Credit Report Dispute: How long does it take to remove?

Credit Report Dispute: How long does it take to remove?
Credit Report Disputes can take up to 60 days to remove.
The 3 credit Bureaus don't make it easy to get items
removed. Make sure after you have got your Free Credit
Score Report and reviewed what is not correct you only
dispute once. Every time you dispute an item the dispute
gets put back into the 30 to 60 day window again. I am sure
you have heard to send in your disputes via certified mail,
but I personal have done it on-line for clients. We get the
result done actually quicker, and no mail cost involved.
Let's assume you don't have internet access for some reason
then you must send your dispute to the bureaus via mail.
Here are addresses for disputing and phone numbers:

Equifax
P.O. Box 740256
Alanta, GA 30374
(800) 797-7033

Experian
NCAC
P.O. Box 9595
Allen, TX 75013
(800) 583-4080

Trans Union
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022-2000
(800) 916-8800

Once you have pulled your Free Credit Score Report,
determine which bureaus are reporting information about you
that is incorrect. There are many cases where only one or
two Bureaus are reporting something incorrectly. Then all
you have to dispute is to those one or two Bureaus. Maybe
you have filed Bankruptcy and it was a Chapter 13, well
this particular bankruptcy should only report for 7 years
from file date. Typically Equifax is the culprit that does
not remove public records like this. A chapter 7 reports to
the C.R.A.'s for 10 yrs. This bankruptcy typically is not
removed like it should be either. This is just examples of
how items may not drop off when they should. So make sure
you stay on top of your Credit Report, because no one will
manage your personal credit report like you will.

The conclusion to all of this, disputes usually take 30 to
60 days. Most of the Bureaus for some reason keep reporting
after the expiration date. Or maybe you are a junior, and
your Fathers bad credit is reporting on your report. What
ever the case is, I do know recent studies show 1 in 4
reports have incorrect information on them. Since you are
dealing with software that calculates your
creditworthiness, I am sure it's safe to say the software
has flaws in it, just like Microsoft's software has bugs in
it as well.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author: Mike Clover is the owner of
http://www.my720fico.com . My720fico.com is one of the most
unique on-line resources for free credit score reports,
Internet identity theft software, secure credit cards, and
a BlOG with a wealth of personal credit information. The
information within this website is written by professionals
that know about credit, and what determines ones credit
worthiness.

3 Ways To Research and Manage Stocks As If You Were Watching From 38,000 Feet

3 Ways To Research and Manage Stocks As If You Were Watching From 38,000 Feet
This is a story worth reading about. It might save you a
lot of time and money. It's about an innovative site that
just went live the last weeks of 2007. It was conceived
then born out of necessity and objective, third party
market research. Ian Campbell, the individual investor who
created it was sick and tired of doing financial research
the slow and tiresome way.

Campbell liked to manage his own stock portfolio. But there
was a pain associated with this. It was like a 'hurt' that
needed to be healed; a problem that needed a solution. It
was too laborious to do the analyses, pouring over piles of
charts, other web sites, trying to make sense of all the
inputs for so many different companies. Moreover, in many
cases, the information he wanted and needed wasn't there.
He reasoned that there must be thousands of investment
advisers and other investors - just like him - who craved
such a solution to this onerous problem. During the last 12
months, he has brought to the market a website focused on
Small Cap Canadian Mining and Oil & Gas stocks. Check out
his personal credentials; you'll find that for more than 35
years, Campbell has been viewed as a leading Canadian
expert in the rendering of independent business valuation
opinions.

In fact, he's famous for writing the definitive Canadian
books on it. In fact, Campbell has recently been honored by
the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators.
They have named an annual research grant after him.

I asked Campbell why he conceived this particular website.
He said that his own frustration with the data overload on
the Internet, coupled with the untold hours it took him to
manage his own portfolio, led him to realize there had to
be a quicker, better way to do this.

