Give Me Great Credit

Identity Theft is Now Going to Get Alot Worse

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-05-05T03:54:00Z

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a favorite tool of prosecutors in immigration cases, ruling unanimously that a federal identity-theft law may not be used against many illegal workers who used false Social Security numbers to get jobs. NY Times Monday May 4th, 2009

Ok I have a huge problem with this, and here is why. What this means is that if I, a citizen of the United States use YOUR Social Security Number to commit I.D. theft, I go to prison. If an illegal alien uses it to secure work, he will not be punished for it.

What happens to the PLO terrorist that uses it to secure work, send money back to the PLO, and run up devastating debt while funding murder? Have our Legislators lost their minds? Currently there are 42 FTOs operating in the United States. (Foreign Terrorist Organizations)

I figured out long ago we would never do anything to rid ourselves of the immigration problem sucking the life out of our economy. I have come to terms with it in a way, and probably have contributed to it somehow. (I think we all have really, just by ignoring it)

The way it worked before, the illegal worker would have two years tacked on to his punishment if he used a fake SSN that happened to be someone else's. (As opposed to a number not already issued) Prosecutors used this as a bargaining chip in gaining convictions more easily, and which saved court costs considerably.

In the case before the Supreme Court today a Mexican immigrant used a SS number for six years that belonged to no one. He later wanted to use his real name at the steel mill where he worked, so he procured a different SSN. That number happened to belong to someone else, and he was caught, charged, and convicted. He was sentenced to two additional years for using forged documents, and Identity Theft. His prison sentence was reduced today because of this ruling.

The story in the New York Times makes no mention of damage to the VICTIM of his I.D.Theft, but the mind wonders.

My friends, it is too easy to protect yourself from Identity Theft for you not to take action TODAY. There are millions of forged "documented workers" out there (I will no longer call them "undocumented workers") and YOU need to be aware.

In my book "When Bad Credit Happens to Good People" I explain how you can very easily protect yourself (and your family) for FREE.. You should not need any other reason to purchase it today, but if you do I will give you one more. If you act NOW and take the simple measures I spell out in my Credit Control Kit, I will take an additional 20% off of the price. Just mention this post in your purchase, and I will send the refund same day. Hurry though this is a limited time offer...

God Bless,
Wayne Altman

www.givemegreatcredit.com

Credit Card Bill of Rights

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-05-01T19:20:00Z

This Thursday the House of Representatives passed a bill that would limit the amount of interest a credit card company would be able to charge a consumer.

If the Democrats in the house want to really help the American people they would pass a law mandating CREDIT EDUCATION in our schools, not dictating to adults what penalties to expect when they charge too much and do not pay their bills.

What the House is doing will severely limit the amount of credit available to everyone, and raise the rates of interest on those consumers that are borrowing responsibly and paying the money back.

Let me explain. IF this bill passes, and it becomes illegal to charge the higher rate to the riskiest of borrowers, credit for them will dry up. Credit Card Companies will no longer have the incentive to lend. (That is the only way for the banks to make any money on that group in the first place). A better bill would have included credit education that would have helped stop these individuals from borrowing money they could not repay to begin with.

I am all for everyone having the access to money. Moreover, I am for those individuals that can show an interest in being responsible with their indebtedness getting much better rates than those who show no such interest. This is the fair way to handle the problem, because it places the responsibility where it belongs, and does not punish those that play by the rules.

Credit Education in this country is almost non existent in our schools, and universities. This is a major problem for the millions of new consumers we produce every year, and in my opinion it is a bigger problem than our sex education. I fail to understand why we cannot teach credit education to students that are old enough to receive Sex Ed.

Let’s pass a bill that would make mandatory Credit Education classes for all students currently receiving Sex Education classes. We owe our children more than a basic knowledge of how the system of credit works in the country they live in.

I believe these classes will prove far more useful to those students than the ones they do not receive now.

For those of you not wishing to wait for our government to take action, give your student a copy of my Credit Control Kit. You will find it here.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman

www.givemegreatcredit.com

Welcome

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T08:22:00Z

Welcome to the BLOG for "When Bad Credit Happens To Good People" the book I wrote for those of us wanting a deeper understanding of our credit.

In doing the research for the book, I spent years speaking with my customers and answering their questions about how to improve the FICO score. Many times I would get a question and have to dig pretty deep to find a definitive answer. It struck me that there was so much confusion, and bad advice swirling around that perhaps I could write a book and put everything all in one place.

Well.... That proved to be a very tall order. The deeper I dug, and the more questions that I got answers to somehow seemed to open new questions. It also exposed some very important details about how we Americans think of and use our credit. It also highlighted some very dirty tricks that creditors use attempting to drive us further into debt. My book then had to address all of these things, and do so in a manner that would lose the fewest number of it's audience. In other words, I had to take what for some was a boring subject, and somehow make it interesting.

