The ML Editor

Debt collection agencies are often a viable option for receiving payment on overdue bills. Here you can earn how debt collection agencies work and what to look for in reputable debt collection agencies.

Using outside debt collection agencies to pursue delinquent accounts may seem distasteful , sometimes even downright objectionable. You may be picturing Tony Soprano, baseball bat in hand, using unprofessional means to harass struggling debtors.

In reality, for many years the debt collections industry has boasted high-quality, professional debt collection agencies that have learned how to partner with clients and represent them in a manner consistent with the client’s values - without damaging the reputations of the businesses they collect from. Using professional debt collections agencies can actually help your business grow.

Shopping For Debt Collection Agencies

When looking for debt collection agencies to serve your business start by asking for some references. Debt collection agencies offer different fee structures. Most debt collection agencies work your accounts for a percentage of what they collect. Average commissions run between 30 percent and 50 percent, but sometimes they charge a low flat fee per account.

Usually the larger, national debt collection agencies flat rates, charging you a single fee per account turned over. This method brings at least two advantages:

1} The debt collections agencies give every account equal treatment. They have no incentive to “skim” the larger balances with a bigger pay-off for the debt collector.

2} You can feel more comfortable turning over larger accounts to these debt collection agencies, since it won’t cost you any more than the smaller ones.

Remember, your ability to partner effectively with debt collection agencies depends on how soon you turn the account over and how professional they will represent your business when collecting for you.

Collection Agency
Outsourcing offers you free information on collection agencies and debt collections issues.

Not everyone has a positive experience with credit counseling. Potential creditors often frown upon consumers who are going through credit counseling, denying them credit or sticking them with elevated interest rates on new lines of credit.

Some consumers, who have found themselves in this situation due to credit counseling, would tell you that you can accomplish the same things on your own. It is simply a matter of educating yourself on the inner workings of the creditor you are dealing with. Many who have dealt with the negative affects of being associated with a credit counseling company, wouldn’t have pursued credit counseling at all, had they known how it would affect their overall credit in the long run.

Credit counseling companies, of course, will have you believe that you can’t solve your financial problems without them. If credit counseling is your last stop before pulling into bankruptcy station, you may be surprised at how willing your creditors are to work with you in your time of financial hardship. Quite simply, they would rather collect something from you than have to write it off as bad debt and never see a dime from you. Credit counseling works on these principles and that is why it is so easy for credit counseling companies to negotiate with your creditors.

If you simply can not negotiate a satisfactory solution with your creditors, or you can’t deal with the stress of trying, credit counseling may end up being the best solution for you after all. Just don’t jump to that conclusion too quickly. Credit counseling has been a life saver for many consumers and a nightmare for others. You will need to personally weigh the pros and cons of using credit counseling as a means of reaching the level of financial freedom that you desire, and staying there.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Debt-Relief-Solutions.com. He provides more debt relief, bankruptcy and free credit counseling information that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Finding the best credit card after bankruptcy is not that difficult, if you know where to look and what to look for.

Let’s start by talking about secured and unsecured credit cards. When it comes to applying for a credit card after bankruptcy one question that a lot of people seem to have is: Should I apply for a secured credit card or unsecured credit card?

In case you don’t know the difference, a secured credit card is “secured” by a special savings account you establish with the credit card issuer which acts as collateral for your credit limit.

For example, you deposit $500 in a special savings account and then have a $500 credit limit. If you default, the credit card issuer simply takes the money in your special savings account.

Unsecured credit cards are just that - unsecured. Meaning the person fills out a credit application and, based on their credit report, income, etc. are approved for a certain credit limit. Of course, they could also be declined depending
on the credit card issuer’s guidelines.

So which is best? It depends on your credit history. However, if you apply for a secured credit card you have a higher chance of getting approved versus an unsecured credit card.

But be careful. Not all secured cards are created equal. And to make matters worse, there are tons of banks out there pushing secured credit cards!

