Rrrrrrrr

The new bankruptcy laws have affected us all in different ways. To you, the consumer, it means that you are now MORE responsible for your debt than you were before. It means that you have less options to take care of this debt easily. It means that you are out of luck.

To credit card companies, the enemy, it means that you are a fish in a barrel waiting to be shot. It means that you have less hope for debt relief, and they can collect easier. They use “scare-tactics” to get you to pay, and they will use these new laws to scare you even more. They will threaten to take your house. They will threaten to take your car. They will threaten to take whatever is important to you. They just want your money, and they know how to get it.

The truth: These scare tactics are all smoke and mirrors. If you know the tactics, then you know how to respond to them. Find out more at www.superiordebtrelief.com about becoming debt free and avoiding these “scare-tactics”.

Comments Off

Consumer credit refers to credit in some form given to the consumers. It is a way of financing a client on condition of a deferred payment, at a later date or within a particular period of time.

The businesses that provide consumer credit facilities need to comply with some regulations as lay down by the laws of the state. It is equally applicable to specialist credit businesses like credit card providers and money lenders to mail-order businesses or shops that permit the customers to buy on credit or lease out or hires goods. That is, the enterprises that give consumer credit facilities have to have a valid consumer credit license from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). It is a mark of assurance to the customer that the business firm certified by OFT is fit for serve the customers.

Let us see which all businesses require a consumer credit license as a mandatory requirement by the law. The businesses that sells on credit, leases out or hires goods for over a period of 3 months, lends dollars, involved in credit card selling, arranges credit for others, provides hire/purchase commodities, collects debts, and give advise on others credit standing come under the purview of a consumer credit license.

But those lends amounts or hire goods for a cost more than a fixed amount, those deal only with limited companies and those allow the clients to pay back the amount in four or lesser installments are exempted from the consumer credit license.

Ideally one should check the guidelines from the OFT website to find out clearly which all businesses need a consumer credit license. Remember, to trade without a consumer credit license when you are required to earn one is a crime that invites fine or prison term or both.

Consumer credit license is valid for a fixed time period (5 years or so) and is required by the business to renew it after its expiry. However, the OFT can revoke, suspend or change the license at any point of time. The decision to do so is at the exclusive discretion of the authority. All the consumer credit license holders will be listed in the Consumer Credit Register, which is given free of cost for the public.

If the business consists of many companies, each trading in any of the categories, then each of the firms requires a separate license. Also, the OFT has laid down rules regarding advertising credit and credit agreements. All these details are furnished in the OFT website.

The government and the regulatory body assume that it is the duty of the business to keep themselves informed about the rules and regulations that govern their enterprises. Any breach of conduct can result in hefty fines and prison terms. It is all about being law-obedient and straight.

Jakob Jelling is the founder of www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.

Comments Off

The spate of credit card offers and leaflets that most of us receive through the post or in our daily newspapers, which promise us unlimited spending power and in some cases blank cheques, has threw up a major surprise and that is the way that small businesses are using personal credit cards that you or I use for granted in our daily personal use, to finance their business practices.

Many are doing this to the tune of almost £2 Billion a month and this is not getting spent on business expenses that they can claim back from the company coffers. The biggest uses are travel or entertainment. The personal credit cards are being used to fund the workings of the everyday running of the business and in some cases the company car is being charged to the credit card.

This has all come about because of the easy access to credit card lenders funds, which are put under our noses at every turn. You cannot even go to a supermarket or shopping mall without being accosted by some credit card sales representative offering you the chance of spending someone else’s cash.

So all in all it is hardly surprising that many people who either have to fund a small business or wish to start one, would feel this to be an easier road to go down, rather than sitting in front of the local friendly neighbourhood bank manager and having to explain all the little details on why you need a loan, while asking you to offer up guarantees. The guarantees enable them to be able to get their cash back and this could mean putting your home up as collateral if it all backfires.

So all of this makes the applying for the credit cards the easy option, as it quite easy to apply to credit cards and see yourself with a spending power of thousands and thousands of pounds with an amount as much as £50,000 easily attainable. So much easier than applying to the bank for this amount of backing! There a simple reason for this and that is that the bank, even if you think that they are killing your business plan, have to look at all the pros and cons to your claim and will access things that may even go wrong that you have not even considered or put into your business plan, before they will loosen the purse strings.

