Author: br_admin

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the world… If you want to learn more about protecting yourself from identity theft, submit your name and email below and I’ll send you a 52-page report on how to protect yourself.

Are you hung over?
And I’m not talking about the booze-induced hangover (though you might have that, too!)
I’m talking about the post-holiday credit-card hangover …
The one that happens when you realize you spent way more than you meant to spend.
The one that causes a headache when you wake up, see your credit card bills clearly, and realize what you’ve done.
But there’s hope …
You can recover.
In just a few days, I’m starting a new-and-improved 14-Day Credit Challenge, where you can grab your credit card bills by the horns
once and for all.
Here’s the even better news …
The webinar orientation doesn’t cost a penny and I’ll show you how you can have a 720 credit score in just six months. The enhanced program will take your credit score from wherever it is today …
To at least 720.
In just six months!
It’s like aspirin for your credit card bills…
Click here to reserve your spot.
I’m so sure of my new Challenge that I offer a pretty gutsy guarantee: I promise that you’ll have a 720+ credit score in six months, or I’ll pay you $794.
So put my guarantee to the test! Best-case scenario, you’ll have a 720 score. Worst-case scenario, you’ll have $794.
– Philip Tirone

As you know, I’m a BIG fan of being a father, so naturally … I’m very involved with the National Center for Fathering and learning about “Championship Fathering.”
I wanted to let you know that the Center is raising awareness of fathering by giving away two tickets to the Super Bowl to a father and his lucky son or daughter!
Do you know a great father who would like to know about this?
If yes, please send this to him! Or, if you are a father, you can enter the contest yourself …

1. Like the National Center for Fathering’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NCF4dads
2. Submit your email address to receive exact rules and regulations.

It’s that easy!
Please send this to any GREAT DADS who love football!
– Philip Tirone

If you feel like a company you paid for a service has not delivered the best place to start to attempt to resolve the issue is to contact the company directly. If you’ve tried repeatedly to get your issue resolved by sending an email or leaving voice mail and that’s not getting any attention, send a letter by some traceable means that provides you with proof of delivery. A signature or name of who signed for it is even more beneficial.
The least expensive service to use of to send your letter through the post office by certified mail, return receipt requested. When the letter is signed for you will get back a green postcard showing when it was received and who signed for it. You may also decide to send your letter by FedEx or some other express mail service to get additional attention.
Keep the return receipt postcard or some other delivered proof with a copy of the letter you sent in a safe place. You’ll probably need it later if you have to escalate your dispute.
In your letter give the company 14 days to respond, keep a friendly tone, and state what your issue is and the resolution you would like to receive. There is no need to be mean or nasty in this letter.
Let the company know that if they fail to respond you will escalate the matter to state and federal officials but you want to come to a win-win outcome that is good for both you and reasonable for the company.
Sometimes a company will come back with a refund offer to help remedy the dispute. While the refund offer may not be for the full amount you feel you deserve, only you can determine if the partial refund provides you with a satisfactory outcome and not left feeling cheated.
You don’t have to accept less than you are owed but there must be a cost-benefit determination to figure out if more time, pressure, and escalation on your part is going to result in a better outcome for you.
If the company does not respond or you feel it is insufficient you can escalate your claim to your State Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau, your local consumer affairs office or other enforcement office. You can find a listing of all consumer protection offices online here.
If you’ve been ripped off or have a complaint about a company that has taken your money or made you promises for a loan or was selling you some money saving service, credit repair, or debt help and just hasn’t delivered there are plenty of places to file a complaint in hopes of getting help.
But you may want to consider wiling an online report using the scam report and consumer complaint submission form.
This free service is unique as compared to other online complaint portals in that it companies that are the subject of a filed complaint are contacted and asked to respond directly to your complaint.
The goal of a consumer complaint using this service is to create a conduit for a solution and the problem being resolved.
Without a doubt the effective route to a resolution is to be levelheaded, persistent, and do what you can to work with the company first. Give them a chance to do the right thing. Your documentation that you tried and they did not want to assist you in resolving the dispute will come in handy if you later file your complaint elsewhere.
While this guide is written more for people that feel cheated by a debt relief company, the detailed step-by-step refund directions are still good for almost any dispute.
Author: This article was contributed by GetOutOfDebt.org, a site that provides free help for people looking for advice on how to get out of debt or getting out of debt.
Source: Have You Been Scammed or Ripped Off? How to Get Help and Get The Problem Resolved.

