debt settlement or debt consolidation companies. There are too many predatory “debt counseling” companies looking to make a fast buck at someone’s expense. The best approach is to consult with a financial planner, preferably a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®). These advisors have a client’s welfare as a top priority. Their fee is a small price to pay if it means getting out of debt permanently.

Making the transition from a credit/debt lifestyle to cash-basis living takes time, effort and discipline but the rewards make it worthwhile.

Digging out of a debt hole requires a change in mindset. If financially distressed individuals are willing to commit to change, the road can eventually lead to financial freedom and peace of mind.

About the Author

Rob Smith, CFP®, is President of Debt Mentors, LLC, a financial planning practice that assists and educates individuals in the areas of money management, debt elimination and wealth building. His 25-year career has served individuals, small business owners and financial institutions. http://www.debtfreelivingplan.com/home http://submityourarticle.com/rss/author/3857

by Dane Smith

In Greek mythology, the hydra was a beast that, when one of its many heads were severed, would grow new heads in their place. The sub-prime mortgage crisis has developed in a similar fashion, initially appearing to be constrained to a sector of unworthy credit borrowers who likely didn’t have the financial ability to own a home normally. However, this expected loss translated into falls in construction, consumer spending, and widespread mortgage defaults in prime markets. This hydra doesn’t respond well to lip service, such as the interest rate freezing plan ushered in by the US Treasury which is constrained to a statistically small minority of distressed homeowners.

Yet the knock-on effect of the sub-prime crisis that has gotten the most attention is relatively removed from those experiencing foreclosure: the financial sector, overexposed and reeling from massive writedowns due to investment in securities backed by these same sub-prime mortgages. However, both sides of this crisis can be traced to the changing relationship between monetary policy and reality. Real interest rates, those which banks charge each other for overnight lending, have remained stubbornly above their historical highs, reflecting the reluctance of banks to let go of needed capital. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level since the statistics were taken, asserting the credit crunch’s diffusion into the larger economy. With such widespread signals of an economic downturn, the Federal Reserve has been the focus of many investors, especially after the unprecedented bailout of troubled investment bank Bear Stearns.

When the Fed lowers their discount rate, the cut is generally assumed to filter throughout the financial system, making loans cheaper for everyone and stimulating the economy. The US central bank has also not shied away from its ability to auction funds, which it has done liberally in order to stem further liquidity issues. While banks have taken advantage of more cheaper money, they have not passed all those savings on to others, and mortgage interest rates while low remain higher than would be expected. These rates affect both the returns on stocks for investors all over the world, but also rates for other loans from mortgage payments to fundraising efforts to buy up the troubled derivatives that began wreaking havoc on balance sheets a year ago. If the Fed is to maintain its credibility as a viable beacon of stability, then they will need to rein in with regulation further in the future or risk losing their legitimacy: that inflation remains within target levels, if on the high end of the spectrum. Until banks are completely through writing down losses, lending is not likely to get much cheaper. In fact, with plenty of investors jumping ship to profitable commodities, raising capital for necessities like student loans are going to be harder to come by. Analysts have projected that 10% of the lowest bracket of previous year’s accepted borrowers expected not to qualify under recently tightened standards. Interest rates will reap an unprecedented level of control over the livelihoods of millions of Americans to an extent seldom seen.

About the Author

Ki is a realtor/broker in Austin Texas working with homebuyers in the Austin real estate market. His site provides users a free graphical search of the Austin MLS along with a free mortgage calculator.

