DEBTSMART® EMAIL NEWSLETTER
ISSN 1538-6740
July 31, 2002 Issue 31

Tools for financial success!
A Free E-Mail Newsletter from DebtSmart® Online and Press One Publishing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Publisher: Scott Bilker, mailto:publisher@debtsmart.com
Editor: Richard Crammer, mailto:editor@debtsmart.com 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For instructions to SUBSCRIBE, and DISCLAIMER, see bottom of this email.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IN THIS ISSUE

==> Cool Quote

==> Letter from the Publisher (New Book Release and Gifts)

==> Who Pays the Bills--Men or Women? (Survey Results)

==> Household Math™: Car Insurance Payments vs. Credit Card Offer

==> Survey: The Rich; Love'em, Hate'em

==> How to File a Consumer Report About a Bank

==> Strangled by Debt?

==> Plastic Payments: Trends in Credit Card Fraud

==> Liberate $400 from that Lunchbox!

==> IRS Warns of Scheme to Steal Identity and Financial Data

==> DebtSmart® Resources

==> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Disclaimer Information

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ISSUE

If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue to one or two of your friends or business associates.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

COOL QUOTE

"The greatest discovery is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind."
 --William James

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER (NEW BOOK RELEASE AND GIFTS)! 
by Scott Bilker

Hi,

My new book is out and I need your help to make it a success! In return for your help I'd like to give you 3 gifts!

The book is "How to be more Credit Card and Debt Smart (Volume 1)," and it's dedicated to you--the DebtSmart Readers! It is a 64-page collection of some of the most popular articles on the web site, written by me, or submitted by readers.

Gift 1: The DebtSmart® Loan Calculator, which can help you uncover the true costs of any loan situation. Retail value $9.95.

Gift 2: The DebtSmart® Low Interest Rate Special Report (PDF). Punish the banks that are gouging you with high rates! This report lists the best credit card rates in the nation, and their terms, so you can reduce your rates and save money! We update this list monthly. Retail value $9.95.

Gift 3: The DebtSmart® 30-Year Loan Amortization and Analysis Worksheet. This spreadsheet will compute unlimited calculations that you can cut and paste into many applications! Retail value $5.00 but worth a whole lot more because many mortgage banks charge more than double this for a one-time amortization table!

What do you need to do to get these three gifts valued at $25?

Help make my new book a success by buying a copy at Amazon.com by following the below directions.

The only thing that I need to ask is that you do this right now.

This is because Amazon.com ranks books by category and measures book sales per day. So the more sales in a short time the better the Amazon rank. The better the rank, the more people see the book, the better the sales from other Amazon.com readers.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy that will bring more people to DebtSmart® to benefit from the email newsletter, which is why I want to give you these three gifts, worth $25, for your help.

This special offer is valid until the next email newsletter on 8/14/02 so please, do it sooner rather than later.

Go ahead! Do it now! :)

Thanks!

Regards, Scott

PS: Thanks for your help, and as always, thanks so much for reading the DebtSmart® Email Newsletter!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WHO PAYS THE BILLS--MEN OR WOMEN? (SURVEY RESULTS) 
by Scott Bilker

Thank you for making last issue's survey such a success! As usual, you all teach me so much about how families deal with finances. I can always depend on your comments and I do appreciate that! The main survey response page indicates the statistics for each question, for example, 81% of the respondents are female. However, there are many other interesting questions that can be answered. To start with, men and women are...

Click below to read article:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?05&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HOUSEHOLD MATH™: CAR INSURANCE PAYMENTS VS. CREDIT CARD OFFER

Your auto insurance bill arrives; it's $600.00 for 6 months of coverage, ugh. Luckily, to make paying easier, they give you the option of spreading this out over 3 monthly payments. The catch is they charge you an additional "convenience" fee of $3 per payment.

The same day you also receive a credit-line check offer from one of your credit cards, with no check fees, that is good for 3- months with a 5.99% APR. What's better (cheaper) to do and why? Take the insurance company's payment plan offer or use the credit line (5.99% offer) check to pay the car insurance in full for $600.00. Technical Note: No matter which choice you make, you must pay off the $600.00 principal in exactly 3 monthly payments.

What's better (cheaper) to do and why?

Use this link to take the quiz:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?06&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SURVEY: THE RICH; LOVE'EM, HATE'EM

"There are three classes of citizens. The first are the rich, who are indolent and yet always crave more. The second are the poor, who have nothing, are full of envy, hate the rich, and are easily led by demagogues. Between the two extremes lie those who make the state secure and uphold the laws."
--Euripides, The Suppliants c. 420 B.C.