By doing this, the banks are also protecting you, yep that’s right protecting you from any irresponsible borrowing that may lead to you falling into a debt that you simply cannot find away out of. By going to the bank, you will be protecting yourself personally and if you are going the way of a limited company, with the assets of the business alone being the sole contributor of any debts owed, where as if you go down the personal credit card route, you will in no doubt find that a couple of big burly bailiffs, will come a Knocking at your door and start taking stock of you and your families belongings and that would be a tad more harder to take than a NO from your bank manager.

Useful contacts:

Debt Advice - http://www.adviceguide.org.uk
Credit Card Advice - http://www.creditcards-gb.co.uk

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb.co.uk.
For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards and loans, please visit us at creditcards-gb and moneywize

Comments Off

There are so many credit cards being offered to college students these days that it may be difficult to choose the right college student credit card. It is important to choose carefully to make sure that you have the best deal and rates available.

The interest rate that a college credit card charges is extremely important to take into account. The fact is that when you make a purchase on a college credit card you are, in effect, borrowing money from the credit card issuer. You must pay a monthly interest rate on this loan unless you pay your balance off in full every month. So, you want to have a college credit card with the lowest annual percentage rate and the longest 0% interest introductory period. The majority of college credit cards will be very similar in these two regards so the next point to consider is the rewards that you receive for using the credit card.

For most students, their college credit cards are the first ‘proper’ credit cards that they will have had and they will not be familiar with the types of rewards that are the best. The three main reward types that are most useful for students are:

* Frequent flyer miles
* Cash back
* Free gas

Frequent flyer miles are the best rewards to have with a college credit card for students who are attending a college a long distance from home. As you use your college credit card you accumulate frequent flyer miles that you can exchange for flights back home - or wherever you want to go. Unlike airline reward schemes, frequent flyer miles can be used on any participating airline, worldwide.

Cash back on a college credit card is actually a points system. As you spend money these points accumulate against your college credit card and they can be exchanged for cash, gift certificates or special discounts at popular outlets and stores. The amount of cash back that a college credit card awards may seem small but every little helps and you will soon be racking it up.

Free gas when you use your college credit card is the best option for students who have their own car. Gas prices are getting higher and some college credit cards offer rewards to help with the rising cost of motoring with rebates against gas station purchases. These free gas college credit cards also offer discounts and points towards other motoring related items so it is worth comparing the different schemes available.

Jordan Dunham is an expert on student loans, visit www.students-loan-consolidation.org/ today for details.

Comments Off

Credit cards that charge no interest on your purchases or on your balance transfer for a certain period of time are said to be interest free credit cards. This interest free period is for a certain time and limit. This gives you the chance for more shopping around and spending without any tension of being levied any extra amount. Thus you can save a lot on these cards.

At times it is so that the interest you pay would depend entirely on how good or bad you fair in credit ranking. Your annual income and nature of past payments also matter a lot. If you have had a bad credit history then you might have to pay a higher interest as compared to those who have good credit ranking. Thus, by paying off your balance on time or even before the due date you can easily assure the interest free credit card for your good credit ranking. Today all the major credit card companies provide customers with interest free credit cards whether they are Virgin credit card or Egg credit card or even Natwest credit card accompanied with additional offers.

Any interest free credit card can prove very advantageous for you by many means. This option gives you the chance of balance transfer and helps you to pay off your existing outstanding balance of your borrowings without added burden of interest. This card proves to be the handy tool when you are looking forward to a big purchase and want to repay in the easy installments. This card proves to be a boon for you if it is used wisely. Unfortunately the credit card issuers generally hide the actual APR and which comes into picture once the interest free period is over. This proves hard because now you have to pay more than what you may wish to.

Interest free credit cards are a great option for those running into high debts. Since, you can get an opportunity to pay back your debts without mounting any more of them. But do not let the concept of interest free credit cad pile up your debt any further. Within that interest free period you have to repay your outstanding amount within the stipulated period. The best way to find the interest free credit card is to go for a detail market research, seeking all the avenues available for the information and then go for any credit card.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the UK credit card comparison site www.creditcards121.com/, where you can find a selection of interest free credit cards. For US visitors there is also the comparison site www.credit-cards-info.com/ for all US interest free offers.

Comments Off

As our economy becomes more and more digital, ATM debit cards have become a frequent payment method. This article discusses your liability for lost or stolen card charges.

ATM Debit Cards

ATM debit cards have certainly made life a lot easier. For many people, carrying around a checkbook is a thing of the past. My debit card has been used so much I can barely see the numbers on it anymore. The downside, of course, is inevitably you will lose the card. For the unlucky, the card may even be stolen. If this occurs, you need to act quickly to cut off liability for any of the charges.