Submitted by sverdlow

As more and more retail and service providers make the decision to sell their products online in order to meet demand, online  increases and millions are spent in expenses each year. Most online fraud is committed by using stolen credit card information; the most common method is copying information from retailers, online or offline. ‘Hackers’ are skilled in breaking into company databases where they are able to steal clients’ credit card information, thousands at a time. In some cases the employees of large companies have benefited by selling credit card information and personal details to criminals. Merchants who sell and ship their products online have to deal with the security issue of the credit card holder and card not physically present at the time of purchase, (commonly known as CNP – card not present) so the merchant has to depend on the details that the buyer inputs online. It is impossible for a merchant to verify that the purchase is legitimate. There are various ways to try to identify and prevent credit card fraud. Below are a few tips that might help identify this type of fraud.
Each computer has its own unique address that identifies the location of the computer network. This is known as the IP address. You can identify where the order was placed by finding out the IP address.
Always be cautious of orders where the address for the item to be sent to is a Post office box number or a mail forwarding address. Google can check an address and identify if it is a mail forwarding company.
Unusual orders should always be carefully scrutinized. These might be requests for vast quantities of the same product or the same item ordered in multiple quantities. Also watch out for multiple orders placed from the same customer or orders placed with different names but the same credit card number or the same shipping address.
If the customer requests the order to be dispatched straight away don’t be inclined to rush through the security checks in order to not lose the sale. Many fraudsters do this deliberately, on the basis that if they give you limited time details won’t be checked thoroughly.
Some order processing software has referrer information on orders so you can look into which terms the customer used to find your site. When searching for products, people will normally search the category or the keywords products are advertised under, when fraudsters are looking they will be more likely to search under ‘overnight delivery’ or ‘international shipping’ rather than the keywords associated with the product.
Normally the billing address matches the shipping address, so if these differ take care to check through other details provided.
Contact details provided can sometimes send up discrepancies. Look out for the area/city given as the address and see if the area code is a match. If the customer uses a free email account, such as Yahoo, Hotmail or Google, be wary of email addresses that don’t match the customer’s name.
Many fraudulent transactions can be prevented straight away with vigilance and an awareness of what to look out for. If you are really unsure of an order never complete the transaction unless you have done everything you can to confirm the details. Sometimes this can be a simple email or phone call to confirm or verify details. If emails and phone calls go unanswered then automatically be suspicious. As the merchant, if a credit card is a fraud then the goods or services are lost along with the payment, the fees for processing the payment, any currency conversion commissions and there will be a chargeback penalty. On the other hand, if merchants refuse transactions as they are suspicious they face the chance of losing a legitimate sale. Merchants suspicious of orders placed for products and suspect stolen credit card information is being used should contact the appropriate credit card provider, (visa/amex/discover, etc.) to get the issuing bank’s telephone number then contact the bank to report the stolen customer’s credit card.
There are a number of good websites that provide anti-fraud systems. A good system will protect you from fraudulent transactions, meaning less losses and more profit for your business and ultimately benefit your customers.
Read more at Cyberbit’s Website

About the Author
This Article is brought to you by Cyberbit.

Submitted by Sadhana

When faced with debt problems, it makes sense to seek help from a debt management agency. Today, there are scores of alternatives available to those suffering from debt problems. It is very important to tackle the debt problems in an organized manner. If you are unable to find a way through the problem, it is advisable to seek help from experts. This will help you get over the problem quickly.
Contrary to the popular belief that loans can ease the debt burden, they in fact create additional pressure on the borrower. If you can keep up with the payments, it doesn’t pose a serious problem. This rarely happens as most of the borrowers lose track of the loans they opt for. The mounting debts and umpteen number of loans add on to the existing pressure.
Debt management program is a boon to such borrowers. This program will guide you to adopt simple solutions which can help you get over the debt problems quickly. Managing debts becomes an easy task. As a borrower, you should have a clear estimate of the amount of debts you owe. This will help you get a fair idea about the number of payments you need to make. Based on this, you can decide upon the amount of loan you need to borrow.

You can opt for a debt consolidation loan which will help you pay for all the debts through one single loan. Instead of making multiple payments for all the debts, you can make a single payment for all the debts. This will help you reduce your monthly outgoings and get a loan at a lower rate of interest too. Over a period of time, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Now, you no more have to worry about the harassing calls of the creditors. You stand to gain in the following ways by opting for this program:
• Any kind of borrower can opt for these loans.
• You no more have to deal with the creditors.
• You can also opt for an IVA which will help you avoid filing for bankruptcy. This, being a legally binding agreement between you and your creditor allows you to freeze your interest rates.
• It also helps you lower the monthly payments.
Most of the borrowers fear filing for bankruptcy as it affects their financial life negatively. Lenders hesitate in approving loans to them. They also end up losing all the opportunities. You can get free bankruptcy advice by doing some research online. You need not pay any fees for this. The best feature of this service is that you can get instant solution for all the debt problems and seek more knowledge on bankruptcy too. This is also the safest means of regaining control over your finances.

