Credit-Repair-Planner

Credit-Repair-Planner – A helpful freeware tool for planning a strategically optimized debt repayment schedule.
(PRLEAP.COM) Credit-Repair-Planner helps create an optimized repayment schedule which factors in credit improvement. The concept is simple: pay off the highest-interest cards first while bearing in mind that carrying in excess of 50% on any revolving credit line dings your credit score.

Credit-Repair-Planner will break this down into two repayment schedules – the first to get all cards down below 50% and the second to take them down the rest of the way.

Although Credit-Repair-Planner is useful for scheduling repayment, it is meant primarily as an educational tool — making the path to credit-repayment explicit, concrete and visual. A clear understanding of the debt-repayment path is a crucial part of lifelong debt management.

To use Credit-Repair-Planner, just download and run – the program is entirely self-contained and requires no installation (it can also be run directly from fixed media such as floppy or CD). Credit-Repair-Planner is a single, clean, compact executable with no spyware or DLL dependencies. It is part of an expanding collection of freeware tools available from atilla-credit-repair.info.

Credit-Repair-Planner Features:
==========================
– Simple — no training required, no learning curve
– No DLLs installed and no dependencies to conflict with other software
– Compact and simple – just one executable file – no installation
– Works with all versions of Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
– Really freeware! No spy-ware, no ad-ware no parasites

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Free Credit Repair

Improve Credit Report And Credit Score Doing a Credit Repair Online
Anybody can request to view their credit file and to do a credit check for accuracies. A good credit Report and Credit Score can mean better financial wellbeing.

(PRWEB) March 24, 2005 — Did you recently apply for a personal loan only to be turned down by a bank or lending institution ? Like most people there is always a need to borrow money to buy a car or to renovate a home or even to get a student loan. There are many reasons why people need a loan and lenders find reasons to turn people down from a loan application. There are people who even take a loan to consolidate a loan.

With the costs of living on the rise and the limit that one has on their earnings it is easy to understand why borrowing becomes necessary for a lot of people. However, care must be taken to ensure that when money is borrowed it can be paid back to the lender.

There are times when money is borrowed and the borrower has difficulty in meeting the loan requirements and payment schedule as was outlined at the time of obtaining the loan. If there is a good reason for non-payment of loan and if this reason is brought to the attention of a lender in a timely fashion, it is very likely that the lender will be accommodating and suggest a revised payment arrangement.

The problem arises when there is default in loan payments and when the loan is not repaid as agreed upon by borrower and lender. This then gets into the credit reports and becomes part of ones credit history and it becomes a problem for future borrowings.

However, it must be noted that often times there are errors and inaccuracies in ones credit report. These credit report errors can and do affect ones credit rating and places a person as a bad or poor credit candidate. It is therefore very important that the inaccuracies be dealt with and a clean credit report be in place after all the discrepancies in the credit report have been removed.

People with a bad credit report that have a need to clean up their credit have the law on their side which allows them to request a reinvestigation of information in a credit file and dispute it as inaccurate or incomplete. There is no charge for this. Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. As per the Fair Credit Reporting Act people are entitled to a free copy of their credit report if denied credit, insurance or employment within the last 60 days. If an application for credit, insurance, or employment is denied because of information supplied by a credit bureau, the company you applied to must provide you with that credit bureau’s name, address, and telephone number.

You can dispute mistakes or outdated items in your credit report for free. Ask the credit reporting agency for a dispute form or submit your dispute in writing, along with any supporting documentation. Do not send them original documents.

Clearly identify each item in your report that you dispute, explain why you dispute the information, and request a reinvestigation. If the new investigation reveals an error, you may ask that a corrected version of the report be sent to anyone who received your report within the past six months. Job applicants can have corrected reports sent to anyone who received a report for employment purposes during the past two years.

When the reinvestigation is complete, the credit bureau must give you the written results and a free copy of your credit report if the dispute results in a change. If an item is changed or removed, the credit bureau cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies its accuracy and completeness, and the credit bureau gives you a written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the provider.

You should tell the creditor or other information provider in writing that you dispute an item. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider then reports the item to any credit bureau, it must include a notice of your dispute. In addition, if you are correct-that is, if the information is inaccurate-the information provider may not use it again.

