First, find a lender that you respect that is willing to extend you a credit card merchant account online. This may be the bank where your business interests and accounts currently reside. Or you may choose to shop for another lender with better rates or services. Don’t rush into this decision, however. Plan some time in your schedule to carefully browse the many services offered through a host of financial institutions today. You can browse the Internet by typing in search phrases like “merchant account” or “merchant services” and seeing what Google or your favorite search engine can bring up. Then it becomes a matter of checking out each lender to find the one that will best fit with your business budget or growth objectives. Some companies may seem a little too shady, while others may not have been in business long enough to enjoy a solid reputation. Others may charge a frightful amount for the services you want. Ask around your local business community to see which merchant account providers others are using, and then compare those costs and services with those you find online. You can probably reduce your list to a few of the better underwriters in short order. Then you will need to make the final selection by comparing monthly and annual fees.

Applying for a credit card merchant account online is fast and easy. Just click on the lender’s home page link to “application” (or some variation thereof) and follow the links to the application page. Then type the requested information in each blank. Contact the customer service representative if you do not understand a question or if you are unsure how to answer it. Remember to print a copy of the application if you are able to do so, or keep a copy of the confirmation number if one is provided. Often a company will email a verification of your application’s receipt and tell you when to expect a reply. At least print this page, if nothing else, for your records.

After applying for a credit card merchant account online, sit back and wait to hear about the decision. Often this arrives within a few days or even hours by email, although some are mailed out by post. When you receive approval and open your merchant account, you can begin to accept credit card payments right away. You will be delighted to see how quickly your profits increase as customers begin taking advantage of this valuable service. Don’t wait—consider applying today for your credit card merchant account online.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies to those who collect debts owed to creditors for personal, family and household debts. These include car loans, mortgages, charge accounts and money owed for medical bills. A debt collector is someone hired to collect money you owe.

Within five days after a debt collector first contacts you, the collector must send you a notice that tells you the name of the creditor, how much you owe, and what action to take if you believe you don’t owe the money.

If you owe the money or part of it, contact the creditor to arrange for payment.

If you believe you don’t owe the money, contact the creditor in writing and send a copy to the collection agency with a letter telling them not to contact you. A debt collector may not:

Contact you at unreasonable times, for example, before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree;

Contact you at work if you tell the debt collector your employer disapproves;

Contact you after you write a letter telling them to stop—except to notify you if the collector or creditor plans to take a specific action;

Contact your friends, relatives, employer or others—except to find out where you live and work;

Harass you through threats to harm you, profane language or repeated telephone calls;

Make any false statement, or claim that you will be arrested; or

Threaten to have money deducted from your paycheck or to sue you—unless the collection agency or creditor intends to do so and it is legal.

You have a responsibility to pay off any debt that you owe.  Debt collection agencies also have a responsibility to treat their customers with respect and follow the law.

If you are being harassed by a debt collection agency, contact the authorities and report them.

The same way, if your credit card company charges higher interest rate than your bank, you should hire money from the bank instead. It’s the principle of appeasing the lesser evil. The thing is why would any bank want to lend you money at low interest?

Now, we need to resort to psychology here. Say someone comes to you and says, “Lend me money I have a huge business that can have 100% yield”. Say another person comes and says, “Lend me money, I got a standard real estate business that yields 20% per year”. Which person would you give your money to? The one giving 100% yield?

Obviously it’s not obvious. Why? Because you don’t give a shit on the sort of yield he’ll get.

All you care about is how much from that 100% yield will he share you?

If both say that they will share you 10%, which one will you choose? The safer investments. Usually higher yield investments are riskier. So, when both say the will share you 10%, you will choose the business yielding 20% per year. That’s why Banks love lending money to low yield real estate rather than highly profitable silicon valley business start up. There is another even more important reason, which I’ll explain later.

You don’t care how much yield a businessman will make. You care what your share is. That and the probability that they won’t pay your loan.

The same way, Banks lend money to businessmen at pretty much constant interest rate. If the businessmen make a lot of money, the Bank makes 10% interest, if the business makes less money, the bank also makes 10%. So banks don’t care how much money businessmen make.

