Debt Collection Protection
Posted by admin in Business on 02 23rd, 2008In order to protect yourself from abusive practices of some lending organizations, you should be aware of your rights as a borrower and be fully knowledgeable of the steps you can take to protect your rights. One act that was created with the intention of protecting your rights as a borrower is the FDCPA, The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
The FDCPA was enacted in 1971 and amended in 1996 to protect individuals from debt collectors. It prohibits certain methods of debt collections. This act designates how and when a debt collector can contact you. For instance, a debt collector may not contact you before 8 A.M. and not after 9 P.M. without your permission. It also allows you to write a letter to the collector telling the company to stop contacting you.
Before the enactment of the FDCPA, there was abundant evidence of the use of abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices by many debt collectors. Before this act, debt collectors used to harass, use obscene language, and even threaten violence against borrowers. Abusive debt collection practices contribute to a number of personal bankruptcies, marital instability, the loss of jobs, and invasions of individual privacy.
Geeting the Help You Need
Once you realize you need help, there are a multitude of options out there for you. These options range from the support of a friend to bankruptcy. This topic will examine all of these options and will help you determine the right course of action for your debt situation.
read comments (0)Increase Your Skills Set Through Education
Posted by admin in Business on 02 2nd, 2008If you choose to earn more cash by staying at the company currently employing you, check into in house training programs. Many companies today actually help pay for the college and/or graduate studies of selected employees. Tell your supervisor you want all the special training you qualify for, and then be an excellent student who makes your tuition a good company investment.
You may decide you want to return to school part or full-time on your own. Half of the students enrolled in college programs across the country are 25 are older. A woman I met recently had returned to school at 60. She said, lilt was great. I didn’t realize how smart I’d gotten just by living this long!”
If you dream of going back to school, do it. There are many good scholarships and loans available for people of all ages. Look at www. finaid.com, www.fastweb.com, or www.collegeboard.org to find out where there is financial help for you to meet your educational goals. You can also call The College Board at 212-713-8165 and ask for publications on financial and nonfinancial college planning issues. The Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-433-3243) offers information about federal grants, loans, and the financial aid process.
You may need to take the high school equivalency exam if you didn’t graduate from high school, and if you want to go to graduate school, you may have to take the GMAT exam. Women do both of these things every day. You can, too. Call your local department of education or a local college to find out where these tests are given.
We all want our children to get the education they deserve. You deserve the same. Perhaps spending some money on education for yourself would help you to contribute to theirs in the long run if you choose to help them. The more you have put away for them, the less financial aid they will receive. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be saving now for your kids’ college funding, but they may be as responsible for helping to fund their education as you are for yours.
Going back to school will require a lot out of you, especially if you’re also going to be working. If you have a family, get their buy in for the short-term life adjustments. Show them how it will be worth it for everyone.
Today, your choices for higher education are vast. You can learn online and receive your degree, you can attend college one weekend a month for two years, or you can go the traditional route on campus. The point is this, college graduates usually earn more than noncollege graduates in the typical workplace. Your investment in education, in other words, will likely pay off very well and can be considered a valuable investment in yourself.
You may wonder why I would recommend going to college when I am also encouraging you to get out of debt. Education is not consumer debt, it is “good debt.” A school loan, if you need one, will temporarily reduce your net worth, but it will ultimately increase it.
