As with many things in life, do your research. There are some shady debt negotiation companies in the country today that are there to collect your money through outrageous fees and leave you high and dry. To avoid being taken advantage of, look for a debt negotiation company that does not charge upfront fees…this usually means that they are not out to get you. Another thing to look for in a legitimate company is if they are members of the American Coalition of Companies Organized to Reduce Debt (ACCORD) If you opt to use to a for-profit debt negotiation company, just know that you do NOT have to be charged outrageous upfront fees, there are companies who charge $0 upfront.

One of the best perks of debt settlement is that after you complete the program, you will find yourself free of your unsecured debt with a satisfied creditor. With bankruptcy, not only does it ruin credit, but your creditors often times do not collect any money for your debts. With debt settlement, these creditors are more likely to take a settlement offer because “something is better than nothing.”

The Debt Settlement Program is one of the only debt settlement companies in the nation that has NO upfront fees in their Simple Plan program. In addition to that awesome incentive, they are a certified member of ACCORD. If you are interested in learning a little bit of more information about the Debt Settlement Program, visit them on the web at The Debt Settlement Program. They also can be reached toll-free at 1-877-386-3603

As a citizen of the United States, you have some of the best options available to you for debt settlement! Don’t be afraid to investigate a company that you do not have a good feeling about! Check if the company is a member of ACCORD (The American Coalition of Companies Organized to Reduce Debt). ACCORD is a non-profit organization that can help YOU in your decision to have a third party negotiate your debt for you. If a company is a member of ACCORD, they have gone through screenings that make them legitimate to help you.

When investigating a company, do not be afraid to ask a ton of questions! What out of pocket expenses will I be responsible for? Have you been in business a long time? What kind of fees throughout the program will there be? If a company is not giving you a firm and direct answer, RUN! Currently, The Debt Settlement Program is offering a program called The Simple Plan that has NO UPFRONT FEES for you the consumer. The company is performance based; so they do not make any money until they settle your debt! Visit them on the web today! The Debt Settlement Company.

When using a Debt Settlement Company, your credit cards that are enrolled in the program for settlement can not be used (while enrolled). By the time that your unsecured debt is paid off, you have learned how to live without relying on credit and loans. What a great feeling!

Debt Settlement has many perks. A great part of debt settlement is that by the time you complete the program and have paid off that unsecured debt, a great sense of accomplishment will be instilled in you for doing it on your own. There is currently a simple program being offered by Financial Consulting Services that includes no upfront fees!! Feel free to visit their website for more information about this plan or give them a call at 1-877-682-4859.

Our recessed economy can be partially to blame for all of the debt that is racking up amongst Americans. There are millions of hard-working people who deserve to be freed from this debt that they continue to incur.

Debt consolidation consists of rolling together existing loan payments into one “more manageable” payment. The unsecured debt suddenly becomes secured debt. It is not smart to take out a loan to cover your debt. Suze Orman would be shaking her head at you if you did that.

The good news is that debt settlement ELIMINATES the consumer’s debt. There is no need to claim bankruptcy or take out any loans if you decide to go with a settlement firm. Doesn’t “no debt” sound better than “another loan to cover existing debt”?  Contact us today with any questions you may have regarding our easy enrollment settlement programs or visit us on the web! Debt Services Online

ACCORD, the American Coalition of Companies Organized to Reduce Debt, is an organization that, much like USOBA, United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives, has set extremely strict guidelines in regards to debt settlement company membership. Any company that wishes to enroll and become credited by ACCORD must adhere to certain policies that truly make it impossible for the company to be fraudulent in any way.

Debt settlement and negotiation companies that join ACCORD agree to operate by these three critical principles:

1.) We believe debt negotiation and settlement must become a solid, credible industry that provides measurable and serious debt relief for consumers facing the overwhelming power of credit card companies. ACCORD member companies agree to operate fairly, transparently and with the goal of delivering some critically-needed balance to credit card company / card holder relationship.

2.) We only get paid when we successfully settle or negotiation our clients outstanding credit card debt. That means absolutely no up-front fees, no interim fees and no payment of any kind unless and until we deliver real savings to the client on their credit card balances. No success, no fee!

3.) We believe in and practice full disclosure to clients and regulators. Before any prospective client signs any agreement, ACCORD companies disclose fully, completely and in the simplest language possible the exact terms of our performance-based agreement and we supply regulators with all the information necessary to evaluate our compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

www.AmericanCCord.com

It doesn’t have to be complicated, or shady. It’s simple, much like The Simple Plan that ACCORD endorses that has been taking the nation by storm. The Simple Plan is ACCORD’s debt settlement program that involves no upfront fees and forces the debt negotiators to work diligently for an affordable debt settlement for their clients. The fees at the end of the 12 to 36 month program is based solely on the amount each client is saved. A percentage of the saved amount is then charged, which entices the debt negotiators to do their absolute best to get the customer the best possible settlement, because everyone wins in the end.

According to the recent article that I read, over 15 million people are out of work, over 5 million of them have been out of work for 6 months or more, and those who are working are averaging on 33 hours a week. Everyone is struggling, and the fraudulent debt settlement and collection agencies are making more money than ever, preying on the middle class. While everyone is barely keeping food on the table, credit card companies, debt collection agencies, and debt settlement companies are sitting high and mighty. But not every debt settlement company should be included in that category.

