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I sit at my desk completely frustrated with Advanta. I opened up a business credit card with them 3 years ago and made a purchase of $6500 to help build my business credit for Rapid Recovery Solution, my Collection Agency. I have paid more then the minimum every month, on time. Three months ago I noticed that my interest rate seemed a little high. No where on my statement did it say the actual interest rate so I called the company. After 10 min or so I get a live rep on the line and they tell me it is 36.1%. Are they kidding, this must be a mistake. I have over a 750 score and never missed a payment. They said they sent me a notice in Aug that they are doing this due to a change in there lending methods. It turns out this is the second time this year they did this. I went from 8.99% in Jan 08 to 18.99 in Feb 08 to 36.1% in Aug 08.

Now, being in the industry for over 10 years I know that I need to watch my credit. I look for charges I didn’t make and it is tough to scam me. I have seen it all but this takes the cake. They told me I am now at a high risk for default so that is why they raised my interest rate? That doesn’t make any sense. They should lower my rate if they think I will default on my credit card. How will an increase in what you are charging me keep me from defaulting. Luckily, I have the ability to pay off this card today but I want everyone to realize that these companies have you by the short-n-curly’s. Watch your statements and lookout for this scam.

FYI, In NY, the maximum interest rate is 30%. They are charging me more then the maximum allowed in my state. I will send a letter to the BBB, the NY Attorney General, the UT Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Affairs.

As a nation we are in deep trouble. If a credit card company can just raise my rate because they feel like it I am positive that 99% of their customers are also paying 36.1%. How many other credit card companies are doing this to innocent people? We need to fight back. I am going to tell as many people as I can.

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do except payoff the card. I was told I am a high credit risk. I paid the bill in full after I realized the rate was so high and the next month I received another bill for more finance charges for about $255. I paid that bill in full. I just received another bill in the mail for $5.65 and my rate was changed to 37.99%. Another point higher.

I had a few minutes so I called again to see why the rate went up again and they said “Sir, you have been classified as a very high credit risk and as a company we can’t risk you not paying your bill with us.” I said “I just paid my bill in full with your company, I have never had a late payment with your company in three years, I have one mortgage on my house for $290K, 25 years left at a fixed rate of 5.375% and it is worth over $500k and almost zero credit card debt personally. I am in the fastest growing industry right now, CNBC expects the debt collection industry to grow at 25% a year for the next decade. What else would I have to do to receive a better rate?” The extremely rude lady said “Sir, you would need to send a letter to Santa Clause and maybe he can help you out.”

The Government should put a maximum rate in place for the next year or so on all credit card debt. If the credit card companies are truly worried about consumers defaulting on their obligations, wouldn’t it make more sense to lower the rate so we can continue to make the payments? By raising the rate, it only makes it harder to pay and more likely that a consumer will default. The credit card companies are preying on the weak right now hoping you don’t pay so they can pound you with the highest interest rate. When you do default, they now have a higher balance to sell to a collection agency. In my eyes, this is a crime.

The Government doesn’t care either. Instead of giving the banks 350 billion dollars, They could have sent $1151.98 to each US citizen to pay towards credit card debt. The banks still get the money but we the people get a little break on our bill. The average family of four would receive $4607.92 to pay off a credit card. They reason that the banks need the money so they can lend money again to us? Are they crazy? All the banks did was raise the interest rates on our cards and pocket the money without ever having to say what the money went towards. No accountability!

Now the geniuses in Washington are considering giving billions to the auto industry so they can produce more shit cars that we can’t afford. How about giving the money to everybody with a current auto loan so we can pay for the car we already have. The money would still flow to the banks and auto makers via we the people.

Good luck America, your gonna need a miracle.

I feel better now. I was very upset prior to writing this blog. I hope everybody reading this realizes that if it can happen to me it can happen to anybody.

John Monderine Rapid Recovery Solution, Inc.

John Monderine is the President of Rapid Recovery Solution, Inc. a Debt Collection Agency. When you need help getting your Bad Debt collected visit his Collection Agency website for a no obligation free quote.

There are quite a lot of people with bad credit ratings nowadays. Having bad credit is most especially common among people operating small business enterprises. They are the ones who are more prone to having debt problems since they will most like go for personal loans just to be able to augment their operational costs. The problem is that they cannot really pay them on time. They go for bad credit loans which can really be too expensive, and instead of making their plights better, they become more indebted.

As we all know, it is really not a good idea to pay for your debts by borrowing more money again. Loans for people with bad credit exist, but eventually, going for them will not be a good thing. One example is debt consolidation. Debt consolidation intends to combine all your debts and lets you pay them off all at once every month until the time comes that you are able to pay all your existing debts. But there is one problem. Debt consolidation will mean that you need to apply for another loan just to repay your existing loans, and worse, it doesn’t come cheap. Soon enough, you will be on another situation wherein your debt problems will turn out to be a never-ending series if you aren’t able to look for a better solution.