If the reinvestigation does not resolve your dispute, have the credit bureau include your version of the dispute in your file and in future reports. Remember, there is no charge for a reinvestigation of your credit report. Reporting Negative Credit Information Accurate negative information generally can be reported for seven years, but there are exceptions:

– Bankruptcy information can be reported for 10 years;
– Information reported because of an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limitation;
– Information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limitation;
– Information concerning a lawsuit or a judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer; and
– Default information concerning U.S. Government insured or guaranteed student loans can be reported for seven years after certain guarantor actions.

free credit repair

FREE Credit Tips & Secrets…

I’ll bet my credit stunk worse than yours may ever have
— I’ll even bet my credit was worse than many others
you’ve heard about.

But it’s NOT like that today.

Today I make incredible money and have amazing credit.
But I never used a lawyer or one of those so-called
nonprofit credit counseling agencies.

Here’s a tip:

Did you know that those places are nothing more than
wolves-in-sheep’s clothing ?

It’s a fact: Nonprofit credit counseling agencies
(although made by popular mainstream media to appear
altruistic) are nevertheless out to make a buck off of
you!

Here’s how: EXACTLY like a collection agency, they get
a percentage of whatever amounts they can collect from
you towards your debts (that’s right! they actually
work alongside your CREDITORS, not you!)

If they get $1,000 from you, they may make up to $150
(15%).

If they get $5,000 from you, they may make up to $750
(again 15%).

So which do you think they really want ? …

$150 ? …

or …

$750 ?

So if you tell them what you really have (because
they’ll surely be asking you!), you can be pretty sure
they’ll only end up ratting you out to all your
creditors and you’ll loose everything, be able to just
get by (if you’re lucky!), and work as a slave to feed
them and NOT yourself!

STOP IT!

Why do you think I wrote “My FREE Credit Repair”
anyway ?

I first fixed my own situation, then quickly began
helping others (who like yourself, thought there was no
hope in sight).

Then, I wrote the book (not just one, but several
different titles about this still little-known
subject).

The title gives the TRUE PURPOSE away: that you don’t
need to hire attorneys, so-called professionals, etc.,
to get your credit fixed and your debts dissolved
because you can do it yourself, and for FREE!

Besides, do you really want to trust a wolf-in-sheep’s
clothing to all your most guarded private financial
information ?

Only YOU should be privy to that.

You can pick it up for next to nothing over at:

http://MyFREECreditRepair.com just seconds from now.

So be sure to secure http://MyFREECreditRepair.com for yourself
without further delay!

And just to make sure you do, I’m knocking OFF 86.46%
from the full price just for you getting it NOW or
within the very next 24-hrs! So please, please HURRY!

Most sincerely,

-Howard L Moreland
Creator of http://MyFREECreditRepair.com

PS … Please be sure to watch out for more tips from
me on your credit, and more effective financing
strategies to come soon …

When will you be debt free?

When will you be debt free?
Find out how long it will take to become debt free and how much you’ll pay in interest by making the minimum monthly payments. You can also crunch the numbers using any fixed payment of your choice. And…if you tell us when you’d like to pay off the plastic, we’ll tell you what payments you’ll have to make to achieve that goal. You might be surprised.

Find Out Here

Cleaning up your credit

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – There is a lot going on right now that could affect your credit.

You could be one of the nearly 150,000 ChoicePoint victims whose identities were stolen. Or maybe you’re deep in dept. And new legislation being debated on Capital Hill today could tighten the rules for personal bankruptcy — eliminating your way out of debt. That in turn can worsen your credit.

Take a deep breath. It’s time to clean up your financial act. In the first of our Top Five Tips’ three-part series, start your cleaning with your credit.

1. Get what you need.
According to the 2005 Identity Fraud Survey Report conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research for the Better Business Bureau, an estimated 9.3 million Americans become the victims of identity theft in 2004.

As we learned from ChoicePoint, you can’t prevent identity theft with just a shredder. Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, says keeping an eye on your credit report is your best defense.

Get your free credit report. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) is gradually rolling out the right to each consumer for one free copy of his or her credit report from each of the three credit bureaus per year. Check out www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

Right now, residents of Western States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible. Starting tomorrow, March 1st, residents of the Midwest can get their free credit reports. And by September 1st, the entire country will be eligible for their free credit reports from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

2. Understand the bottom line.
Your credit report is basically your credit history. The credit bureaus write up your report based on any information they received about you from companies that gave you credit in the past. Any late payments you made to utilities, hospitals, credit cards, mortgages or landlords might be on there.