“Dear Steve,
I received an envelope thru my post office box, front of the envelope no name only our mailing address which is PO. Box etc… as I open this envelope it was promotional brochure from sandstourism on their 9th anniversary and there is a 2 scratch and win promo ticket which I scratch the first one it said “thank you” and the second ticket I scratch ” 2nd prize USD 160,000.00 so I called the number on the brochure to claim the prize.
When I’m claiming my prize they told me to scanned the promo ticket so they can verified the bar codes if its valid. they call me personally that the ticket is valid so they asked me a clients#. which I don’t have.. meaning in order for you get this client number you have be a member on this company (hondings) they are investor in Hongkong.
so they research my name if I’m one of the investor in this company which my name did not show. so they called me again telling me because I’m not a n investor i may not be qualified to get the prize they told the major prize is hold for the investor and I ask them if this ticket is hold for one of the investor why did i get this in my mail?
they answer it got mixed up when they in put the promo ticket they accident put on my box number.. so i fight for it i told them no one can claim this ticket accept for me because i have the original ticket after how many days they called me that the company decided to grant the prize to me.. the company holding called me today for verification, and read me a letter of authorization of Hongkong in short ” in order for the company to release this big amount of money need to go in court for legal documentation they asking me a security deposit $3336.04, which after I received my prize they will reimburse the $3260.04, the $100.00 is process fee. I’ve been communicating them for 1 week I called them or they will call me.
should I send them the money? what if this is a scammed? How would i find out if this is a scammed?
Luena”

Dear Luena,
No need to do any more research, it’s a scam.
They are trying to con you to put up thousands of dollars in hopes of getting a big payday. It’s an age old scam. You dangle a big prize out there and make the victim think they only have to invest X to get Y. It seems like a variation of the Nigerian Oil scam.
If you would like to report the mailing, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online, click here.
Save your money.
Please post your responses and follow-up messages to me on this in the comments section below.
Big Hug!

@GetOutOfDebtGuy
Author: This article was contributed by GetOutOfDebt.org, a site that provides free help for people looking for advice on how to get out of debt or getting out of debt.
Source: Sands Tourism Sent Me Two Scratch Off Tickets and Say I’m a Winner. Is This a Scam? – Luena

Scott,
I have a question about rolling credit card debt into a home mortgage.
If I have a current mortgage balance of around $66,150 at 8.25% fixed rate, monthly payments, with 21 years left on a 30 year mortgage, How much do I save if get a 15 year mortgage at 4.85% fixed rate, biweekly payments, with $10,190 of credit card debt added which is currently at 9.99%?
I have been a subscriber for some time now, and our local credit union recommended we do this instead of doing just the home mortgage and then a separate loan for the credit cards. They also told us that by paying biweekly we would knock a few years off the 15 year mortgage.
I read your newsletters all the time and have found it helpful in helping us to get our finances in order before I retire in 8 years. We are almost debt free of credit cards and we look forward to being able to live without being enslaved to the credit companies. If you use this in your newsletter use my first name and last initial.
Thanks Scott you are an asset and inspiration to millions of people in these terrible economic times.
Shawn M.
This is an involved math problem–which I love. 🙂 It’s important that we do an apples-to-apples comparison. That means we have to keep your payments constant. Here we go…
STEP 1: Figure out the numbers AFTER you refinance at 4.85%.
Current Mortgage Balance: $66,150
Credit Card Balance: $10,190
—————————————
Total Principal: $76,340
Refinance APR (Annual Percentage Rate): 4.85%
Loan Period: 15 years
Using the DebtSmart Loan Calculator…
Monthly Payment: $597.75
Biweekly Payment Amount: $597.75/2 = $298.88
Using the DebtSmart Loan Calculator…
Loan Repayment Time with Biweekly Payment: 13.35 years (347.20 biweekly periods)
Total time paying $647.57 per month is 13.35 years or 160.2 months.
STEP 2: Find the total time to repay original loans based on the amount you’re willing to pay for the refinance in Step 1.
Total willing to pay is $298.88 every two weeks.
Monthly: ($298.88 x 26)/12 = $647.57 (same monthly amount as the refinance in Step 1)
Using the DebtSmart Loan Calculator…
The monthly payment that will repay the $66,150 mortgage balance at 8.25% APR, in 21 years: $553.20
From the $647.57 you will use $553.20 for your mortgage and the difference, $94.37, for the $10,190 of credit card debt which is currently at 9.99%.
Using the DebtSmart Loan Calculator…
Time to repay $10,190 at 9.99% with $94.37 per month: 276.48 months which is 23 years. Therefore the mortgage will be paid off first.
Using the DebtSmart Loan Calculator…
The balance remaining on the credit card after 21 years is: $2,082.19
Since the mortgage is paid off, you can use the entire $647.57 to repay the credit card debt balance.
Using the DebtSmart Loan Calculator…
Time to repay $2,082.19 at 9.99% using $647.57 per month: 3.36 months
Total time paying $647.57 is 21 years, 3.36 months or 255.36 months.
CONCLUSION:
The comparison is based on the fact that an apples-to-apples comparison dictates that you pay the same amount per month to both cases and then figure out which case is best and how much is saved.
When you refinance at 4.85% you pay $647.57 for 160.2 months.
With the 8.25% mortgage and 9.99% credit card rate you would have to pay $647.57 for 255.36 months.
Therefore, the amount saved is the difference in payoff time multiplied by the monthly payment:
$647.57 x (255.36-160.2) = $61,622.76 (TOTAL SAVINGS)
That is the amount you could save, instead of spend, by doing the refinance at 4.85%.
You may be interested in reading more on what I think about biweekly mortgages in my article, Biweekly mortgage may be rip-off.