Banks only bite the bullet when businessmen go bankrupt. The same way, when a bank considers a loan to you, they don’t care how brilliant you are. They’re only interested whether you will pay the loan or not. If they feel secure you’ll pay, they lend the money. Simple?

Now, how do we make bank feel safe that you’ll pay? Collateral. You see, secured debt are debts where banks can seize something if you don’t pay. You’ll usually get lower interest rates this way. Collateral makes banks feel safe in lending money for you. This is the second reason why banks love real estate. Real estate loans always come with collateral that will minimize banks’ problem when the debtor ditches.

Trivia: Why Credit Card Interest Rate is Higher Than Mortgage?

Answer: When you lend money on interest rate basis, all you seek is security. To make a profit, your interest rate should be higher than the interest rate your lender gives. However, that’s not the only factor. You need to compensate for the probability of default. Your interest rate should be high enough so that even if say, 10% of your debtors are defaulting, you still earn a profit.

Different Point Of View: Credit Cards, unlike Mortgages, are unsecured by collateral. So banks are not motivated to lend money through unsecured loan to unsecured debt. So how do we motivate them to lend money? By agreeing to pay higher interest rate.

Morale: As with anything, after a bunch of regulation, the market will sort of take care of it. More pain for a bank usually leads to bigger share for it in another form.

As usual, I put a few simulations for this advance strategy. I also put an in-depth analysis to explain why this advance strategy is possible. You should compare the simulations of this strategy with the simulations of the basic strategy

Conclusions

Is it for you? Well, I won’t jump to conclusions. If you’re determined to pay, go ahead.

However, if you’re not, this can make you loose your house. You see, that’s the downside of collateral. It’s a secure debt so you cannot hide behind bankruptcy laws to prevent banks from taking it.

I’ll explain more about bankruptcy later.

However, if your debt is not neck deep and you obviously can pay, this is obviously the way to go. The worst is you live on welfare, right? Doing this right can help shorten your loan payment period or cheapen your payment.

Loan interests go high because banks are taking risks that some people won’t pay their loan. Hence, by paying high interest loan, you are paying the loan of those who don’t feel like paying loan.
Maybe you think it’s unfair that some people don’t pay their loan expecting you to pay for it. However, for all the bank knows, you are potentially one of those people.

Unless you can convince your bank that you’re not likely to default on your loan, the bank will think that you’re a potential defaulter.

You see, unless you have a credibility or collateral, the bank will automatically think that you are partially a defaulter. If the default rate in your country is 20%, for example, then the bank will look at you as if you’ve decided to default (on average at least) 20% of your loan already.

Here, the bank will give you an interest rate where on average, the bank still gains its usual low interest rate plus some amount to compensate for the extra risk.

By signaling to the bank that you’re not one of them through collateral, you only pay interest for what you owe rather than paying for those who don’t pay their loan. Hence, you get cheaper interest rate.

Imagine, just you setting up a forex account, trading your currency against another country’s currency to make money. Or perhaps consider that you could trade any currency in the world, as long as the broker supports the inter-trading of the two forms of money.

Being in forex trading has alot of positives and negatives. Sure you can at least imagine the positive benefits, of being financially independent, making money off of competing currencies, trade on the laptop on a yacht in the middle of nowhere, drinking a mai-tai, and have a ball living it up.

Now let’s also bring to focus the cons of trading forex. For one, there is a potential catastrophic loss of funds if you do not know what the heck you are doing. You just cannot drop your life savings or snack money to a forex trading account and expect it to grow money. Alot of traders, matter in fact close to 95% of traders end up losing their shirts the first go around, and ever if they try again, they bet more money, and get into serious debt. The thought of answering to your wife about losing all of your son’s college money to speculating the euro/dollar is not pleasing I am sure.

Now, that we have compared two extreme situations, one for the good, and one for the bad, we need to see what we can do, if you are even still interested in forex trading at this point, you should build a descent knowledge base on trading, and a success plan to manage and earn over a period of time.

When I say plan for earning money, it doesn’t mean double your money in a short time. It means growing incremental income over a longer term time frame, rather you do it with day trading, or long term positioning. Having at first a modest gain, will get you to learn how to build your game trading forex. It doesn’t happen overnight, and usually the folks who are luck first and foremost, will end up losing some later in the process anyway.

