debt

American Express: What's An Apartment Number?

American Express: What's An Apartment Number?

American Express truncated Ted’s address and sent his account to collections when he never received or paid his bill. The card in question was a backup card Ted used once in May 2006. He called Amex when he didn’t receive a bill in June. They told him a bill would only be issued if there were charges. He asked for one anyway, but they refused. Company policy.

Jump forward to December 27th. 8:30 AM. I get woken up by a collections agency telling me a) that I owe American Express for a charge from August, that b) I was obviously defrauding them, and that c) I was, to put it mildly, not being cooperative.

Ted never received a statement. Ted never received a late-notice. Ted never got a call from Amex. So why was a collections agency on the phone?

Credit Card Documentary "Maxed Out" Opens Today

Credit Card Documentary "Maxed Out" Opens Today

Maxed Out, a documentary about the credit card industry, is opening today in select cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC, Seattle, and Austin) and next week in a few more (Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis).

Debt Drives Student To Live In Pick-up Truck

Debt Drives Student To Live In Pick-up Truck

The 26-year-old has been living in his truck for nearly 19 months, skirting rules against sleeping in vehicles while otherwise living the life of a mainstream student. What started out as a way to save some cash has turned into a journey of self-reliance and independence.

The Most Common Forms Of Troubling Debt

In general, there are two types of individuals who seek out my services: the extremely poor who are in a relatively large amount of debt and the middle class who have leveraged themselves into a whole world of debt.

The poor can’t make ends meet (they fall behind and it snowballs), but the middle class buy their way into debt with luxury cars, private schooling, and huge balances on their credit cards.

To help these people that are swimming in debt, I also offer one-on-one counseling where we discuss which assets can be refinanced, such as a car or a home. Another possible solution for many individuals is to look into a tax-deductible HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) with a much lower interest payment than their credit cards. Although many of these problems can be solved by paying off high interest debts and using a little creative refinancing, education is essential to making sure that this issue does not arise again.

This advice seems so elementary, and yet there are so many people like the ones CreditPro describes. Why do people buy things they can’t afford? It is a great mystery of life. —MEGHANN MARCO

What To Look For In A Credit Counseling Service

What To Look For In A Credit Counseling Service

Credit counseling is not for everyone, but may be for you if you are struggling with debt. Credit counselors work by negotiating a reduced payment plan with creditors. In exchange for receiving timely payments, creditors may return a small portion of the amount received to the counseling service. Only consider a counselor if you can reign in your spending and pay off your debt in less than five years.

Math Problem: Best Paying Off Credit Card Method, Snowball or Orzman?

Math Problem: Best Paying Off Credit Card Method, Snowball or Orzman?

The “Snowball” method for paying off debt is very popular, but what about one offered by Suze Orman? Which one results in paying the least money and getting out of debt the fastest? First, take a peek at JLP’s description of both.

Experian Announces Service That Notifies Collection Agencies Of Your Ability To Pay

Experian Announces Service That Notifies Collection Agencies Of Your Ability To Pay

The introduction of additional trigger criteria and attributes within Collection Triggers increases the ability for companies to act quickly when new information is available. Subscribers to Collection Triggers are notified within 24 hours when the financial status of a consumer within their collection portfolio has improved.

“Collection Triggers increases revenue by allowing companies to be first to the door of consumers who have improved their ability to pay,” said Zaydoon H. Munir, senior vice president, Experian’s Consumer Information Solutions. My, what a lovely industry. —MEGHANN MARCO

Debt Collector Verbally Abuses Disabled Elder

Debt Collector Verbally Abuses Disabled Elder

P. writes:

Senate Credit Card Hearing: "Take a Long, Hard Look at How You Treat Your Customers."

Senate Credit Card Hearing: "Take a Long, Hard Look at How You Treat Your Customers."

CNN has the highlights of the Senate Credit Card Hearing and Senator Dodd issued the smackdown WWF (WWE?) style: “If you currently engage in any business practice that you would be ashamed to discuss before this Committee, I would strongly encourage you to cease and desist that practice.

10 Ways To Avoid Credit Card Pitfalls

•Be aware that the card issuer has a great deal of leeway. They reserve the right to change the terms of your card, including the APR (annual percentage rate), at any time, for any reason–with as little as 15 days notice. So check your monthly statement carefully.

Avoid Tax Refund Anticipation Loans

    Some of America’s most cash-strapped taxpayers – those from low- and moderate-income families – spent nearly $1 billion in the latest year recorded for what is almost always an unnecessary product: the so-called “refund anticipation loan” at income tax time. With another tax season gearing up, consumer advocates at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and Consumer Federation of America (CFA) are warning taxpayers to steer clear of refund anticipation loans (RALs), one of the most avoidable tax-time expenses. New figures reveal that RALs drained about $960 million in loan fees, plus over $100 million in other fees, from the wallets of nearly 9.6 million American taxpayers in 2005. “Taxpayers can save themselves over a billion dollars by just saying ‘no’ to quick tax refund loans,” says NCLC staff attorney Chi Chi Wu. “These loans take a chunk out of your hard earned tax refund, and they expose you to the risk of unmanageable debt if your refund doesn’t arrive as expected.”

TRA’s are bad! Just say no.—MEGHANN MARCO

Payday Lenders Are Just A Symptom

Payday lenders receive buckets of bane for preying upon low-income, under informed borrowers, as ruminated upon in a recent NYT piece:

“I Will Threaten Bodily Harm,” A Loan Shark’s Confession

There’s debt collectors, and there’s loan sharks.

Got $2,200? Congrats, You’re Among The World’s Richest People

Image redacted.

Scientific American Wants Money For No Reason

Scientific American Wants Money For No Reason

Reader Maxwell writes in after having been served with a collection notice from a magazine that he’s never subscribed to. Did he piss off a 8th grader, or what?

Fix Your Credit Score Fast, For A Price

Fix Your Credit Score Fast, For A Price

If it were Monopoly, the card would say, “Bank Error Not In Your Favor.”

Fight Debts With Snow

Fight Debts With Snow

Stop debt collectors before they start. Pay your bills on time, sucka. To help you do that, the Debt Snowball Calculator helps you figure out which ones to pay first. Generally, these are the ones with higher interest rates. The calculator does the math for you, freeing your brain for higher level tasks like applying for more credit cards with your new and improved credit rating.

The Geography of Usury

The Geography of Usury

If you’ve ever wondered why your credit card bills are postmarked in Utah, Delaware, Virginia, or South Dakota, and why your interest rates are higher than you think should be legal, the map above might help.