Medical Debt Relief Act Evens Things Out….Sort Of

From 1999 to 2009, premium costs for family insurance have risen by one hundred and thirty one percent. That’s easily over three times the rate at which wages rose during this time. In the recession, millions of jobs have been lost, putting workers who just lost their jobs at risk of also living without health insurance. For those who remain employed, employers are pushing more of the costs of health insurance onto their workers as they struggle with economic uncertainty. Then there are blue collar and retail workers, waitresses and the like who are paid less, work harder and are not offered health insurance plans at their jobs. No wonder that Americans are struggling to pay their medical bills.

In 2007, about seventy two million Americans struggled with their medical bills. A large amount of these people made paying off their medical bills their top priority, while they had to struggle to pay for basic necessities like food, rent or heat. More than THIRTY MILLION American adults used up ALL of their savings or BORROWED AGAINST THEIR HOMES in order to pay off medical bills. Unfortunately, in this time of economic hardship, many Americans could not stop the bill collector from knocking on their door.

Thirty million Americans are contacted every year by collection agencies for delinquent medical bills; many struggle to pay these. Many people are unclear as to why their insurance refused to pay a claim, others are confused about the amount they owe. Over half of people who were surveyed said that they were puzzled by the medical jargon on their bills, and one in four said confusion led them to allow bills to go past the due date or to be sent to a collection agency.

A medical bill that gets sent to collections will usually be reported to credit bureaus. This results in a lower credit score. Medical accounts, even those that have been paid off in full will remain on a credit report for up to seven years. This will result in lower credit scores and increases the costs of mortgages, car loans, or credit card interest.

Fortunately, Ohio Congresswoman Kilroy acknowledged the long term effects of outstanding medical bills. She decided to address the situation because she saw medical debt as something that was unique. She introduced The Medical Debt Relief Act, which states that medical debt that is fully paid off or settled must be removed from a consumer’s credit report within thirty days.

Even though this will not fix our chaotic health care system, it will provide relief for those who have paid off medical debt, while the rest of us wait for better health care reform.

Mallory McGuinness works for a debt collection agency. She also does stories on business, finance, consumer spending.

How Living Within Your Means Can Make Life More Enjoyable

With the recent downturn in the economy, many people are realizing that they cannot afford to sustain the lifestyle that they have grown accustomed to living. Fortunately, this does not mean life cannot be enjoyable. There are a number of easy ways to live within your means without hurting your quality of life. With a little planning and knowledge you can live on budget without feeling the financial strain.

The following are a number of ways to live within your means while making life more enjoyable:

1. In order to live within your means, you have to be able to bring in more money than you are spending. Create a monthly budget that includes how much you spend on essential items such as home and vehicle insurance, utilities, food, cable, phone, mortgage payments, gas, etc. Then, calculate how much you earn monthly. Subtract your monthly income from necessary expenses to determine how much extra money you have to work with.

2. List extra expenses such as entertainment, recreation, and products you shop for in the home and on yourself such as clothing, personal care products, etc. Calculate how much you spend monthly on these items. You will then need to come up with ways to control your spending habits. This can include cutting down on the number of times you dine out each month, shopping for discounts at large department stores, second hand stores, surplus stores, etc. When shopping, look for deals, coupons, and sales. Never pay full price for an item. As well, you can often find great deals when shopping online.

3. Credit card debt is a major source of financial hardship. If you have several credit cards with high outstanding debt, you should at least pay the monthly minimum for each card, and then start to pay off the card with the highest interest rate. Owning fewer credit cards will make it easier to manage and remember. Always pay your bills on time to avoid having to pay any interest at all. To help wean yourself off of credit cards, start carrying cash with you at all times and pay using cash. Seeing the physical money literally change hands will help you consider needs vs. wants on a more regular basis.

4. If you are having trouble keeping up with debt payments, then maybe you should consider consolidating your debt in order to manage it better. Instead of making multiple monthly payments to several creditors, you can consolidate your debt and only need to make a single monthly payment. In addition to helping you get organized, this can also alleviate stress that is often associated with debt.

5. Clean up your credit score. Request a copy of your credit report from one of the following two major credit bureaus: Equifax, or TransUnion. Check it over for any inaccuracies. Look to see what debt is affecting your credit rating and work with a creditor to establish a repayment plan. Don’t ignore your creditors as they will send your debt to a collection agency.