You credit score, sometimes called a FICO, is based on all that information. You actually have three different credit scores — one for each of your credit reports from the three credit bureaus. Scores range from 300 to 850.

Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, says, ideally you want your score to be well above 620, that’s a drawing line for creditors. Your credit score helps them determine how credit-worthy you are. If you have a low score, you will have to pay more for credit.

In other words, the credit card company may charge you a higher interest rate on your delayed payments or your bank may charge more interest on your car loan. To learn more about the calculations behind a credit score, or FICO, go to www.MyFICO.com.

If your credit score is really bad, because you were the victim of identity theft or you are deep in debt, you may be not be able to borrow at all. A bad FICO can also hurt you as you apply for a job or a professional license. Therefore, it’s imperative that you improve a bad score, no matter your circumstance.

3. Clear your identity.
As the victim of identity theft, you face a real mess. You may have thousands of dollars in charges made to a credit card you never saw. While your name is on the account, you won’t be held liable for those charges. However, you are burdened with having to clear your name.

Make sure that during the whole process you keep a detailed log of all the institutions or people you contacted, including dates, times, names and phone numbers. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse recommends you also take note of the amount of time you spend and any expenses you incur during the process in case you are able to seek restitution. Send any correspondence by certified mail and keep copies of all your records.

Another benefit of FACTA is that you now only have to call one of the three credit bureaus to alert them you are a victim of ID theft.

Ask that a fraud alert be placed on your files. That means the credit bureaus are supposed to notify you in case any company is trying to access your report in order to give you credit (that’s when a thief is trying to open a card in your name). Your fraud alert lasts only 90-180 days: put it in writing you want it extended to seven years. In California and Texas, you can also put a security freeze on your reports that will not allow anyone to see them besides you and institutions that already have.

Ask the bureaus for names & phone numbers of all the credit grantors who opened accounts in your name that were fraudulent. Call each one. Creditors and debt collectors will likely ask you to fill out fraud affidavits. The FTC offers one that most will accept on its Web site.

If your accounts have been used fraudulently, have your bank issue new cards and numbers. Report your identity theft to your local police or sheriff’s department, making sure your police report lists all the fraudulent accounts. Of course, get a copy of the report. You should also get the phone number of your investigator and give it to the creditors and others involved in your case.

4. Understand how deep you’re in.
Credit trouble brought on by debt can be just as tricky to get out of. Your first step is to understand how far in debt you really are. Credit card debt is one of the easiest debts to fall into because it’s the easiest way to get credit.

According to the Consumer Federation of America, more than 80 percent of all households have some credit card debt. Of them, the average debt is $12,000. And 10 to 15 percent of households with credit card debt are barely able to pay it off.

Steven Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, says that’s because many people think of paying off their credit cards in terms of minimum payments. You need to remember that you have to pay the balance.

In order to get out of credit card debt, you need to decide what avenue to take. According to Brobeck, a good rule of thumb is, “If you can’t develop a plan to pay off your credit card debt in a year and at the same time meet your other debt obligations, you probably need help.”

If you are having difficulty finding the means, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to find your local non-profit credit counselor.

If you think you can do it on your own, call the bank that issued your card and inform them of your plan or ask them to help you design one. They will be more understanding of your situation when you have expressed concern. Help yourself chisel away at that debt by putting away your credit cards and paying with cash. You may even have to take more drastic measures like downsizing your lifestyle to complete your goal of getting rid of that debt.

5. Regular check-ups.
Your credit report keeps track of your financial safety and where you stand financially. Even though you only get one free report a year, checking your credit once annually is not enough.

Givens recommends that you always check your credit report before shopping for credit, say by buying a car or refinancing a mortgage. You should also check it twice more a year beyond that. If you aren’t shopping for credit, Givens recommends you check your report three times a year by checking one bureau’s free report every four months.

8 credit score myths

SALEM, Ore. (CNN/Money) – Your credit score, or FICO score, is arguably one of the most important pieces of information in your financial life.
Lenders, landlords, insurers, utility companies and even employers scrutinize this rating — which sums up all of the information in your credit reports with three digits ranging from 300 to 850.

Yet, according to a survey released Tuesday, nearly half of all Americans don’t understand what these scores measure or what factors go into them.

The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and Fair Isaac Corporation, found that 49 percent of respondents do not understand that credit scores measure a person’s credit risk, while 45 percent think – incorrectly – that a higher income will result in a higher credit score.