A better solution than debt consolidation which can really help you recover from having bad credit is debt management. The main advantages of debt management are the following:

1. There is no need to get a loan just to be able to pay off your existing creditor loans.

2. You can have a debt management specialist help you in paying off all your existing loans. He or she will aid you in eliminating all of them through negotiations with your creditors. These negotiations aim to lower what you originally owe all of them.

3. Debt management is an option that can work both for people with bad credit and good credit.

4. Debt management will be able to help you have a better credit score by making you accountable for really affordable monthly repayments.

5. Your debt management specialist will be able to do counseling for you in order to discipline yourself in such a way that you can control and manage your spending the right way.

6. You will be able to manage all your income as well as your expenses in such a manner that your expenses are always lower than your income. You can be assured that you will still have some left over.

7. It assists you in your debts and financial responsibilities by lowering the interest rates of your existing financial obligations.

8. Your debt management specialist will be the one liaising with all your creditors, saving you time as well as keeping you from becoming all stressed out.

The bad credit rating that you have will gradually turn into good credit rating because of debt management. By having this program, you can be sure that your finances and debts are properly handled.

Want to consolidate loans? Visit Debt Relief IE, where Kathleen Carter will teach you how to choose the best financial advice in Ireland today.

If you have a lot of creditors always hounding you, you will most likely feel you have no escape. This is often the case if you are operating on a small budget. You may find them calling you non-stop just to remind you about your obligations to them. You may also find yourself swamped with collection letters, and may even fear reading them because you may find you have incurred additional interest that you cannot even afford to pay. Having to pay your monthly bills is already stressing you out, right? On top of that owing them additional interest is enough to drive any sane person crazy!

The scenario mentioned above is normal these days. If you are experiencing this, then most probably, you feel like your nerves are being pulled in every direction. You might be feeling really sorry for yourself and feeling helpless at the same time. You might also think that there’s no way out of your depressing state. The good thing is that there is. You can seek the help of debt management consultants.

The best thing to do is avail of a debt counseling service in your quest of becoming debt-free. They will be able to help you get your monthly creditor repayments reduced by as much as 50 percent and will also be able to help you to eliminate interest. All of these can be done through a debt plan.

Debt services can work like a charm for you since there will no longer be any need for you to acquire a loan just to pay off your existing ones. You may need to pay a debt management consultant for debt counseling, but the benefits that you will be able to get from a debt plan will be all worth it. Why? It is because they will liaise with your creditors on your behalf, saving you the hassle of having to deal with them directly. It will save you the possibility of being in an embarrassing situation.

Upon deciding to take on a debt service, you should make sure that you get somebody you can always count on. He or she should be genuine and sincere in their approach. To be able to gauge if a debt management consultant is sincere and genuine, make sure they listen to you closely, and are sympathetic to what you are going through. It is good to trust your gut feelings. Usually, your intuition will guide you in the right direction.

It is not enough, that you just find any debt consultant who is sincere and genuine. He or she should also have the right experience and the expertise needed to execute the job, otherwise, your debt problems will not get resolved and you will end up just wasting your money.

Be sure to do some homework when looking for a debt consultant to help you. Always do background checks. You can also rely on word of mouth references. Choose wisely.

Want to get in touch with the best debt credit counseling in Ireland? Go to Debt Relief Ireland and get great debt services now.

Have you been deciding whether or not to consolidate loans? This is a decision that should be made sooner than later. The longer you wait, the more money you are losing.

People consolidate their loans for two main reasons. One is to get a single monthly payment that is less than the sum of the other individual ones that are being paid. The other is to get a lower rate of interest and be able to pay less when all is said and done for the entire loan.

But there are a lot of people who wait to consolidate their loans. The thing is, by doing so, you are paying more every month than you have to. Maybe you do have enough money to throw away, but surely there are other things you would rather spend it on?

There is no negative association to loan consolidation. It will not show up as a black mark on your credit report. Actually, it is far more of a positive thing, in particular if you have been having a difficult time paying your bills. Whatever is holding you back from getting more information, now is the time to do it.

You might have not found the time to investigate more about it yet. But what if your monthly bills get too high and your payments start getting late? This can have a way of escalating until, before you know it, there are bill collectors looking for you on a daily basis.

All of this can easily be avoided by having your loans consolidated. You can get a lower interest rate as well as a lower monthly payment as a result. What had been a seemingly endless struggle all of a sudden becomes easier.

