Debt consolidation, mortgage refinancing, home loans, credit cards and consumer protection news. http://www.contactomagazine.com/money.htm http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:31:06 -0700 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:03:48 -0700 FeedForAll Mac v2.0 (2.0.0.7); http://www.FeedForAll.com/ Many consumers reach a point in their lifetimes when they have too much debt, particularly credit card and other forms of unsecured debt. Fortunately, there are potential solutions for people who are overwhelmed by debt. Two popular options for handling debt and credit problems today include debt consolidation and debt management. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/debtconsolidation0808.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:51:24 -0700 All across the web you will ll see advertisements touting debt consolidation as an easy ticket to financial freedom, and if you're struggling financially then their promises can seem very enticing indeed. However, what the marketing people don't often tell you is that unless you use consolidation wisely it can actually make a bad financial situation even worse. You could end up with even greater debt problems, and even run the very real risk of losing your home. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/debtconsolidation083107.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:03:22 -0700 It seems like everyone is jumping on the mortgage refinancing bandwagon. Maybe you are thinking about it yourself? After all, with rates as low as they are, the promise of lowering your monthly payments, sometimes significantly, is a great attraction for many homeowners. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/mortgagerefinancing0808.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:02:45 -0700 The Federal Trade Commission announced two amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR). One will expressly bar telemarketing calls that deliver prerecorded messages, unless a consumer previously has agreed to accept such calls from the seller. The other related technical amendment modifies the TSRs method of calculating the maximum permissible level of call abandonment. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/telemarketingrules0808.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:15:27 -0700 If you think your identity has been stolen, take these steps ASAP: Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. (As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts.) http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/stopidtheft0907.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:00:17 -0700 There’Äôs no need to wait any longer to buy an HDTV. That’Äôs the advice from Consumer Reports. Tests of 101 plasma, LCD, and rear-projection TVs for the March issue yielded more sets with top scores for picture quality than in years past. CR also reveals that prices are down as much as 40 percent on some TVs, so consumers continue to get more bang for their buck. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/hdtvprices0208.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:58:28 -0700 Are you a victim of credit card and Identity theft? Today, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the US. Often thieves will steal someone's identity and then go on to run up a host of bills in that person's name. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/stopidthieves1007.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:56:20 -0700 President George W. Bush has signed into law legislation that will allow HUDs Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to continue providing targeted mortgage assistance to homeowners. The Hope for Homeowners program will continue FHAs existing and successful efforts to provide aid to struggling families trapped in mortgages they currently cannot afford. Under the program, certain borrowers facing difficulty with their mortgage will be eligible to refinance into FHA-insured mortgages they can afford. The program will be implemented on October 1, 2008. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/mortgageassistance0808.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:16:10 -0700 Consumer Reports has named four new models to its Top Picks list for 2008’Äîthe Hyundai Elantra SE and Hyundai Santa Fe as top choices for small sedans and midsized SUVs, respectively; the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado as the top choice for pickup truck; and the Lexus LS 460L as the best luxury sedan. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/luxurycarsandtrucks0308.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:54:47 -0700 Since last March, more than 400 individuals have been arrested amid a massive multiagency takedown for being allegedly involved in mortgage fraud schemes nationwide. Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip and FBI Director Robert Mueller announced the results of Operation Malicious Mortgage. http://www.contactomagazine.com/articles/mortgagefraud0608.htm Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:15:45 -0700