“Despite all of the news coverage about credit scores over the past year, many consumers still do not understand important facts about these increasingly influential numbers,” said Stephen Brobeck, CFA executive director.

Just how influential is your credit score?

If your credit score is 580, for example, you are likely to pay nearly three percentage points more in mortgage interest than someone with a score of 720. To put it another way, the payments on a $150,000 30-year fixed-rate mortgage would be about $890 if you qualify for the best rate, according to Fair Isaac, the company that created the FICO score. That same loan could cost more than $1,200 a month if your credit is poor.

To that end, you’ll want to check your credit scores periodically, correct any errors on your reports and take steps to improve your score over time. The secret to a better credit score: Pay your bills on time and keep your balances low.

To help consumers understand their scores, CFA and Fair Isaac have prepared a free brochure now available online.

In the meantime, make sure you’re not falling for any of these common credit score myths.

Myth: You only have one credit score. In truth, you have three credit scores, one from each of the three major credit bureaus. “These scores can vary by as much as 50 points or more,” said Ryan Sjoblad, a spokesman for Fair Isaac. This is why it’s a good idea to check all three.

Myth: Checking your own credit will lower your score. You can check your own score as many times as you want without impacting your score, said Sjoblad, but make sure you do so via the bureaus or a legitimate score seller like MyFICO.com rather than, say, at a car dealership.

Myth: Your age, income and sex are factored into your score. According to Sjoblad, none of this information has any bearing on your score. Your employment is something that is listed on the credit bureau report, he added, but doesn’t affect the score itself.

Myth: A higher salary will boost your score. Paying off your debts will improve your score. Earning more money, winning the lottery or inheriting a fortune, however, will not because, again, your net worth and income are not factored into your score.

Myth: To remove unfavorable info just dispute it. If there is information in your report that is legitimately inaccurate, you should by all means dispute it. Credit agencies are obligated to investigate credit inaccuracies within 30 days or remove disputed information. But don’t fall for so-called credit repair companies promising to remove unfavorable (though accurate) information from your credit reports to “instantly” improve your score. These days credit agencies not only investigate disputes quickly, they know a sham when they see it.

Myth: Shopping around for a loan hurts your score. When you apply for a loan or get pre-approved the creditor checks your credit report, which shows up as an inquiry to your credit. While it’s true that too many inquiries to your credit will lower your score, you absolutely can shop around for a mortgage, home equity loan or car loan without worrying about damaging your credit, said Sjoblad. “As long as the same kind of inquiries are made within 14 days of each other, they count as one inquiry on your credit score,” he said. Take note: This grace period doesn’t apply to credit cards.

Myth: Credit card offers are hurting your score. Credit card solicitations, while annoying, don’t affect your score. That’s assuming you don’t respond to the solicitations and use all of the credit that’s available to you. There is no magic number for how many credit cards are too many, said Fair Isaac’s Cheri St. John. But, if ratio of credit used to credit available is high, that indicates higher risk. “Clearly consumers want to keep balances below the available credit line,” she added.

Myth: When you get married your credit scores are merged. “People think once you’re married your credit information gets mixed,” said Sjoblad. But, your good or bad credit is yours and yours only ’til death do you part. When you open accounts jointly, though, that information will be reflected on each of your credit reports, for better or for worse.

Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best

You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. You hear them on the radio. You get fliers in the mail. You may even get calls from telemarketers offering credit repair services. They all make the same claims:
“Credit problems? No problem!”
“We can erase your bad credit-100% guaranteed.”
“Create a new credit identity-legally.”
“We can remove bankruptcies, judgments, liens, and bad loans from your credit file forever!”
Do yourself a favor and save some money, too. Don’t believe these statements. Only time, a conscious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report.

This brochure explains how you can improve your credit worthiness and lists legitimate resources for low or no-cost help.

The Scam
Everyday, companies nationwide appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. They promise, for a fee, to clean up your credit report so you can get a car loan, a home mortgage, insurance, or even a job. The truth is, they can’t deliver. After you pay them hundreds or thousands of dollars in up-front fees, these companies do nothing to improve your credit report; many simply vanish with your money.