As a long-time marketer myself, I was particularly pleased
to see that Campbell did not fall into the trap of building
a service based only on his needs. Campbell knew that he
could show others how to save time and money with this new
way of researching just as if they were a company acquirer.
To further test his concept in depth, he had to conduct
market research. Campbell had a seasoned market researcher
work with him to craft and distribute a detailed
questionnaire targeted at thousands of individuals in the
U.S. and Canada. Each had at least $100K in the market and
was interested in individually managing or having an
investment adviser handle his or her portfolio.

The actual 'services' in the site concept were a direct
result of this research. But for me, where the rubber hits
the road, it's about how the website provides member access
to an interesting, yet very efficient way of looking at
one's stocks. I compare this to what it must be like
looking down on an investment from three different
altitudes.

First, there is the Macro-economic overview, as if you were
a plane way up at 38,000 feet of altitude, looking down at
the very big picture. Then there is the ongoing specific
industry overview (viewed within the context of the
macro-economic overview above). Lastly, there are the
individual companies within the industries featured on the
site. This is comprised of research conducted with or on
that specific company.

From my marketer's viewpoint, this site allows one to look
at the major questions one must ask: (1) where is this
company now? (2) Where do they say they want to be? By
when? Thirdly, how are they going to get there? What are
their plans to get there? Being able to look down from a
38,000 foot vantage point forces the stock researcher to
become aware of and take into consideration all the other
inputs that affect the competitive environment in which
this company has to compete.

From the mid-altitude point, the researcher is assisted by
taking into consideration all the pertinent specific
industry inputs, allowing them to decide for themselves
whether or not this particular company has the ability and
resources to move upwards...or not. The investor, or his
advisor, can then make their own decisions to buy or
sell...or not.

©Copyright, Roy MacNaughton, 2008

----------------------------------------------------
To learn more, go to: http://www.stockresearchdd.com
Roy MacNaughton is a business writer and coach. He's a
seasoned marketer, with more than 25 years of international
experience, including eight years online. His specialty is
finding investment "niches" that can be exploited and/or
added to his own portfolio.
Check his blog at:

http://www.UmarketingU.com

'Change' Need For Financial Advice

'Change' Need For Financial Advice
The range of financial guidance open to the public needs to
improve.

Such is the assertion of the Financial Services Consumer
Panel, after a recent study indicated that the current
framework for advice is full of "confusion". It was
suggested that the majority of people are unable to
distinguish between the different types of financial
adviser that are available, whether they offer assistance
on loans, investments, current accounts, savings schemes or
other monetary products. The research indicated that the
majority of people often described such advice as
"independent" even when it has come from someone working
for a bank or a 'tied' financial adviser.

However, upon being prompted to think more about the
different types of financial guidance available, a
significant number of people stated that they are aware
that many advisers cannot be independent as they receive
commission from product providers.

The study also showed that the main reason for why Britons
use a financial consultant is because they can offer help
on where to invest their money. Meanwhile, many consumers
like to be able to discuss their fiscal standing with
someone who has more knowledge and experience of the
economic markets than they do. In addition, seeking out
sufficient monetary advice may well help many people to get
a cheap loan or other forms of competitively-priced credit
effectively.

John Howard, chairman of the Financial Services Consumer
Panel, said: "Our research shows that the financial advice
market is in urgent need of change. At the moment consumers
are generally confused about the type of advice they are
receiving and, appalling though it may seem, many people
are now simply resigned to not getting the best advice when
they talk to a financial adviser.

"The Financial Service Authority's Retail Distribution
Review must establish truly independent advice and clearly
distinguish it from mere sales. The research also suggests
a pent up demand for a properly funded and promoted generic
advice service. This would act as a trusted gateway to
financial services for the many consumers who lack
confidence in the system, or their own ability to engage
with it."

Research from the organisation also showed that those who
have little monetary experience often do not fully
appreciate fiscal guidance. On the other hand, those who
are well off were indicated as thinking they know more than
the professionals and can conduct their own matters
themselves. Such consumers, it was suggested, also believe
that financial advisers only target rich people. This led
the institution to claim that the creating of generic
financial programme would help encourage those who lack
knowledge to seek out help on areas like personal loans and
savings. Consequently, this could help many to get to grips
with their spending.