At first, implementing a plan to live within your means can seem very unpleasant. You may miss a few of the luxuries you had grown accustomed to. However, once you get used to the plan, you will find life more enjoyable as you will not longer have the worry of how you are going to pay all of your bills. You may even realize that you are much happier living on a budget.

When searching online for debt counseling or credit counseling, one of the many resources available is Consolidated Credit; offering a variety of debt counseling services and financial planning tools to help Canadians get their debts under control.

Credit Score Ratings

When you apply for a job, the employer will do a background check before hiring you. Banks and other lending institutions do something similar to make sure you can pay for the loan by looking at your credit score ratings.

The credit score rating is used not only in United States but other countries as well. How they call it and the figures they use may be different but it is designed to do the same thing.

How this is computed depends on different factors such as the amount of your outstanding loans, the length of your credit history, the types of credit you have used and any new credit.

Each of these factors has a certain percentage so your credit score rating could be from 350 to 750.

People who have a good credit score rating will be able to apply for a loan at a low interest rate. Those who are in the red will have to pay at a higher interest rate or have to face the fact that their request has been disapproved.

You can get a copy of your credit score rating by asking for a copy from an accredited agency. These are namely Expedia, Equifax or Transunion. If you browse through their website, you can already see it after you fill up the fields on the screen.

But what if I have a poor credit score rating? The good news is that you can change this but you will have to cut down on your expenses so the money saved can be used to pay off your debt. Sacrifice on your part may mean only going shopping to buy the essentials such as food, clothes and gas.

You will have to forget about buying any luxury items or going to the spa for a while since these are just unnecessary expenses.

If you have more than 2 credit cards, pay them off and then cancel them. A good idea will also be to go around with only one card in your wallet and the other at home that will only be used for emergencies.

People who are in deep financial debt will probably have to sell some valuables to prevent the debt from getting bigger due to interest.

If all else fails, you should get the help of a financial advisor to come up with a plan. There are also a few companies out there that can help improve your credit score rating to what is known as debt relief or consolidation. This looks good in the short term but it does not make things any better.

When the debts have been paid, this is the only time that you can breathe easy. You can give your credit score rating a boost by applying for a new credit card by getting one offered by supermarkets and groceries since they offer low interest rates to card holders.

By paying debts on time, you will be able to see a significant improvement in the credit score rating this year compared to the year before which just goes to show that with a little sacrifice and work, this problem can be overcome.

As for those with good credit score ratings, keep up the good work because paying for what you purchase and borrow will allow you to do this again in the future without any problems.

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Bad Credit Repair – How To Restore Your Credit And Your Life

It is often difficult for us when we have bad credit and not knowing where to start to get back on our feet again is even more frustrating.

If you have bad credit, you might want to check into a few resources that can help you find a solution to your credit problem. Life does not have to be difficult and all of us make mistakes.

Bad credit is an obstacle and if you want to run you are about to get yourself into a situation that you do not really need. There is always a solution to most problems. The problem most times is some of us do not have the means to find solutions to our problems.

In this article, I am going to make it quick and to the point, helping you repair your credit through the process.

So the first step is to collect copies of your credit report from the major credit bureaus. Credit bureaus compile and sell information about consumers and are a principal source of information about your credit history.

You are entitled to receive a free copy of your credit report if you have been denied credit within the past 60 days. If you have not been denied credit within the past 60 days, you can order your credit report by paying a fee.

Next, review your credit report watching closely for errors (items that do not belong to you). Dispute any errors on your reports immediately with the credit bureaus. Any errors or inaccurate information will be deleted.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, all negative information seven years old or more must be deleted. Bankruptcy stay on credit report for up to 10 years or longer.

Once you dispute the negative information, you will receive a copy of your report from the credit bureau, showing the items that were removed and the items that were verified as accurate. The dispute method of removing negative information from your credit file can improve your credit rating.

The Internet offers credit report information, guides, and kits, which can lead you in the right direction to repairing credit. You might want to surf the Net for resources that can help you find a way out of bad credit.

How to Improve Your Credit in 2010

Your credit rating is more important in 2010 than any other year in recent memory. There is less available credit than any other time in recent history. Credit card companies launched a massive wave of cut backs. You may have noticed your available balance was slashed overnight.

