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DEBTSMART® EMAIL NEWSLETTER 
ISSN 1538-6740 
May 5, 2004 Issue 73

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

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Publisher: Scott Bilker, mailto:publisher@debtsmart.com

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IN THIS ISSUE

==> Cool Quote

==> Letter from the Publisher

==> Alexa Toolbar

==> Follow-up to “Jenni the Bill Collector”

==> Household Math™: What does Jenna owe?

==> I bet I can save you thousands of dollars!

==> Finding Motivation: What to do when you don't 
       feel like doing anything

==> DebtSmart Help Center

==> Whatever you do...DON'T SAVE ANY MONEY!

==> DebtSmart® Resources

==> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Disclaimer Information

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COOL QUOTE “Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things.” 
--Eric Butterworth

Click below for quotes from all previous newsletters: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?04&7428

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER 
by Scott Bilker

Hi,

I’d like to welcome the 300+ subscribers who signed up since the last email newsletter issue, many of whom read about DebtSmart in a recent Wall Street Journal article or at MSN.

Here’s a cute, and clean, joke that my friend Greg Mador shared with me recently:

Q: What did the number zero say to the number eight? A: Nice belt!

Summer is on the horizon, and I suspect that many of your credit card banks are going to be sending you offers to “go on vacation” by using the “enclosed check.” Better to use the checks to pay off other high rate debt if they’re offering a low rate.

Scott’s rule of thumb: You need as much available in open lines of credit as you have debt, to successfully attain enough ongoing credit deals that keep your rates low by making banks fight for your business.

For example, if you have $5,000 in debt you need at least $5,000 in open lines of credit so you can call those zero-balance credit cards and say, “I’ll transfer my balance if you give me 0% for six month.”

The key is to use these open lines of credit for the sole purpose of keeping your rates low by transferring balances--not for new purchases.

Regards, 
Scott

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ALEXA TOOLBAR 
Message from Scott Bilker

Hello again,

I’ve found a GREAT tool for knocking out pop-up ads. It’s the Alexa Toolbar. It installs in seconds and becomes part of your browser window. It’s also easy to turn off, just go to “view, toolbars” and unclick Alexa.

Alexa is an Amazon company and they track the ranking of web sites based on activity of toolbar users. That’s fine with me because Amazon is a trusted online company and I’m tired of the pop-up ads.

This toolbar really did the trick of eliminating those annoying pop-ups, which is especially great if you have kids who may unwittingly click on something you wouldn’t want them to see.

You can decide which sites you want to block the pop-up from and those which you need. For example, you don’t want to block pop- ups from DebtSmart.com. :)

Anyway, you can learn more about this at: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?05&7428

Regards, Scott PS: This is not an ad, I just want to pass along something that I’ve found to be extremely useful!

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FOLLOW-UP TO JENNI THE BILL COLLECTOR 
by Scott Bilker

I received many responses to the last article, “Jenni the Bill Collector.” As you may guess, the negative remarks about the article came from bill collectors and the positive article comments from people harassed by bill collectors (the majority). But one response stood out so much that I had to share this with everyone (with the author’s permission, of course).

Scott,

I read the letter from Jenni and thought I'd share with you the experience of my worst job ever.

I got a job through a temp agency doing data entry at a debt collection call center.

As I sat to do my job, one of the collectors stood up and yelled, "Here's a good one!" He then proceeded to play a call he had just made to a lady with three kids that couldn't pay her bills because...

Click below to read article: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?06&7428

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WHAT DOES JENNA OWE? 
by Scott Bilker

Jennafer read Scott Bilker's, “Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt” and called her credit-card bank in the hopes of reducing her interest rate. Armed with the techniques from the book, she was successful at reducing her rate by 5 percent to 9.9 percent! After doing the math, she calculated that the debt would be paid back one year faster and she would save a total of $3,012! How much does she owe the bank--what is her current balance?

Click below to solve problem: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?07&7428

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I BET I CAN SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!

Are you frustrated by the insanely high interest rates you’re paying on your credit cards? Are you outraged by overlimit fees and late fees?

What can you do?

You can fight back!

How?

By contacting your banks and getting them to reduce your interest rates and waive fees. It’s true!

I’m so sure that my latest book, “Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt” can save you thousands of dollars that if you get this book, I’ll include my first two books, “Credit Card and Debt Management” and “How to be more Credit Card and Debt Smart” as gifts!

If you don’t believe you’ve saved enough from following my advice then simply send back my latest book and keep the others as a gift.

Order right now by clicking below: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?08&7428

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FINDING MOTIVATION: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING ANYTHING 
by Chris Widener

“The measure of your success usually comes down to who wins the battle that rages between the two of you. The ‘you’ who wants to stop, give up, or take it easy, and the ‘you’ who chooses to beat back that which would stand in the way of your success-- complacency.” Chris Widener

In all of my interactions with people, I've never found anyone, regardless of their level of success, who doesn't sometimes find themselves simply not wanting to do the things that they need and want to do. It is a part of human nature that there will be times that, in spite of all that we need to do, and even desire to, we will find ourselves not wanting to do anything. And what separates those who will become successful from those who will maintain the status-quo, is the ability...

Click below to read article: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?09&7428

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DEBTSMART HELP CENTER 
by Scott Bilker

Hi,

Helping you with your debt is very important to me personally! If you've been reading my articles, you know that I always encourage self-help as a first step. However, being buried in debt can be very overwhelming, which is why you may want to explore other options.

One of those options is professional, ongoing help with credit counselors. I've started to personally check out certain companies so I can recommend the ones that are worth considering!

If you would like to speak with a representative from a...

Click below to read more: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?10&7428

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WHATEVER YOU DO...DON'T SAVE ANY MONEY! 
by Doris Dobkins

No, that's not a misprint. Even though falling interest rates are good when you want to get a loan, they are bad for people with savings accounts.

In this economy your best investment, the best place to put your money is into paying off debts. Think of it as investing in your debt because that is exactly what you are doing.

If you put $1,000 into a bank savings account earning 2%, at the end of a year you will have $1,020.

If you carry a $1,000 balance on a credit card with a...

Click below to read article: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?11&7428

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DEBTSMART® RESOURCES

DebtSmart® Books, software, reports, in-print and downloads: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_en.cgi?01&7428

Archive of DebtSmart® Email Newsletters online: 
http://www.debtsmart.com/cgi-pl/go/040505_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/040505_en.cgi?03&7428

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HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE FROM 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/040505_en.cgi?00&7428

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

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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 to 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.

Copyright © 2004 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.