How To Remove A Bankruptcy From Your Credit Report

By Marc Chase

Credit report repair can be a long, tedious process and one of the hardest items to get removed is a bankruptcy.

In order to remove a bankruptcy, you must remove everything else from your credit report first, here is why…

If you have a bankruptcy and several accounts under it entitled “included in bankruptcy” the credit bureaus will simply assume it’s accurate since you have accounts that are covered under bankruptcy protection.

The First Steps: Go over your credit report very carefully. If you live at an address other then the address where you filed, have it removed. Debts are often tied to addresses.

Then, dispute and remove every account showing as “included in bankruptcy”. This shouldn’t be hard since creditors have very little incentive to verify the information. Why would they? They can’t get paid on it.

This process can take several months be patient, I promise it will pay off. Let’s look at how bankruptcy files are stored; it is the key to successfully removing it from your credit report.

How your bankruptcy is filed and stored. After two years, your file is moved from the local court at which you filed, to a central storage facility. If you go to your local court and request to see your file, they will have to order it and have it brought back to the court.

Have them order it. The time it takes to arrive is about a week. Once it arrives they will put it in a special place and notify you that it has arrived.

Let me back up for a moment. Once you order your BK file, wait about 3 days and then send a dispute to the credit bureaus. They will then call the “storage facility” where your bankruptcy file should be – and discover it won’t be.

It will be either in transition back to your local court, or already there and waiting for you to come view it.

Stall tactics are key. Once your file arrives back to the local court, they will start calling you to come view it. It is very important that you delay as long as possible. Remember, credit bureaus have 30 days to verify any disputed debts and it’s very important you keep your file in that “holding room” for as long as you can.

Tell them, you’re extremely busy at work, but will be there Monday. Call Monday and inform them you had an out of town meeting and promise to be there Friday. What you’re trying to accomplish is keeping that file on hold the entire 30 days while the credit bureaus tries to verify its existence.

Marc Chase is a Partner at MyCreditGroup.Com – A nationally recognized authority on credit report repair. His company are used by agencies such as The Department Of Defense, Washington Mutual, Country Wide bank and they have been featured in several prestigious newspapers as “one of the few true authorities on credit repair” Visit his site at www.mycreditgroup.com

How To Compare Credit Card Offers

By Joseph Kenny

Getting the credit card you want makes having the right one worthwhile. So many different offers make it necessary, though, to compare credit card offers before you sign on the dotted line. Here are a few tips about things to look for that will help you get the right one.

Go For 0% APR Interest

One of the best cards will give you an introductory period of anywhere between 12 to 15 months. Note that some cards, though, only give you the introductory offer for either 3 or 6 months - that is hardly a serious offer these days. With the longer time period you can have no interest on things that are charged to the credit card. This means savings for you and the option to make payments as long as the introductory offer lasts. Just be sure to make your payments on time.

Balance Transfers

A good credit card will give you this option, but if you have no existing credit card balances - then you probably will not need it. If you do, though, this feature allows you to transfer those balances onto this new credit card. Look to make sure that the 0% APR interest actually applies to the amounts transferred, though, since many cards have a different rate of interest for transfers. You also want to see if there are any fees for the transfers, since some cards can charge you up to 4% for the privilege.

Interest Rate

Getting the card you want means comparing credit card offers on the interest rates. Some are low interest, and others are higher. The interest rate refers to the amount of interest you will pay after the introductory time limit is expired. But this rate can also kick in if you are ever late - even on a single payment. The better your credit rating is - the lower level of interest that you will be able to get. If you are in the habit of paying your credit card bills always on time and in full, though, you will never need to worry about the interest rate - since you will never pay interest (on most cards).

Rewards

There are many types of rewards you can get with credit cards, but be sure to compare and get one to meet your needs. Also check to see what kind of rebates / discounts / cashback you get with ordinary purchases - it can all add up.

Other Fees

Many credit cards carry a number of fees with them. Be sure to compare your credit card offers in relation to the fees on them. Some cards have almost no fees attached, and other cards can almost drain you dry from an excess of fees. These fees may be listed as annual fees, minimum balance fees, activation fees, monthly maintenance fees, late fees, and many more.

By making sure that you compare credit card offers - at least six to ten different ones, you will be able to select the one that is best for you. Read the fine print carefully since signing may by itself put some charges onto an account you have not even used yet.

Joe Kenny writes for the Credit Card Guide, offering the latest 0% credit cards, visit today for introductory 0% balance transfers and start clearing credit card debt today.

Visit today: http://www.cardguide.co.uk/

How to Use PrePaid Cards for Credit Repair

By Johnathan T. Bakers

It’s getting tougher and tougher to buy anything without plastic these days. Since some people have a bit of trouble, and need credit repair, they turn to their only alternative, which is the pre-paid card. These work just like credit cards for the outside world.

Behind the scenes though things work a little bit differently. With the prepaid card, you’re basically practicing good debt management. The reason is that you are funding the account, and putting money into it, and then you can use it just like a normal credit card.

There is a small fee that you’ll have to pay when you open the account which is the one little downfall, however through good credit counseling, and persistent payments you can very quickly repair your credit.