The reliable debt settlement companies are laying off employees just like everyone else, as they refuse to take advantage of the weak by raising prices and limiting services. ACCORD certified companies are simply changing the way they do business to benefit the consumer, even if it means taking the high road and losing employees.

When researching your debt settlement options, don’t be veered by the bloggers who want to keep you from alternative debt relief options that come from reliable companies, and that might actually help you out in the long run.

For reliable, ACCORD certified debt settlement help, visit http://www.yourdebtnegotiator.com.

Why is it so important to pay more than just the minimum payment on your credit card? Simple put; you will never get out of debt if you continue to only pay the minimum.

What you need to do is come up with a plan of action to attack your credit card debt. Paying down the balance is your ultimate goal. You don’t have to pay off your entire credit card in a few months, but you should focus on paying down your overall debt.

If you have more than one credit card, it’s best to take a look at the one with the highest APR first. These are the ones you’ll want to attack before any others, simply because they are eating away at your pocket. With a high APR, you are literally throwing your money way every month. I have a credit card with a balance of about $10,000 on it. (Used it to pay for my wedding.) The interest rate bloats my payment by an incredible $77.00 each month! That’s almost $100.00 that I would literally be throwing away. It’s ridiculous.

So, take your highest APR cards and figure out what your minimum monthly payment on those is. All you have to do is work out what you can afford to pay. If it’s only $10 more a month, than that’s great! That $10 will add up over time and help to lower your balance quicker than simply paying the minimum. If this means that you have to take your lunch with you to work every day and put that $20 a week to the credit card, than it’s a sacrifice that you’ll just have to make. You’ll be happier for it in the long run when you are out from under your credit card debt.

Something important to remember when making those minimum monthly payments is that most of that money is not going to your credit card debt, it’s going directly to the credit card company. That alone should be some sound motivation for paying more than the minimum. On top of the yearly and sometimes monthly fees that your credit card company is charging you, if you are only making the minimum monthly payments, you are doing nothing more than paying the credit card company their interest fees.

A complimentary tactic that many experts suggest is to take a look at your lowest balances. If you have more than one credit card, aim to tackle the ones with the highest APR, and the ones with the lowest balance. The quicker you get those paid off, the quicker you can focus on the next ones. Remember; do not close it once it’s paid off. This might adversely affect your credit score. Simply hide it, or even cut it up, but do not close it.

Paying more than the minimum will greatly increase your chance of paying off your credit card debt, even if you only increase your payments by $10 to $50 a month. Make the necessary changes to make it happen, and the sacrifice will be well worth the payoff. Financial freedom is truly an amazing feeling.

Need some debt negotiated? Check out http://www.yourdebtnegotiator.com.

For this reason, state and federal government agencies are taking back control of the debt settlement industry and placing consumer rights at the fore-front. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is currently taking charge of the effort in Chicago. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Attorney General Madigan has seen an increase in the amount of complaints that her office receives regarding fraudulent debt settlement companies.

In this case, Debt Solutions of America is under fire for taking their clients’ money and not fulfilling promises to reduce credit card debt by 50 percent! One of the first rules of the debt settlement industry is not to make promises that you cannot keep. To be completely transparent and honest with your client is the best thing that you can do, even if it means not being able to tell your client everything they want to hear.

According to the article, Debt Solutions basically promised to get clients out of debt. With this promise, clients were required to stop payment on any credit cards, and redirect payment to Debt Solutions on a monthly basis. While they were paying monthly debt settlement fees, Debt Solutions did nothing to settle their debt. Many clients were eventually sued by their creditors.

“These charges are outrageous and baseless,” the firm said, adding that it has a letter from the state of Illinois “confirming that we are a legitimate business” operating within the law. (Chicago Tribune)

According to ACCORD membership guidelines, a reliable source when it comes to setting debt settlement industry standards, Debt Solutions biggest mistake was its failure to be completely transparent. By telling clients to stop paying on their credit card debt, and not informing them of the possible consequences to their credit score and wallet, they were shuffling around the system. By not informing customers of an estimated time frame, and by not working to meet that time frame, they were changing the debt settlement game to meet their needs.

A respectable debt settlement company will be a member of ACCORD or USOBA. They also will have a great track record and numerous client achievements. In most cases, they will not charge upfront fees. Since the FTC is beginning to really crack down on the industry, if your debt settlement company is still charging upfront fees it will probably have to change soon anyways as the FTC proposes legislation to stop that practice.

In Illinois, Attorney General Madigan isn’t the only one cracking down. Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has proposed new legislation of his own to help keep consumers safe from fraudulent debt settlement companies. According to Giannoulias, many debt settlement companies will tell clients to stop paying their credit cards and instead make that deposit monthly toward the debt settlement. In many of those cases, the debt settlement company promises a settlement worth pennies on the dollar, and yet does not deliver, while the client plunges further and further into credit card debt.

