SECRETS TO MAXIMIZING SOCIAL SECURITY
It's official: High unemployment and a resulting decline in payroll-tax collections have taken a toll on the Social Security program. Benefits will exceed revenues for the first time in 2010 -- six years ahead of previous projections -- according to the Social Security Trustees' 2010 report released Thursday.
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5 EASY STEPS TO DO-IT-YOURSELF CREDIT REPAIR
Blotches on your credit report cost you. But, don't despair. It's never too late to become creditworthy -- just get started, and remember that it won't happen overnight.
Here are 5 steps for improving your credit rating:
> Consumer Credit | > Articles | > Business & Financial Advice
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GOOD DEBT VS. BAD DEBT
The amount of personal debt in this country is ever-increasing, and a large part of the reason is that credit has never been easier to get. Whereas credit card issuers previously looked for customers who could repay, today card issuers relish the chance to reel in those who'll continuously charge beyond their means at 18 percent or 20 percent.
> Consumer Credit | > Articles | > Business & Financial Advice | > Financing Methods
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7 NEW SKILLS EVERY WORKER NEEDS
Most Americans striving to find or keep a job know the sensation: It's getting harder to get ahead, and the demands keep intensifying. Everybody knows how the recession destroyed wealth and derailed careers, leaving millions in a hole they're trying to dig out of. Now we're beginning to see some of the longer-term changes in the way Americans live and work. Some are distressing, but there's also plenty
of hope for people who are industrious and willing to do what's necessary to succeed.
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RACIST DEBT COLLECTOR GETS NAILED FOR $1.5 MILLION JUDGEMENT
A Pennsylvania-based debt-collection company has been hit with a $1.5 million judgment in a Texas court for repeatedly leaving vile voice messages over an alleged $200 debt.
Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACT) barraged Allen Jones, of Dallas, with a series of harassing and racially charged phone calls.
> Consumer Credit | > Articles | > Collection Practices | > Laws & Regulations
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TOTAL U.S. BANKRUPTCIES IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2010 UP 14 PERCENT OVER 2009
The total number of U.S. bankruptcies filed during the first six months of 2010 increased 14 percent over the same six-month period in 2009, according to data released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Total filings reached 810,209 during the first half of the calendar year of 2010 (January 1-June 30), compared to 711,550 cases filed over the same period in 2009.
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COLUMBIA FINANCIAL - THE COLLECTION INDUSTRY'S INTERNET SUPER HIGHWAY
For nearly a decade Robert Pinchuck and Eric Bragg of Columbia Financial International, Inc. have created thousands of Web Pages which are viewed by creditors, attorneys, collection agencies and financial institutions throughout the world. Presently, over 2.5 million web pages are viewed monthly and growing.
> Articles | > Collection Practices
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AUTOMATED DEBT-COLLECTION LAWSUITS ENGULF COURTS
As millions of Americans have fallen behind on paying their bills, debt collection law firms have been clogging courtrooms with lawsuits seeking repayment.
Few have been as prolific as Cohen & Slamowitz, a Woodbury, N.Y., firm that has specialized in debt collection for nearly two decades. The firm has been filing roughly 80,000 lawsuits a year.
> Articles | > Collection Practices
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5 COMMON HABITS THAT COST YOU DEARLY
Most of us are guilty of a few bad habits during our lifetimes. There's eating too much of the fun stuff, not exercising enough to burn it off, and spending tomorrow's paycheck today. Sure, getting fit and keeping a budget can be tough habits to keep, but avoiding these five common bad habits can add some easy money to your bottom line.
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COLLECTION AGENCIES TURN TO SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
If you've got debts and haven't paid them, you may want to be careful about your next Facebook status update.
Just like some employers who use Facebook and MySpace to vet job candidates, debt collectors are using these social networking sites, too.
> Consumer Credit | > Articles | > Collection Practices
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HIGH-PAYING, LOW STRESS JOBS
If you're like thousands of other job seekers, you may dream of earning the big bucks without having to deal with the extreme stress that goes hand-in-hand with top-paying jobs. Of course, a high-salary, low-stress job sounds too good to be true. Or is it?
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TIPS FOR WORKING WITH A DIFFICULT BOSS
Having a supervisor that makes your work painful can be one of the worst situations to be in. difficult bosses come in various forms and may be unappreciative, give too much work, take credit for themselves, be verbally abusive, expect you to have no life outside of work and so on. Given the amount of time we spend in the workplace and in addition with our boss, this will have a big effect on your psychological/emotional well-being.
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7 LITTLE-KNOWN REASONS YOU'RE NOT GETTING HIRED
If you're job hunting you're surely aware of the most egregious and common no-nos: showing up for the interview ten minutes late; answering your phone during the interview; handing over a resume riddled with typos; using a silly-sounding E-mail address; failing to demonstrate you've researched the employer; bad-mouthing your last boss; neglecting to follow up. You're not doing any of that, are you? Of course not.
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COULD ONLINE HACKERS STEAL YOUR CASH?
When you access your bank account online you probably don't think that at that exact moment there may be a hacker, somewhere in the world, trying to steal your bank information and your money.
Your bank offers secure online banking, so why should you worry, right? Despite banks' efforts to protect accounts from the online crooks, hacker attacks remain a serious threat that cost Americans millions of dollars each year. The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that Americans lost about $55
> Articles | > Identity Theft, Fraud, and Scams
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5 SECRETS OF SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRES
They’re just like you. But with lots of money.
When you think “millionaire,” what image comes to mind? For many of us, it’s a flashy Wall Street banker type who flies a private jet, collects cars and lives the kind of decadent lifestyle that would make Donald Trump proud.
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