Watch the Upsells!
by Doris Dobkins
Upon arriving at home, you pull out your calculator and all your receipts for the day. Total = $520.75. Oh my, what could have gone wrong. My budget was $350.00 and I had everything planned out so well. Your problem is called upsells! They are big this year and they are persuasive.
Car Salesmen: Here Come the Vultures!
by Craig Kimmel
Whenever I go shopping for a car, the salesmen are always on top of me like vultures! How do I handle the first contact with these salesman so I don't look like an easy target?
Giving Up Your Rights--Without Knowing It!
by Scott Bilker
If you have a Capital One credit card, then I highly recommend you read this entire article! I just received a letter from Capital One informing me that "enclosed is an important legal notice regarding arbitration" and I need to "read the entire notice to fully understand its implications" to my account.
Debt Collection
by Gary Foreman
Dear Dollar Stretcher, I had an outstanding judgment against me for $1,000 to pay off an apartment lease that was broken when my ex-husband and I divorced. The total amount owed prior to the judgment was $1,700. The third-party collector who's been calling me insists that I pay that amount. The court said I owe $1,000 which has been paid in full. What can I tell the collector to make him go away?
Alice in Credit Card Land
by Dr. Sam Vaknin
Your credit card is stolen. You place a phone call to the number provided in your tourist guide or in the local daily press. You provide your details and you cancel your card. You block it. In a few minutes, it should be transferred to the stop-list available to the authorization centres worldwide. From that moment on, no thief will be able to fraudulently use your card. You can sigh in relief. The danger is over. But is it?
Mortgage Telemarketing--A Personal Story
by Jose Olivares
About an hour later, she calls and tells me she has "good news" for me. They can combine both loans at a great APR of 9.48%. Stunned by what this lady is telling me I paused and asked her to explain how exactly it was that she was coming up with this GREAT deal since I was paying 7.25%.
Credit Lessons for Retirees
by Rebecca Lindsey
Chances are, you have probably received one of those flashy letters with big headlines that practically scream "YOU'VE JUST WON A BAZILLION DOLLARS!!!" Although this example may be somewhat far-fetched, this type of scam happens everyday. Common "scams" or frauds appear in the form of contests, home repair offers, and credit offers...
Car Dealers
by Scott Bilker
I know that you have used these examples to help people learn and to be aware but you have also just made every car dealer in the country a crook.
CONTEST RESULTS from 8/31/01 (Fuzzy Math)
by Scott Bilker
Which loan is better and why? Loan 1: $100,000.00, 30-year loan, with monthly payments of $665.31, or Loan 2: $100,000.00, 15-year loan, with monthly payments of $1,014.27.
Disposable Credit Card Numbers
by Rebecca Lindsey
Is online shopping really safe? Stories of high-tech hackers breaking into company databases on the Internet to steal customer information (such as credit card numbers) stop many people from making online purchases.
Subscribe FREE and start
finding new ways to save
money and pay off your debt.
"The DebtSmart Email
Newsletter is packed with
cutting-edge strategies for
solving credit problems. I
highly recommend it."--Gerri
Detweiler, radio host and
author of The
Ultimate Credit Handbook
