Few things can be as embarrassing or inconvenient as having a bill collector call your office at work. This is especially true if they end up calling a secretary or other phone operator instead of reaching you directly. Are bill collectors allowed to bother you at work?

Believe it or not, you can forbid collectors from bothering you at work. Federal law prohibits them from contacting you at an unreasonable time or place. You can let them know that your employer does not allow you to take personal calls, or you can simply tell them that this is inconvenient for you because you are busy working.

You could even go as far as to write them a letter and tell them to stop calling you altogether. This is known as a cease and desist letter, and it can stop the harassment even though you’ll still owe the debt.

It’s important to realize that you have certain rights under the federal law, and bill collectors are not allowed to contact you in the middle of the night or bother you at work. They are not allowed to verbally abuse you or make threats. In the end, intimidation is their major weapon, and their only other weapons are closing your account and damaging your credit score (both of which have probably already taken place).

They could try to sue you, but this is more difficult than you might think. It often is more trouble than it’s worth, especially if you have a relatively small balance on your account. Also, even if you have a judgment against you, you still may not be able to afford to pay off the debt. The creditors may be out of luck, especially if your state makes it difficult to garnish wages.

By: Josh Ramos

About the Author:

Immigration Lawyers

There’s something peculiar about having spare money… it burns a whole in our pockets and we can’t wait to spend it on something, and often it’s on something we simply don’t need. We merely desire it. But when times are bad, it’s a burden to continue paying those bills.

Here are the Top 7 tips to reduce unnecessary bills:

1) There’s no roam at home. Do you really need a cell phone? If so, it’s doubtful you need the fancy ringtones you’ve been downloading for 99 cents a pop. Itemize your cell phone bill, and see what you can eliminate and where you’ve been wasting money. If you pay per call, use your cell phone only for dire situations, not for idle chit-chat.

2) Was that trip necessary? Make every trip count to save gas and reduce vehicle wear-and-tear. Consolidate your errands so you can take care of more than one task. For example, schedule your grocery shopping on the same day/time you pickup your prescription medicine.

3) The good old days. Remember long ago when your mother hung clothes out to dry? Believe it or not, solar drying still works. Since natural drying won’t remove lint or wrinkles the way a dryer does, you can still dry clothing such as undergarments on a clothes line. Don’t forget about natural sunlight to illuminate your home instead of using your lights.

4) To your good health. Not only costly, but cigarettes, alcohol and dining-out at fast food restaurants can be unhealthy, which can also cost you additional medical expenses.

5) Don’t forsake insurance. For some reason, insurance is one of the first bills people will dump when they suffer financial hardships, which is precisely the time they need the protection insurance offers. Instead, drop the non-essential bills such as your cable or satellite connection.

6) Surprise, surprise. Know what you earn, what you can afford, and how purchases will affect your finances down the road. When you discover you have an extra $20 left over from payday, don’t spend it on a whim. In a week or two, you may need that 20 bucks. Project all your bills and plan for unexpected expenses such as a replacement tire for your auto.

7) Budget, don’t fudge-it. The most important item we saved for last, for fear if you read it at #1 you would have skipped this article as re-hashing what you’ve already heard time and time again. But it’s true. A budget is necessary if you want to earn good credit, save money, and get the things you really need.

By: Toni Phelps

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Sewing

There is nothing worse than fielding sustained calls from creditors for unpaid bills. Some people have mastered the skill in dealing with creditors, others, detest that familiar number appearing on the phone screen, and reject the call.

It is a known fact, that most reasonable businesses pay their bills on time, regardless. Some businesses are known to have huge debtors books, but bills are paid immediately.
They obviously fund their bills out of cash sales, deposits, or previous months settlements. This is admirable. But many small businesses do not have this luxury, and have to find creative ways to fund their creditors.

Creditors cannot be stalled, forever. They will eventually take action to recoup whatever monies are due to them. You or your business end up with a bad credit report, or worse, court action. Each of us is different and will deal with bills and creditors differently, but panicking and paying every bill, can harm your cash flow.

Of course certain bills should be paid on time, such as phones, rentals, wages etc. But certain bills that stipulate terms should be paid strictly according those terms.