Indeed, such guidance may be useful to an increasing number
of Britons after Colin Jackson, director of Baronworth,
reported that people need to be disciplined when it comes
to reducing pressures on finances and saving more often. He
added that should consumers continue to use credit cards to
make mortgage payments then they may find they are in a
"spiral" of monetary problems. Such people may realise
that, after getting guidance from a recognised
professional, a consolidation loan may prove to be a
helpful way to manage money.

----------------------------------------------------
Abbi Rouse writes for All About Loans where visitors can
apply online for cheap personal loans. We also specialise
in online tenant loans, and secured home loans. Visit
today http://www.allaboutloans.co.uk

Can Consumers Fight Back Against Credit Fraud?

Can Consumers Fight Back Against Credit Fraud?
Sometimes I long for the days of old, the days when we
could trust the people we deal with and never question
their integrity. Unfortunately, if we choose to use the
internet consistently, we must be prepared to be extremely
careful when we deal with anyone. When it comes to
protecting our credit, we must be even more careful than
ever.

In this age of information, credit fraud is not a difficult
crime to perpetrate. The idea that a thief could gain
access to your account information or personal data is not
as implausible as you might think--social security number
misuse has increased over the last two years, resulting in
a variety of credit-related crimes.

Fortunately, you can fight back against credit fraud by
learning how credit fraud and identity theft occur, and by
actively monitoring your credit report for unauthorized
account use on a regular basis. Your credit report will
list any new activity on accounts you haven't been using,
as well as new accounts that you did not open.

One of the best ways to keep track of new information that
is added to your credit report is the CreditCheck
Monitoring Service, which provides Online Monthly
Monitoring Alerts to inform you of new derogatory
information, recent inquiries into your credit, and several
indicators of possible credit fraud.

To have credit report information at your fingertips is the
best way to shut an identity thief down--you can begin the
process of notifying your creditors of the fraud, changing
your passwords, and closing down fraudulent accounts before
they wind up in the hands of collectors and compromise your
good credit.

How Credit Fraud and Identity Theft Occur

Specific personal data, such as your Social Security
number, home address and mother's maiden name, can be all a
thief needs to obtain a fraudulent driver's license, take
over existing bank or credit accounts, divert card
statements to a different address, or even apply for new
credit card accounts under your name. Thieves can obtain
this information in variety of ways, including fishing
through trash for account statements, lifting cards from
lost or stolen purses, wallets and briefcases, or through
telephone or Internet scams.

How to Prevent Credit Fraud and Identity Theft

Customers may be in a position to prevent potential
identity theft by closely guarding their personal data. For
example, never give out your Social Security number over
the phone unless you know the company you are dealing with
and have initiated the call.

Similarly, if your mother's maiden name is not likely to be
a secure password, consider changing it to something a
little more difficult for a thief to obtain. Also, carry
only the cards you are actually going to use, and leave
official documents like Social Security cards, passports
and birth certificates at home or in a safety deposit box.

Account Takeover Fraud

Credit card account statements contain a lot of sensitive
information that you don't want thieves to get a hold of,
and even store receipts will frequently have your credit
card number printed on them. Sometimes an account number is
all a thief needs to make charges and obtain cash advances.
It's a good idea to shred all financial documents before
discarding them.

A thief in possession of sensitive information about you
may also be able to go one step further, and commit account
takeover fraud, simply by calling your creditor, reading
off your account number, a partial Social Security number
and your mother's maiden name, and asking them to change
the mailing address on the account. For this reason, if you
don't receive a credit card statement on time, you should
call your creditor immediately to verify that the address
has not been changed.

Pre-Approved Credit Offers

Another source of potential credit fraud is pre-approved
credit offers. A thief who intercepts one may fill out the
application and change the address to obtain a credit card
in your name for which you will never receive a statement.
(To combat this, some creditors will not issue a card to a
new address on a pre-approved offer certificate, but this
policy isn't universal.) This makes checking your credit
report especially important, because it will show you if
there are accounts being reported in your name of which you
are not aware.

The thief may even make the minimum payments for a while,
until such time as the card is maxed out. Then the account
would eventually be turned over for collections--in your
name, and listed on your credit report.

