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Featured Structured Settlements Articles

Debt Consolidation – Watch out for Payday Loans
Most any large city has a number of small shops offering payday loans. They're often found in strip centers; sometimes they double as pawn shops. They have a simple business – they lend you money until your next paycheck. The system is pretty ...

Selling Structured Settlements
This article provides useful, detailed information about Selling Structured Settlements. Structured settlements can be sold when there is a monetary emergency. There is an option of selling the settlement in parts, instead of opting to sell the ...

Structured Settlements
This article provides useful, detailed information about Structured Settlements. A structured settlement is an arrangement with the insurance company that involves periodic payments obtained as a substitute for release of liability. As ...




Credit Report – Check Yours Regularly.and for Free
 
In the twenty-first century, there are few documents that have a greater impact on the lives of Americans then their credit report. Credit rating determines one's ability to buy a home, a car, or to obtain a credit card or a job. Since these things are important, it is equally important that the information be accurate. The only way to be sure of that is to check the report regularly. Prior to last fall, there were two ways to obtain a copy of your credit report: to pay for one, or to obtain one for free after being denied credit. Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act passed last year, Americans can now obtain a free copy of their credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies once a year.

Due to anticipated heavy response to the offer of free credit reports, the program has been rolled out in stages. People living in the West and Midwest are already eligible to apply for a copy of their report at www.annualcreditreport.com. As of June 1, 2005, those living in the Southeast are now eligible, and on September 1, 2005, those living in the Northeast will be eligible. All that is required to receive a copy of your credit report is to answer a few simple questions. Since it only takes a few minutes to do, there is really no reason to put off checking your credit report, and you may benefit tremendously by doing so.

The credit score is a single, three digit number that represents an individual's credit worthiness, and that score is obtained through a complex formula that takes into consideration a person's borrowing and spending habits and payment history. A high score makes someone more eligible for loans and credit, while a lower score may indicate that a person is a risk to repay. While the information contained on a credit report is generally accurate, incorrect information sometimes shows up on credit reports, and incorrect information could result in someone who being denied a loan for which they might otherwise be qualified. Furthermore, a credit report check is the best way to determine if you have been the victim of identity theft, an increasingly popular crime that often goes unnoticed for a year or more. If your identity is stolen, your credit rating can be ruined and you can be burdened with thousands of dollars in debt. The new bankruptcy law, which goes into effect in October 2005, draws no distinctions between debt incurred by an individual and debt incurred through identity theft. This alone should be reason enough to check your credit report regularly.

Since the law now allows individuals to obtain one free report per agency per year, anyone who wants to keep a close eye on their credit report can obtain a free report as often as every four months. Since the credit report affects your life in so many important ways, checking it regularly should become a habit.

About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding structured settlements.



Structured Settlements News


Structured Settlement Sales for 'Rainy Day Funds'
CisionWire (press release)
But those holding structured settlements have an easy way to get money to pay for all of the many emergencies that can happen to a family. Financial experts agree that one critical aspect of preparing for the future is to build up enough savings so ...


Kentucky Justice Association Suggests Strategic Capital to Members
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) May 22, 2012 The Immediate Past President of Kentucky Justice Association, JT Gilbert, has written a letter to member attorneys regarding its position on selling structured settlements. Gilbert clearly states the KJA position as ...

and more »

Structured Settlement Institute: Texas Courts Again Reject Imperial Finance's ...
MarketWatch (press release)
A Texas court last month rejected for the fifth time Imperial's anti-consumer attempts to prohibit customers from selling their structured settlements to persons other than Imperial. Imperial sought to prohibit its customers from receiving competitive ...

and more »

Transamerica Violates Annuity Exemption In Texas
MarketWatch (press release)
A lawsuit in Texas has accused Transamerica Life Insurance Company of violating Texas law exempting annuity benefits, reports the Structured Settlement Institute. In the suit (Cause No. 2011-05238, FinServ Casualty Corp. and Capstone Associated ...

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JG Wentworth Sued For Deceptive Trade Practices
Sacramento Bee
By Structured Settlement Institute BOCA RATON, Fla., May 17, 2012 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- JG Wentworth parent JGWPT Holdings has been accused of engaging in widespread deceptive trade practices in a recently filed lawsuit.

and more »