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DebtSmart® Email Newsletter
November 30, 2005 |
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Tools for
financial success! A Free Email
Newsletter from DebtSmart Online and
Press One Publishing. |
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 Letter from the Publisher
by Scott BilkerHi,
I do hope
you all had a great Thanksgiving last
week!
This
issue of the email newsletter releases a
new section of DebtSmart.com,
specifically, the DebtSmart® Video
Library Project! With your input, I've
been working on this for over a year
now. This section will include video
presentations covering all money topics. Videos
will include related links as well as
text versions of the video.
The first
release is 5 Ways to Avoid Holiday
Debt. Please take the survey in this
newsletter to let me know what you think
of the video--thanks!
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Interesting items and new
media... |
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1) |
We're (me and the family) on our
way back
from dropping off my
brother-in-law at the train
station, when
my 10-year-old daughter started
singing out of the blue. I
recorded it on the spot with my
digital recorder. She said I
could share it with you, but she
did ask to remain anonymous by
name (very shy). It's credit
related and proud-daddy finds it
cute--I thought you would enjoy
it too.
Listen here. |
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2) |
I
was interviewed on NPR (National
Public Radio) last week (Black
Friday). You can listen to this
3-minute interview about credit
card use during the holidays
on their website here. |
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3) |
CBS
3 interviewed me for their
consumer segment, 3 On Your
Side, with Jim Donovan. The
topic was Debit vs. Credit, and
it aired two days ago. If you
wish, you can
watch the video, see
photos from the interview,
or
watch on CBS's website. |
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4) |
The
News Tribune, Tacoma, WA, used a
partial phone call transcript
from my book, Talk Your Way
Out of Credit Card Debt, in
a front-page story.
You can check that out here.
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5) |
Money magazine reports in
its December 2005 issue whose
advice teens trust most between
mom, dad, grandma, and the web.
And the winner is...MOM!
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6) |
Steve Doocy, Fox News co-host of
"Fox & Friends" on 11/15/05, at
7:30 AM ET, was talking about
some trouble he had with his
credit card bank. He said that
he underpaid his bill by one
dollar and let that one-dollar
balance ride to the next month.
The result was that his bank
charged him a $40 interest
charge! He spent one hour on the
phone clearing that up. The
reason is that a balance must be
paid in full for the grace
period to be valid. That
one-dollar balance meant that
his bill wasn't paid in full and,
therefore, he was charged
interest on his entire balance.
He didn't mention his total
balance, but if we guess that his
APR is 10%, then a $40 interest
charge means his balance must
have been somewhere around
$4,800. |
Enjoy the
issue!
Best,
Scott |
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 DEBTSMART
VIDEO LIBRARY: 5 Ways to Avoid Holiday
Debt
by Scott Bilker
This is a
DebtSmart® Video Library Presentation.
The text from this presentation is
included with the video. There are two
streaming versions available to view
online--one in
the Windows Media Player format and the
other in
RealPlayer format. Additionally, there
are two download speeds available for
both versions in dial-up and high-speed
Internet connections. Links to
RealPlayer format streaming versions are
available on the main video presentation
page.
Between
Thanksgiving and Christmas people are
going to spend $121.4 billion using
their credit cards!
The key
is not to let this debt stick. Don't
allow yourself to get buried by that
debt or spend the next
year paying off the purchases from this
holiday season.
How are
you going to pay for the gifts?
Credit
cards of course! I'm sure many people
are going to criticize me for even
suggesting such an idea.
I can
hear it now, "Scott, are you crazy?
Don't use your credit cards, USE CASH! I
thought you were the anti-credit-card
guy?"
Watch
Video with:
High-Speed
Internet Connection
or
Dial-Up Internet Connection |
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 "27.99%
(Ouch!) on the older account"
Scott,
THANKS!
Your advice in Talk Your Way Out of
Credit Card Debt and on your website
(Featured Credit Cards) have saved money, in
my first step in helping my sister and
her husband lower their debt. I was able
to open a new credit account for them
and transfer the balance ($4300) from
another card, now paying only 3.99% for
the entire time of repayment, instead of
the 27.99% (Ouch!) on the older account.
I'm about to tackle another card, but I
wanted to share our success with you,
since you were instrumental in making
this happen. Again, thanks! Onward and
downward--regarding debt, that is!
Anne
Read about special offer for all three of Scott Bilker's
best-selling books |
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 Household Math™:
Coupon Shopping
by Scott Bilker
You have two coupons for orange juice. One is for
Minute Maid and the other is for Tropicana. You like and drink both brands. The
coupon for Minute Maid is for 2 half-gallon containers for $3. The coupon for
Tropicana is $4.99 for a 96-ounce container. Which orange juice is the best
deal? That is, which has the best price-per-unit volume? Hint: there are 128
fluid ounces in one gallon.
Answer
this problem |
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 SURVEY
for Video Library: 5 Ways to Avoid
Holiday Debt
by Scott BilkerThe DebtSmart® Video
Library Project has been launched! My
feeling is that the video is a nice
complement to the written article
because it's sometimes easier to
understand the content when listening
and watching. I'd rather watch a video
about history than read about it.
However, there are other topics, like
math, where I'd rather have the book.
Please
let me know what you think of my first
video presentation, 5 Ways to Avoid
Holiday Debt, by completing this
survey. I always consider your responses
when working on new projects!
Complete
the survey here
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 DebtSmart® Help Center
by Scott BilkerHi,
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 check out certain companies personally so I can recommend the
ones that are worth considering!
If you would like to speak with a representative from a...
Read
more at the DebtSmart Help Center
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 Every
penny counts
by Scott BilkerHow many times have
you walked out into the parking lot of a
supermarket and spotted a penny on the
ground? Plenty of times no doubt. You
might bend over to pick one up if you
see Lincoln staring at you, but for the
most part you just keep walking by.
I mean
after all, with the cost of inflation
over the years, what is a penny worth?
It really isn't worth that much as far
as buying something tangible like a
television, is it? What's a penny going
to add toward that purchase (besides one
cent)?
Finish
reading article
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 Manipulating
the system
by Scott Bilker
Friday night
and the phone rings... you know the
call, it's late, the last bite of my
dinner being chewed, all you want to do
is watch TV and relax. Guess who's
calling? Yes, it's a mortgage company
that's trying to sell me a refinance
deal!
The girl
asks me about my mortgage, my rates, and
my credit card debts--and I
reply. After all, I'm always curious
about getting a better loan (plus, I
like to throw them off their scripts).
I ask her
what their best rates are. She tells me
that it depends on my credit history. I
said, "Okay, say I have a credit rating
like Bill Gates. NOW what's your best
rate?" She said that she can't quote a
rate; however, the loan officer would let
me know. So I agreed to have the loan
officer give me a call.
Finish
Reading Article
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DISCLAIMER
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 ©2005 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.
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IN THIS ISSUE #112 |
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Publisher:
Scott Bilker |
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Editor:
Larissa S. Bilker |
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Assistant
Editor: Denise Troy |
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ISSN
1538-6740 |
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U.S. consumers are expected
to spend $435.3 billion this holiday season—a moderate 5
percent jump versus a year ago. In comparison, 2004
holiday sales rose 6.7 percent. |
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