An additional benefit is being able to make just the single payment. Keeping track of your checkbook and paying your monthly bills just became a bit easier also. These payments can often be made as an automatic debit as well. Signing up for these debits can sometimes result in a further reduction in your monthly payments.

Take a little time out of your day to get more knowledge about loan consolidation and ask for the key details. What is the interest rate and how long will your loan term be? How much will you end up paying each month?

There is no reason for waiting to consolidate loans. It only ends up costing you more money that you could spend on more worthwhile things. All you need is some information so that you can make a sensible decision.

Warning; debt consolidation may not be the best way to get out of debt! When you need to consolidate loans, also look into the advantages of Debt Management.

If you choose to live a debt – free life, managing your debts may not be as hard with the services the debt management is offering. Besides giving you a financial ease, not all of your earnings will go to the creditors.

With the influx of numerous programs concerning debt management, the consumer will find it hard to choose among them. To get the best company, take a good look at the programs they are offering if they will suit your needs. Ask if it is the right service provider that could alleviate your situation. These companies can be a non – profit or for – profit.

Non – profit companies charge inexpensive fees to their consumers. They help their consumers through supplementary counseling and education to live a debt – free life. Only, they have limited time and resources.

Furthermore, the company that thrives for – profit have more alternatives available for your needs. They will be happy to assist and guide you every step of the way, by spending more time dealing with your crisis. Naturally, the service rates are more expensive.

Coming up a decision on what company to choose is crucial. You have to understand that these companies may offer solutions to debt problems, but this does not happen overnight. It takes a process. To begin the process, one has to take the counseling service, before moving on to the second, which is a program to manage your debts.

The initial feat to living a debt – free life is credit counseling. The counselors will suggest of wise ways on budgeting, saving and planning your expenses. At the same time, they act as a go – between the creditor and you, to converse with how you can repay your debt. After the creditor gives his or her terms, the company will inform you of the proposals on payment reductions and payment scheme. And if it troubles you to live within a limit, the counselors can offer you ways on how to put aside unnecessary expenditures.

Debt management program is in succession with credit counseling, as the former is established based on what has been arranged during the counseling process. This time, the calculated repayment proposal is taken into account. Finally, the payable amount is staggered so that the consumer can afford it.

Making your way out of debt will become easier if you collaborate with debt management service providers. They work as hard to make every attempt to help you cope with crisis. If you want a quick and less complicated process from debt relief, these firms are your best partners.

Get free help with debt problems. Debt advisorscan offer you realistic options for debt settlement at Debt Relief Ireland.

categories: debt management,credit services,financial services,saving,management

It is no longer easy to experience financial stability nowadays. People from all walks of life are now experiencing the hardships brought about by these hard times. Even those who feel that they are already financially stable and will remain so for life suddenly find themselves having problems making ends meets. It is of utmost importance for you to be sure you protect your income in order to be able to make sure you will be able to sustain your daily needs. It should be among your priorities.

Have you ever heard of income protection? You may have heard about it but then, do not have an idea what it is and how it works. Simply put, income protection will help you in making sure you have a steady flow of income during moments when you do not have a job because of unavoidable circumstances, like illness or disability. It is important to have income protection insurance, especially if your loved ones depend on you. There are a number of different types of income protection out in the market today, but whichever one you choose, they are all designed to achieve one purpose, that is, to make sure cash keeps flowing in even if you are unable to work.

When you have income protection insurance you can be sure you have something to protect your main sources of income at all times. It will be able to provide you up to about seventy-five percent of your normal income if you are not able to work because of accidents, illness, or disability. There are policies that even cover up to retirement age, and having such a policy is highly recommended.

If you are an owner of a business or an employee, you should prioritize having income protection insurance. By having one, you will be guaranteed that you can still keep on paying your household bills, mortgage obligations, and other expenses in the event that you aren’t able to work. It is often referred to as permanent health insurance, but it is not entirely the same with a health care plan. The main difference between the two is that a health care plan won’t provide you with any cash to maintain your daily requirements, while income protection will.

If you become seriously ill, as long as you are working for a legit company or your are running a legit business, you will be entitled to sick leave pay, pension payments, or social welfare payments, whichever are applicable. But then, if having these are still not enough to sustain all your needs, then you definitely need to have mortgage protection insurance.

You are in need of mortgage protection insurance if you:

1. Are self-employed.

2. You don’t get enough compensation from your company when you get sick.

3. Do not own a health plan or an ill-health pension protection.

To make sure you continue receiving the benefits of your income protection insurance, you need to continue running your own business or be employed. Make sure you check out different income protection insurance quotes from different insurance providers. Do not ever make the mistake of not knowing what your benefits are.

Kate Smith writes all about insurance in New Zealand, including business insurance. Her articles on income protection quotes have helped a lot of clients at Best Insurance Quotes NZ.