Credit has always fascinated me, the concept of, and transfer of money, was a major fixation, but how to transfer my interest to other people? That was the hardest part of this whole process. When people hear me speak about credit, I am always told that the passion I have for the subject shifts quite well to my audience, but would my writing?

The solution for me was obvious, I had to write this book the way I speak. In other words, without all the hard to understand jargon, and industry lingo. I had to also use the same examples I have used to illustrate my points when speaking to people. The difference however, is when you are speaking to people you can look at your audience and tell when they do not understand a concept, and can then insert an example for them expressing the idea further. I did this to the best of my ability in this book, and those who have read it agree that it is an enjoyable read.

Brevity is another standard that is tough to maintain with a subject like Credit. There is so much more about this subject than I included in "When Bad Credit Happens To Good People". There are thousands of books about credit on the market, but this one I believe, is special. It gives the reader the information, and the resources for further exploration of the topics that concern them most. It leaves the reader in the drivers seat when it come to their own discovery of their personal credit education. No two people have the exact same credit profile, so no one book can be one size fits all.

My hope is that after you have read the book, you will do two things. The first, that you would take firmer control over your financial situation. By understanding the methods creditors use to make their decisions, and using that information to know you qualify for the program before you even apply, your credit profile will improve. You will pay far less interest than the average person does when borrowing, and will use that money saved to enrich your family in an infinite number of ways.

The second, and perhaps even more important consideration is protecting yourself from Fraud, and Identity Theft. The advice in this book will lock down any and all attempts to steal your identity, and provide those who are suffering from theft right now, with good advice on how to beat the thieves stealing their good names. It gives excellent advice for who needs protection, and where the threat is coming from. Further than that, it explains where to get additional assistance in the event you need it.

I priced this book (as best I could) to give everyone access to the information that would make a difference. Many of my friends and colleagues implored me to charge more after reading it, and watching the effort I put into writing it. My answer was the same as it is now. If my friends that buy this book, read this important material and will share it with others, compensation for my effort will follow. I am putting my money where my mouth is, that I would rather help make your lives better than enrich myself... Period.

Read my book, and pass it along. Then write me an email, and tell me your stories about how my book helped change your situation.

I look forward to hearing from you all, be sure to check out our new YouTube Channel. You can watch me give this advice in High Definition.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

We are in a Bigger Mess Than You Know...

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T08:12:00Z

If you are following the news about the housing crisis, you might be wondering if we are close to rock bottom.. NOT EVEN

Colleagues in the Mortgage Industry are biting the dust at an even quicker rate than a few months ago, friends that once held very responsible positions, in very large institutions.. I get calls from those friends asking what I am doing, and if I can point them in another direction, or possibly write them a recommendation. Sometimes I do... Sometimes I do not.

You see, I am of the opinion the blame for this mess can be placed in one place and one place only. The Lenders, and Brokers that stooped to make FRAUD the way they do business. It was incredible and sad all at once. I gave a speech in Reno, Nevada about a year ago basically letting my friends and co-workers know they had crapped on their dinner plates. This wholesale attitude of the any loan was do-able, and volume is king crowd has put our citizens lives in danger. I will report i was fired from my position (very) shortly after.

We have crippled an industry that was thriving, and bearing delicious fruit for years. We laid waste to the American Dream for thousands of families across the nation, and ruined the credit prospects of two generations. It will take YEARS to dig out of this mess, and we are not even close to the bottom yet. A full 60% of these loans have not yet Re-cast, leaving a very loud "tick tock" sound in the homes of millions more of our neighbors.

This was not the loan program, but the misuse of it. Many people will now be afraid of taking the advantages a Option ARM loan provides, for fear it will blow up in their faces. When in reality it was, and is a very powerful tool when used correctly, and with the right customer.

A 30 year fixed mortgage is a bad loan for some consumers. Period.. Some people are never going to be served by that type of financing, and are hurt financially everyday by it. Others will be afraid of using the equity in their homes to educate themselves or their children, and that is sad.

I am even more upset that the blame is being spread to the consumers we DUPED into lieing on their 1003 applications, and are now foreclosing on their homes, the same homes by the way, we told them they could afford. They trusted us, and we failed them miserably.

For those that argue, and say I am absolving the consumers unfairly, I say this. Let's say you are a doctor, and your patient has a potentially fatal illness. He trusts you to give him all of the information to make him well. That trust means the difference between life and death for him, and he wants to live. If you give him the wrong course of treatment, it's game over..

