This is a special issue of the DebtSmart Email
Newsletter--the 100th issue! Please know that is my honor to have your trust in
my ability to provide information that you feel is making a difference in your
financial life!
The only way we can stay one step ahead of the
banks is to have consumer power. Enlist an army of people that are constantly
calling banks and getting them to treat us properly by extending their best
terms and reducing fees.
That said, and since this is a special issue, I
would like to ask you for a special favor. Please tell three friends about
DebtSmart.com today. Tell them how it's helped you and that they should take a
look--thanks!
Last item...for the next few weeks, I'm going to
throw in a free download of my $9.95 DebtSmart Loan Calculator when you sign up
for the prepaid phone service I've been promoting in the email newsletter. Both
the calculator and the phone service are worthwhile or they wouldn't be here. I
personally wrote the calculator software and stand behind it. Also, I use and
enjoy the
prepaid phone service.
Thanks! And A Question About FICO Scores
by Scott Bilker
Hi, Scott.
First off, I want to thank you for your great
book, "Talk Your Way Out Of Credit Card Debt". I ordered it along with
your two free books ($25.65 total) specifically because my credit card company
had just charged me a $40 annual fee and I didn't want to pay it. With a single
phone call, they removed the annual fee PERMANENTLY. In one day you saved me
$14.35, counting the cost of the book. (So I got the book for free and $14.35 in
change!) If I keep this credit card for ANOTHER seven years, you will have saved
me an additional $280, and that's assuming they don't raise the fee over that
time. So, great job! Thanks for saving me my money. I told my wife about my
success, and she's eager to replicate it. She has a card with a FIFTY-dollar
annual fee!
Now for my question: FICO scores seem like the
king of the credit world, and the scoring system is so secret and
counterintuitive that it's frightening to me to make ANY changes with my credit
card "portfolio". I'm eager to pursue more of your advice, but am
terrified of damaging my credit score (which is in the low-mid 700's). I know it
hurts your score to close a long-standing account. Does it hurt your FICO score
to increase the credit limits on your cards? Does it hurt your score to open new
credit card accounts? Any proven, tested advice you can give on managing my FICO
score would be much appreciated. Perhaps you have a special report on it? Also,
what do you think of the idea of borrowing money from a 0% APR card, investing
it for a return, and paying back the loan with no interest so you pocket the
difference?
Thanks again! Love your stuff. I especially love
your story about buying a car with 0% APR credit cards. What a gem!
How to save money on your phone service within minutes!
by Scott Bilker
For a limited time, I'm going to throw in a free
download of my DebtSmart Loan Calculator ($9.95 value) when you sign up for
this prepaid phone service. Both the calculator and the phone service are
worthwhile or they wouldn't be here. I personally wrote the calculator software
and stand behind it.
I always use everything I recommend to make sure that it's good! Ready for
this...their claims are 100% true! Great service! Great price! I signed up for
$25 and got the free minutes. So the total time I received was 1,578 minutes!
That's 1.58 cents per minute!
The online reporting was instant and accurate! This is all I'm going to be
using for a while. If you let them know what numbers your calling from, and call
their local access number, you get the lowest rate and you only have to enter
the PIN to make the call. It's easy to use, cheap as can be, clean connection,
organized online, and simple. Works just like you would want and expect!
My phone service is getting me for 10 cents per minute for in-state calling
and 7 cents per minute for long distance! What a rip! I can't believe I've been
overlooking this big potential savings. I'm going to easily cut my phone bill by
two-thirds! I figure that I'll save $1,000 per year with this new service.
* A Smart way to carry cash
* No credit Check
* Add funds at over 46,000 Agent locations nationwide.
* Enroll Today: Click Here or call 1-866-813-4052
No credit checks, No lengthy application and no
bank account needed.
Ideal for on line or off line shopping. Plus, it's a prepaid card.
Which means the ultimate in budget control is yours.
Household Math™: A Penny Paid Is More Than a Penny Earned
by Scott Bilker
How much is a penny really worth? When it comes
to repaying debt it is certainly true that every penny counts! Say you have a
$100,000 mortgage at 7% for 30 years. The monthly payment is $665.30. How much
money would you save by adding just one cent to your monthly payment?
Featured Credit Cards Can Save You Money Now!
by Scott Bilker
Your
best defense against any one bank is to have credit options--to be able to
transfer your balance to a lower rate. That's your only real power against high
fees. That's how to be DebtSmart®! Make the banks fight for your business! Be
sure to add this web page to your favorites list so you can keep applying for
new credit when you need it. Which credit card is right for you? Select from the
list below and apply online right now!
You see, I believe there's a certain moral and
ethical code governing the sacred act of selling and buying secondhand stuff.
Contrary to popular belief, a yard sale is not an anything-goes,
no-etiquette-needed free-for-all. As in any social situation, there are certain
things you do or avoid doing in order to be polite.
Being avid yard sale shoppers, my husband,
Michael and I often run across examples of bad manners, both by shoppers and by
sellers. Here are a few of the faux pas we've seen that could have been easily
avoided by the simple practice of good yard sale etiquette.
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...
"I had your books less than 2 hours and already saved twice the cost
of them with a single phone call!"
Hi Scott,
I am just bursting with excitement to email you
today. I received your books in the mail when I got home from work and read the
first chapter of Talk Your Way Out Of Credit Card Debt. I then
called one of my credit card companies that was charging me a whopping $59 (zowwy!)
"member fee" each year and followed the steps that you outlined in the
chapter I just read. Just as you said, I got the first representative who
explained all of the "great thing" that the "member fee"
provided, such as sending me a statement each month "absolutely free,"
sending me a replacement card if it is lost or stolen "absolutely
free," yadda, yadda (seriously, do these people actually believe what they
are saying?!). I asked for the supervisor, was told they couldn't do anything,
talked to them anyway and, big surprise, the fee was waived on my account! I had
your books less than 2 hours and already saved twice the cost of them with a
single phone call!
Thank you so much for all that you do to provide
people with this great resource about a topic that most people seem to be afraid
to talk about. What a great idea to record your phone conversations and share
them! It gave me the exact action sequence and the confidence boost that I
needed, and I have no doubt that many, many people have been helped by your
efforts. Keep up the great work!
Checking accounts are an absolute necessity these
days. You can either have a checking account or run to the bank or other outlet
for money orders. Many people pay for almost everything with a check including
groceries, gas, clothes and a long list of other things. When you add an ATM
card to this picture, your chances for a potential problem is greatly enhanced.
Don't get me wrong. There are many people that
can keep their checkbook up to date, even deducting all of the ATM advances and
automatic withdrawals as they make them. However, too many people that write
checks for everything wind up not entering a check when it is written or an ATM
advance when it is made. The result is a bounced check fee of up to $25 for the
bank and god only knows what the store where you wrote the check could charge
you.
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.
Subscribe FREE and start
finding new ways to save
money and pay off your debt.
"The DebtSmart Email
Newsletter is packed with
cutting-edge strategies for
solving credit problems. I
highly recommend it."--Gerri
Detweiler, radio host and
author of The
Ultimate Credit Handbook