Your creditors should be sympathetic to the fact that your business also has debtors. (I know, they not). Stall them until your cash flow improves. Find a balance between your debtors settlement period, and pay your creditors accordingly.

Every business should generate a debtors age analysis at a certain cut off period. Run a creditors age analysis as well. Compare the two totals. If creditors totals are way above your debtors total, then the business have some serious problems. Ideally, debtors lists should exceed creditors lists, by the ratio 2: 1!

The next step would be to break down the respective lists into 90, 60 and 30 days.
Estimate, which debtors on the age analysis, are good debtors, target those “reliable” debtors, they can cover creditors/bills in 90days. As soon as the debtor’’s receipts are processed pay the most urgent creditors.

If more debtors payments are received, continue to settle creditors in the 60day period. Don’t panic when that current creditor calls. Eliminate, creditors in the 90day, then 60day, and then the 30day period. Collect from debtors in the same sequence. When arranging for payment, always have your creditors, and debtors age analysis and cash book balance available. The cashbook, or bank statement is used for verification of debtor’s deposits. That old excuse, “the check is in the mail”, is NOT, a payment, until the check has been received and banked!

Importantly, this advice would be fruitless, if both sales invoices and bills are not recorded in the accounting system. All relevant documentation should be written up, to ensure that an accurate age analysis can to be produced. A collections and payments file cannot be overlooked. As soon as bills are settled, they stamped and filed away. In the rush to pay, unmarked bills can mistakenly be ‘doubled paid”, and you will not get a refund from your creditor for an over payment, only a “credit”, on your next statement.

If bills are settled without taking cognizance of cash flow, and late debtors, the business will inevitably run into cash flow problems. Keep your creditors happy at all times, but don’t be their slave.

By: Sean Goss

About the Author:

Kid’s Furniture

Dealing with debt collectors can be a nightmare, and you already have enough things to worry about. Knowing how to deal with them can make a big difference in your finances and your peace of mind. Here are three tips to keep in mind for dealing with bill collectors.

1. First of all, keep in mind that collectors will typically have caller ID, so if you don’t want your phone number to be given away you need to be careful. You can usually use the star 67 feature depending on your local phone company’s rules, but this won’t work when dealing with toll-free numbers. You also need to keep in mind that it is illegal in most states to record a conversation without the caller’s permission.

2. You should be especially careful about giving a postdated check to a debt collector. If it turns out that you didn’t have sufficient funds (which is probably more likely than you’d like to admit given your present financial circumstances), you may be accused of fraud. If you do this intentionally, you may be guilty of criminal action. At worst, you would have to do jail time, and at the very least your debt would be ineligible for discharge under Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

3. You should be careful to review any correspondence from debt collectors and make sure that the accounts are in order. In other words, keep an eye out for any mistakes including the amount that you owe (or even whether you owe a debt to begin with). You have a right to dispute the charges within 30 days, which can at least buy you some time as debt collectors or their attorneys would be required to obtain verification.

If you don’t think you owe the stated amount, do not agree to any payment plan until you have sorted things out.

By: Josh Ramos

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Children’s Bedroom Paint deas

As cell phone bills continue to rise many business are looking for ways to cut costs. Eliminating company cell phone plans may not be a popular move at first but if it means that or keeping the doors open employees will usually see the light. Using long range walkie talkies can be the answer you need to saving some money for your business.

Most business is time sensitive and as we all know time is money. Calling and waiting for an answer can cost valuable time that you don’t have. The push button communication of a handheld radio or voice activated technology of a headset walkie talkie can save valuable time.

Many job sites are high noise areas. If it is a construction site, factory, or industrial facility chances are that you have a hearing conservation plan in place. Radio communication can often get in the way of such a plan. High noise does not eliminate the need for communication, it just makes it harder. Using a noise canceling headset walkie talkie can virtually eliminate the communication break down that can take place in high noise environments.

Fleet vehicles are commonly fitted with long range radios but people are often not taught how to use them properly. Make sure that your training program goes over how to use any walkie talkie equipment that you may already have access to.

If you have numerous people in the field that you need to communicate with you can save countless hours with the instant communications of long range walkie talkies. You may need to invest in a booster or an FCC license, but in the long run it can be much cheaper than paying numerous cell phone bills.