Now, you are a Mortgage Broker, and the customer is not ill, but wants to own a home very badly. He trusts you to do your job. His family depends on getting good advice from you to make their dream of home ownership happen. It is a very powerful emotion, one that is so easy to take advantage of as we can see.

Place the blame where it belongs, squarely at the feet of the rotting carcases of these lenders and brokers. Save your sympathy for the millions of newly minted homeless people, not the CEOs who profited GREATLY..

Ok, drop me a line and tell me what you think. Also.... Check me out on YOUTUBE I will be discussing this and other credit topics in HD video. Look for "Channel Give me great Credit"

God Bless You All,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Duplicate Accounts

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T08:04:00Z

I had a very interesting question today from a very good friend of mine. I decided to share this with you because I can imagine many of you will suffer from this at one time or another. I will also be adding this to my book, as it is pertinent to raising scores, and a good credit education.

For those of you that have already purchased the book, I will be sending you an update as soon as it is completed, or you can read it here. (That is one of the VERY best things about how I am publishing this... I can update and send new information at WILL.) I could never do that if I had gone through a publisher, or sold this in a bookstore. I would have been stuck with my "finished" product, and you will have been cheated.

On to the question... My friend, we will call Jim noticed he had several duplicate entries on his report. These were actually the same account, just reported twice. He asked if the double entry counted on his score twice, and the answer is YES!!! Of course they do.

He got all excited, these were good entries, he had actually paid on time!!! The balances were fairly low on a couple of them, and he was happy!!!

I pointed out that the duplicate reporting of accounts actually worked against him when it came to any NEW credit he needed. You see, if and when he wanted to begin a new relationship with a lender, they would have access to the credit report. They would see the duplicate accounts, and either determine he was unqualified because his debt load was too high, or ignore the duplicate accounts, and re score without them. In turn, his score could go down and the lower score would either give him a higher rate than he expected, OR disqualify him completely. Neither of theses options are good ones, and I further explained HOW to remove them himself, and check to make sure they were gone.

Any misreporting on a Credit Report needs to be corrected, period. Even if the information is in your favor TODAY, does not mean it will be TOMORROW. Things change, and so do our needs. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, so live your lives with integrity, and honesty.

Together Jim and I wrote the letters to the bureaus requesting the duplicate items be removed. Both of us secure in the fact that his credit might not be where he wants it to be TODAY, but TOMORROW it will be better, and one day it will be PERFECT!! You have access to the exact same letters Jim and I used when you purchase my Credit Control Kit.

I have included some very popular free videos of most of this information on our YouTube Channel. Go check us out in HD.

God Bless,

Wayne
www.givemegreatcredit.com

The Rising Spectre of Identity Theft

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:56:00Z

Once you have gotten into trouble credit-wise it is very easy to start to panic. One small mistake leads to another, and then another. One day you wake up to the sound of a creditor calling instead of an alarm clock. For many in this economic climate, this credit problem will get worse before it gets better.

Those that have read my book already know how to stop the collection calls, and how protecting their identity was one of the easier things they did that day. They are aware that the largest jump in credit score they ever saw was a direct result of knowing where to apply the correct pressure.

For those of you reading this that have not yet found my book, let me give you a reason to read it. The average victim of Identity Theft does not notice the use of their credit for 14 MONTHS!!!

More than a YEAR goes by before they take action, and thousands of dollars have been stolen. (The average theft is over $9467.00) What is even worse than the MONEY stolen? Last year several thousand WARRANTS were issued for the arrest of THE VICTIM of these crimes!!

You read that right, the warrants were issued for the victim of the crime. Remember, it was the IDENTITY that was stolen. The criminal has become YOU, and their crimes were perpetrated with your name attached.

Puts a whole new spin on protecting your credit doesn't it. We are not talking about a few thousand bucks, we are talking about your freedom. At the very least we are speaking about the time, money, and trouble it takes to erase the damage caused by one of these thieves.

Think about this, if your home is broken into and your possessions are stolen, you file a police report, and call your insurance company. You might have to replace a few items, and maybe somethings can never be replaced.

On the other hand, if your identity is what is stolen, someone else becomes YOU. Whatever they do, whatever crime they commit, it is you who did it. Well, at least until you prove otherwise.

I like to give this example. Let's say you are the judge, and two people come before you, both swearing I.D. theft. The first one shows the thief used their identity for 14 months and stole $5,000 dollars. You know that is an average length of time, and the victim lost less than most do, but you might question his innocence.

The second victim stands in front of you, he read my book, but only followed one or two things in it. He states that the theft occurred for 5 months before he caught on, and the theft was $2,300 dollars. You marvel at this man's luck and believe him to be innocent of the charges he faces.