The Warning Signs
If you decide to respond to a credit repair offer, beware of companies that:

Want you to pay for credit repair services before any services are provided;
Do not tell you your legal rights and what you can do-yourself-for free;
Recommend that you not contact a credit bureau directly;
Suggest that you try to invent a “new” credit report by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of your Social Security Number; or
Advise you to dispute all information in your credit report or take any action that seems illegal, such as creating a new credit identity. If you follow illegal advice and commit fraud, you may be subject to prosecution.
You could be charged and prosecuted for mail or wire fraud if you use the mail or telephone to apply for credit and provide false information. It’s a federal crime to make false statements on a loan or credit application, to misrepresent your Social Security Number, and to obtain an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service under false pretenses.

Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay until they have completed the promised services.

The Truth
No one can legally remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report. But the law does allow you to request a reinvestigation of information in your file that you dispute as inaccurate or incomplete. There is no charge for this. Everything a credit repair clinic can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act:

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you’ve been denied credit, insurance or employment within the last 60 days. If your application for credit, insurance, or employment is denied because of information supplied by a credit bureau, the company you applied to must provide you with that credit bureau’s name, address, and telephone number.
You can dispute mistakes or outdated items for free. Ask the credit reporting agency for a dispute form or submit your dispute in writing, along with any supporting documentation. Do not send them original documents.
Clearly identify each item in your report that you dispute, explain why you dispute the information, and request a reinvestigation. If the new investigation reveals an error, you may ask that a corrected version of the report be sent to anyone who received your report within the past six months. Job applicants can have corrected reports sent to anyone who received a report for employment purposes during the past two years.

When the reinvestigation is complete, the credit bureau must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. If an item is changed or removed, the credit bureau cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies its accuracy and completeness, and the credit bureau gives you a written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the provider.

You also should tell the creditor or other information provider in writing that you dispute an item. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider then reports the item to any credit bureau, it must include a notice of your dispute. In addition, if you are correct-that is, if the information is inaccurate-the information provider may not use it again.

If the reinvestigation does not resolve your dispute, have the credit bureau include your version of the dispute in your file and in future reports. Remember, there is no charge for a reinvestigation.

Reporting Negative Information
Accurate negative information generally can be reported for seven years, but there are exceptions:

Bankruptcy information can be reported for 10 years;
Information reported because of an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limitation;
Information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limitation;
Information concerning a lawsuit or a judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer; and
Default information concerning U.S. Government insured or guaranteed student loans can be reported for seven years after certain guarantor actions.
The Credit Repair Organizations Act
By law, credit repair organizations must give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign a contract. They also must give you a written contract that spells out your rights and obligations. Read these documents before signing the contract. The law contains specific protections for you. For example, a credit repair company cannot:

make false claims about their services;
charge you until they have completed the promised services; or
perform any services until they have your signature on a written contract and have completed a three-day waiting period. During this time, you can cancel the contract without paying any fees.
Your contract must specify:

the payment terms for services, including their total cost;
a detailed description of the services to be performed;
how long it will take to achieve the results;
any guarantees they offer; and
the company’s name and business address.
Have You Been Victimized?
Many states have laws strictly regulating credit repair companies. States may be helpful if you’ve lost money to credit repair scams.

If you’ve had a problem with a credit repair company, don’t be embarrassed to report them. While you may fear that contacting the government will only make your problems worse, that’s not true. Laws are in place to protect you. Contact your local consumer affairs office or your state attorney general (AG). Many AGs have toll-free consumer hotlines. Check with your local directory assistance.

Need Help? Don’t Despair
Just because you have a poor credit report doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get credit. Creditors set their own credit-granting standards and not all of them look at your credit history the same way. Some may look only at more recent years to evaluate you for credit, and they may grant credit if your bill-paying history has improved. It may be worthwhile to contact creditors informally to discuss their credit standards.

If you can’t resolve your credit problems yourself or you need additional help, you may want to contact a credit counseling service. There are non-profit organizations in every state that counsel consumers in debt. Counselors try to arrange repayment plans that are acceptable to you and your creditors. They also can help you set up a realistic budget. These counseling services are offered at little or no cost to consumers. You can find the office nearest you by checking the white pages of your telephone directory.

In addition, nonprofit counseling programs sometimes are operated by universities, military bases, credit unions, and housing authorities. They’re also likely to charge little or nothing for their services. Or, you can check with your local bank or consumer protection office to see if it has a list of reputable, low-cost financial counseling services.

Do-It-Yourself Check-Up
Even if you don’t have a poor credit history, it’s a good idea to conduct your own credit check-up, especially if you’re planning a major purchase, such as a home or car. Checking in advance on the accuracy of the information in your credit report could speed the credit-granting process.