Many people find themselves in remote areas on a regular basis. If you are in a profession that takes you into the field on a regular basis you have probably been frustrated by the lack or reliable cell coverage in many areas. Long range two way radio can assist greatly in areas of low or no cell service.

Whatever your business there is a way that longrange walkie talkies can solve your problems, save some time, and increase your productivity.

By: Nathan Bills

About the Author:

Copyright Lawyers

Paycheck to paycheck sometimes doesn’t cut it. So what do you do when the months and the bills do not stop coming but the money does?

There are occasions when we can only pay some of the bills but deciding which some can be difficult. It is embarrassing to say the least that you may not have enough fundage on month to make it all work out but to have to sit down and decide exactly who gets paid can be agonizing, especially if this is the first time you’ve had to make this decision.

Obviously, one of the first things you need to do is plan your finances to ensure this situation does not arise again. After that, it is time to sit down and think about what is important. Start out with a paper and pen and your list of monthly bills. If you do not have one list that compiles what you owe and who you owe it to, then start there. Gather all of your statements and due dates and make a list. You need to understand what you owe each month if you expect to stay on track with your finances.

When you have our monthly bill list, you next will need to make another list of each bill so you can begin to scratch off the necessities in your life. For example, your mortgage, your rent, your car note, your electric bill, and your water bill are all necessities. Keep in mind, you will need to leave money to the side for food and work-related costs such as gas to get you there. When you have all of the necessities accounted for, take a look at what bills are left over. You will want to scratch off the other bills you owe that will harm your credit if left unpaid such as student loans and credit card payments. If you do not make those payments, it can essentially affect your other bills and future credit worthiness.

When you have deduced what is needed, you should have a list of the non-essentials. This may include your cable bill, cell phone bill, and maybe a gym membership. This is where it takes some shift in thinking. You may think you can’t live without your cell phone or your cable television shows but if you have a landline and a public library, it is likely you will survive. You may even learn to live without the costly monthly expenses and be able to start an emergency fund or a savings account with a goal. You can even tack on the extra monies each month to pay down your debts faster.

Face it – if you can cut back on the things you don’t need, even if it is only a 6 month sacrifice, you can learn to live in a whole new way and make out better financially in the long run when you are enjoying a debt-free life with a little money in the bank.

By: Tisha Kulak Tolar

About the Author:

Trading

Filing for insolvency is undeniably not the right possible choice when taking care of huge hospital bill. It will have a awful result on your credit report and dampen your possibilities of receiving a loan or a job in future. Credit card payment is nothing more than a standby arrangement because the bill is only shifted from one source to another. Earlier you owed the health care provider, now you owe the credit card company.

Most people don’t think relating to negotiating even if their hospital bill is out of their potential to clear. To negotiate medical bills with the medical provider for a hospital bill is not any different than negotiating with a vender for some other deal.

First step in negotiating medical bills is to go through a detailed statement of your bill to see that you only pay for services that were provided to you. Go and check with Medicaid to see that the medical provider has not charged you extra for any service. Also ensure that you know what expenses of the bill will be paid by your insurance provider.

Secondly, you need to negotiate medical bills in an approach that is delicate yet firm. Always note that screaming and misbehaving with service representatives will not make things any beneficial for you. Instead, you ought to concentrate on trying to drive home the point that the bill is simply too high for your paying ability.

Be upfront in negotiation process. Carry a record of all your previous conversations in regards to the concerned matter and the name of the officers you spoke with. It’s always a bad idea to negotiate medical bills over the phone.

Lastly, be accurate in what you strive for. You have to be very clear in your mind as to what you want from the hospital.

By: Mike Turin

About the Author:

Forex Trading

Different phone service providers allow you to make certain number of calls free of cost if you opt for certain plans. As you pay a monthly rental for phone service, free calls are charged in your monthly charges as somewhat cheaper rates. Once the number of free calls is used, you start paying for the calls at regular rates.

An easy way to make free calls is to dial 18003733411 from any US landline. From cell phones it is charged at local rates. Listen to the operator’s voice which asks you to select one of the free services. The last option is ‘free call’. Do not press any button; just say ‘free call’ loudly and you will be connected to make an international free call. Just listen to the Ads for a few seconds. As soon as the ad stops playing; dial the international number in standard format (country code+city code+ phone number). You will be connected and you can talk up to 5 minutes after which the call will be disconnected.

