Sick of debt collectors ringing your phone off the hook and sending intimidating letters?  You may not know this, but you have various forms of protection and many techniques available to deal with them.The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act sets guidelines for what debt collectors may or may not legally do when attempting to collect a debt. They can’t, for example, call before 8 a.m. Or after 9 p.m., nor threaten to garnish wages in states in which it’s illegal, or harass you with continual phone calls if you tell them to stop.

So, you do have rights. Continue reading →

When analyzing financing options or debt relief issues many people forget to include the tax implications of one strategy over another. Including tax implications in your scenarios can become very complicated, which is why it is always handy to have a computer program such as Quicken to help you crunch the numbers.

Here are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind. Continue reading →