This story actually has a third person. It was the woman who read, and applied ALL of what my book teaches. She took one simple, FREE action, and never had her Identity tampered with at all. She invested a few hours in learning how to beat the thief before he struck, rather than after.

I am going to tell you what to do to be the third person in the hopes you will buy my book, and tell others about it. Go to my contact page at www.givemegreatcredit.com and request the I.D. Theft Report, and it will shortly follow.

You can see more great topics in High Definition on our YouTube channel!!!

Good Luck and God Bless,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Bailout

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:47:00Z

Many of the conversations I have been having lately revolve around the “Bailout” and whether it is a good idea or not.

I for one am not a fan of bailing out any company for any reason. One only has to look at the auto makers, and the airlines for proof it does not work.

No, letting the free market devour its own weak, and idiotic seems a better way to go. I am tickled to find a Nobel Prize winning economist, and Newt Gingrich agree with me as well. Plus 700 BILLION will not cover the cost of what has happened; take that to the bank my friends. By the way, if they are wrong about that number, it is even worse than doing nothing.

It is also humorous to listen to how many people “saw this coming”. I would congratulate them if they had shared the information with anyone. It sure seemed like a surprise to the Treasury Secretary last night on 60 minutes. (If that interview did not scare you NOTHING will) I was fired from my job for pointing this out and my friends avoided the subject at all cost of being bored.

Listen, we are in for some very hard times “bailout” or not, get your credit in order now. Not that you will be doing any borrowing anytime soon, but there are many other reasons to have an excellent credit rating detailed in my book. Plus, if you think I.D Theft was bad before, buckle up. (Check out the blog on I.D.Theft for a recent horror story, I will update it later. It is an amazing story).

I will be speaking at my church in the next week or so, and am invited to speak at another in the coming weeks. I am very happy that Pastors are this concerned about the financial well being of their congregations, and am providing copies of the book to those that attend.

I will plead with those groups to secure their credit, and the reports of their children. I will ask them to limit the inquiries, and shop for the best companies to do business with. (Might not be the lowest rate; buy the book find out why) I am urging you to do the same. We need to be looking out for one another, that is what Americans do best. Share your thoughts…

If you have not done so check out our new YouTube Channel. Judging by the comments and book sales, people in 38 countries are enjoying this information.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman

www.givemegreatcredit.com

BAILOUT FALLOUT

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:39:00Z

The nations auto makers have announced today that this was the worst month since 1993 for new auto sales. The blame for this rests squarely on the lenders in the auto finance industry, so says the dealers. I would have to disagree.

Much like the Mortgage Lenders putting people into homes they could not afford, the auto dealers not to be left out, raked their customers over the very same coals. For years the mantra in almost every dealership in the U.S. was "Pounder".

For those of you not familiar with the term "Pounder" it is a derogatory term in the auto industry to describe how much the deal was worth to the dealership. Salesman prance around out of your earshot bragging that the car they just sold you was a "four pounder" or, four thousand dollar profit for the dealership. It gets worse, because the term is most often used BEFORE you go into the Finance Manager's office or the "vacuum", so called because of his desire to suck even more money out of your pocket.

In my book "When Bad Credit Happens To Good People" I discuss many tricks dealers use to make your visit benefit them, not YOU. In it, you will find the secrets to keeping the MOST money in YOUR pocket, and away from the dealer. Let me share some of them with you right now.

DO NOT tell anyone you are trading in a vehicle OR paying CASH for a vehicle at any time before making your deal on the new car or truck. You will surely be asked, so LIE if you have to and tell them you are donating it to widows and orphans, or giving it to a family member. It does not behoove you to show your hand, and you will get a far better deal on the new. I tell you why in more detail in the book, but trust me here until you get it.

Do your research BEFORE you ever arrive, and get a recommendation from a friend on the salesman you will deal with NOT the dealership. This is critical, the honest salesman wants to make a lifelong customer, the dealership could care less.

Know what car you want before you even arrive, and have your financing pre-arranged. This will save you tons of time and money on your next purchase, and help prevent you from being tens of thousands upside down once you roll off the lot.

ASK FOR THE INVOICE... That's right, ask to see the invoice before agreeing on any amount. If one is not forthcoming, RUN do not walk out of there. Offer what YOU think is a fair amount over the invoice. Depending on the make or model, this could mean $100.00 over invoice to $10,000 over MSRP. Let me repeat... Make them show you the invoice on the vehicle you are purchasing. You might want to check the VIN numbers to make certain.

Then and only then do you make your deal on the vehicle. A word of caution here, this is far from over so do not relax!!!! We will continue this in the near future, but if you want to know how this story ends, drop me an email.