The proposed state legislation would require debt settlement companies to be licensed in the state and the fees they charge would be capped at $50 upfront and $30 per month. Additional fees could only be based on how much consumer the consumer actually saved. Other steps would also require the companies to provide monthly statements and would also bar them from the credit score damaging process of advising people to stop making their regular payments. (Credit.com)

ACCORD members who are a part of The Simple Plan charge absolutely no upfront fees and have no hidden costs. It is a great program that ACCORD is actually working with legislators, politicians, and lobbyists to give some traction to. With The Simple Plan, the fees are based on the amount saved on the debt settlement. This is a wonderful new debt settlement program because it forces the debt negotiators to work hard for their clients’ settlement. The greater savings the debt settlement company gets the client, the more they have to gain. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, and it is completely transparent.

For more information from a respectable debt settlement company who is accredited by ACCORD and USOBA, visit http://www.yourdebtnegotiator.com.

Overall, U.S. consumers have been finding ways to dig themselves out of credit card debt, even with the ridiculous unemployment numbers and foreclosure rates. Nationally, credit card debt has decreased a whopping 4%! That is an amazing number when you consider these rough economic times that we still find ourselves in.

What is also amazing is that overall national credit scores are improving as well. Nationally, U.S. consumers have brought up there credit score by 32%, while 32% have remained the same number and 29% have decreased. Today, the average credit score is 672, which is a pretty good number considering our situations.

While all news isn’t great on the credit card front, and in yesterdays posting we spoke about how tough credit card companies are being on Arizona residents, things are definitely turning around. Louisiana is one of the states that has continued to fall below the line. The latest numbers from Louisiana show a credit debt increase of 15%, although their state average credit card balance is almost a thousand lower than the national average.

Need more information on how to get out of debt? Check out http://www.yourdebtnegotiator.com.

Hit by fallout from the recession, housing slump and rising unemployment, many institutions have scaled back lending. Last week, the American Bankers Association reported record-high delinquencies in three consumer areas: home-equity loans, equity lines of credit and credit cards.(AZ Republic)

According to the American Bankers Association, it’s Washington’s fault. When they began passing legislation to regulate the credit card industry, as well as home loan lenders, they gave the American people false hope that things in the industry would change for the better. (Really? That’s their reasoning!)

“Sometimes, expectations don’t always line up with reality,” said Tanya Wheeless, president and CEO of the Bankers Association.

Of the problems that Arizona residents are facing with their credit cards is the out-of-the-blue rate changes, the limit decreases, and the supposedly-fixed-rates being changed to variable rates. Credit card holders in Arizona, and around the country, are furious.

“After they get bailout money, they want more,” said one Arizona resident fighting with his credit card company. “Our tax dollars are not enough for them.”

But, the bankers and credit card companies continue to blame the government for the new legislation. It’s the new legislation, they say, that has made it harder for them to provide for their clients. Lenders warned Washington that the new legislation would lead to higher borrowing costs, which now seem to be setting in.

While owning a credit card and a bank account usually costs the consumer no additional fees if they make their payments on time, fees for making withdrawals from ATM’s not owned by their bank and bouncing a check are rising dramatically.

The bottom line is to keep an eye on your credit card statements every month. If you see a discrepancy, visit or call your bank. According to the Arizona Republic article, bankers are more willing to work with you if you contact them early. Instead of tossing your statements into the junk drawer to be looked at later when you have time, look at them as soon as they arrive. If there is a problem, a rate hike, or a new fee, call immediately.

Also, know the new Credit Card Act rules. If your bank is raising your interest rates, they are required to let you know a full month in advance, and are required to offer you other options should you chose not to continue with their services at the new interest rates.

For more information regarding credit card debt, visit http://www.yourdebtnegotiator.com.

Like it or not, the discussion for extending the tax credit is continuing in the House and Senate. My suggestion, however, is if you’re seriously interested in getting a home, get one now because it’s a better time than ever to purchase a home for the first time. Home prices are still incredibly low, and that incentive is very tempting. Who doesn’t like free money?

According to SubprimeBlogger.com, an extension of the first time home buyers tax credit could grow home sales by 20%! Many experts believe that once the economy picks up a bit, and people start getting jobs and stop losing them, this extension could greatly improve home sales numbers. While  numbers have been great for the program so far, one argument is that they will only get better as the economy improves. Kind of like the chicken and the egg, huh?

Time is definitely running out, however. For most first time buyers, the purchase of a home from searching to closing takes longer than a mere two months. If you’re already looking, think about making an offer soon. The average close on a home takes about four weeks, which would put you right at that deadline if you found a home this month.

If you’re choosing to wait it out and save while you watch to see if congress will extend the first time homebuyer credit, there are some strong arguments in your favor. The Realtors group said in mid-September that 350,000 new buyers would not have purchased a home this year without the credit, according to Business Week. Home prices have increased 1.6% in 20 markets over the summer, prompting industry experts to credit the first time home buyer credit for pushing home sales.

While congress talks about extending the tax credit, the real-estate lobby wants to not only extend it, but to raise it from $8,000 to $15,00, which is making me think we should have waited a little longer to purchase our first home.

Don’t forget to check out http://www.yourdebtnegotiator.com for more information.