I think you need to divide the threads into 2 parts. One part for people to ask questions and another part for articles, primers, etc. Because one helpful aspect of this site is that people can view the answer to a question that has already been asked. We should not allow these questions and answers to cycle down into the second page due to an overabundance of articles. i.e bankruptcy: questions/answers articles/primers

I know this is more of a post of ramblings, but I had the fortune to run into a post on another board confirming a fear of mine concerning the new format that the credit reporting agencies are using. They have replaced, last activity date with status date, which should be the last status on the account, but it is being changed by the credit reporting agency or the creditor not sure which yet, but it is getting updated when ever accounts are being verified. The problem with this, is that the date is attached to the credit scoring...

http://opt-out.cdt.org/ Credit Bureaus Pre-Screened Credit Offers If you receive pre-screened credit card offers in the mail (namely, those based upon your credit data), but don't throw them away after you decide you don't want to accept the offer, identity thieves could retrieve the offers for their own use without your knowledge. Need to shred these offers so that they can't be retrieved and reused. To opt out of receiving pre-screened credit card offers, call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567- 8688).

Alabama: http://www.ago.state.al.us/ Alaska: http://www.law.state.ak.us/ Arizona: http://www.azag.gov/ Arkansas: http://www.ag.state.ar.us/ California: http://caag.state.ca.us/ Colorado: http://www.ago.state.co.us/ Connecticut: http://www.cslib.org/attygen

debt settlement5 Companies are not the same as debt counseling Companies (debt consolidation). [list=1]

You have to pay a start up fee

You set up a savings account

You sign over a limited power of attorney

You set up for your creditors to mail billing directly to them.

They take a percentage of the money they save you after settlement has been accomplished. Find that most people believe these companies to step in immediately and settle up with the c

By all means first try calling your creditors to negotiate for hardship programs and reduced interest rates. If you so choose to go with a CCCS programs, then be aware of these possiblities and cover yourself in the event that something goes wrong. Read your contract - and understand penalties for not completing the programs, and that sometimes creditors can be hard to deal with should you try and remove your self later from the program.

Connecticut Title 36a. The Banking Law of Connecticut Part V.

California Code Civil Code Division 3. Obligations Part 4. Obligations Arising from Particular Transactions Title 1.6. Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act Chapter 1.

Idaho Code Title 28. Commercial Transactions Chapter 50. Identity Theft 28-50-101. Definitions.

Colorado Revised Statutes Title 12. Professions and Occupations General Article 14.3. Colorado Consumer Credit Reporting Act 12-14.3-106.5 Consumer report information block.