I love this story because it has a very happy ending!! If you are a more visual person I made a YOUTUBE video of this in HD.. You can see it here.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Identity Theft in the News

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:34:00Z

The Federal Trade Commission projects Identity Theft will be one of it's fastest growing crimes for the next several years.

For fairly obvious reasons, when the economy weakens and people are out of work crime rates across the board trend upwards. This economy by most estimates, will suffer the largest growth reduction in recent memory. In other words, becoming more vigilant when it come to your good name is a great idea.

Deter, Detect, and Defend. A great motto when it comes to keeping your identity safe from would be thieves, is also exceptionally effective.

The first step is to Deter the credit thief. Keeping your mail out of the trash without first being shredded, or destroyed. Individuals digging in your trash bins after you have placed them in the street, might not be recycling cans.

Keeping passwords of your bank information secret. I do not mean just when you are at the ATM either. I have visited friends who leave their checking information on a coffee table, or kitchen counter, and leave the room. Most Identity Theft victims KNOW the thief that stole from them. In many cases, they are related to them.

Detect, the thief by checking (for Free) your credit report at LEAST twice a year. This is so important when disputing the charges that have occurred. Imagine how difficult it becomes to fight charges that transpired 13 months ago. It does not have to be expensive to monitor your reports either, however there are services that are VERY expensive for what they do.

Defend your credit like it is the second most precious thing you have. I am assuming you value your life, so this ranks right below. Do this by setting up Security Alerts, and Fraud Alerts with all three bureaus, and keeping them valid.

The Federal Trade Commission in its 2006 Report stated that 74% of Identity Theft victims DID NOT REPORT the crime to Police. As crazy as that sounds. www.FTC.gov This information saddens, and dismays me. By not reporting the theft they allow the thief to strike again.

A growing number of Non-Account theft is occurring around disaster areas. These are thieves that apply for Federal monies in their victims name, or perhaps are applying for jobs under another identity. These actions can be devastating to the victim and extremely difficult to erase once the thief has had time to secure and create new information.

One of the best solutions I have found in my research for my book "When Bad Credit Happens To Good People" and the Credit Control Kit we just released, has been Life Lock.

I am not a paid spokesperson for the company, but if you know someone there... let them know about me.

For a very nominal fee they do the heavy lifting when it comes to securing your Identity, and credit information. As an added bonus your entire family is included in the package. (Children are at even greater risk for theft than their parents in some parts of the country).

LifeLock is less expensive than any other service of it's kind that I have found, and even they admit you could do what they do on your own much cheaper. (You are also welcome to cut your own hair, that would be cheaper too but not a good idea).

No matter HOW it gets done please take my advice and secure your credit today. Secure your children from people ruining their chance at a great education by stealing their information, and destroying their credit.

By the way, show me a receipt from Life Lock, and I will give you a coupon for 50% off the "Credit Control Kit" just because you took action.

We are now in High Definition on YOUTUBE!!!! Come check us out here.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Disappointment Either Way

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:25:00Z

After watching the Presidential Debate tonight and reading some of the commentary, I have come to the conclusion half the country is in for a HUGE disappointment after this election.

Either way the vote goes; there will be a very large number of people whose candidate will lose. Business owners and consumers on both sides of the political aisle will feel real apprehension that their interests will not be served.

Republicans will feel dissatisfaction with Barack Obama as their leader, and Democrats, will be dissatisfied with John McCain.

The one thing that will not change continues to be the horrendous toll the Mortgage and Financial Industry have had on the nation’s economy. This is a train wreck that will not be stopped by any election.

When either of these gentlemen takes office in January they will inherit the worst financial disaster in recorded history, bar none. Assuming that both of these candidates know the severity of the collapse is presumptuous to say the least. Neither John McCain, nor his opponent Barack Obama have shown any indication that they are aware of, or have any plan for, the coming ramifications of the next phase of the disaster.

Plugging a leaky dam with one’s finger does nothing to stop the rising water on the other side. This “Bailout” as it is called, has not addressed the remaining loans that will re-cast sooner than later. How much more will we be asked for, and how will the markets react at that time?

One idea that is gaining traction is imposing a toll on every U.S. Highway to pay for the current damage, and “Bailout” those who are still in foreclosure. I guess this would be considered good news to those able to hang on until then, but for those that were not affected by this crisis….not so much. The idea here is that each area would pay for it’s citizen’s portion of the damage.

This disaster has done something that no natural disaster has ever done, that is making this number of people virtually homeless. The number of victims from both Ike and Katrina combined, pales in comparison to the magnitude of this man made disaster. By the way, we were warned YEARS ago that this was coming and our leaders let it happen. Actually it gets worse… Several of those that sounded the earliest warnings were ridiculed, and silenced.

