http://www.plasticeconomy.com Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:53:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Have you received a letter in the mail from a debt collection agency, claiming you owe them money?  If you look at the bottom of this letter, you'll see verbiage telling you that you have the right to request validation of the debt -- aka, proof you actually owe the ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/debt-validation-letter.php "Did you know millions of Americans live with debt they cannot control?  That's why I've developed this unique new program for managing your debt -- it's called "Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford." http://www.plasticeconomy.com/snl-dont-buy-stuff-you-cannot-afford.php You have many legal rights when being pursued by a debt collection agency. These rights come from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, passed in 1977 to protect consumers from abusive debt collection policies.  Some of your rights include: Contact methods A debt collection agency can contact you by ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/know-your-rights-with-debt-collectors.php Credit cards (loans) have been given away by retailers for the past decade like candy. While credit cards, like anything, can be used in responsibly in moderation -- credit cards at Macy's can never be used responsibly, unless you just can't sleep without those 2,000 thread count sheets. Maybe we ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/list-of-store-credit-cards.php Nobody likes dealing with debt collectors, regardless if you actually owe the debt or not.  They can harass you day and night, leave messages with friends or family looking for you, and can be very intimidating.  It's important though to keep your calm -- that's where we start our list: 1.  ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/5-biggest-mistakes-in-dealing-with-collectors.php This letter is intended to be sent to a representative of a company that you are currently in good standing with but is currently reporting one or more late payments on your credit report. YOUR NAME YOUR ADDRESS LINE 1 YOUR ADDRESS LINE 2 MONTH DAY, YEAR THEIR NAME (OR DEPARTMENT) ADDRESS LINE 1 ADDRESS ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/goodwill-letter.php Everyone has an answer for why we're in this "credit crunch, financial meltdown, insert buzzword, etc."  Turn on any cable news channel, or even the local news, and in between the car commercials you'll find experts trading their theories for air time and a plug.  Experts, economists that have attended ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/loans-at-department-stores.php Getting out of debt is a common goal of many people. One solution that many people use to get out of debt is to obtain a loan to pay off debts. How it Works When you use a loan to pay off your debts, you must first obtain a loan large ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/paying-debts-with-loans.php When you look at your bills each month, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of money that you're spending on debt. Sometimes debt might seem like a trap that you only want to fight your way out of, but not all debt is bad.  When a lender looks ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/good-vs-bad-debt.php Debt settlement companies say they can relieve financial strain by lowering your monthly payments and reducing the amount of debt you owe. This may seem like a solution to your money woes, but there's a lot that these companies don't tell you. Like their high administrative fees for ... http://www.plasticeconomy.com/debt-settlement.php