Recently, I have stumbled upon a new forex program, called forex raptor. Forex Raptor is a totally unique and automated piece of software, that on all of the major currencies. Yes that means the software monitors and tracks major currency pairs such as the dollar against the euro, dollar against the yen, euro against the pound etcetera.
The major currency pairs are the ones where the majority of successful forex traders speculate and make their coin. Rarely do anybody make major amounts of money on lesser known “exotic” pairs.

With forex Raptor, either making a second income, or creating the ultimate work at home career trading currencies will assist you in becoming part of the trading elite. Imagine trading as well as the top guys without looking endlessly at charts, reading news about some oil company robbing peter to sell mary, and seeing how that affects currency pricing.

Forex Raptor has 24 hour access to trading pros, just in case concerns and question do arise, and they will eagerly assist you in process of learning the trading software too!

Here are some questions consumers have asked the FTC about consumer reports and consumer reporting companies, and the answers.

Q. Do I have a right to know what’s in my report?
A. You have the right to know what’s in your report, but you have to ask for the information. The consumer reporting company must tell you everything in your report, and give you a list of everyone who has requested your report within the past year – or the past two years if the requests were related to employment.

Q. What type of information do consumer reporting companies collect and sell?
A. Consumer reporting companies collect and sell four basic types of information:

* Identification and employment information: Your name, birth date, Social Security number, employer, and spouse’s name are noted routinely. The consumer reporting company also may provide information about your employment history, home ownership, income, and previous address, if a creditor asks.
* Payment history: Your accounts with different creditors are listed, showing how much credit has been extended and whether you’ve paid on time. Related events, such as the referral of an overdue account to a collection agency, also may be noted.
* Inquiries: Consumer reporting companies must maintain a record of all creditors who have asked for your credit history within the past year, and a record of individuals or businesses that have asked for your credit history for employment purposes for the past two years.
* Public record information: Events that are a matter of public record, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, or tax liens, may appear in your report.

Q. Is there a charge for my report?
A. Under the Free File Disclosure Rule of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act), each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — is required to provide you with a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months, if you ask for it.

Q: How do I order my free report?
A: The three nationwide consumer reporting companies are using one website, one toll-free telephone number, and one mailing address for consumers to order their free annual report. To order, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. You may order your free annual reports from each of the consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order from only one or two. The law allows you to order one free copy from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months.

Q: What information do I have to provide to get my free report?
A: You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources.

Q: Are there other situations where I might be eligible for a free report?
A: Under federal law, you’re entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You’re also entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you’re on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft. Otherwise, any of the three consumer reporting companies may charge you up to $9.50 for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.

The most common reasons for bankruptcy filings are unemployment, large medical expenses; seriously overextended credit; marital problems, and other large unexpected expenses.

There are two ways a debtor can go bankrupt. The first and most common way is for an individual to file a voluntary petition asking the Court to allow bankruptcy. The second, and rarely used way, is for creditors to ask the Court to make an Order that a person is bankrupt. In this way, a creditor can gain payment, at least in part, for debts a debtor is refusing to pay. In both these cases a Bankruptcy Trustee is required to administer the bankruptcy.

There are two different types of legal bankruptcy proceedings.

Chapter 7, also called a straight bankruptcy, is a liquidation proceeding. The debtor gives all non-exempt property to a bankruptcy trustee who then converts it to cash for distribution to creditors. The debtor is freed from all dischargeable debts, usually within 4 months. Chapter 7 is filed in cases where the debtor has few assets to lose, so this option gives a relatively quick release from debts. A debtor can file Chapter 7 again if more than 8 years have passed since discharge of a previous Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is also called a reorganization bankruptcy. It is filed by individuals who wish to pay off their debts in 3 to 5 years. This type of proceeding is suited for individuals with non-exempt property they wish to keep. It is only an option for individuals who have predictable income and whose income is sufficient to pay their reasonable expenses with some amount left over to pay off their debts.