ATM debit cards are not credit cards for legal purposes. With a credit card, your liability is limited to $50 so long as you let the credit card company know about fraudulent charges when you get your statement. The laws governing ATM debit cards provide much less protection.

If you report an ATM debit card missing, you cannot be held liable for any subsequent withdrawals or charges. However, the rules are different if the unauthorized charges happen before you report the card missing:

1. You are responsible for losses up to $50 if you report the card missing or stolen within two business days of unauthorized charges occurring.

2. If you report the card lost or stolen after two business days have passed, you could be on the hook for up to $500 in unauthorized charges.

3. If you fail to report the lost or stolen card within 60 days of receiving a bank statement with unauthorized charges, you are totally and completely liable for all charges.

While these laws may see unfair at first, they really aren’t. I procrastinate as much as the next person, but even I wouldn’t wait 60 days to report a stolen or lost debit card. At some point, you simply have to take responsibility for your life. Heck, I don’t think I could survive two days without a debit card.

If you suffer a lost or stolen ATM debit card, contact your banking institution immediately. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

Richard A. Chapo is a San Diego business lawyer with www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com - providing legal services and legal advice to businesses in San Diego, California.

Comments Off

Outfitting your child for his or her graduation can be as struggle if you are not certain what to do. Endless fittings and missed sizes can be quite a hassle for all involved. Thankfully, we know what to do. We are in the business of outfitting children for their graduation day. The same quality gowns that are made for adults to wear are also made for children on their special day.

All graduation accessories are part of a graduation. We are pleased to sell and manufacture these graduation accessories to you. These kindergarten graduation gowns are made from durable materials and the cap and gown are designed to be durable and tear proof. All of our accessories for our kinder care line are just as durable.

Making Your Children Look Great on Graduation Day!

We offer the best in the line of kinder gowns. We are proud of the service that we render to all graduates great or small. Our service department gives exceptional customer quality to parents. All of your cap and gown needs will be taken care of, at our one stop shop. These great looking kinder gowns help your child shine during graduation. This is their time to shine and we make it happen with our full line of kinder gowns and accessories.

Making your child look great on graduation day is what it is all about. He or she is the star of the show and our great looking kinder gowns and accessories play a part. Come check out our website and give us a call! We have a wide selection of kinder gowns and accessories on sale and our prices cannot be beat. Need something custom made? The friendly folks at our customer service department can definitely help you with that. All sorts of customization are available.

Comments Off

Credit card bills can be expensive. Sometimes they can be simply too expensive. Depending on how you use your credit cards, and how much you spend, and how disciplined and controlled you are over your own spending, you may or may not have trouble paying your credit card bills when it comes to the end of the month and the bill arrives in the mail. No matter what your situation is however, there is always one thing you will not, under any circumstances, want to see on your monthly credit card bill, and that is a credit card fee.

There are different types of credit card fee and different reasons for incurring them, but the good news is that many of them can be avoided by simply following a few simple rules and keeping on top of your finances and bills. The most important way to minimise the fees you receive from your credit card company is to pay your bill on time and in full each month. Generally if you do this, you will be charged no interest of finance charges at all, and will be receiving all the benefits of a credit card and over a month of credit absolutely free. If you are one of the lucky customers who can manage to maintain your account in this way, you will be very lucky.

However, many people cannot pay their account in full each month, therefore, they incur the most common of all credit card fees, and this is finance charges. Credit card companies actually charge very high interest rates to their customers so if you have the option of borrowing in other ways that may be cheaper it is recommended that you use these methods if you are planning on needing the money for more than a couple of months. It is far cheaper to pay back a short-term loan than to maintain a large credit card balance.

Another credit card fee is a late fee for when you are late in making your monthly payment. Many people who have more than enough money to make their repayments simply through a lack of organisation miss payments and incur large fees. If you are late in making your repayment because you don’t have enough money to make it you may need some debt counselling or other advice to help you manage your way out of this situation.

There are many other fees that your credit card company can impose upon you depending on the company, but being aware of how they are calculated and what sets them off is probably all you need to know to be able to avoid incurring them in the future.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb
For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at www.creditcards-gb.co.uk and www.creditcards2go4.com

Comments Off

Have you read your credit card statement lately? Do you know what your annual percentage rate is? How about your annual fee? You may be surprised to learn that your current card is not the bargain you once thought it was. If you are tired of paying fees and big monthly payments then shopping for a new credit card is a must. Some balance transfer cards are better than others; here are some things for you to look for with your new card:

Low Introductory Rate - If you are paying a high interest rate for your current credit card you can save yourself plenty of money by shopping for a card with a low introductory rate. Yes, there are still many balance transfer credit cards available that will give to you a rate as low as 0% for twelve months. By obtaining one of these cards you could save yourself hundreds of dollars per month and pay off your outstanding balance faster.