----------------------------------------------------
Mike Powers is an internet marketer who has developed a
website that gears itself towards helping people repair
their credit. The site offers tips and resources to get
people back on the right track. You can vist Mike's site
at:

http://www.mwpowersnet.com

How Medical Transcription Services Can Improve Cash Flow by Choosing a Factor, Part Two of Three

How Medical Transcription Services Can Improve Cash Flow by Choosing a Factor, Part Two of Three
In my last article, I briefly introduced accounts
receivable factoring as a viable financing option for
medical transcription services who are just starting up or
who are in the midst of a rapid growth period. Rather than
waiting weeks or months to be paid, a medical transcription
company can receive cash immediately by selling its
invoices at a discounted rate to a factor.

I went on to explain the three main categories of factors:
general factors, who are large and operate nationally,
accepting clients from a multitude of industries;
geographic factors, who specialize in funding clients who
are proximal to the factor's location; and
industry-specific factors, like a medical transcription
factoring firm who base their clientele around one specific
business niche.

After deciding which kind of factor would be the best fit
for your medical transcription funding needs, the next
logical question to ask is, "How much does it cost?"
Before jumping in blindly and talking numbers, it's a good
idea to have a general understanding of how the factor's
fees are structured. Allow me to elaborate.

When a factor advances you money on your receivables, they
are actually making a legal purchase of your invoices at a
discounted rate. This discounted rate can be a one-time
flat fee, or it can vary depending on how long the factor
owns the invoice, whereby the factor charges a certain
percentage corresponding to the number of days that it
takes for the invoice to be paid. It's important that you
know upfront how the factor determines its fees to make
sure that you are getting the best deal for your invoices.
And of course, it all boils down to how your own company
operates, how long it takes for your customers to pay your
invoices and what you feel comfortable paying. In general,
discount fees can be affected by a number of things,
including the length of the contract to which you are
willing to commit, the average monthly purchase volume of
your account, the average size of your invoices, the number
of account debtors (customers) you do work for and the
credit quality of those debtors to name just a few
variables.

Among some other things to consider when selecting a
medical transcription financing company are advance rates.
Advance rates are exactly what they sound like, the amount
of money that a factor advances you up front upon
purchasing your invoices. Currently, the industry norm is
80 percent. Of course this rate can vary, and oftentimes
factors determine their advance rates on a client-by-client
basis. There are a number of aspects that could affect
your advance rate, and they frequently depend on your
customers' payment history. In fact, most factors will ask
that you provide a current accounts receivable aging report
sometime during the approval process to get an idea of how
long it takes for your customers to pay and if they
generally pay the invoices in full. Quick payments and
payments that are made in full will increase your chances
of having a higher advance rate. In addition, some factors
will increase the advance rate over time as your business
grows and the factoring relationship solidifies.

On the other hand, if your customers routinely short-pay on
your invoices or if they take longer to pay, your advance
rate most likely won't be as high. One example is signing
a contract with a hospital that is net-60, and the hospital
is notorious for paying 30 days late. Since it becomes
harder to collect on invoices the longer they go unpaid, a
factor that knows your clients pay in 90 days will not feel
as comfortable advancing you a high amount on your invoices.

Of course there are both positives and negatives for high
and low advance rates. For example, a factor advancing 95
percent upfront will probably charge higher discount fees,
but you have the benefit of receiving funds for the entire
invoice amount. On the other hand, a factor that advances
75 percent will charge lower discount fees, but you won't
be able to receive as much money up front.

I would also like to mention that there are numerous other
possible fees a factor could add into their fee structure.
So before making your decision based on the advance rate
and discount fee alone, make sure to look into the factor's
extra fees. Some examples of "extra fees" that a factor
may charge include application, origination and due
diligence fees. These charges are often set in place to
cover the costs of running credit and background checks on
your customers, compiling and shipping legal documentation
and putting a lien in place once you become a client.
Other factors will add in administrative fees for postage,
long-distance phone calls, or computer time. Then there
are fees associated with funding procedures, identifying
set prices for a same-day wire to your bank account or an
overnight transfer of funds. Most of the remaining costs
can be bunched into the category of "penalty fees," in
which a factor could charge you more for misdirected
payments, aged invoices or an early termination of your
contract.

