Author Archives: Mallory Megan

Crack Down On Superbowl Expenses

Despite the fact that we are in the middle of a recession, and a lot of you are in debt, there is no reason that you can’t throw a really great Super Bowl Party. Continue reading

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Get Rich Quick Or Get Rich Scam – Freebie Trading

Freebie trading, a controversial moneymaking scheme uses online forums, You Tube videos, personal websites and a number of other marketing sites to guide traffic to web sites that advertise many products and trial offer in exchange for a fee. Freebie trading differs from other types of affiliate marketing because it includes people who make an agreement to purchase products from these sites on one another’s behalf, for a cut of the commission that results in exchange. Continue reading

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Foreclosures On The Increase

Recent research by RealtyTrac Year-End 2009 Foreclosure Market Report shows us that 3,957,643 foreclosure filings have been reported on 2,824,674 U.S. properties in the year of 2009. This also includes foreclosure auctions that were scheduled, default notices and bank repossessions. Continue reading

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For Financial Stability, A Student Loan Consolidation Might Be Your Best Bet

Nowadays, cash is hard to come across for everyone attempting to meet the standards of living, even young people. As the job market tightens with more and more people losing jobs, competition for employment becomes more fierce and a college education may now be a necessity. While you were in school, loans paid your way through college, but since you have graduated the unthinkable has happened, and these debts have come out to haunt you, maybe even before you are able to secure your first job. A whole slew of debt collectors may be contacting you, and now, you are a frenzied mess searching for anyone who can help you with a student loan consolidation. Continue reading

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Just How Long Will A Negative Mark Stay On Your Credit Score? Part One

Your credit score. It could be your worst nightmare, or a dream come true. But most of the time it’s kind of like that nosy mother in law coming to stay at your house for a few days. You know that she is coming to stay, and you are not looking forward to it, but you are too nervous to ask or even consider how long she might be paying you that visit. OK, so that analogy wasn’t that great. But anyway, read on to see just how long negative marks will stay on your credit history. Continue reading

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How Do You Invest In Bonds And What Are The Risks?

Stocks and bonds. Doubtlessly, you’ve heard of them, and if you have been reading my articles, you know what they are. If you have not been, you should! But here is a quick update: stocks represent a portion of ownership in a company, and a bond represents money that a company “borrowed” and has to pay back on set dates. You might have heard that bonds are “safer” to invest in than stocks, but is this true? How are bonds traded, and what are the differences between a stock market and a bond market? Hopefully, this article can put these questions to rest. Continue reading

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Mutual Funds For Beginners Part One

Are you new to the stock market game? Not a problem! This series of articles on mutual funds will make it easy for you to understand what a mutual fund is, what it is all about and whether it is worth your while to invest in one. My first three articles are titled “Mutual Funds For Beginners” and they lay down the basics. Continue reading

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Investing In The Stock Market For Beginners

Are you a stock market beginner? The amount of “civilians” that have become involved in the stock market has increased sharply over the past few decades. So you might be asking yourself “how can I get a cut of the deal and make money investing?” There are a number of different approaches to finding companies that may be worthwhile to invest in, but two basic methods are fundamental analysis or technical analysis. Fundamental analysis involves analyzing companies by their financial statements found in SEC Filings, general economic conditions, business trends and the like. Continue reading

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Collection Agencies Step Up To Bat As Young People Slip More And More Into Debt

For American people just starting out, the most current analysis of trends in our economy points to the fact that incomes are decreasing. Many financial experts and leaders in the collections industry have reason to believe that this paradigm shift will be a permanent one. Out of all of the demographics in the United States, young adults are the most uninsured when it comes to health care coverage. A staggering thirty percent of these individuals have absolutely no insurance. And even though a large portion of uninsured young people are employed, many have just begun their careers and work at low wage jobs for employers who offer limited or no health care benefits. Continue reading

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How To Deal With A Debt Collector Part Two

If a collection agent is asking that you pay a debt that you think you don’t owe, or more money than you may owe, you have the legal power to dispute the debt in writing. The legal terms for doing this are “debt validation” or “debt verification.” Within the first five days of contacting you, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires that bill collectors notify you of your right to validate the debt. You need to ask for verification within thirty days of when you are first told about the debt. Always send your request by certified mail. Continue reading

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Bankruptcy Attorneys Get Down