So how do you find the best credit card after bankruptcy? Come up with a list of criteria that the secured card needs to meet in order for you to consider it. When I’m researching secured cards, I apply eight criteria. Not many meet these criteria so I’m able to narrow down the choices quickly.

What are the some of the eight criteria? For example, a low interest rate is important. While researching some secured credit cards I ran across one with an interest rate of 23.99% and another with an interest rate of only 9.25%.

This is just one of the criteria I use to find the best credit card after bankruptcy - and look at the potential savings! Over several years you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest depending on the balance you maintain.

Okay, here’s another criteria: application fees. Again, I found some secured credit cards that have no application fees and one that had a… are you ready for this… $120 application fee! Sadly, people have paid it!

Let me give you one more criteria you can use to find the best credit card after bankruptcy: You want to make sure the secured card issuer reports to all three credit bureaus. But you also want to make sure they report it a certain way.

I don’t have room here for all eight criteria, but hopefully this gives you an idea of some of the things you need to look at when it comes to finding the best credit card after bankruptcy.

By the way, don’t apply for too many credit cards at once. If you do, it can hurt your credit score. That’s why if you’re uncertain as to whether or not you’d be approved for an unsecured credit card it may be better to apply for a secured credit card.

Now you know some steps you can take toward finding the best credit card after bankruptcy!

R. Lawrence Anderson is author of After Bankruptcy Credit Solutions, which shows individuals how to qualify for credit and loans after bankruptcy. For details visit: www.bankruptcy-credit-solutions.com

If you are looking for cheap credit cards, you need to have a clear idea of what to look for. In addition, you need to decide if what the card has to offer is really best for you. Simply offering a low interest rate does not necessarily make certain credit cards better than others. In fact, there are a number of card characteristics you should take under consideration when choosing from among low interest credit cards and other credit cards on the market.

What are your spending habits?

Your spending habits have a lot to do with picking choosing a credit card. If, for example, you don’t use your credit card very often or you pay your credit card balance in full every month, you may not really need low interest credit cards. This is because low interest rate credit cards are really best for those who carry a balance from month to month because it saves money in finance charges. If you do not carry a balance, then you might be better off applying for a credit card with a cash back or other rewards program. These cards tend to have higher interest rates, but it won’t affect you since you pay the card off each month.

What is your current debt status?

If you currently have a great deal of debt piled up on another credit card, or if you have small amounts of debt on several different credit cards, you might want to look into balance transfer credit cards rather than low interest rate credit cards. Generally, low interest credit cards provide a low APR on purchases made with the card. Balance transfer credit cards, on the other hand, offer low interest rates on balances transferred from one card to another. These cards usually waive the balance transfer fee, as well.

Applying for low interest credit cards when you want to transfer balances may not be very helpful at all if the low APR only applies to purchases made with the card. Therefore, make sure to learn more about the card’s balance transfer polices before applying.

What is your lifestyle?

Most credit cards offer a variety of benefits. These can include special cash back incentive programs, rewards programs and airline miles rewards programs. These cards tend to have a higher interest rate than cards that do not have special programs, but the trade off can be worth it if you will be able to take full advantage of the program and the finance charges you will need to pay are minimal. If you look hard enough, you can usually find a rewards credit card with a decent interest rate.

Aside from these special programs, however, credit cards offer additional benefits. These can include purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, auto rental insurance, travel insurance, and roadside assistance. When looking through low interest rate credit cards, you need to take these benefits under consideration. If your lifestyle is such that you will be able to take advantage of these benefits, then it might be worth paying a slightly higher interest rate, particularly if you will not be carrying a balance on the card very often.

While low interest rate credit cards seem like a great option at first, they are not necessarily the best choice for everybody. The best candidate for these cheap credit cards is someone who will carry a balance on the credit card from purchases each month and who is not concerned about receiving a number of special benefits or rewards programs from their credit card. Otherwise, you might want to consider exploring other types of credit cards.

For more information on a variety of cheap credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.