It is now even more difficult to be approved for a home mortgage. In order to be approved for a mortgage today, you must now have a minimum credit score that is 40 points higher than a few years ago and, if you are hoping for reasonable rates, you will need a minimum score in the high 600’s.

You can rest assured that it will be almost impossible to obtain new credit in 2010, especially if your credit score isn’t up to par.

What this means is that you need a plan to get your credit in top shape for the new year.

I spent several hours last weekend writing down my financial goals for 2010, which included my FICO score goal of 775.

I hope that you have decided on some financial goals for yourself. Once you have made a list of goals, you will need a plan for obtaining success. Erasing negative items from your credit report and improving your FICO score should be included in your overall strategy. A formula for achieving these goals follows:

Credit Strategy #1: Questionable Negative Items Should Be Deleted From Your Credit Reports

You should immediately attempt to remove any questionable late payment, repossession, collection, charge off, bankruptcy, or other negative item, by disputing the information.

To accomplish this, you can use the dispute form letter which you will find here.

Sometimes, items such as judgments, charge offs, and repossessions are particularly stubborn to remove from your credit report. As these items have a tendency to be a bit more “sticky,” you may require something more forceful than a standard dispute letter.

You might consider a process called “debt validation” where you demand that the original creditor validate a debt. (It’s a lot different than disputing with the bureaus – yet super effective for removing collections and charge offs.)

It is probably best not to attempt debt validation on your own. I tried to do it myself and failed miserably. In fact, I did such a poor job that the creditors just ignored my correspondence altogether.

Credit Strategy #2: Build Good Credit

The good news is that this is easy to do if you already have an unsecured account. Keep paying those accounts on time. In fact, I suggest setting up an auto payment system so you never slip up. Plus, this saves postage so you are saving twice!

However, if you don’t have an unsecured account, like a MasterCard or Visa, it can be a bit more difficult. If your credit score is in the 500 range, it will be hard to obtain an unsecured card.

Credit Strategy #3: Stay the Course

Don’t lose sight of your goal and what you want to accomplish. Rebuilding your credit will take time. The sooner you get started the better. It is wise to keep track of your credit score by maintaining a detailed log. Begin your log by noting your credit score as of today’s date and tracking it as you rebuild good credit and as questionable negative items are removed. If you are successful with your goals, your credit score should increase each month.

Don’t become down-trodden if things don’t work out the way you think they should. Different strategies may be available to tackle an issue.

We raised our credit scores from the upper 500 range to 745 and 763 in under six months and got approved for our dream home. See proof of our credit repair success at www.creditforcouples.com

Removing Negative Entries From Your Credit Report

Whenever a consumer misses required monthly payments or defaults on a loan, a negative entry detailing this information will appear on his credit report. The process of removing negative entries such as these is called “credit repair.”

There are many significant ways in which these negative entries can affect you. These negative entries will make it harder to be approved for any credit products, such as home loans and credit cards. You can be assured that the financial products for which you are approved will include a high annual percentage rate (APR) and associated monthly and annual fees and charges.

If this is the dilemma in which you find yourself, don’t despair! There are a multitude of online companies which, for a fee, will work to rebuild your credit. However, if you don’t want to pay the fee associated with these companies, you can venture into credit repair yourself.

You must first obtain a copy of your credit report, which may be done by contacting the three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – and requesting a copy of your credit report. These three credit reporting bureaus are legally bound to provide one free copy of your credit report every twelve months. You can call (877) 322-8228 to obtain your free copy of your credit report. Alternately, you can request a copy of your credit report from the many online companies which offer this service.

Sit down and review your credit report once it arrives. All information should be carefully reviewed to confirm that all portions of the credit history are accurate. Do not skip over personal and employment information. Check everything!

A dispute letter should be written to the credit reporting agency if you find any false or inaccurate information. Your dispute letter should explain the reason you are writing and you should include any supporting documentation you may have. Retain copies of all correspondence and documentation to and from the credit reporting agency.

After receiving your dispute letter, the credit reporting agency has 30 days to verify your claim. The credit reporting agency must remove the entry if it cannot verify the claim within this time period. You should receive a letter from the credit reporting agency outlining the actions taken related to your credit report. If the credit reporting agency does not revise a negative or false entry, you should write a letter to the credit reporting agency requesting an explanation of how they came to this decision. When this is done, it is referred to as requesting a “method of verification.”

