search for books and compare prices
Tables of Contents for The Unofficial Guide to Beating Debt
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
The Unofficial Guide Reader's Bill of Rights
xix
The Unofficial Guide Panel of Experts
xxv
Introduction
xxvii
I Easy Money
1
110
Credit Basics
3
26
Credit 101
4
6
How Much Is It Going to Cost?
5
1
Truth in Lending
6
1
Can You Afford It?
7
1
Shop Around
8
1
Consumer Leasing
9
1
Types of Credit
10
3
Getting Credit
13
6
Borrowing for the First Time
13
2
Credit Application Tips
15
2
What If You're Turned Down?
17
2
Your Credit Worthiness
19
2
Credit Issues for Women
21
5
Discrimination Against Women
22
1
Develop Your Own Credit History
22
1
Joint Obligations and Assets
23
1
Divorce or Separation
24
2
Taking Responsibility for Other People's Credit
26
1
Cosigning a Loan
26
3
Children and Credit
27
1
Just the Facts
28
1
Money, Money Everywhere
29
28
Common Types of Loans
30
5
Home Mortgage
30
1
Home Equity Loan
31
1
Auto Loan
32
1
Student Loan
33
2
Sources of Money
35
4
Banks and Saving and Loan Associations
35
1
Credit Unions
36
1
Retirement Plans
37
1
Life Insurance
38
1
IRAs
39
1
Credit Cards: Plastic Explosives!
39
13
Bankcards
44
1
Store Cards
44
1
Travel and Entertainment Cards
45
1
Affinity/Hybrid Cards
46
1
Online Cards
47
1
Debit Cards
48
4
How Many Cards Are Enough?
52
1
Other Sources of Money
53
3
Finance Companies
53
1
Other Second-Mortgage Lenders
54
1
Loans in the Mail
55
1
Loans from Phone Solicitations
55
1
Just the Facts
56
1
Protecting Yourself and Your Credit
57
30
Stay Current with Your Debts
58
2
Follow the Instructions
59
1
Check Your Statement Promptly
60
1
Set Up a System
60
1
Setting Your Priorities
61
1
Help from the Consumer Credit Protection Act
61
3
Leveling the Playing Field with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
64
2
Know Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Billing Act
66
1
How to Resolve Billing Errors and Disputes
67
3
Write to Your Creditor
68
1
Pay the Part of the Bill Not in Dispute
69
1
What Your Creditor Must Do
70
1
Still Not Satisfied? Don't Give Up
71
1
How to Stop Payment on Your Credit Card
72
1
How to Enforce Your Rights
73
3
Protecting Yourself Against Fraud
76
9
Credit Card Theft and Fraud
76
3
Other Fraud and Theft
79
2
Identity Theft
81
4
Just the Facts
85
2
Credit, Debt, and the Internet
87
24
Instant Money, Internt Debt
88
2
Electronic Fund Transfers
90
5
Automatic Teller Machines
90
1
Telephone Transfers
91
1
Debit Cards
91
1
Preauthorized Transfers
91
1
PC Home Banking
92
1
Online Credit Cards
93
1
Smart Cards
94
1
The Electronic Fund Transfer Act
95
2
The Internet
97
1
The Good
98
3
The Bad
101
4
Security Issues
102
1
Privacy
103
1
Cyber Debt
104
1
...And the Ugly
105
5
The Top Ten Frauds
106
1
Fake Web Sites
107
1
Avoiding Internet Fraud
108
1
Where to Go for Help
109
1
Just the Facts
110
1
II YOUR CREDIT HISTORY
111
46
Your Credit Report
113
24
Importance of a Good Credit History
114
2
Credit Reporting Agencies
116
4
Why They Keep Files on You
117
1
Who Can See Your Files?
118
1
Prescreening
119
1
The Big Three Credit Agencies
120
2
Your Rights to Review Your Report
122
5
The Fair Credit Reporting Act
123
1
How to Request a Copy
124
3
Standard Credit Report Elements
127
4
Consumer Identifying Information
127
1
Public Records
127
1
Collection Agency Account Information
127
1
Credit Account Information
127
3
Inquiries
130
1
Understanding Your Report
131
4
Positive Information
132
1
Negative Information
133
1
Need Help? Contact the Credit Bureau
134
1
Just the Facts
135
2
Repairing Your Credit Report
137
20
Reviewing Your Credit Report
139
2
Is It Really You?