Shawn M.
Author: This article was contributed by DebtSmart.com.
Source:

Before the holidays are over, many consumers will charge an extra $600, $800, even $1,000 to their credit cards. Most shoppers don’t plan for this—it just happens. Department stores tempt them with offers of retail store credit cards, two-for-ones, and big discounts …
But by the time January rolls around, they have giant credit-card-debt hangovers that leave them wondering how they can preserve their finances when they have migraine-headache-sized debt looming over them.
Though they are supposed to be joy-filled, the holidays represent a giant danger to your credit score and your pocketbook. Come the New Year, you will have to battle with your credit card bills as well as increasing interest rates. Remember that when your credit card debt increases, your credit score decreases, which translates to growing interest rates.
But this year can be your breakthrough year. Here are a few of my 10 Holiday Shopping Rules.
1. First and foremost, plan in advance.
This means that before you head to the department stores:

• Make a budget.
• Prioritize your gift list.
• Assign a dollar value to each person on your list.

2. Then, play with cash, and leave your credit cards at home using the “envelope system.”

“I’ll just put it on my credit card, and I’ll pay it off when the bill comes.”
How many times have you said this? The problem is that life tends to get in the way by the time the bills come.
Even to the most disciplined shopper, credit cards are a little like Monopoly money, but if you use cash only, you will limit your spending to the cash in hand.
Before heading to the stores, review your budget and create envelopes with the names of each person you are going to purchase a present for (Son, Mom, Dad, etc.). Within each envelope, place the appropriate amount of money you have budgeted for this person— no more and no less. Each of these envelopes represents the wallet you have for each person on your list.
Though you might want to bring a small amount of cash for parking and lunch, leave all credit cards at home, including your debit cards. When you purchase a present, use the money from the appropriate “wallet.”
This method will create a psychological barrier to impulse shopping. If you are tempted to splurge on a gift, you will be dissuaded when you consider whose wallet you will withdraw money from in order to cover the impulse shopping.

3. Buy your most important presents first.

If you have budgeted appropriately, you will not run out of money, but let’s face it: Money does not go as far as it used to.
When shopping, buy the gifts at the top of the priority list first and, if you go over budget, find substitutes for those people on the bottom of your list. (Your sister would probably love a framed picture as much as a $75 sweater.)
If you buy your most important gifts first, you will be less tempted to charge things to your credit card. But if you save your most important gifts for last, you might find yourself turning to credit cards when all your cash has been spent on less-important gifts.
Finally, never get the credit-card discount.
4. Finally, never get the credit-card discount.
That 10 percent discount you get for signing up for a store credit card might seem like a great deal, but think again. It’s a giant scam because it pales in comparison to the damage this will do to your credit score.
Think about it: If you sign up for a retail store account, you are:

• Inviting an inquiry into your credit score. The retail store will run your credit report, which will hurt your score. Inquiries account for 10 percent of your score.
• Increasing the number of credit cards you have. Credit-scoring bureaus respond more favorably to people with three to five major credit cards (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa).
• Incurring interest, unless you pay the account in full. This interest will compound so that the 10 percent savings ends up costing you 20, 30, 50, even 100 percent more than you had intended to spend!