Transfer Fees - Balance transfer credit cards may charge you a small fee to make a transfer. Still, there are some cards that charge no fee on the initial balance transfer upon applying. It may be to your advantage to pay the transfer fee especially if you are going from a high annual percentage rate card to a low percentage rate card. Crunch some numbers to find out which card works best for you.

Save on Annual Fees - To secure your business, many balance transfer credit card issuers such as Chase and Citibank charge no annual fee. This can be a nice alternative for you especially if you have been paying $35, $50, $85, or more for your current card annually.

Get Rewards - A nice option for many consumers are those balance transfer credit cards that reward you for using that card. Depending on the plan, you can quickly accumulate airline miles, hotel stay credits, take a cruise, rent a car, accumulate points toward receiving free gifts, and more. Some cards, such as the Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards Card, will even give to you bonus points upon your first purchase of any amount!

Get Rebates - Like a typical reward card certain balance transfer credit cards will give to you cash rebates toward the purchase of a new or used car or toward repairs on your current car. The Citi Drivers Edge Platinum Select MasterCard is an example of one such card making this offer.

Perhaps the best thing for you today is that choosing a new credit card is to your advantage. Never before have terms, fees, and benefits been this good. There is no telling how long any offer will last, but if you act now you can obtain a balance transfer card that works best for you. To find your next card, searching online makes comparing all of the best credit card offers a breeze.

Ed Vegliante runs www.credit-card-surplus.com , a credit card directory enabling the consumer to compare and apply for credit card offers including Balance Transfer Credit Cards .

Comments Off

As a photographer, you are up against stiff competition when it comes to getting gigs or jobs. Newspapers, magazines, weddings, family and student photos - how do you reach the multitude of people who may be interested in hiring you? Portfolios are expensive and targeting the many different segments of the population who would benefit from your services is no simple marketing feat.

By building your own photography website to showcase your work and your services, you handle all these problems in one fell swoop.

Digital photography offers you the ability to share your work with the world. Many magazines and newspapers will only take submissions in .jpeg or .gif formats. The days of negatives, proof sheets, and slides are over. Though you may still choose to offer 35 millimeter prints or other specialty photo services, digital photography is where the money is in the industry.

Lucky for you! Digital photographs take less than a minute to upload to your web host. At variable qualities, you can showcase the different styles of photography at which you are proficient. Other things you can do with your photography site include:

• List hours and services and prices. If you are only available to work at night and on weekends, list this on your site. Also, list different services that you provide including wedding photography, baby and pregnancy pictures, family portraits, student photos, pet photography, and more. Listing prices is not a requirement, but something that is highly recommended. Offering a variety of packages with the option to customize will help potential customers know right away whether or not they can afford your services.
• Special deals or discounts. Monthly discounts or special deals for first time customers, discounts for repeat customers or multiple packages can also be displayed on your photography website. They may also be a good ‘time clock’ incentive if they are updated frequently and set to change within a week or less.
• Offer a subscription service. Another option you may consider is offering a subscription service for your photography through your site. Many need stock photography for their websites, brochures, flyers, et cetera. Some may even need these on a regular basis. Offering one time downloads and a subscription service with a wide net of types of photography may be one way to increase your sales revenue while shooting whatever you like and increasing your portfolio.
• Order prints. Opt for a shopping cart on your site and allow those who may have just stopped by to check you out to purchase a print for download instantly.
• Commission order forms. For customized orders or packages or to set up special shoots, you can design an order form for your photography website that will allow them to be as specific as they like about what exactly it is that they’re looking for.
• Offer photographic services. List and define your services in detail. Some may not even realize that they are looking for the exact photographic service that only you can provide.
• Contact info. Include everything that a potential customer may need: email address, land line, cell phone, studio address.
• Part of the community. Connect to the rest of the photography community by offering a link page: photo supply sites, framers, videographers, et cetera.
• Be creative. Show your diversity, talent, and imagination. Inspire your clients to inspire you.

Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for ApolloHosting.com. She brings years of experience as a small business consultant to helping prospective clients understand the ways in which a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on the highest levels of customer support.

Comments Off