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0% APR Credit Cards: How Can They Do That?
During the days when the federal bank interest rates were at its
lowest, back in 2002 and 2003 to be specific, countless credit
card providers offered 0% APR credit cards to many consumers.
Needing only to pay the outstanding balance, smart...
4 Principles to Follow to Avoid Credit Card Debt During the Holiday Seasons
The holiday season has arrived. It is time to celebrate, make
merry, and have fun. Travel plans have been made, lists of gifts
for family and friends have been drawn up, and arrangements for
parties are in full gear. It is indeed the season to be...
Credit Establishment 101
There will come a day when you need credit. You may want to buy a home or a car and your credit rating will become very important to help make these dreams come true. One of the first things you will need to learn is the basic principle of money...
Credit Repair System
The Credit Repair System has tools available that helps many debtors find relief. Credit repair system is the steps to recovering from debts, while getting back on your feet again. If you have bad credit, you already know how difficult it is to...
Five Easy Steps to Repairing Your Credit
Have you damaged your credit rating, and now need to repair it? It can be a long, tedious process, if you aren’t sure of exactly what to do. And if you decide to work with an agency that specializes in this type of work, you’re paying someone to do...
Home Loans For People With Bad Credit - Tips To Getting Approved Online
Buying a home with bad credit doesn’t have to stop you from finding an affordable lender. By shopping online for a lender you can find the best lending rates for your situation. The following search tips will help you get started. Gather Your...
The Credit Card Offer
One day I got a call from my credit card company asking me if I would like to increase my credit limit by borrowing up to $9000 at their special rate of 15.9%. The operator stated, "Your credit card rate will then be a low 15.9%. How much would you...
Transferring balances Between Credit Cards
Understanding transferring balances from one credit card to another can be very confusing and may not help your situation at all. You can transfer your credit card balance from the card you now have to another credit card that offers a low...
Unsecured Loan UK Personal Loan Best Unsecured Loan Home Owner Loan Bad Credit Loan Personal Loan Car Loan Home Loan
Unsecured loans
An unsecured loan is a type of personal loan for which the
borrower does not have to put up any asset as guarantee against
the loan. The lender relies on the ability of the borrower to
pay back the loan. There are a number of...
You can still remortgage even with bad credit!
If you wish to organise a bad credit remortgage, don’t just head automatically for a specialist.... A good mortgage company will adjust its lending criteria to suit the times, thus lenders are constantly evolving to suit the remortgage UK market....
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Why Consumers Need A Nationwide Credit Freeze NOW
What do a shoe retailer, an online discount broker, and a popular clothing retailer all have in common? All three - DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ameritrade, and Polo Ralph Lauren - sustained breaches to their customers’ accounts. Unfortunately, these three are not alone when it comes to security breaches. CitiFinancial, Bank of America, LexisNexis and other companies have also experienced similar events.
Over 46 million Americans have had personal records containing credit card numbers, bank account information, and social security numbers lost or stolen during the first six months of 2005.
Having even just one piece of personal information is sometimes all that an identity thief needs in order to wreak havoc to your credit profile. Many people falsely believe that an ID thief uses only the stolen credit cards to go on their shopping sprees. The truth is ID thieves use your stolen information to open new accounts for credit, cars, loans, mobile phones and more. Most victims won’t know there’s a problem until they’ve been turned down for credit or begin receiving calls from creditors and collection agencies about the unpaid bills.
So, what can you do to guard your identity from criminals? Along with vigorously protecting your social security number, using a shredder to destroy credit card offers, and monitoring your credit report regularly, you may also be able to use a new line of defense against ID thieves - placing a “freeze” on your credit files.
Placing a freeze on your credit files with the three major credit reporting agencies - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax - shuts out potential lenders from accessing your credit files in order to make you an offer for credit. When applying for
new credit accounts or loans, you would use a special password or PIN to “thaw” your credit files, a process that takes a few days. The credit bureaus charge around $10 for each freeze or thaw as allowed by law.
A credit freeze protects your data since the lender can’t check your profile in order to approve any new credit. Unfortunately, credit freezes are currently available only to consumers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
Congress is examining laws to make credit freezes available nationwide, however they are facing some strong opposition. And guess where it’s coming from? The credit bureaus and data clearinghouses! They make money every time they sell your information to banks, mortgage brokers, car dealerships and other retailers.
The time to act is NOW. If you live in a state that doesn’t offer you, the consumer, the right to freeze your credit files, contact your state legislators to let them know that YOU WANT TO CONTROL who can access your personal and financial data. Names and contact information for your Senators and Representatives can be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. Write or e-mail them and tell them you want control of your personal data. After all, it’s your identity and your finances at stake!
About the Author
© 2005, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
Author: James H. Dimmitt
James is editor of "TO YOUR CREDIT", a free weekly newsletter with tips to help you manage your personal finances. Subscribe today and receive his e-book “IDENTITY THEFT- How To Avoid Becoming the Next Victim!” and other free bonuses by visiting http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
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