There are various other ways to make free phone calls. One of the most popular and the easiest ways to call international numbers free of cost is to use VoIP services. This is technology that uses internet to send voice messages. As it uses internet, you must be logged onto your PC with high speed internet. If the calling party is also using the same service like Skype, yahoo messenger etc; the calls are completely free of cost.

However if the other party is not logged onto a PC; you need to pay some charges to access the phone network. This is a lot cheaper than a normal phone call. There are a few devices like Magic jack that makes this process even easier and cheaper.

These devices have recently become very popular because they give you the flexibility of making free phone calls from anywhere. You get a free US number that can be used to make local as well as international calls. A unique feature of these devices is that calls to US and Canada are absolutely free no matter where you are. Moreover unlike traditional VoIP calls, you need not install any software on a particular PC. Just Plug the device to any PC that is connected to high speed internet and you are ready to make free internet phone calls. You can save thousands of dollars on phone bills by using these simple pocket sized devices.

By: James S. Peterson

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Scar Removal

Like you, there are many out there who are living from paycheck to paycheck. Making ends meet on a week-to-week basis is difficult for many. They cannot keep track of their payments. They end up with huge debts. Their lack of financial wisdom causes them to file for bankruptcy in an attempt to protect themselves. Their credit rating can be adversely affected by bankruptcy.

Are you reeling under debt and planning to file for bankruptcy? Hold on. Consider debt re-consolidation refinance as an alternative.

The main reason you should consider utilizing a debt consolidation refinance is because it usually can help eliminate the harassing phone calls from your creditors and debt collectors. It is designed to consolidate all of your bills into one monthly payment. When you compare your new monthly payment with what you have been paying previously, you will notice that the new monthly payment is slightly lower.

It is an excellent alternative to filing for bankruptcy. You should consider it once your monthly bills become difficult or near impossible to pay. Early intervention through the use of a debt refinance loan can only do you good. Equity in home can also be used for applying for debt consolidation refinance. Consider it if…

1. Your loan has a high interest rate.

2. You have a mortgage with an adjustable rate.

Debt consolidation refinance is an ideal economic alternative that has many benefits. You can reduce your monthly payments by taking advantage of lower interest rates or widening the repayment period.

Why not take advantage of free consultation with experts on finance? It’s entirely up to you. You can avoid bankruptcy if you get the right advice.

By: Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

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Morning Sickness

If you need help paying your utility bills then the first bit of advice I can give is not to panic! Worse things happen, so don’t bury your head in the sand and take some action!
A plan is what you need, and there a few things you can consider probably depending on how bad things are. Later in this article I’ll tell you how you can get your bills paid for you, but first comes the shorter term fixes.

Fist of all you should phone your utility supplier and explain your situation. There may be something they can do to help. Remember they want your money, so are willing to work with you to get it rather than receive nothing at all. Leave things too late and they probably won’t be as lenient, ring early and they will be more co-operative.

Secondly, there are grants available for people. Do a search on google.co.uk for “utility bill grant” and there are plenty of articles and web links to keep you going.

The above two pointers will not help completely in the long run. They only hold off the bills. Your next plan should be to reduce your bills or earn more money to pay them, or why not do both?
Reducing your utility bills can again be carried out easily on the web. There are plenty of comparison sites out there. A word of warning – some companies are listed on these comparison sites. The classic one of these is the Utiltiy Warehouse. The reason is that they do not pay these companies a percentage of the fee for the switch. The other reason is that they are a multiple provider and you can save more than the comparison sites can work out by taking more services with them.

Wholesale prices vary alot at the minute as well, so I would look for a deal that offers a guarantee against the major suppliers. One day one company may be the cheapest, but not on the next day. I recommend trying a couple of comparison web sites and then checking with the Utility Warehouse before deciding on the best deal for you.

To earn more money may mean starting a home based business with small outlay, or taking another job. either way, it’s better than being cut off! The Utility Warehouse offer a scheme where you can get your utility bills discounted by recommending friends and family to their services if your are happy to do so. You maximum discount is 100%, so you can’t earn more than your bills, but you can add additional services.
I would expect more and more companies to offer this as an option so keep an eye out.

By: Paul Turner

About the Author:

Immigration Lawyers