Author: Hamid Tavakoli

Concerned about your credit history? Here are practical ways to boost your credit score.

Your credit report may stay with you for the rest of your life, but it doesn’t need to be a burden. Ultimately, you have some control over how it presents your financial well-being.

Even if your credit history isn’t great now, it’s never too late to learn how to improve it. With some time, your credit rating can become stellar — and you can be rewarded with faster credit card approval or that big home loan with low rates.

18 July, 2018

Filing bankruptcy can help you reduce or eliminate debt, halt actions that creditors have taken against you and allow you to get your finances back on track. There are several different types of bankruptcy, and a skilled attorney can guide you on the most effective path to achieving a beneficial outcome for your financial situation.

09 July, 2018

When I started my business years ago, I thought the responsible business-y thing to do was to get a Post Office box.

Why?

I honestly don't know. Like business cards, it's just one of those things (at least I use the PO Box!).

Since then, I've found that a Post Office Box is a great way to hide your address and give yourself an extra layer of security.

14 June, 2018

Getting the facts straight about credit restoration and the credit industry can be a daunting task. There is a lot of misinformation about credit and many people are under the impression that there is nothing they can do to fix their credit score.

08 June, 2018

Zombie debt collection is on the rise.  Zombie debt also known as Phantom debt is an extremely old or even fictitious debt that has returned “from the dead” to “haunt” the debtor.  That amount owed on the debt can somehow grow to thousands of dollars when it was originally for a few pennies or never even owed in the first place.  While the concept of zombie debt has been around for a long time, it has recently gained much attention as consumer complaints regarding this type of debt continue to grow.

01 June, 2018

With Tax Return Day just a few days behind us, those who filed on time are more than likely already thinking about what they will get back.  Statistics show that approximately two-thirds of Americans who file taxes on time will receive a refund.  While most consumers make plans for how they are going to spend the money on vacations, home improvements, a new car, consider using your income tax refund to improve your credit.  

23 May, 2018

Don't let anyone trick you, there are only some instances in which you can be required to show your credit report, and even then, only if you give consent to it. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), is the federal statute that was created to ensure accuracy and privacy of consumer information.  Its purpose is to protect consumers from distribution of inaccurate information contained in reports as well as the privacy of their information.  To this end, the FCRA sets guidelines on who can access a report and when the access is permissible. 

19 May, 2018

One of the most frequently asked questions when a loved one dies is “does my loved one’s debt live on or die with them?”  While mourning the loss of a loved can be difficult, the added stress of dealing with their debt can exacerbate these feelings of loss. Are you responsible for what your loved one left behind?  Does your loved one’s debt live on or is it buried with them? The simple answer……it depends.

16 May, 2018

It may seem like an impossible feat, but boosting your credit score does not have to be as difficult as you think. Maintaining a good credit score can be as simple as following directions and committing to being financially responsible.  

12 May, 2018
The first thing any consumer should do when hearing from a collector is to determine if the debt is time-barred.  That is, did the statute of limitations expire on this debt. The statute of limitations, as we have blogged in the past, is the limit of time that the collector/creditor has to file a lawsuit in court seeking recovery.  Each state’s statute is different, and some states provide that a payment on the debt can restart the statute. Thus, before you agree to pay the debt, your first task is to find out when the last payment was made on that account, and what your state’s statute of limitations is for that particular kind of debt.
09 May, 2018
If you don’t understand the difference between a credit report and a credit score, you are not alone.  While both are a measure of your financial well-being, your credit report is a history report of how you have handled your debts, both past and present, and your score assigns a number to that history.
04 May, 2018

Hacking, Identity Theft, Internet Fraud, Phishing Attacks, Malware are just a few ways our personal information can be compromised. Today it is as important to protect our private data as it is to protect our personal health. With so much of our information available at a click of a button, it can be seem overwhelming trying stay secure or as secure as possible.

02 May, 2018
One of the most common questions asked in credit repair is “How long will an item stay on my credit report?” Today we’ll walk through the major derogatory accounts found on credit reports and give you an understanding of how long each may report on our credit reports.FCRA Statute of Limitations:
29 April, 2018

We're very fortunate to live in an era with limitless technology at our fingertips.

At no other point in history has it ever been so easy to start a business:

All it takes is an idea, a laptop with an internet connection, and some good old-fashioned hard work!

18 April, 2018

All too often consumers ask about credit repair…is it worthwhile, what does it cost, should I sign up?  Credit repair is a service provided by a company that helps consumers remove unwanted and inaccurate information from their credit file to help improve credit reports.  Consumers can hire a company to clean their credit or just as easily can sign up to do the work themselves.

31 March, 2018