Debt Collection Scams: Protecting Yourself

The government is stepping up as debt collection scams rise. In recent news, Buffalo New York has been home to a number of unlawful debt collection practices, and authorities have arrested at least twelve people. Although the vast majority of collection agencies are legitimate and good for the economy, there has been a rising amount of deceptive and illegal practices.

In Buffalo, collections agents have been caught calling up people that owe money and posing as law enforcement. They have threatened to send people that owe money into jail, or even take child custody away from them. But it doesn’t stop there.

A recent civil case imposed a $675,000 penalty ever imposed on a debt collection business, for illegal and deceptive practices. This includes harrassing and lying to consumers, cashing in on post dated checks early, and disclosing their debt to third parties. These tactics came by deceptive claims from agents saying they were lawyers or other figures of authority.

In addition to refusing to reveal the address or phone number of the “company” these agents even went as far as to call people who were not in any debt at all and attempted to collect money from them. Even though the owners of said companies alleged that it was individual workers acting fraudulently, the Federal Trade Commission went after the business owners and won a case that imposed the biggest penalty ever for debt collection agencies.

To skirt the issue of being a victim to fraudulent collection agencies, it is imperative that you know your rights. A collection company can never seize a debtor’s assets, bank accounts, or paychecks. They can not get a debtor fired from their occupation, and cannot make any kind of public disclosures concerning the debt, and they can definitely never threaten or engage in violent acts.

For more information, refer to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which outlines the rules and regulations of debt collection.

Mallory McGuinness is employed by a collections agency that works with a debt collection lawyer. Also, she does stories on business, finance, the credit industry and collections agencies. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

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Walk Away Or Pay That Mortgage? The Pros And The Cons

In the midst of the real estate boom, many homebuyers extended their finances to purchase a house that might have been beyond their means. With the market on fire, people were apt to buy with low introductory interest rates and interest-only loans. They believed that their income would increase to meet their payments and predicted that real estate prices would never fall. Unfortunately, adjustable-rate mortgages have adjusted and monthly mortgage payments have gone up. Couple that with the fact that income hasn’t increased, and you will see why more people have fallen behind with their mortgage payments.

As house prices diminish and with interest-only mortgages on the decline, more homeowners actually owe more on their mortgages than what their house is worth. It doubtlessly has occurred to many homeowners that this makes sense, as many are defaulting on mortgage payments as we speak.

Quick breakdown to explain the situation: you purchase a house for $400,000 that is now worth only $300,000. Thanks to an interest-only mortgage, you still owe $400,000. If you erased this off of your balance sheet, your net worth will increase by $100,000. Granted, you’d still need a place to live, but from this point you could purchase a more affordable house or rent for a bit of time.

However there is one large drawback to abandoning your house. If you do, you will trash your credit rating, making it difficult or even impossible to rent an apartment, get a new mortgage, and even a job. There is a huge drawback to abandoning your responsibilities. If you walk away, you will destroy your credit rating, making it more difficult or impossible to rent an apartment, qualify for a new mortgage, and perhaps get a job.

New legislation is out now to be of assistance to families facing foreclosure, which will encourage people to pick alternative options other than abandonment.

Mallory Megan is employed bya debt collection company. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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Dana White And Tito Ortiz Kiss And Make Up

In the ‘real world’ time heals all wounds. In the fight game, money has the same curative effect. This was vividly illustrated with the recent announcement that Tito Ortiz has patched things up with Dana White and will return to the UFC. Tito left the promotion over a year ago after a highly publicized split with the UFC president.

Ortiz has had several run ins with the UFC over their notoriously tight pay structure, and first left the promotion in 2005. He was back later that year for a run as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter against longtime rival Ken Shamrock. After losing to current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida in his last UFC appearance, he left the company and bounced around in a promotional capacity. He had surgery on his back in the process, and now claims that hes back to 100%.

Tito may never regain his championship form as a fighter, but that is of minimal relevance due to one salient fact”people will pay to see him fight. Dana White evoked the same theme in his comments on Ortiz at a Friday press conference in Las Vegas:

“Tito and I have a history that everyone knows. He’s still a guy that everyone wants to see fight. He said his back has healed perfectly and he’s ready to take a shot at the title. He’s one of those guys that people love and people love to hate. We’ve put all our differences aside, have squashed everything and will move forward, and Tito will retire in the UFC.”

In response, Ortiz quipped:

“Time really cures everything. Dana was a man of his word. Dana apologized to me. We’re like boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Ortiz said that Dana White and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta came to his home in Huntington Beach, California and made him the proverbial offer he couldnt refuse:

“I’m happy, I’m satisfied, You’ll never hear anything about money again.

Sources suggest that Ortiz could debut on the UFCs New Years card against Mark Coleman. Coleman is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100 in mid July.

To best understand Titos appeal and why the UFC was so anxious to re-sign him, well paraphrase HBO boxing commentator Larry Merchant. Merchant once noted in reference to George Foreman during his ‘comeback’ that there are many fighters, but very few stars. Like George Foreman, Tito Ortiz is a star. Some love him, some hate him but people pay to watch him fight.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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The Elements That Lead To The Boise Idaho Real Estate Dilemma!

Foreclosures are a part of every market these days, but 2009 ravaged the Boise Idaho real estate market so savagely that just fewer than 1 in 20 homes were foreclosed upon. The fact that Boise has had a year over year increase in foreclosures of 103%, besting the previous record of 2008, putting Boise atop the nations list of highest foreclosure rates. Finding your city among the top 24 most troubled real estate markets in the nation has too many homeowners reviewing the limited options that are out there. Given that the unemployment rate in the region is a constant 10.1%, and there is no scheduled company moving in, it may take a while to turn this market around.

In order to really experience a strong turnaround, the Boise Idaho real estate market has to fix a few things first. Its population has more than doubled since 1980, and its industry has diversified over the past half century. Tech industries have come into the mix, and Micron Technology is now the city’s biggest employer.

As in many Western cities, the Boise Idaho real estate market place was quite unpredictable throughout the boom. Home prices increased about 80% during the boom, from about 150k to about 260k during the peak years of the boom, according to the Wells Fargo NAHB Index. Since then selling prices have decreased more than 32%.

The resident economist at Boise State University, Christine Loucks indicates that there were two main contributing factors in the foreclosure problems now plaguing the Boise Idaho real estate market, which included speculative investments and a huge economic slowdown. Whenever there is a quick population increase, there is frequently real estate speculation due to the increased demand for housing.

When prices started to slow down, the speculators pulled out, sending prices lower further and ensnaring some buyers underwater. A high percentage of the house flippers ended up losing most, if not all of their assets. Job losses also began to mount. High tech jobs went through a serious round of layoffs with about 2000 Micron employees and hundreds of HP workers losing their jobs, increasing the misery index on the Boise Idaho real estate market.

Residential construction has just stopped, according to a local economist. When you look at the big picture, the Boise Idaho real estate market has experienced all of the highs and lows of the rest of the larger real estate markets in the west.

The author enjoys writing articles about boise idaho real estate and real estate in Boise Idaho. Click on the links above to learn more about these topics! Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

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