For some reason a gathering of mid-level bankruptcy professionals made it into the news recently. They met at a bar, some networked, others found new clients, and others just came for the fun. Sources reveal that all of the young executives were enjoying themselves very much. Continue reading

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What To Do If You Have A Bill Collector On The Phone

If you owe debt to a creditor collection agencies are allowed to report your debt to credit bureaus, file lawsuits against you, and should be taken very seriously. The best way to protect yourself and your financial situation is a methodical approach. First, know why you are being contacted. Know where the debt is from and exactly how much it costs. Continue reading

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10 Tips To Help Collect Past Due Accounts

Ten Tips on how to collect debt: Continue reading

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Tactics For Collection: When Consumers Don’t Pay

Companies generally succeed when they create relationships with their clients that are founded on trust. However sometimes customers do fall behind in payments to purchase goods or services that they have received. There are a few ways to address this issue. Continue reading

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What Is The Deal With Bill Collectors? Pt. 2

If the person in debt agrees to pay, the bill collector will record this commitment and will check up later to make sure that the payment was made. If a debtor does not pay, the collector will prepare a statement about their delinquency for the credit department of whoever they work for. In extreme cases, collectors may call for repossession, hand over the account to an attorney or disconnect service. Continue reading

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When Do I Call In A Credit Collection Agency?

You should call in a credit collection agency sooner rather than later. The longer you wait to start the collection process on overdue accounts, the less of a chance you’ll have at recovering your money. Continue reading

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Protecting Yourself Against Debt Collection Scams

The government is stepping up as debt collection scams rise. In recent news, Buffalo New York has been home to a number of unlawful debt collection practices, and authorities have arrested at least twelve people. Although the vast majority of collection agencies are legitimate and good for the economy, there has been a rising amount of deceptive and illegal practices. Continue reading

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Two Powerful Prosecutors Go After Debt Collection Agencies

In recent news it was revealed that powerful prosecutors in Louisiana and Washington made announcements of actions they had obtained against debt collection agencies and their owners and managers. Continue reading

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Debt Collection 101

If the debtor agrees to pay the bill, the debt collector will put this commitment on file and will check up later to ensure that the payment was made. If a debtor doesn’t pay, the collections agent will then prepare a statement about their delinquency for the credit department of whoever they work for. In extreme cases, collectors may call for repossession, hand over the account to an attorney or disconnect service. Continue reading

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Collection Industry Prepares For Young Adults

The most up to date analysis of the American economy reveals that incomes are diminishing for those just starting out. The Collections Industry has reason to believe that this paradigm shift will be permanent. Continue reading

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County Officials Put Off Ambulance Collections Decision

Commissioners on Monday delayed a decision to hire a collection agency because of unpaid ambulance bills incurred in unincorporated areas of Flagler County. Instead, county staff will do more research and the item will be brought back to commissioners for consideration sometime in July. Continue reading

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Cash Payouts With A Structured Settlement

The amount of a cash payout on a structured settlement depends largely on the dollar value placed on a claimant’s pain and suffering and terms offered by buyout firms. In a structured settlement, claimants can wait months and years to receive compensation for personal injury caused by motor vehicle accidents, or included in trust funds, or annuities. Continue reading

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Small Business Owners Feeling The Pinch Of The Economy

You would have to be living under a rock if you don’t know that we’re in the worst financial crisis in our lifetimes in the USA. If you find yourself worried about your business and what can happen next, you’re certainly not alone. Continue reading

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Declaring Bankruptcy: Automatic Stay And How It Protects You From Creditors

U.S. Bankruptcy Code imposes something called an automatic stay the moment that a petition for bankruptcy is filed. The automatic stay will usually halt the commencement, enforcement or appeal of actions and judgments against a debtor from the creditors they owe money to that are attempting to collect these debts incurred prior to the bankruptcy petition. In addition, the automatic stay protects property of the bankruptcy estate itself from collection actions and proceedings. Continue reading

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All About Bankruptcy Court

Basically, bankruptcy cases can be voluntary or involuntary. The overwhelming majority of cases will be voluntary. In these, debtors (the people who owe money) petition the bankruptcy court. With involuntary bankruptcy creditors (the people who you money to) file the petition in bankruptcy. Involuntary petitions are usually rare and are sometimes utilized in business settings in order to force a company into bankruptcy so the creditors can enforce their rights. Continue reading

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