– Philip Tirone

Three defendants have been sentenced to federal prison on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft; one man committing fraud from prison.
According to United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In late January 2011, Samantha Johnson stole the wallet of a 93-year-old woman while she was shopping at a retail establishment in Conyers, Georgia. There Johnson found the victim’s debit card for checking accounts at Georgia United Credit Union along with the personal identification number (PIN) for her debit card and account numbers and personal information that she would need to obtain information over the telephone about her accounts from the credit union.
Johnson shared the victim’s debit card number, PIN, account numbers and personal information with Danyez Hines and Carlos Garcia. At the time Garcia was incarcerated at Valdosta State Prison, having been convicted of identity theft and fraud in which he targeted elderly victims.
Sounds like a real “go-to” person, eh? Nothing like looking for help in committing a crime than with a person who had previously failed at getting away with this crime before. Criminals are so smart ::rolls eyes::.
Unfortunately, incarceration did not stand in the way of Garcia participating in additional crimes. Johnson and Hines were able to communicate with Garcia through a cell phone that had been smuggled to him in the prison.
Which makes me wonder, how in the world would one keep a cell phone charged in jail?!
Using the victim’s account numbers, debit card, PIN, and personal information, the defendants attempted through various means to obtain the more than $120,000 in funds that were in the victim’s accounts at the Georgia United Credit Union. Garcia, using the cell phone smuggled to him in the prison, used the debit card number and PIN to wire transfer money from the victim’s account to his prisoner account at Valdosta State Prison.
Hines and Johnson ordered new checks for the account and directed that they be sent to Hines’ grandmother’s address. Once the checks arrived, Hines forged the victim’s signature on checks and cashed them or gave them to others to cash for him. Using the personal information obtained from the victim’s wallet, the defendants called the credit union, posed as the victim and transferred funds between accounts.
When the victim and her family discovered the fraud, they reported it to the credit union. The credit union froze the victim’s accounts and deactivated the victim’s debit card before a substantial loss occurred.
I’m sure the wiring to a personal PRISON account and the mailing of checks to a personal address didn’t give the police too much of a chase in this case.
Garcia, the already once failed criminal, fails yet again and was sentenced to 6 years, 9 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $3,104.09.
Hines was sentenced to 2 years, 10 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release and $1,719.75 in restitution.
Johnson was sentenced to 5 years, 10 months in prison followed by 5 years supervised release and $3,104.09 due in restitution.

“Identity theft has the potential to decimate its victims bank accounts and credit history. These defendants targeted a 93-year-old woman and attempted to defraud her of her life savings. Thankfully, the victim and her family discovered the crime before the defendants were able to empty her bank accounts,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “They exhibited a remarkable callousness toward the impact that their criminal conduct would have on their elderly victim” – Source.

Folks, DO NOT KEEP YOUR PIN NUMBERS AND PERSONAL INFORMATION IN YOUR WALLET. That’s right, I went all CAPS on y’all.
Author: This article was contributed by GetOutOfDebt.org, a site that provides free help for people looking for debt consolidation and advice on getting out of debt. Source: If At First You Don’t Succeed, Commit Fraud and Fail Again : Defrauding From Behind Bars

A decade ago, I was in the mortgage business. Back then, the banks were handing out loans like candy during a parade …
Bad credit? No problem!
No job, no savings, and bad credit? No problem!
As we now know, all sorts of people were getting into loans they couldn’t afford. From where I was sitting, it just didn’t feel right.
So I refused to be part of the problem. I told my clients: “When the rates change and the real estate cycle matures, you won’t be able to afford that loan. Let’s get your credit score up so you can qualify for a loan with better rates.”
It started with just a few clients here and there. I helped them improve their scores, and in short order, they could afford a loan.
Today, about 11,000 people have been through my credit-improvement program. I have another 50,000 people who subscribe to my credit-education list.
And you know what? Even though I’m a long way away from my goal, it feels right …

I feel like I’m on the right side of the equation—helping people take control of their finances and their future.
So it seems appropriate that today, the day of counting our blessings, I say thank you.

Thank you for reading my emails.

Thank you for telling your friends and family members about my program.

And thank you for your feedback.

Happy Thanksgiving!
– Philip Tirone