6 Important Credit-Related Questions to Ask Yourself
Being an adult means dealing with very important financial-related topics. Understanding concepts like debt and credit are essential to a happy life and bright future. Do you know everything you should? Let’s begin by asking yourself a few questions. Can I earn a credit score without a credit history? For some reason, no credit is the same thing as bad credit! Consumers with no history can build credit in several ways. You can do this by getting a secured credit card, asking a family member to add you as...
What to do When a Debt Collection Agency Knocks on Your Door
In a perfect world, your home is your private place of peace and sanctuary. If you owe debt to a lender, though, this privacy is shattered. Phone calls become more frequent and then one day, debt collectors actually start coming to your home! This is truly a nightmare. What can you do? Is this legal? We’ll answer these questions, and more, right now. Can They Come to Your Home? To address your first question, yes. Debt collectors can show up in person where you live. That being said, federal...
A Few Important Do’s & Don’ts of Credit Repair
You may have gotten into some financial trouble in the past but that is all behind you now. You know your future depends on repairing your credit. Of course for many people, credit repair is easier said than done. You may have easily gotten into poor credit, but you don’t know how to work your way out of it. Do not worry! Safe Credit Solutions is here to help. With this in mind, we want to better inform you of a few do’s and don’ts of credit repair. When...
How to Report a Collection Agency or Debt Collector for Harassment
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects you in several different ways. Essentially, the FDCPA protects consumers from abusive debt collection practices, such as foul language and misleading communication. They aren’t allowed to lie to you, nor wreck your life with harassing and embarrassing phone calls. Thanks to this Act, you control communication with debt collectors! You can limit when and how debt collectors contact you. It curbs lying, harassment, threats of violence, and other unfair behavior by debt collectors. All of this is great, but the real...
5 Ways the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Protects You
If you are in debt and struggling to keep your head above water, it is easy to feel like there is no one on your side. It is you against the world trying to get out of your ocean of financial trouble. In fact, there are people on your side, including us here at Safe Credit Solutions. This is why we want to tell you about a legal protection you can and should be taking advantage of called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). It protects you in...
How do Credit Repair Companies Work?
A lot of people in America owe a lot of money. In fact, the number is now over 12 trillion dollars! Over $1 trillion of this is from credit cards alone. Data from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) show a 16% increase in U.S. households carrying credit card debt this year. The push to collect on these debts has reached fever pitch, and this has spurred the creation of many companies within the industry. Some are collections agencies, working with creditors to collect the money owed to...
When a Debt Collector Calls, How Should You Answer?
If you’re in over your head financially, you’re not alone. Americans now hold over $12.73 trillion dollars in consumer debt, with over $1 trillion of that from credit cards. Are you one of them? The push to collect on debts has reached a fever pitch. This means you’re probably receiving quite a few debt collection phone calls. While you may want to ignore these phone calls, this won’t make your debt go away. Experts recommend you answer when they call and do these three things: #1 Make sure the...
What Qualifies as Debt Collection Harassment or Abuse?
When it comes to debt collection harassment, we have some good news and some bad news for you. Debt collectors aren’t allowed to do anything and everything in order to attempt to collect from you. There are laws and regulations in place to protect you from abuse. That’s the good news. The bad news is that some less-than-scrupulous debt collectors will break these rules and it’s up to you to not only recognize the abuse but also report it. This leads to one very important question: what qualifies as...
Does Using Credit Cards vs. Cash Help My Credit Score?
You’ve had some struggles in the past in regards to your credit. You’re trying to fix your credit score, but it seems like it’s taking so long! Building your credit score is a lot like building a good reputation. It takes years of hard work. If you have a “bad reputation” you have to work even harder to change people’s minds about you. Just the same, working your way out of bad credit into fair and even good credit is going to take patience and consistency. This can be...
The Difference Between a Legitimate Debt Collector and Scammers
How to Tell the Difference Between a Legitimate Debt Collector and Scammers The difference between a legitimate debt collector and scammers is getting more and more difficult to pick up on. You get a phone call from an unknown number, and there is a stranger on the other end telling you that you’re in big trouble for a past debt. While some people who have exceptional credit and financial history may be able to blow this off immediately, you’re not so sure. You do owe money. Perhaps this call...