http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Charles+Phelan Finances Charles Phelan Fri, 30 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=26221&ca=Finances If you are behind on your bills and on the receiving end of collection phone calls, you will probably hear collectors make some very threatening statements. While most debt collection professionals try to stay within the boundaries defined by the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), m... Finances Charles Phelan Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=15949&ca=Finances Debt settlement has become a popular approach to resolving problem debts without having to file bankruptcy. With this approach, creditors agree to accept a portion of what you owe (usually around 50% or less) to settle the account, and the remaining balance is forgiven. This technique will certainly... Finances Charles Phelan Tue, 11 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=14567&ca=Finances Have you been told by a creditor that your debt is about to "charge-off"? Did the bill collector make it sound like you will be ruined financially if you allow this catastrophe to happen? If you're behind on your bills, unable to keep up with payments on your credit cards and other debts, sooner or... Finances Charles Phelan Sat, 24 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=12316&ca=Finances With the new bankruptcy law in effect as of October 17, 2005, there is a lot of confusion with regard to the new "means test" requirement. The means test will be used by the courts to determine eligibility for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The purpose of this article is to explain in plain lan... Finances Charles Phelan Wed, 21 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=11952&ca=Finances "Cut Your Payments in Half!" the headline screams. "Consolidate Your Bills into One Low Monthly Payment!" When you see ads like this, they are often from Credit Counseling firms. In this article, I'll explain the principles behind the Credit Counseling approach and discuss the main problem consumers... Finances Charles Phelan Tue, 20 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=11833&ca=Finances Credit protection insurance is a good example of a consumer rip-off that affects millions of people, yet receives little attention in the financial media. Simply stated, you should NEVER buy "credit protection insurance," or a "payment protection plan" or any other similar type of credit-related ins... Finances Charles Phelan Thu, 15 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=11313&ca=Finances If you've had credit problems, then you've probably received offers for credit cards aimed at people with bad credit. These offers range from legitimate, to questionable, to outright scams. How can you tell the difference? The answer is to read the fine print, usually to be found in a document calle... Finances Charles Phelan Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=9063&ca=Finances After October 17, 2005, a lot of people are going to become interested in debt settlement as an alternative to bankruptcy. That's the date the new bankruptcy law goes into effect, and it means a rude awakening for many consumers seeking a fresh start in bankruptcy court. It used to be that 7 out of... Legal Charles Phelan Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=9065&ca=Legal In April 2005, Congress made sweeping changes in U.S. bankruptcy law that will go into effect on October 17, 2005. It's called the "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005," and it means big trouble for Americans struggling with debt problems. What effect will the new bankrup... Finances Charles Phelan Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=9067&ca=Finances Debt consolidation, equity loans, credit counseling, debt management plans, even Chapter 13 bankruptcy – it doesn't matter which of these debt programs you're talking about. They all suffer from one fatal flaw, the number one problem that causes most people to fail at eliminating their debts through...