You’re entitled to one free report a year if you can prove that (1) you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job with 60 days, (2) you’re on welfare, or (3) your report is inaccurate because of fraud. Otherwise, a credit bureau may charge you up to $9.00 for a copy of your report.

Credit bureaus usually are listed in the yellow pages of your telephone book under “credit reporting agencies.” Three large national credit bureaus supply most credit reports: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. You may want to contact each of them for a copy of your report.

Equifax
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com

Experian
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
www.experian.com

Trans Union
1-800-916-8800
www.transunion.com

Credit Repair

Learn the great news on how people are repairing there credit within 1-3 months with this great information. (www.cleancreditsecrets.com)

If you are in need of help to Totally Deleting Every Negative Item Off Your Credit Reports then I have the right information for you. (www.cleancreditsecrets.com). I don’t care what’s negative on your Credit Reports; I will show you how to totally Repair Bad Credit on your Credit Reports within 1-3 Months. I have been showing people how to legally get negative items deleted from their Credit Reports for over 10 years now. I am talking about legally removing negative items such as: Late payments, Bankruptcies, foreclosures Errors, Repossessions, Collections, Tax Liens, Judgments, etc. I just can’t tell you really how easy it is to do with the Powerful Information I have obtained from my own personally experience in the field of credit repair. Once I show you how to get Every Negative item removed from your Credit Reports within 1-3 months, you are going to tell yourself wow!, is that all I had to do! Yes that is right; there is no doubt in my mind that what I will show you is absolutely not available anywhere else on the internet or in your local town. The reason why I know this is because only you can repair your credit successfully. Not some so called Credit Repair Company or even some Slick Talking Lawyer. Please believe me when I say this! The information that I have is absolutely not available anywhere else. That’s Correct! I have information not even these so called Big Credit Repair Companies are even aware of.

Let me tell you a quick story about several so called Credit Repair Companies surfing all over the internet today. I had run into some bad credit problems myself before I had any ideal how to fix it. I remember paying for the services that these Credit Repair Companies had to offer. The companies told me that they could have negative items removed from my credit reports without any problem, Yah right. This did not happen at all. Most of the companies charged me a set up fee anywhere from $39 to $299 for their services. Not only did they charge me this set up fee, most of them also charged me from $29 to $49 monthly while they attempted to repair my Credit Reports from the three Largest Credit Bureaus.

If you would like to know more information about legally repairing your credit then you must visit my site at www.cleancreditsecrets.com.

How to Tell When it’s Time to Declare Bankruptcy

With passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act virtually assured, many experts believe financially-strapped consumers will rush to their local bankruptcy court to file before the bill becomes law. This raises the question: Is bankruptcy right for you if you’re struggling to make ends meet each month?

(PRWEB) March 11, 2005 — With passage of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act virtually assured, many experts believe financially-strapped consumers will rush to their local bankruptcy court to file before the bill becomes law. This raises the question: Is bankruptcy right for you if you’re struggling to make ends meet each month?

The answer, according to consumer advocate Paula Langguth Ryan, isn’t always clear cut. In fact, depending on how old your debts are, your payment history and your personal situation, bankruptcy may actually hurt you more than doing nothing.

“If you haven’t paid anything on your outstanding debts in four or five years, and there’s no chance you’re going to be able to pay anything on them in the next few years,” says Ryan, “you’ll have a clean slate in two to three years when those debts fall off your credit report.”

Compare that to having a bankruptcy listed on your credit report for another 10 years and bankruptcy doesn’t look like your best option, unless you need to get a car or move before the old debts hit the seven year mark and are removed from your credit reports.

Ryan, who wrote the best-selling Bounce Back From Bankruptcy after having gone bankrupt herself at an early age, believes many people wait too long to declare bankruptcy until they’ve literally given away everything to creditors. At her debt-busting workshops, she shares horror stories, such as the one about a man who was arrested after robbing seven banks. His family had a fire in their apartment and had relocated to a hotel for seven months. With most of their income going to pay creditors, he robbed a bank every month, demanding only enough to pay his monthly hotel bill.

Another family of five, says Ryan, was paying their creditors so much money each month they only had $50 left for food. “After one child died from malnourishment. Social Services put the other two children in foster care and threw the parents in jail for child neglect.”

