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Personal Finance Articles

Personal Budget Worksheet

Betsalel CohenNovember 16, 2010

Get the steps on completing your own personal budget. Use the budget to monitor what you are spending and ensure you are spending less than your income.

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Credit Limit Credit Score

Bills.com TeamNovember 8, 2010

Two factors are taken into consideration when calculating credit utilization. The first is overall utilization. The second is individual credit account utilizat

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Refinance Income?

Mark CappelNovember 5, 2010

The cash in a cash-out refinance is not income because it is a form of loan against the value of the homeowner's property.

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Piggyback Credit

Mark CappelNovember 5, 2010

If your spouse has strong credit, your being an authorized user on an account with a healthy credit history will boost your score. This is called piggybacking

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Disputing Your Credit Report

Mark CappelOctober 27, 2010

Credit Report Dispute | How to dispute errors on your credit report for no cost. Get inaccurate information removed from your report by filing a notice with...

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Credit Score FAQ

Mark CappelOctober 26, 2010

Free tips on establishing, maintaining, and improving your credit rating.

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Credit Score FAQ

Bills.com TeamOctober 26, 2010

Learn about how your credit score is determined and how your credit score affects you.

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Hard Inquiries

Daniel CohenOctober 18, 2010

Dispute Hard Inquiries | Consider disputing hard inquiries only if there are many you did not authorize. However, if you opened an account with a bank or...

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State Tax Levy

Bills.com TeamOctober 14, 2010

You may owe state income tax due to your filling jointly with your spouse. You may want to consider filing your returns as married filing separately.

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Staying Out of Debt

Daniel CohenOctober 14, 2010

Stay out of debt by following these quick tips. Start by making a budget and track your income and spending. It's very important that you...

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IRS Collections Process

Daniel CohenOctober 14, 2010

Information on how the IRS collects on your outstanding taxes. Take steps on resolving your debt before aggressive collection methods from the IRS harm you.

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Tax Relief Services

Daniel CohenOctober 14, 2010

Tax relief services | A professional tax relief services firm can help you get out of IRS debt, stop levies and wage garnishment, and file previous tax returns.

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IRS Payment Plan

Daniel CohenOctober 6, 2010

Free advice about handling IRS tax debt and setting up a payment plan

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Understanding Credit Score Discrepancies

Mark CappelOctober 5, 2010

Understanding Credit Score Discrepancies | Your credit scores are calculated using complex mathematical formulas. Your scores can vary from bureau to bureau...

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1099-A vs. 1099-C

Mark CappelOctober 4, 2010

1099-A vs. 1099-C | A creditor is required to issue a 1099-A when a borrower abandons real or personal property. A 1099-C is a notice to the IRS that the...

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California Service of Process

Mark CappelSeptember 30, 2010

California service of process | In California, service of process is allowed by substitute, if a copy of the summons cannot be delivered personally with reasona

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What Affects Credit Score

Mark CappelSeptember 13, 2010

There are five key factors that go into calculating your credit score, with certain items carrying more weight than others.

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Free Credit Report With Score

Daniel CohenSeptember 7, 2010

Free advice from Bills.com on how to get a free credit report with score.

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Social Security Disability

Daniel CohenAugust 17, 2010

Learn how to qualify for Social Security Disability

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Levy From Both IRS and a Judgment

Daniel CohenJuly 29, 2010

Levy | Free advice if you have an IRS wage levy and a separate levy from a creditor

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Collection Account & Credit Score

Mark CappelJuly 22, 2010

A credit record is an imperfect snapshot of a person's credit history that is 60-90 days out of date. The soonest that any change can be reflected in a credit s

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Credit Bureaus Report I'm Dead

Daniel CohenJuly 20, 2010

View the reports to see which bureaus list you as deceased. If only one bureau is, then you only need to focus on correcting one error.

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Bonded Title

Mark CappelJuly 20, 2010

Each state has a procedure for removing a lien from a vehicle.

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Wrong Address on Credit Report

Mark CappelJuly 16, 2010

Under the FCRA, both the consumer credit reporting company and the information provider are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in

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IRS Tax Lien on my credit report

Daniel CohenJuly 15, 2010

Having an IRS tax lien or a State Tax Lien filed against you demands quick action. Free tips from bills.com.

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Raise Your Score For Free

Mark CappelJuly 1, 2010

Raise Credit Score for Free | It doesn't have to cost you money to raise your credit score. Follow a clear strategy and make smart decisions and your score...