It is beneficial to follow this process in order to improve your credit, even though it may be time-consuming. By doing this, you will improve your credit score and improving your credit score will, in turn, lead to better opportunities for more desirable financial products.

Get your free 19 Page Collection Agency Deletion Guide at www.myncodebt.com

Negotiating With Credit Card Collection Agencies

Collection agencies devoted to credit card collections have in recent times become busier and busier. This is because more and more people are having trouble keeping up with their bills.

Typically, the problem begins with one missed payment. This missed payment will likely mean that you are assessed a late penalty, which in turn might mean that you exceed your credit limit. When this happens you are assessed another penalty because of credit limit overages. Now, you may be $100 or so over your credit limit and you still haven’t paid your monthly minimum payment.

Before things get worse, it is best to contact your credit card provider and explain your situation. Most credit card providers are willing to work with you. It is best to put a stop to things at this point instead of letting things get out-of-hand, resulting in the credit card provider selling your debt to a credit card collection agency.

Debt sold to a credit card collection agency will normally be purchased at a fraction of what you actually owe, typically for cents on the dollar. As credit card collection agencies make their bread and butter from collecting as much as possible from those who owe debt which they have subsequently purchased, they may at times be harassing and even threaten legal action.

In reality, most credit card collection agencies would prefer to work with you to obtain payment of the debt than to launch a legal action which will be time-consuming and costly. If at all possible, this would be a good time to offer to pay the debt in full at a reduced amount. Make sure that the resulting agreement is in writing, that you retain copies of all the negotiation documentation, and mail all correspondence to the credit card collection agency by certified mail, return receipt requested.

Typically, it is a good idea to begin the negotiation somewhere around 25% of the original balance. Though this sounds low, remember that the collection company probably purchased your entire debt at only about 10% of the original amount. It is likely that the collection company will decline this offer and will issue a counteroffer, which you then should counter as well. This will continue until you either come to an agreement or the negotiations discontinue.

If no agreement is reached, the credit card collection agency may lose the momentum for collecting your debt. It may determine that collecting a smaller amount is better than nothing at all. It may also decide that selling the debt to another credit card collection agency is a better idea. If this happens, the process will begin yet again and run its course.

It is good to remember that at any point in this process, beginning with the credit card provider itself, a legal action could be filed against you. Additionally, your credit score is continually and quickly decreasing. A court judgment will annihilate your credit score even more.

Midland Credit Management Ruined my Life. What I Did to Get Revenge.

How Can I Remove Late Payments From My Credit Report?

For many people it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet all of their financial obligations. Each month that a consumer is late on a bill, the creditor reports this information to the credit reporting agencies. The credit reporting agencies then take this information and include it on your credit report. When a lender requests a copy of your credit report, all of your late payment entries will be reported for the lender to view.

Payments received after the due date are considered late, regardless of “how late” they may have been. If your payment was received the day after the due date or 30 days following the due date, it is still late. Most creditors however will not report a late payment until it is actually 30 days past the due date. But, if your payment is past the due date, you will probably find yourself with a hefty late payment penalty.

To begin the process of removing late penalties from your credit report, you will need to request a copy of your credit report. This is easily done by getting in touch with one of the three major credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You have the right to obtain one free copy of your credit report from these credit reporting agencies every twelve months.

Although the same kinds of information are reported on credit reports, the layout may be somewhat different. As you review your credit report, it should be fairly simple to determine how the credit reporting agency has reported late payments. In addition, the number of late payments you have made within a specific time period should also be shown on your credit report.

Although consumers understand that making late payments is not a good thing, they normally don’t understand the far-reaching consequences. Payment punctuality can count for over 30% of your total credit score. Because of this, late payments can severely affect credit applications which you submit to a lender.

The first thing you can try in order to remove late payments from your credit report is to contact the creditor directly and ask that it remove the late payments. This is often successful, however, if you habitually make late payments, it may be less likely.

If your creditor is unwilling to remove the late payments, you should contact the credit reporting agency by mail and request that they remove the late payments. Your letter should include copies of any supporting documentation that you have which corroborates your claim. You should always retain copies of any correspondence to or from the credit reporting agency. The credit reporting bureau has 30 days to verify your claim. If it cannot verify your claim within 30 days, it must remove the late payment from your credit report.