Ryan offers these warning signs that it may be time to declare bankruptcy:
• You’ve cut back on every essential and paying your creditors causes you to fall behind on your essential payments, such as your mortgage/rent, car payment, insurance or utilities.
• You are losing sleep, constantly arguing with your spouse, considering divorce or contemplating suicide because of financial pressures.
• You are considering doing something illegal, or thinking of pursuing shady credit repair strategies, in order to relieve the pressure of dealing with your creditors.
• You are jeopardizing your family’s health, nourishment or home in order to pay creditors.

Anyone who identifies with one of these warning signs, says Ryan, should schedule a free consultation with a bankruptcy attorney and explore their options.

“It’s called the Bankruptcy Protection Act for a reason: to give people a fresh start, to help you get a clean slate,” reminds Ryan.

If bankruptcy is your best option, Ryan warns against immediately jumping at new credit offers, as so many people do. Your best strategy? Avoid getting any new credit for one year, says Ryan, who offers bankrupt consumers a free tip sheet on the Do’s and Don’ts of Bouncing Back from Bankruptcy at her website, www.newcreditafterbankruptcy.com

“It takes more than becoming debt free to break the debt cycle. You have to change the attitudes and habits that got you into debt in the first place,” says Ryan. “Consumers who do that have a much better chance of having a secure financial future.”

Erasing Debts With Bankruptcy Gets Harder

By MARCY GORDON, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON – Erasing medical bills, credit card charges and other debts in bankruptcy soon will become more difficult under landmark legislation that has vaulted its last major hurdle before Senate passage.

The legislation gliding toward congressional passage following Tuesday’s procedural vote in the Senate would constitute the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. bankruptcy laws in a quarter-century.

Senate passage this week and likely House approval of that bill next month would deliver to President Bush (news – web sites) the second of his pro-business legislative priorities after Republicans fattened their majorities in both chambers in November’s elections.

Congress sent Bush a law last month placing most large multistate class action lawsuits under federal court jurisdiction, making it harder for plaintiffs to join together and win multimillion-dollar judgments in state courts.

Banks, credit card issuers and retailers have pushed for eight years for bankruptcy revisions that would force more people to repay at least part of their debt. It nearly passed in 2002 — failing when the Senate accepted, but House Republicans rejected, a Democratic amendment barring protesters from using bankruptcy to avoid paying court fines for blocking abortion clinics.

This year, with four more Republican senators, the abortion provision was rejected Tuesday on a 53-46 vote. Later the Senate voted 69-31 to limit further amendments, close the debate and hold a final vote this week.

The bill would set up a new test for measuring a debtor’s ability to pay.

Those with insufficient assets or income could still file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which if approved by a judge erases debts entirely after certain assets are forfeited. But those with income above the state’s median income who can pay at least $6,000 over five years — $100 a month — would be forced into Chapter 13, where a judge would then order a repayment plan.

Critics say that’s unfair because many people who file for bankruptcy have lost their jobs, or are going to lose them.

According to current law, a bankruptcy judge determines under which chapter of the bankruptcy code a person falls — whether they have to repay some or all of their debt.

Sensing a long-elusive victory at hand, Republican backers exulted Tuesday and urged colleagues to move speedily through remaining Senate deliberations.

“The sooner we finish work in the Senate and get the bill to the House, the sooner our bankruptcy system will be focused as it should be on helping those with real need, and less vulnerable to abuse by consumers who have the ability to repay their debts,” said Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), R-Iowa, the bill’s primary author.

The bill’s supporters argued that bankruptcy frequently is the last refuge of gamblers, impulsive shoppers, divorced or separated fathers avoiding child support, and multimillionaires, often celebrities, who buy mansions in states with liberal homestead exemptions to shelter assets from creditors.

Opponents, too, have a litany of stories. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., speaks of Zoraya Marrero, a single mother with three children from Woodbridge, Va., the eldest of whom has spina bifida. Having had to return $60,000 in state disability benefits and medical coverage for the child, and paying medical expenses, Marrero recently filed for bankruptcy.

Most applicants “did not seek bankruptcy relief willingly,” Kennedy says. “Millions of … Americans in similar situations have filed for bankruptcy only after exhausting all other options.”

A recent Harvard University study found that costly illnesses led to about half of all personal bankruptcies and that most people who file for bankruptcy protection because of medical problems have health insurance.

Consumer and civil rights groups and unions say the legislation is unfair to low-income working people, single mothers, minorities and the elderly and would remove a safety net for those who have lost their jobs or face mounting medical bills. They say it would turn the bankruptcy courts into collection agencies for the credit card companies.