An excellent video on YouTube showing Rep Maxine Waters and Rep Barney Frank, defending what was going on. Not to mention the painful ridiculing of an investigator testifying before Congress under oath about what was to come, by Rep Gregory Weeks.

Plenty of blame in this case to go around to be sure, gutless Republicans in both houses stood almost silent and watched this happen. Worse still was watching the industry I served in for over 15 years; sell its soul and self destruct under horrible leadership.

Upon reflection however I only mourn for those whose dreams were smashed. For reasons I have already mentioned I find the consumer blameless. I still do not think taking advantage of those whose dreams of homeownership overrode their bank account should erode the responsibility of the elected leadership to protect them from what they did not know. I thought that was what government was for.

I have written a book, as part of my "Credit Control Kit" that has become very popular with those wanting to protect thier credit, and understand the system we live under. People in 38 Countries so far have purchased the book, and free extras. They have been wonderful in thier praise and congratulations, and I am humbled. Even more are enjoying my free videos.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Do you Know Where Your Pension Plan Is?

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:22:00Z

What do you really know about pension plans?

How’s your pension plan doing? Many people know they have a pension plan, but they’re not quite sure how it works, how stable it is, or exactly how their money is invested. The details are often hazy.

Pension plans are also called “defined benefit” plans because they provide a predetermined, continuous income for retirement. This fixed payout is generally determined by factors such as your exit salary and your seniority or longevity at work. Government pension plans commonly require employer contributions, though union and private pension plans may not.

If you do not have a pension plan:

It may be worthwhile to find out if your employer offers one. Ask for the details, and be sure to find out at what point you become eligible. It’s typical for an employee to gain eligibility after three to five years.

If you have a pension plan:

It’s important to keep tabs on it and make sure you understand it. For example – do you know if your plan is stable? Increasingly, employers are terminating pension plans and either directing pension assets into annuities or issuing lump-sum payouts to workers.

If you were in a pension plan that was terminated, or if you had a pension plan with a former employer that has since gone out of business, contact the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (www.pbgc.gov). This is an agency of the federal government created to protect pension plan assets.

If you are more than five years away from retirement it may seem too soon to bother tracking down pension plan details, but it’s never too soon to start.

It’s important to get all the information you can about your plan, and once you have that information, you need to keep up with it.

After all, your retirement may depend on it.

Pete.

Pete Mitchell is the President of Pete Mitchell, Inc. (formerly Capital Republic Financial Group, Inc.) a registered investment advisor.

Pete Mitchell, AAMS®, AWMA®, CMIA®, CFIS™,

Chief Investment Officer/President of Capital Republic Financial Group, Inc. (www.CapitalRepublic.com)

Investment Advisory Services are offered through Capital Republic Financial Group, Inc. a registered investment adviser in the state of California. All insurance products are offered through Capital Republic Insurance Services, Inc. dba Financial Capital Insurance Agency (FCIA), CA License #0F56554.

I asked my good friend Pete Mitchell for some advice with my retirement questions. Pete was kind enough to allow me to reprint it here. There is more, and I will be posting it in the next few days. I would urge you to contact Pete with your own questions, he has some amazing and very timely information.

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Identity Theft and Terrorism

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:16:00Z

One of the single best arguments for protecting your identity I have read recently just occurred tonight. You can read it here. http://www.shift4.com/pdf/s4-wp0806_terrorism-and-credit-card-information-theft.pdf

Dennis Lormel retired from the FBI after 28 years fighting in The Terrorist Financing Operations Section. Here they investigate financial links to terror organizations in the U.S. and abroad.

One of the things Mr. Lormel says in the white paper sent a chill up my spine. (And I suggest very emphatically you read the entire document yourself)

It was that Identity Theft is on the rise within terrorist organizations as a means to fund operations. That is to say these terror groups are funding their objectives using funds they collect by STEALING the identity of the Americans they are attacking.

Major funding of September 11th 2001 was still the sponsor level financing, however since that time these groups have had to rely more heavily on criminal enterprises for funding. Credit Card theft fits perfectly into those revised strategies. By using the stolen identity of it's victim, the organization can raise incredible amounts of money in a relatively short amount of time.

In the past five years we have seen a massive shift in Identity Theft for these purposes. Future activities will most certainly be connected to this type of funding. The best safeguard against this really has nothing to do with the government in my opinion. We all are responsible for our own credit profile, and who has access to it. With very few exceptions access to your credit report, and accounts can be secured almost entirely by placing a Security Alert or PIN number on your credit at the bureau level. Learn how to do that here. No excuse really it is 100% FREE

Companies like LifeLock, and other Identity Theft protection companies can assist you in locking down the access these groups need to fund these activities. By blocking access, you not only protect your good name, and your family, but you are also protecting everyone else in the U.S. Terrorists will have to find a different source for the money they use to attack our country, and its citizens.