About the Author
For more information Flexible Mortgage

Submitted by sverdlow

As more and more retail and service providers make the decision to sell their products online in order to meet demand, online a> increases and millions are spent in expenses each year. Most online fraud is committed by using stolen credit card information; the most common method is copying information from retailers, online or offline. ‘Hackers’ are skilled in breaking into company databases where they are able to steal clients’ credit card information, thousands at a time. In some cases the employees of large companies have benefited by selling credit card information and personal details to criminals. Merchants who sell and ship their products online have to deal with the security issue of the credit card holder and card not physically present at the time of purchase, (commonly known as CNP – card not present) so the merchant has to depend on the details that the buyer inputs online. It is impossible for a merchant to verify that the purchase is legitimate. There are various ways to try to identify and prevent credit card fraud. Below are a few tips that might help identify this type of fraud.
Each computer has its own unique address that identifies the location of the computer network. This is known as the IP address. You can identify where the order was placed by finding out the IP address.
Always be cautious of orders where the address for the item to be sent to is a Post office box number or a mail forwarding address. Google can check an address and identify if it is a mail forwarding company.
Unusual orders should always be carefully scrutinized. These might be requests for vast quantities of the same product or the same item ordered in multiple quantities. Also watch out for multiple orders placed from the same customer or orders placed with different names but the same credit card number or the same shipping address.
If the customer requests the order to be dispatched straight away don’t be inclined to rush through the security checks in order to not lose the sale. Many fraudsters do this deliberately, on the basis that if they give you limited time details won’t be checked thoroughly.
Some order processing software has referrer information on orders so you can look into which terms the customer used to find your site. When searching for products, people will normally search the category or the keywords products are advertised under, when fraudsters are looking they will be more likely to search under ‘overnight delivery’ or ‘international shipping’ rather than the keywords associated with the product.
Normally the billing address matches the shipping address, so if these differ take care to check through other details provided.
Contact details provided can sometimes send up discrepancies. Look out for the area/city given as the address and see if the area code is a match. If the customer uses a free email account, such as Yahoo, Hotmail or Google, be wary of email addresses that don’t match the customer’s name.
Many fraudulent transactions can be prevented straight away with vigilance and an awareness of what to look out for. If you are really unsure of an order never complete the transaction unless you have done everything you can to confirm the details. Sometimes this can be a simple email or phone call to confirm or verify details. If emails and phone calls go unanswered then automatically be suspicious. As the merchant, if a credit card is a fraud then the goods or services are lost along with the payment, the fees for processing the payment, any currency conversion commissions and there will be a chargeback penalty. On the other hand, if merchants refuse transactions as they are suspicious they face the chance of losing a legitimate sale. Merchants suspicious of orders placed for products and suspect stolen credit card information is being used should contact the appropriate credit card provider, (visa/amex/discover, etc.) to get the issuing bank’s telephone number then contact the bank to report the stolen customer’s credit card.
There are a number of good websites that provide anti-fraud systems. A good system will protect you from fraudulent transactions, meaning less losses and more profit for your business and ultimately benefit your customers.

About the Author
This Article is brought to you by Cyberbit.

Submitted by urlreader

Credit cards are extremely convenient and useful, but they have a dark side that is often difficult to escape once you’re in too deep. Credit cards can get you into a terrible mess when used irresponsibly, without paying them off or down significantly as you go along. You have the potential to be left in debt for years, ruining your credit and thus, your chances of being able to acquire assets like vehicles or homes. Rest assured that, if you find yourself drowning in credit card debt, you are not alone. Millions of people are in the same situation, and because of the size of the problem, there are plenty of ways to get out of it.
Balance transfers are one of the most common ways to take steps toward paying off credit cards. Shifting high-interest debt to a low or 0% balance transfer credit card is a great way to save money on interest when you’re ready to be serious about chipping away at that balance. It’s easy to do a balance transfer, but just like with using credit cards, there are pitfalls to this method that must be avoided for it to work in your favor. First, obtain your credit reports so that you know what your history and score are looking like right now. You should have no problem getting approved for a 0% balance transfer interest rate if you have good credit. Some people are lucky enough to even find a card that offers a no fee balance transfer, but these are rare. You can pretty much bet that there will be an average fee of 3% of the amount you wish to transfer, so prepare yourself for that.
Most credit card companies impose limits to the amount you can transfer. If your debt is more than $10,000, you probably won’t be able to transfer the whole thing–and it’s likely you wouldn’t want to because of the additional 3% fee that would be tacked onto that. At this point, you need to decide how much you are willing to transfer to one card. You may also consider transferring one large debt to two different cards assuming they both have 0% balance transfer rates. If the idea of obtaining two more cards makes you wince in financial anguish, simply transfer as much as that balance as you can stand to a 0% interest card–this alone could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest while you pay off the rest.
Transferring a balance can be a really smart debt relief move, but remember that it takes time and discipline to pay off large credit card balances. Get ready to buckle down and stop charging your credit card(s). This is the only way you’ll get the best possible results from your balance transfer. If you have a low or 0% balance transfer interest rate, chances are it will not last forever–12 months at the most. The name of the game now is paying off as much as you can in as little time as possible. Use foresight when managing your finances from now on. So many people wait until it’s too late to begin taking steps toward correcting their debts. If you can regulate debt early on, you’ll have more of an opportunity to be debt free later in life.