If at all possible, it is smart to keep this from happening in the first place. If you know you will be unable to make a payment on time, make a call to your creditor and explain your situation. It is often the case that creditors are more than happy to help you out by arranging a payment plan.

Did you know that late payments can be shown on your credit report for up to seven years? It’s true! This, of course, can severely damage your credit score and can cause you to be denied credit. Try to avoid late payments on your credit report by working with your creditor if you feel you will be late. You will be happy you did!

I Freed Myself from the NCO Collection Agency. See How I Did it at www.myncodebt.com

Second Chance Bank Accounts

People who have or are, for various reasons, facing financial difficulties and have had their bank account suspended or closed should look into a second chance bank account. Another name for second chance bank accounts is non-ChexSystems checking accounts.

Any type of financial misdemeanor will place the account holder at risk of being included in ChexSystems. About 80% of the country’s banks utilize ChexSystems which is a consumer reporting agency and check verification service. This company records information about a consumer whenever a check is bounced, the overdraft limit is exceeded, or a payment is not honored.

If you habitually perform any or all of these actions, you will likely be reported to ChexSystems and will be entered into ChexSystems reporting system. This may cause your bank account to be closed. If this occurs, it may be extremely difficult to open a new bank account.

Second chance bank accounts allow you a chance to get things back under control. These checking accounts operate like standard bank accounts in that you can access your money and pay your bills. For people whose bank accounts have been closed, these second chance bank accounts offer a needed opportunity to start over again.

Second chance bank accounts are offered by a variety of banks and finance companies. Some online companies even offer this type of checking account. To apply, you will need to complete an application. You will also need to provide personal information such as a current address and proof of identity, all of which will be verified.

Before you do this, it is a good idea to get a copy of your ChexSystems report. You should review the report for any inaccurate or false information. If the report contains any information which is false or inaccurate, the information can be revised or deleted. It may well be that this false information is what is keeping you from being able to obtain a checking account in the first place.

However, if all the information is accurate, then a second chance bank account is likely the next step to take. These accounts are easy to open and are recommended for people who need a second chance.

Be sure to shop around prior to applying for a second chance bank account. Sometimes, companies will charge monthly or annual fees in addition to one-time payments to open the account. Therefore, be smart, shop the market, and get the best deal you can.

Woman Did This to Raise Credit Score 177 Points by Hiring Lexington Law. True story – See Proof at www.lexingtonlawreviews.com.

Obtain Your Credit Report Today

Requesting a copy of your credit report is easy and is the first step toward rebuilding your credit. Read on to find out how to obtain a copy of your credit report and to learn some of the benefits of reviewing your credit history.

A credit report will help you rebuild your credit and this is the most common reason people request a copy of their credit report. A person’s financial history is listed in its entirety on their credit report. The entries will include identifying information, payment history, and credit accounts. A quick review of your credit report will let you know if all of the information recorded is accurate or if there are some inaccurate or false entries. Any inaccurate or false information listed has already affected your credit score.

You can dispute any inaccurate or false information you discover on your credit report. To do so, you will need to send a dispute letter to the credit bureau requesting the correction of the disputed item. The credit bureau then has 30 days to obtain verification of the recorded information. If the credit bureau does not receive verification of the disputed entry, it must delete the entry in its entirety. If this happens, your credit score should increase.

Credit reports are also helpful for finance and budgeting purposes. Obtaining your credit report allows you to view your credit status in one neat, concise report. A credit report can allow you to determine if you should work to consolidate your debt and can assist with prioritization of payments.

Identity theft is another reason for requesting a copy of your credit report. By obtaining a copy of your credit report you will be able to compare your knowledge of your recent credit transactions against what has been reported to the credit reporting agency. Identity theft is a very real concern and threatens a person’s credit worthiness in addition to their financial situation.

Your credit report can be obtained several different ways. There are internet companies that offer copies of credit reports and you can contact one of these companies. Alternately, you can contact one of the three major reporting agencies – TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax – for a copy of your credit report. Pursuant to Federal law, these major credit reporting agencies are required to provide you with a copy of your credit report, free of charge, once every twelve months. To request a copy of your free credit report, you can call Annual Credit Report at (877) 322-8228.

It is wise to obtain a copy of your credit report. Request yours today and when it arrives, sit down and review it for any inaccuracies so you can begin to rebuild your credit.

Free 19 Page Collection Agency Deletion Guide at www.MidlandCreditDebt.com.

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