Repairing credit isn’t always easy, but good common sense is basically what it takes. Budgeting, watching your spending habits, all of the little things that have gotten you into trouble in the first place.

Having bad credit can make your life miserable to say the least. You need to repair it if it’s bad, but first you’ll need to look at your credit reports to see exactly what needs to be fixed. Sometimes the charges that show aren’t even yours, and therefore mistakes can be fixed.

Many people are afraid to find out exactly what they owe, but finding out is the first step in the right direction. You can get your credit report from any of three major credit bureaus. These include Trans Union, Equifax, and Expedia. Don’t take the advice from those people who tell you to get your reports for free by applying for a loan. This is simply bad credit counseling on their part, and it’s important that you know that each time you apply for a loan it gives you points on your credit score. Not good points either.

It’s best to part with $60 bucks now, and save you much more down the road. It’s important to consider your long-term debt management, and spending $20 for each report is more of an investment for your future than an expense.

So your choice for the prepaid card will show itself to be a wise one. You’ll be able to use it as a credit card, getting all of the benefits of having a regular unsecured card, and nobody will ever know that while you’re using your card, and making your monthly payments on time, you’ll also be rebuilding your credit.

There are some scams when it comes to applying for these cards, such as those that promise to restore your credit, yet charge you up to $300 dollars upfront, and then never send you the card.

Johnathan Bakers's short articles are published on countless online sites related to money management and assets. Working on his detailed publications such as http://www.debtania.com/managingcreditcard.html , the author expressed his experience on information dealing with managing credit card debt.

QNB donates part of credit card proceeds to 'Reach Out to Asia'

Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Acting Chief Executive of Qatar National Bank (QNB), announced that the bank will donate part of the proceeds of the QNB Asian Games commemorative credit card to the 'Reach Out to Asia' campaign.

The donation is part of QNB's social and developmental commitments including its role as the Official Bank of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.

The specially designed credit card was introduced by QNB earlier this year to commemorate the 15th Asian Games while supporting a humanitarian cause.

Mr. Al Emadi, spoke about the initiative to support the charity. 'It is our pleasure and honor to be able to make this contribution towards such a noble cause. This further strengthens our commitment to fulfilling QNB's corporate social responsibility which goes beyond helping the Qatari society and reaches out to all communities in need,' Mr. Al Emadi said.

'We are seizing the opportunity of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 and the media hype around this event to shed light on a humanitarian cause that matters to us all,' Mr. Al Emadi concluded.

Each time the QNB commemorative credit card is utilized by a customer, 0.5% of the purchase value is set aside for ROTA. The card also benefits from the assurance of being accepted at over one million ATM's and more than 24 million MasterCard acceptance locations worldwide. Considering the commemorative credit card will be valid for a limited period of time only following the Games, it carries the additional value of being a collector's item.

ROTA is a Qatari non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in November 2005 and operating under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation. The organization envisions an Asia which offers equal educational opportunities for all, regardless of age, gender or individual circumstance. Their mission is to help the global community achieve quality primary and secondary education, to encourage relationships between communities, create safe learning environments and foster a spirit of volunteerism.

QNB's donation falls in line with the bank's commitment to its comprehensive strategy of serving the people and encouraging growth and solidarity within the society.

QNB remains highly committed to providing financial support to improve the quality of life for Qatari citizens and residents. In collaboration with Qatar Foundation's Social Development Centre, the Bank initiated the QNB Volunteer Awards programme aimed at promoting the value of volunteer efforts. The programme also encourages individuals of all ages, as well as corporations and institutions to give generously.

QNB provides assistance to a variety of local organizations that play an important role in elevating the social, physical, and emotional well-being of individuals facing unique challenges, such as Qatar Society for Orphans, Al Noor Institute, Qatar Cancer Society, Qatar Society for Special Needs, Qatar Diabetes Association and others.

The 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 is the largest sporting event hosted by Qatar and QNB has signed a partnership agreement enabling it to serve as the event's Official Bank. The executive management and select employees of the bank have also participated in Doha relaying the torch to its final destination. QNB has constructed temporary branches within the Athletes' Village, the temporary airport and the Main Media Center in order to serve QNB clients and to promote the Bank's products and services. The bank is also providing spacious settings in the common domain of Khalifa Stadium where it is currently holding entertainment and sport activities to please sporting fans of all ages.

This donation is part of a series of joint activities that QNB and ROTA are involved in together to provide the required momentum for the charity campaign.

N.Y. college probes theft of list with student information

Nassau Community College on Long Island has called in the police to investigate the suspected theft of a computer printout with the personal information — names, addresses, Social Security numbers and phone numbers — of all of its more than 21,000 students.

The college is offering to enroll students in a credit-monitoring service and pay for its cost for a year, which could cost the college $500,000.

College spokesman Reginald Tuggle said the college's board of trustees met Tuesday night to work out the details of the credit-monitoring service.

Tuggle said the list — a bound computer printout of all registered students — was lost Nov. 28 when an administrative assistant in the college's Student Activities Office was working from it. He said the woman walked away from her desk for about 10 minutes. When she returned, the list was gone, and a search failed to find it.

Tuggle said it was too soon to say whether any disciplinary action would be taken.

The college also reported the situation to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.