About the Author
Written by Kacy Suther. Relieve debt with a no fee balance transfer. Credit card balance transfers available with no balance transfer fee and no annual fee at http://www.SmartBalanceTransfers.com .

Submitted by urlreader

Identity theft prevention becomes more and more complex as the technology involved changes and evolves. You can now buy Radio Frequency Readers (also know as Remote Frequency Readers) online for less than $100. This is great news for thieves, as these electronic devices can scan and steal the personal information from your driver’s license, your credit card, university and corporate IDs, speed passes and passports, all of which contain RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags.
A Miami ABC station, WPLG, aired an eye opening report on this new phenomena. An investigative reporter from WPLG was able to purchase on of these readily available devices with no difficulty on the web. She then set out to determine just how it easy it really was to steal information from her unsuspecting targets- her co-workers. For investigative purposes, she activated her reader with an alarm to allow her viewers (and her targets) to hear an audible signal every time the reader successful skimmed data from one of her co-workers.
With the device in her purse, the reporter then walked casually by an unsuspecting co-workers desk. A sudden beeping noise emanated from her purse. She then set her purse down on another employee’s desk, which also was followed by beeping. She continued on down the office hall past more of her co-workers, the alarm beeping with each target she passed.
All of her co-workers believed their personal effects and information to be safely hidden away, yet that was clearly not the case. An actual thief would clearly not be using an audible alarm on their reader, meaning that most people never realize anything has happened until the damage has already been done. Thieves often work in teams- on person skilling information with the reader while the other captures the target’s image via a cell phone, effectively collecting everything they need to steal your identity completely.
It is difficult to imagine just how much classified information could be skimmed from airports, universities, shopping malls and sporting events without anyone being the wiser. Likewise, the amount of damage (or doors opened) that can be done with that information. Confidential information that is stored on personal badges and key cards, if stolen, could certainly provide a thief access to protected facilities, computers and information.
Identity theft protection has become much more based on technology as we try to avoid hackers, ID theft, data breaches, and fraud. The days of worrying simply after our physical possessions and what’s in our wallets are long over. As more and more of our identity gets put into RFID tags (new passports and quick-pay credit cards now contain this information) skimming is becoming more and more popular among criminals looking to perpetrate identity theft and other more dangerous crimes.

About the Author
Denise Richardson is an author, freelance writer and advocate who educates the public on identity theft protection, identity theft prevention and id theft. She is a Board member of American Consumer Credit Education Support Services, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on credit matters. She is founder of http://www.givemebackmycredit.com .

Submitted by sverdlow

Coming into collision with our financial opportunities and needs is an everyday occurrence.
Having realized there’s something wrong with your family budget you should take several reasonable steps towards forming the budget and cutting your debts.
Here are the most common notes on this subject:

1. Write it down.
Make the list of your purchases, including even negligible ones (for example, a bottle of beer, or a chewing gum). At the end of the month you will be able to see how much money was spent in vain, and I’m sure you will be shocked. This will help you to stick to your plan and keep from wasting spare money on the trifles you can safely live without.

2. Think twice.
Colorful and promising advertisements confuse and encourage. Keep from momentary wishes, they can surprise you in a very unpleasant way.

3. Categorize.
Use the home budget software that can help you to categorize your expenditures and monitor your budget in general – it’s a useful decision if you need control and access to everything you pay for. In order to do this, create a file with such categories: food, transport, entertainment, clothes etc. Determine approximate norm and track how much you can spend.

4. Make a deposit.
Bank balance is the money which can help you when making a purchase or in your hard times. The sum can be different, it is meant to be a small part from your wages or unspent money. You won’t have a temptation to waste your wages if you bank it immediately.

5. Do not borrow.
Try not to borrow round sums, since it is a well-known thing that getting in debts up to ears is much easier that getting clear of them!

Financial issues are based on the wrong use of means. Facing some problems most people begin to think of how to spend less money, but not of spending it rationally. And it’s one of the most wide-spread errors! This rigid economy can bring to ruin. The optimum alternative is that you plan your expenditures, emphasize your priorities and decide how much it will cost you. It doesn’t require any special knowledge and skills; you just have to be a little bit scrupulous.

About the Author
In order to take control of your finances, we recommend you to use the personal budget software, which will be able to make the process easier and more successful.