Although advance rates and discount fees tend to be the
main concern when business owners are shopping for medical
transcription receivables funding, I hope that this article
has helped you realize that they are not the only two
things to consider. There are a number of other types of
fees that may or may not be tacked onto your funding deal,
depending on the factor. In addition, like I stated in the
previous article, depending on the volume your company is
invoicing on a monthly basis and where you are located will
all play a crucial role in your overall decision-making
process.

I encourage you to read the third and final article in this
series to explore the legal documentation involved with a
medical transcription factoring deal. You will find that
the length of time you are willing to commit to selling
your invoices to a factor as well as the type of guaranty
you are willing to sign are important aspects to consider
when looking for the factor who will best be able to meet
your medical transcription invoice financing needs.

----------------------------------------------------
Philip Cohen is the founder and president of PRN Funding,
LLC, which is an extraordinarily focused niche player in
the healthcare staffing invoice financing market place.
Through a process known as factoring, PRN Funding provides
business owners with the financial resources needed to grow
and compete in the industry. Contact Philip Cohen at
866.776.5407 or pcohen@prnfunding.com. Please visit PRN
Funding on the web at http://www.prnfunding.com .

Tax Returns - Should you E-File?

Tax Returns - Should you E-File?
Over the last few years, there have been several
incentives, or even requirements, provided by the IRS and
state governments to encourage tax filers to file their
returns electronically. Statistics show the percentage of
e-filers is on the rise. With tax return deadlines right
around the corner, we want to share our thoughts on the
questions we receive most often from clients about e-filing.

Top 5 questions I am asked about e-Filing:

#5 Do I have to e-file?

No. Currently, the IRS does not require any tax returns to
be e-filed, though several states have implemented this
requirement. In the past, the state has sent a "reminder"
notice that future returns should be e-filed, but have
warned that paper returns filed in the future will either
be rejected or subject to a penalty. This most likely means
that e-filing state income tax returns in these states will
be mandatory, and we can anticipate that other states will
add similar requirements.

#4 Do I have to provide my bank account information?

No. The only time your bank account information needs to
be provided is if you would like your refund directly
deposited into your bank account, or if you would like your
payment directly drafted from your bank account. If you
are hesitant to provide your bank account information to
government agencies, you can receive your refund by check
or if you owe, you can make your payment by mailing in a
check.

#3 How long does it take to e-file?

Usually a return is accepted by the IRS or state within a
few business days of the return being submitted. The
acceptance provides confirmation that the return has been
timely filed.

#2 If I owe with my return, is the payment due when my
return is e-filed?

E-filing the return before the due date does not accelerate
the due date of taxes. Payments can still be remitted
separately any time before the due date of the return, even
if the e-file is processed earlier.

Consider the following strategy. If you owe on your
federal return, but are due a refund on your state return,
then e-file both returns early. You could receive your
state refund in time to use it towards your federal payment
due. The same holds true if you owe on your state return
and are due a refund on your federal return.

#1 Why should I e-file?

Here are a few reasons to e-file:

The risk of a return being lost in the mail or misplaced is
minimized. Usually a taxpayer is not notified of a missing
return until months or even years later. When a return is
e-filed, confirmation of acceptance (receipt) by the IRS or
state is provided within a few business days.

Paper filed returns are manually entered into the
government's system, meaning that an input error could
trigger a tax notice.

Part of the e-filing acceptance process used by the IRS and
state governments includes a "pre-check" of certain items.
These items must be correct in order for an e-filing to be
accepted. This greatly minimizes the chance of receiving a
tax notice.

Returns are processed more quickly; if you are due a
refund, it will be sent sooner.

Warmest Regards,

Tom

----------------------------------------------------
Tom Wheelwright is not only the founder and CEO of
Provision, but he is the creative force behind Provision
Wealth Strategists. In addition to his management
responsibilities, Tom likes to coach clients on wealth,
business, and tax strategies. Along with his frequent
seminars on these strategies, Tom is an adjunct professor
in the Masters of Tax program at Arizona State University.
For more information, visit http://www.tomwheelwright.com