139
1
Accounts That Aren't Yours
139
1
Legal Actions That Aren't Yours
140
1
``Closed by Consumer'' Accounts
140
1
Incorrect Late Payments
140
1
Duplicate Submissions
140
1
Closed Accounts
141
1
Correcting Mistakes
141
9
Credit Repair Services
142
3
Do-It-Yourself Repairs
145
5
How to Use the ``Consumer Statement''
150
2
Creating Your Own Report
152
1
Your Legal Rights
152
1
Divorce and Your Credit Report
153
1
Credit Report Monitoring Services
154
1
Just the Facts
155
2
III IN OVER YOUR HEAD
157
42
The Credit Crunch
159
20
Frequent Causes of Money Problems
160
5
Divorce
161
1
Job Loss
161
1
Medical Bills
161
1
Other Events
162
1
Frequent Borrowing Mistakes
162
3
That Sinking Feeling
165
1
Common Danger Signals
166
3
How Much Do You Owe?
169
6
Your Debt-to-Income Ratio
170
2
Your Current Ratio
172
3
What Are Realistic Limits on Your Credit?
175
1
Who Gets into Debt?
176
2
Responsible
176
1
Situational
177
1
Chronic
177
1
Combination
178
1
Just the Facts
178
1
Credit Problem Psychology
179
20
Identifying the Causes of Credit Problems
181
6
Are You a Compulsive Spender?
182
3
What Motivates Bad Spending Habits?
185
1
Is This Really a Money Problem?
186
1
Online Addiction
187
2
How to Deal with Your Problems
189
2
Accepting Responsibility
189
1
Don't Blame Others
190
1
Making Changes
191
4
Breaking Old Habits
193
1
Creating New, Healthier Habits
193
1
Keep an Open Mind
194
1
Discussing Your Problem
195
1
Restoring Your Self-esteem
195
1
Dealing with Anxiety
196
1
Maintaining a Healthy Sense of Humor
197
1
Just the Facts
197
2
IV TIME FOR ACTION
199
60
Getting Your Act Together
201
28
Changing Your Attitudes About Credit
202
6
Look at Your Lifestyle
204
2
Forego Short-Term Pleasure
206
1
Develop Sound, Long-Range Goals
206
2
Eliminate Your Access to Credit
208
2
Budgets vs. Spending Plans
210
2
Identify Monthly Expenses
212
2
Prepare Your Monthly Budget
214
4
How to Evaluate Your Budget
214
2
Use Your Budget as a Guide
216
2
Your Spending Plan
218
2
Tips for Reducing Expenses
220
5
Try Using Cash
225
1
Tips for Increasing Your Income
226
1
Don't Give Up
227
1
Just the Facts
228
1
Dealing with Creditors
229
30
Determining Your Current Debt Situation
230
2
Early Stage
230
1
Middle Stage
231
1
Late Stage
232
1
How to Negotiate with Creditors
232
12
Develop a Plan
233
3
Implementing Your Plan
236
2
Fixed Loans
238
1
How to Keep Your Car
239
2
How to Keep Your Home
241
1
Charged-Off Accounts
242
2
Your Creditors and Their Options
244
6
Informal Collection
245
1
Bill Collectors
245
2
Court Proceedings
247
1
Judicial Weapons
248
2
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
250
3
How Collectors May Contact You
251
1
What They Must Tell You
252
1
How You Can Stop Them
252
1
What Bill Collectors Can't Do
253
1
Harassment
253
1
False Statements
253
1
Unfair Practices
254
1
Tips for Dealing with Bill Collectors
254
1
Your Rights and How to Protect Them
255
1
The IRS
256
1
Just the Facts
257
2
V HELP IS ON THE WAY
259
52
Where to Go for Assistance
261
28
Need Help?
262
1
Nonprofit Services
263
2
National Foundation for Consumer Credit
265
1
Consumer Credit Counseling Services
266
4
What They Offer
266
1
Who's Eligible?
267
1
Your Budget
267
1
The Debt Management Program
268
1
Your Responsibilities
268
1
Your Rights
268
2
Debt Counselors of America®
270
5
What They Offer
270
1
Something Special
271
4
Genus Credit Management
275
2
What They Offer
275
2
Is Genus for You?
277
1
Debtors Anonymous---For Compulsive Spenders
277
7
What Is Debtors Anonymous?
279
1
Is D.A. Right for Your?
