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Archive for April, 2007

BEST DEALS ON A CAR LOAN

April 26, 2007 By: SUZANNE BUSBY Category: auto financing, car loan, Loans, Contributors No Comments →

Best Deals on a Car Loan

Instant online car loan approval, as easy as 1-2-3!  No matter what your credit history, you can apply online for auto financing for a new or used car.  Within minutes you may be approved, and you'll have the check in your hands the next day.  This is great, because then you can go out and shop for a car like a cash buyer - giving you more negotiating power.

Online Auto Financing is fast and easy, and you can find the best deals on a car loan online.  However, as usual, we encourage you to check your credit report for any errors or problems before you apply for financing of any kind.  If you find errors on your credit report, dispute them immediately with the credit bureaus.  Having your credit report in the best possible shape will ensure you the very best interest rate available for your particular situation.

Once you know that you have done everything possible to get your credit in order, apply online for instant online car loan approval.  You'll be driving in the fast lane sooner than you think possible!


RoadLoans- Auto Finance and Refinance Made Easy!

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IDENTITY THEFT SCAMS

April 24, 2007 By: SUZANNE BUSBY Category: Identity Theft Prevention, Contributors No Comments →

A few months ago a friend of mine received an email on an official looking United States Treasury letterhead informing him that he was owed several hundred dollars by the federal government.  It went on to say that the money would be sent if my friend would just provided some personal information. While I had not heard of this particular scam, it seems highly unlikely that the federal government would notify people about refunds in this way. To make sure we checked with the US Treasury. They confirmed my opinion, although they had not heard of this ID theft scam either, and we forwarded the email on to them.

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Identity theft.  It is one among the many negative effects of the electronic communication age of credit cards, phones, and the Internet.  It is thought that about 9 million Americans each year are victims of identity theft, and many additional identity theft victims are found in Great Britain, Canada, Japan, and other developed nations. Most reports indicate that $10,000 is the average loss per victim in the United States. If these numbers are correct, the annual amount defrauded in this country alone is around $90 billion! The global incidence and cost of identity theft is increasing rapidly over time as credit cards and the Internet spread throughout the world.

Identity thieves prey on the fears and greed of individuals. Greed is the only explanation for why we see so many emails, often supposedly from Africa, promising millions of dollars to a trustworthy person if he can safeguard huge sums of money for a while. All that is asked from these potential victims is some information on their bank account numbers and a few other pieces of personal information. While these promises may seem so absurd that one wonders why anyone would respond, the emails are cheap to send, and can be profitable for the theives if only a very small fraction of recipients fall for it.

Other identity theft scams rely on fear rather than greed.  One real example is a telephone call from someone alleging to be a state or local government official. This "official" threatens that the person called is subject to arrest because he or she did not report for jury duty. However, the thief reassures the victim that arrest could be avoided if the victim would provide some personal information that could help clear up their record.

Often it is difficult to sympathize with the victims because they are trying to get rich quickly in ways that usually involve participating in illegal activities. Still, effective avoidance of identity theft is most desirable since so many people are victims. Most victims spend as many as 600 or more hours over the course of several years trying to clean up the mess identity theives make on their credit.  

Identity theft will negatively impact your credit, and don't think that it can't happen to you.  While you may not be likely to fall for one of these scams, there are more ways than you can think of for ID thieves to steal your personal information.  Your trash is one very way.  Theives will go through trash to find personal information that can be used to steal your identity.  Recently a ring of identity theives were caught stealing information right off credit cards when people went to restaurants!

The next time you pull your credit report, you don't want to see credit accounts for which you did not apply.  That car loan that you know nothing about, or cellular phone service......Don't wind up in the position of having to repair your credit and your credit score.  Be proactive.  Protect yourself with an identity theft prevention service such as LifeLock.  It is the only identity theft prevention service of its kind to offer a $1 million guarantee.  You have probably seen the reports in the Wall Street Journal, and on CNN about how effective LifeLock really is.  Signup today for a subscription at LifeLock.

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ARE CREDIT REPAIR AGENCIES LEGITIMATE?

April 20, 2007 By: SUZANNE BUSBY Category: Credit Repair, Contributors No Comments →

Are Credit Repair Agencies Legitimate?

Yes, credit repair agencies are legitimate and legal.  However, there are good credit repair agencies and there are some bad ones out there.  How can you know if you are dealing with a legal credit repair agency?
 
The Credit Repair Organizations Act spells out exactly what a credit repair agency must provide you.  By law,  credit restoration organizations must give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign a contract with them. They must also give you a written contract that details your rights and obligations.  Read these documents carefully and in detail before you sign anything.  The Credit Repair Organizations Act contains specific protections for you, the consumer. For example, a credit repair company cannot:

  • make false claims about the service they provide
  • charge you until they have completed the services promised in the written contract
  • perform any service until they have your signature on a written contract and have completed a three-day waiting period. During this three-day waiting period, you can cancel the contract without paying any fees

Your written contract must specify:

  • the payment terms for credit repair services, including their total cost
  • a detailed written description of the services to be performed
  • how long it will take to achieve the results
  • any guarantees they offer
  • the company’s name and business address

Credit repair takes time, although the agencies do nothing that you cannot do yourself, often consumers just do not have the time it takes to get the job done.  Repair your credit report and increase your credit score with legal credit repair from a reputable service such as Lexington Law

Let a Law Firm Remove your Negative Items from your Credit Report!

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