Under the new Bankruptcy Law which took effect on October 17, 2005, individuals who can afford to make some repayment of their debts must file Chapter 13. Only debtors who meet strict financial requirements are allowed to erase their debts completely through Chapter 7. Debtors must take an approved Financial Counseling Course within 6 months of filing. Then, their income is assessed according to the formula (monthly income-expenses) X 60. If the result is $6,000 or less, and unsecured debts are less than 25%, Chapter 7 is allowed. If income is greater than $10,000 or unsecured debts are greater than 25%, the debtor must file Chapter 13.

Once bankruptcy is filed, creditors are forbidden from harassing the debtor. By law, creditors cannot initiate or continue any lawsuits, wage garnishees, or even make telephone calls demanding payments. Secured creditors such as banks holding, for example, a lien on a car, will get the stay lifted if the debtor cannot make payments.

Spouses are legally unaffected by a debtor’s bankruptcy if they are not responsible (did not sign an agreement or contract) for any of the debt. If they have a supplemental credit card they are probably responsible for that debt. However, in community property states, either spouse can contract for a debt without the other spouse’s signature on anything, and the spouse will still be obligated to pay. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as the purchase or sale of real estate; those few exceptions do require the signature of both spouses on the contract for both to be liable. But mundane purchases, such as credit cards, do not require both spouses to have signed. Community property states are: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

Declaring bankruptcy does not mean that an individual’s subsequent access to credit is cut off. Whether a debtor is allowed to keep credit cards after filing bankruptcy is up to the credit card company. If the bankruptcy involves discharging a credit card, the card company will cancel the card unless the debtor reaffirms the debt. Even if the card has a zero balance the credit card company might still cancel the card.

A number of banks now offer “secured”credit cards, for which the debtor puts up a certain amount of money (as little as $200) in an account at the bank to guarantee payment. Initially the credit limit is equal to the security given and is increased as the debtor demonstrates ability to pay the debt.

Two years after a bankruptcy discharge, debtors are eligible for mortgage loans on par with applicants of the same financial profile who have not filed bankruptcy. Income stability and the size of the down payment are seen as more relevant than a past bankruptcy filing. Though bankruptcy stays on a credit report for 10 years, it becomes less significant as time passes. People who have filed for bankruptcy are often better credit risks than people who have not, and are struggling to pay multiple accumulated debts.

Debtors filing for bankruptcy are allowed to keep certain assets. The exemption for a homestead is limited to $125,000 if the property was acquired within the previous 1215 days (3.3 years). The cap is not applicable to any interest transferred from a debtor’s previous principal residence which was acquired prior to the beginning of the 1215-day period. The value of the state homestead exemption is reduced by any addition to the value brought about on account of a sale of nonexempt property made by the debtor with the intent to evade or defraud creditors during the 10 years before the bankruptcy filing.

An absolute $125,000 homestead cap applies if either the court determines that the debtor has been convicted of a felony demonstrating that the filing of the case was an abuse of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, or the debtor owes money due to criminal acts. This limitation is not applied if the homestead property is “reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and any dependent of the debtor.”

Some laws relating to bankruptcy vary from state to state. Legal residency is determined by which state the debtor lived in the 730 days (2 years) before filing; or if the debtor did not live in a single state in the previous 2 years, the state of residence where the debtor spent the majority of the 180 period preceding the 2 years. If this leaves the debtor ineligible for any exemptions then the debtor is allowed use federal exemption laws.

In some cases of Chapter 7 bankruptcy, tax debts are also wiped out, but only if stringent conditions are met: the IRS does not have a tax lien against the debtor’s property; no fraudulent tax returns have been filed; tax liability is due for a tax return filed at least 2 years before the bankruptcy filing; the tax return was due at least 3 years ago, and the taxes were assessed at least 8 months before filing for bankruptcy.

Student loans from government and private organizations are usually not wiped out, unless repayment would cause undue hardship to the debtor.

All non-exempt property, such as real estate, cars and motorcycles will then be liquidated by the trustee.

There is no legal requirement to use a lawyer to file for bankruptcy, and debtors can do so themselves for about $300; however, it is strongly advised the use the services of a specialized bankruptcy lawyer as bankruptcy law is complex. A bankruptcy lawyer is well worth the cost, which is usually only $1,600 to $2,000. Debtors will recoup the legal fees many times over through peace of mind and avoidance of stress in addition to actual money saved by following the bankruptcy attorney’s advice.