Submitted by michelle.mbarkley

Everyone wants to file his or her tax on time; therefore, he or she keeps on preparing his or her income statements throughout the financial year. In fact, timely payment of tax is a task that everyone wants to complete before due date, as proper tax filing gives a person great relief from unnecessary financial penalties that emerge due to the delay in tax filing process. Be it an individual or any business organization, every entity that earns capital is liable to pay tax; therefore, in real sense, paying tax before due date is our communal obligation. However, this obligation is not made to pester people but tax filing causes various problems for people, who do not have enough time to evaluate their income and payable tax amount. Since various tax filing firms are offering tax return outsourcing services, this process can be made simpler. In fact, these firms can help an individual or a business organization in making proper arrangements for timely tax filing. These firms not only evaluate total annual income of their clients but also help them in getting rebate by using various tax reduction methods. These tax reduction procedures effectively reduce tax burden of an individual, as these procedures evaluate taxable income by using latest tax provisions for the current financial year.

Tax return outsourcing is a service that helps a tax payee in evaluating his or her taxable income; this service is the perfect help for people, who cannot make lengthy calculations of tax filing. Since tax filing professionals of such firms posses specialization in making tax arrangements, they can better handle various sub-procedures right from tax assessment to tax filing. Tax return outsourcing services are really beneficial in making complex tax documentations much simpler, as professionals who handle this entire task never let the person worry about any arrangement.

These firms understand that CPA faces a variety of problems during tax filing session; therefore, they try to make a simple and lucid document to reduce the complexity. Basically, steps that these firms use to make final tax statement are simple to apply, secure, efficient and accurate in tracking each stage of the return. For filing your tax return, these tax return outsourcing firms organize source documents to asses your exact income for current financial year. Moreover, they go through your tax statement for the previous year, so that variations in your income can also be calculated.

In order to file your tax return, professionals of such firms prepare review notes and send them to CPA firms for clearing up; moreover, these firms also send a request to the concern CPA firm for processing that review note further. Once your review of income statement is processed and open items are cleared, tax specialists complete the return and submit it to the concern taxation body of your state or country. Since professionals of tax return outsourcing firms monitor every step of your tax filing procedure, with them you can be relaxed and can continue with your routine professional life.

About the Author
Michelle Barkley is a CPA who advises people on tax preparation and tax calculation.She specializes in Tax return preparation,Tax Return Outsourcing and Outsourced Accounting.To know more about Accounting outsourcing services and accounting outsourcing in India and to use the services visit www.ifrworld.com

Submitted by Leaftech

When it comes to mortgages and credit cards, as long as you pay by the end of the grace period, you aren’t charged late fees, and your interest rate isn’t adversely affected, though you are often considered a “slow pay” customer. When it comes to insurance, however, there is no grace period, and paying your premium even one day late can cause your policy to be canceled, and reinstatement may not be automatic. In addition, if you have to start a new policy, you may end up paying more – if you can find new insurance at all!

While the laws governing when insurance companies are allowed to drop your policy vary from state to state, they are usually able to cancel your policy in the middle of the term rather than waiting for the renewal date, and not renewing your policy. More specifically:

The due date is the date by which your premium must be received by the company. Having it postmarked by that date isn’t enough.

While most auto insurers will let you slide if you’re only a few days late, if you habitually pay late they will likely cancel your policy.

If you are paying monthly, and are late, your insurance company may require that you pay the total premium in order to keep or reinstate your coverage.

If you are canceled, don’t complain to your state insurance regulator, as they will be unlikely to help you once it is discovered that you were not making payments on time.

After a cancellation, shopping for new coverage can be trying. You must disclose if you have had your insurance canceled, and this may make you an undesirable client even if your driving record is pristine. You may not be allowed to have monthly payments, and you may have to pay higher premiums, designed for people who are greater risks. As well, some insurance companies report late payments to credit reporting bureaus, so your credit score may be adversely affected.

At the very worst, you may have to go to a high-risk carrier, or buy “pool” insurance, which is mandated by your state, and available to those who are extremely risky clients.

If all this sounds scary – and it should – be aware that there is some good news. If you call your agent before your payment is late, they may be able to work with you to keep your policy in force, either by allowing smaller payments more frequently, putting you on an automatic payment plan, or changing the due date of your premium.

There is no grace period for auto insurance premiums, but there are gracious people in the industry who will try to help you.

About the Author
Getting car insurance quotes doesn’t have to be time consuming. Use our website for fast, free quotes.