I speak often about the benefits of protecting your identity and the identities of your family. It is simple and easy to do, and is totally free. Add this to the number of times I have implored you to take action, and use this moment to lock down your personal information.

The only thing worse than a repeat of 9/11? Finding out YOU were responsible for paying for it.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman

www.givemegreatcredit.com

Huge thanks to Ilan Weinglass @ The Terror Finance Blog www.terrorfinance.org for the incredible heads up.

News Flash!!! Credit Cards Raise Their Rates

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:09:00Z

When the economy gets this bad, (and believe me it will get worse than it is) your creditors will tighten their belts every bit as much as you do.

Even in the best of times Credit Card companies reserve the right to raise your interest rates for absolutely no reason. You do not have to miss a payment on your card, you do not have to be late. You agreed to allow them to raise rates due to market conditions. If you are curious, just look at the contract you signed with them, or any one of your bills. It is there in black and white, albeit in impossibly tiny black and white.

Do not worry, we all are subject to this and frankly I know some of you are not surprised. You know it is WHAT you DO with this information that is important. Here is where we find out if that super card is going to work for us, or if it is time to meet another lender.

Our Credit Score regards length of credit relationships for 15% of our score. In other words, FICO calculates the importance of these relationships only slightly above types of credit, and new credit we obtain. So when we are making the decision for opting to new relationships, we must be careful.

In my opinion, if your creditor raises your rate for no other reason than to make more money, it might be time to search for a new card. Now is not the time to be paying more for a service than you have to, and YOUR goal is to pay LESS for the money you use. Let the creditor penalize those who are late or have missed payments.

This advice changes DRAMATICALLY if you are late or miss a payment. If that is the case, get your finances back under control, and fix the problem. It is not the time to try and negotiate, it is time to pare down. Be more concerned if the creditor lowers your available balances, or cancels the credit line entirely. Pay increased attention to your due dates now as well. Credit card companies have a habit of changing them on you, or removing grace periods entirely.

These are some dirty tricks for sure, but if you are aware and can react quickly enough they can be negated. Competition for customers also gets tougher during this time of economic turmoil. Those of us that pay like clockwork, and manage our debt responsibly make out like bandits. We request lower rates, and demand better perks knowing we are a more attractive customer than those who do not do these things.

This is a perfect example of timing is everything. If you ask at the proper time, the creditor will roll over to keep your business. When the creditors smell blood in your financial waters, that is when they begin to feed. Those of you reading this with a few missed payments, will do well do take heed.

I have never met anyone that did not want a great credit score. I speak to thousands of people a year and almost to a person, I am asked how to raise their credit score and protect their identity. I named my company after this phenomenon. My Credit Control Kit explains this in more detail. It might be a great time to grab your copy.

Do not miss our new YouTube Channel I am in HD!!!
Wishing you Great Credit,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

For even more information Nancy Castleman has a great article on this same subject here: http://www.creditbloggers.com/2008/07/yet-another-rea.html

It is NOT the end of times

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T07:02:00Z

Why is it NOW that pundits seem to be reacting to the turmoil going on in our banking system?

No, why do they seem to be OVERREACTING to the problems we face globally in the WORLDWIDE banking system? That seems a better question, after reading at least a dozen articles on the end of "liaise-faire" economics.

Sure it seems dire, and it is for certain one of the toughest problems this planet has ever faced. It does reach across borders, and does not speak well for global economics in general. It is however nothing that cannot be fixed rather simply. Yes I said simply.

Once we have someone step up and demand accountability for the actions of these rouge Mortgage Companies, Investment Houses, and Insurance Institutions that created this mess that is. What you are seeing in the markets right now is frustration that a killer is still on the loose. No one has been arrested for the largest fraud (by far) on the world wide stage.

Even Jerome Kerviel must be in awe of the crime that has been perpetrated, he might be feeling a little inadequate as well. For those who do not remember Jerome is the trader that brought down Société Générale with billions in bad trades. Or perhaps you remember Nick Leeson, who single-handedly brought down another, the venerable Berings Bank. By the way add up the damage these two did and you could not buy lunch for the fiasco we are in now. They both were charged and in Leeson's case he has served time.

Why is it we are not reading about the warrants issued, the arrests being made and statements from the Attorneys? I am not holding my breath by any means but can't we get a token arrest in all of this? The U.S. Government has the treasury vault wide open bailing out every corrupt house of finance in the phone book, and Secretary Paulson and President Obama are helping them to the car. Makes one wonder if they requested paper or plastic.