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California Eviction

Mark CappelJune 23, 2010

California eviction | In California, eviction requires written notice. if you were evicted legally, you should have received a written notice three days before

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Investment Adviser

Mark CappelJune 4, 2010

First, you need to find an attorney who is experienced in wills and trusts. Second, you need an investment adviser.

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Cash Out Retirement Account

Mark CappelJune 1, 2010

If you are paying a high interest rate on this loan, then consider receiving a distribution large enough to extinguish this debt plus the second credit card.

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I Have No Credit History What Can I Do?

Mark CappelMay 5, 2010

What can I do if I have no credit history?

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$12000 IRS Debt

Mark CappelApril 12, 2010

IRS debt problems can often be solved by using the services of a tax professional who has a track record of successfully negotiating on behalf of clients...

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Vehicle Lease Terms

Mark CappelApril 12, 2010

Look to your contract to determine if the consumer who leased the vehicle is required to be the primary driver on the vehicle's insurance.

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Vehicle Exemption

Mark CappelApril 2, 2010

Most states exempt a portion of the value of certain items, such as a vehicle, tools of a trade, and a homestead, from creditor execution and from bankruptcy.

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Credit Card & Credit History

Mark CappelMarch 29, 2010

Keep your oldest credit account open because it establishes the baseline for your credit history.

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Divorce and Credit Report

Mark CappelMarch 19, 2010

Divorce and Credit Report | What can I do about my ex-husband not making the mortgage payments? My divorce is wreaking havoc on my credit report, and I want...

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IRS Debt Help

Daniel CohenMarch 14, 2010

IRS Debt | If you have IRS debt, you need to find the best possible solution, to protect yourself from a wage or bank levy. You may be able to save money, if...

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Bank of America Credit Report

Mark CappelMarch 9, 2010

Derogatory Items on Credit Report from Bank of America | If you have derogatory items, including from Bank of America or Chase, then follow theses steps...

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Will Paying Off My Auto Loan Raise My FICO Score?

Mark CappelMarch 5, 2010

Paying off Auto Loan and FICO Score | Timely payments of a loan are crucial for your credit score. Paying off a loan will affect the amount of credit and the...

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804 Credit Score

Mark CappelMarch 4, 2010

Closing an account lowers your credit score. Here, there is no point in your closing the accounts if you are planning to apply for credit soon.

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FICO Score

Mark CappelFebruary 12, 2010

Fico Score | Keep in mind that there is more than one credit score. In fact, there is more than one FICO score. Fair Isaac offers different versions of its...

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Fair Credit Reporting Act Lawsuit

Mark CappelFebruary 9, 2010

Fair Credit Reporting Act Lawsuit | If your old mortgage is still being reported as delinquent, even after a foreclosure, then you need to learn about your...

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Debt Tax

Mark CappelFebruary 2, 2010

Debt Tax | Some people assume a decedent's debt is forgiven or possibly written off by creditors. The law does not work that way, with the exception of...

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Delinquent Account

Mark CappelFebruary 2, 2010

The exact date of last payment on your delinquent account can be inferred from the date of first delinquency. You can learn the date of first delinquency by rev

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Credit Cards History

Mark CappelJanuary 29, 2010

Credit Cards History | If you close the wrong account, your credit cards history may have an enormous impact on your credit score. Keep your oldest credit...

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Piggyback Credit

Mark CappelJanuary 28, 2010

It is in your best interest to stop piggybacking on a damaged credit card account. Ask the card holder to contact the creditor and remove you as an authorized u

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Canada Credit Report

Bills.com TeamJanuary 27, 2010

Canada Credit Report | There is a slight risk to your Canadian credit report if you leave your US credit report in shambles. A financially motivated US...

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Information Credit Report

Mark CappelJanuary 26, 2010

Lost Information on Credit Report | here is no penalty in the Fair Credit Reporting Act for CRAs if they remove positive credit history from a credit report.

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Adding a Mortgage to Your Credit Report

Mark CappelJanuary 26, 2010

The how-to and importance of adding your mortgage payment history to your credit report.

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Straw Buyer

Mark CappelJanuary 25, 2010

Both spouses have liability for debt incurred by one spouse during the marriage. However, in practice, it is rare for creditors to pursue both spouses in commun

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Should I Close My Credit Card Accounts

Mark CappelJanuary 22, 2010

I have a few credit cards that do not have a balance and they are charging me an annual fee of $50, should I close my account?

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