Every day you hear about another CEO that's made millions while sticking it to the little guy (or gal). They make millions while we owe millions. Is it fair?

But what about the people that worked hard to get their wealth? The people that sacrificed years of their life to accumulate wealth and live the American-dream. Do they deserve it? Should they have to give it back?

Just do a search at Yahoo! on the phrase (in quotes) for "hate the rich" and you'll come up with 1,100+ matches!

My conservative friends tell me that "life isn't fair...everyone isn't dealt the same hand." That people should stop being lazy and get better paying jobs. That people have come to this country and become rich and this opportunity is available to everyone.

My liberal friends tell me that people don't need that much money. That if you're poor that the "system" has been created to keep you there.

To know what people really think I must turn to you. Please let me know if you "resent the rich" by taking this issue's survey:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?12&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HOW TO FILE A CONSUMER REPORT ABOUT A BANK 
by The Federal Reserve

What Kinds of Complaints are Investigated? As a federal regulatory agency, the Federal Reserve System investigates consumer complaints received against state chartered banks that are members of the System. If you think a bank has been unfair or deceptive in its dealings with you, or has violated a law or regulation, as a consumer you have the right to file a complaint. The major consumer protection laws covering...

Click below to read article:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?07&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

STRANGLED BY DEBT?

Simplify Your Life; Lower Your Payments; Consolidate Your Debt

Connect with the Financial Circuit!

Search Rates and Terms. Find the Best Equity Loan or Line for Your Situation.

Great Customer Service from Expert Loan Agents Do It All from the Comfort of Your Home Fast and Simple Application Process Extremely Competitive Rates

Click Below to Apply Today:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?11&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PLASTIC PAYMENTS: TRENDS IN CREDIT CARD FRAUD 
by Keith Slotter, CPA (FBI Special Agent)

Criminal organizations are using increasingly sophisticated techniques to perpetrate credit card fraud.

"The future, my boy, is in plastics." When Dustin Hoffman's neighbor uttered this line in The Graduate, little did he know how prescient the statement would be, at least as it applies to the credit card industry. Although, the character was not referring to credit cards back when the film was released in 1967, no one can deny that the credit card market has been booming during...

Click below to read article:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?08&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

LIBERATE $400 FROM THAT LUNCHBOX! 
by Tawra Kellam

The average school lunch cost $3/day or $540 per year and what mother hasn't wondered if those lunches actually get eaten? In her book Not Just Beans, frugal cooking expert Tawra Kellam provides solutions to jazz up those lunches and save up to $400 in the process. Here are some sack lunch tips that help guarantee you will be able to retire the "starving kids in Ethiopia" lecture for good. Those snack-sized bags of munchies cost a lot! Make your own by

Click below to read article:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?09&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IRS WARNS OF SCHEME TO STEAL IDENTITY AND FINANCIAL DATA

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service warned today of a fraudulent scheme currently circulating that uses fictitious bank correspondence and IRS forms in an attempt to trick taxpayers into disclosing their personal and banking data. The information fraudulently obtained is then used to steal the taxpayer's identity and bank account deposits. The IRS has received reports of the scam surfacing from...

Click below to read article:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?10&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

DEBTSMART® RESOURCES

DebtSmart® Books, software, reports, in-print and downloads:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?01&7428 

Archive of DebtSmart® Email Newsletters online:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?02&7428 

How to use DebtSmart® articles FREE in your e-zine or on your web site:
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?03&7428 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS NEWSLETTER

All recipients of DEBTSMART® EMAIL NEWSLETTER have signed up voluntarily for the newsletter via our website.

TO SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter click on the below link and complete the subscription form: http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/020731_en.cgi?00&7428 

Please contact mailto:comments@debtsmart.com with any comments, problems, or concerns.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The author(s), Press One Publishing, and DebtSmart.com shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by the information contained in this email newsletter and/or at the DebtSmart.com web site. The information, methods and techniques described may not work for you and no recommendation is made to follow the same course of action. Every effort has been made verify the accuracy of all content contained herein. However, there may be mistakes; typographical, mathematical or in content. This email newsletter and the DebtSmart.com web site have been created for your entertainment only. You must always seek the proper professional advice before taking any financial or legal action. You have been warned.

We have done our best to ensure that all sponsors included in the DebtSmart® Email Newsletter offer quality products and services. Please let us know about your experience with our advertisers by writing to mailto:comments@debtsmart.com

Copyright © 2002 Press One Publishing. All rights reserved. Please do not reprint, or host on your Web site, without explicit permission. However, if you found this newsletter helpful, we grant you permission, and strongly encourage you, to e-mail it to a business associate or a friend. Thank you.