280
1
Tools
281
2
How to Contact Debtors Anonymous
283
1
Money 2000
284
1
Other Free (or Inexpensive) Advice
285
1
For-profit Counseling Services
286
1
What to Avoid
287
1
Just the Facts
287
2
Climbing Back Up
289
22
Getting Started
290
1
Payment Strategies
291
5
Pay Off Smaller Debts First
292
1
Pay Off High-Rate Debts First
292
2
Using Your Saving
294
2
Restruturing
296
1
Your Debt Consolidation Options
296
3
Credit Card Surfing
299
3
Home Equity Loans
302
5
Second Mortgages
304
1
Home Equity Line of Credit
305
2
Tapping Your Retirement Plan
307
1
Life Insurance
308
1
Turning to Family or Friends
308
1
What to Avoid
309
1
Stay on Course
310
1
Just the Facts
310
1
VI BANKRUPTCY
311
108
Bankruptcy---Your Last Resort
313
22
Bankruptcy 101
315
4
A Brief History
316
1
Something's Wrong
317
2
What Is Bankruptcy?
319
3
Disadvantages
320
1
When Is Bankruptcy Appropriate?
321
1
How Does Bankruptcy Work?
321
1
Types of bankruptcy
322
3
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
323
1
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
324
1
Causes of Bankruptcy
325
2
What Triggers Bankruptcy?
327
1
Your Choices
327
4
Do Nothing
328
1
Negotiate with Your Creditors
329
1
Get Outside Help
329
2
Does Bankruptcy Make Sense?
331
2
Just the Facts
333
2
Bankruptcy---Chapter and Verse
335
20
How to Decide Which Way to Go
336
2
Previous Bankruptcy Discharge
336
1
You Don't Want to Hurt a Cosigner
337
1
If You've Tried to Beat the System
338
1
``Liquidation Bankruptcy'' Chapter 7
338
7
Filing the Petition
339
1
The Automatic Stay
340
1
The Bankruptcy Trustee
341
1
Discharge of Debt
342
1
What's Exempt
342
2
What's Not Exempt
344
1
``Wage Earner Bankruptcy'' Chapter 13
345
3
Filing the Petition
346
1
Court Appearances
347
1
Discharge of Debt
347
1
Extenuating Circumstances
348
1
Keep Your Home---Maybe
348
4
The Homestead Exemption
350
1
Foreclosure
351
1
Is There Life After Bankruptcy?
352
1
Just the Facts
353
2
Reestablishing Your Credit
355
20
Up from the Ashes
356
5
Catch-22 Again
357
1
Check Your Credit Report
357
2
How Long Will This Take?
359
2
What to Avoid
361
4
Credit Repair
362
1
Other Things to Avoid
363
2
Pay Off Your Debts
365
1
Credit Rating Builders
366
2
Take Out a New Loan---Really!
367
1
Be Creative
367
1
Getting New Plastic
368
1
Department Store
369
1
Gasoline Cards
369
1
Secured Credit Cards
369
5
What You Should Know
370
1
The Best Deals
370
1
Important Factors
371
1
What to Avoid
372
2
Just the Facts
374
1
Avoiding Future Problems
375
22
Develop New Financial Goals
376
1
Limit Your Use of Credit
377
1
Wise Use of Credit
378
2
Your Car
378
1
The Internet
379
1
The Float
380
1
Cool Cash
380
1
Establish Sound Saving Habits
381
8
Create an Emergency Fund
382
3
General Savings
385
2
Begin Retirement Savings
387
2
Other Investments
389
1
The Wonders of Prepayment
389
3
Which Debts Should You Prepay?
390
1
Strategies to Use
390
2
What About Prepayment Penalties?
392
1
Streamline Your Finances
392
2
Direct Deposits
392
1
Automatic Bill Payments
393
1
Building on Your Success
394
1
Just the Facts
394
3
One More Step
397
22
What Have You Learned?
398
1
Waking Up from the American Dream
399
2
Rich in Things---Poor in Spirit
401
5
You Can't Buy Happiness
403
1
Sobering Statistics
403
3
Same Money-Saving Ideas, New Perspective
406
2
Look at Your Lifestyle
406
1
Where Else Can You Save?
407
1
Escape from Affluenza
408
3
Where Do You Go from Here?
411
4
Downshifting
411
2
Voluntary Simplicity
413
2
A New American Dream
415
2
It's Only Money
417
1
Just the Facts
418
1
A Glossary
419
10
B Resource Guide
429
12
C Recommended Reading List
441
4
D Important Documents
445
14
Index
459