Just like that killer on the loose, I want these individuals caught, charged with their crimes, and locked away. I do not want to read of golden parachutes, weekend retreats, or of bailouts. I demand hard time too, not some minimum security Federal Prison. Matter of fact the closest thing to a tennis court these criminals should see is a Federal Court.

That is when you will see the economy of every affected country correct itself. The relief will be immeadiate, and only then can we dig our way clear. By the way, we WILL dig our way clear..

By the way, go check me out in HD!!! We have a hot YouTube channel.

God Bless,

Wayne Altman
www.givemegreatcredit.com

Credit Cards Lowering Your High Credit.... STOP THEM NOW!!!

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-28T06:54:00Z

By now many of you have received a notice from your American Express, Master card, Discover,or Visa letting you know they have reduced the High Credit on your account.

For some it will be reduced to the current balance, which is bad for a number of reasons we will go over now. It is imperative that you get control of this situation right away, or suffer some pretty nasty effects.

If your account goes above certain percentages of the high credit offered, the creditor will raise your rates to cover the increased risk. Now you are paying a higher interest rate, on a higher balance, which further tightens what is for some a bad financial situation. Since more of you will be unemployed soon, the time is NOW to get prepared.

The reason for your reduction is pretty simple. The banks still refuse to lend to one another, and therefore cannot get access to funds the same as before. In response to this, they reduce the amounts of money they will lend on margin. This is pretty serious for those of you that are counting on that money for the things you want to purchase, even worse for those of you already paying high interest rates, and cataclysmic for those of you living on your credit cards. It makes economic recovery pretty difficult as well.

Here are a few things we can do. First make a note of the affected cards, these are the companies that we will get rid of once this all blows over. Remember, to properly manage debt you must be able to count on your relationships not to flake on you at the worst possible times. Do not do anything yet but once the smoke clears, and the time suits us, we will strike back. Good bye Super Card!!!

Ok, once you have received notice that the credit has been removed, look to see if your rate went up too. In most cases this will be true, because your debt/credit ratio on the card has gone up due to the reduction( as opposed to your spending). Sneaky bastards!!! We bail out these yahoos, and our leaders do not even protect us from them.

(I wonder why it was not mentioned in the Treasury Secretary's little meeting where he was getting all the dough).

Now... If you have not missed any payments, and your credit has been reduced call and find out why. IF YOU HAVE MISSED PAYMENTS do not call..... you KNOW why. Really, do not call and draw attention to the fact you missed a payment. (That is bad).

All right, no matter what else happens start paying these cards as much as you possibly can to bring down your balances further. Use this time to clean up as much of this outstanding debt as you are able. If you felt the slightest pressure from this reduction of credit, it is a warning sign you are relying a little( or a lot) too much on credit.

Lastly, when things settle down vote with your feet. Stop borrowing from people that will run and leave you the minute the chips are down. Parasites and Jackals, love you when things are good, and leave you when the clouds come and rain falls. Never stop doing the things that will raise your credit scores either.

The Credit Control Kit will cover every single angle on this, and is well worth double the price. By the way, we have our own channel on YouTube, go check me out in HD!!!

Take Care of Yourselves, and your Neighbors.

God Bless,

Wayne

www.givemecredit.com

U.S. Foreclosures up 81% in 2008... Watch out for Snake Oil Salesmen...

wayneraltman@yahoo.com (Wayne Altman) — 2009-04-27T06:46:35Z

Just before logging out tonight and heading to bed I noticed a headline that made me pause and reminded me to write to you. It was an article on the dramatic rise in foreclosures in the U.S.

Now anyone reading my blog is certainly aware that this is the case, and I could have logged off and headed to bed if that were all. My thoughts drifted to all of my friends, and visitors to www.givemegreatcredit.com in the past few months, who have asked questions about the stopping of their own foreclosures that I am writing to now.

There is a parasitic element to any business, bottom feeders that prey on the decent people who need good advice. They have attacked my bulk email box like locusts on a corn field, and I am assuming yours too. Their scam is far worse than the Nigerian Letter scam, or the Pay Pal, 419, or any of the other scams you can list. It is past time I addressed this and answered your questions.

If someone is offering to stop your foreclosure for a fee, run do not walk away. Ask them to never contact you again even if they offer a money back guarantee. They are worthless, every single one of them, and their success rate is less than 10%. Even then, the successes have little to do with the work they do, but more with the amount of equity found in the home in question. Only those that have equity left will be able to get relief in the form of refinance.

If the REO specialist calls to offer you a settlement on moving out of your home, negotiate with them and move forward. It will save you time and loads of money, and in the end you will be able to use the money offered to secure a roof over your head. If you charge the fees on your credit cards these leeches are charging for nothing, you have just dug your hole that much deeper. Who needs that right now?