In March 2005, the U.S. financial services industry succeeded in hammering the first nail in their plan to overhaul the nation's bankruptcy system. Repairing bad credit yourself will be more necessary than ever. After contributing millions of dollars to elect Republican candidates sympathetic to their big money interests, banks, credit unions, credit card companies and major retailers have succeeded in making it more difficult to file for bankruptcy relief. About half of those filing do so due to medical catastrophe. You can still get help and repair bad credit yourself.

Last April, President Bush enthusiastically signed into law the oddly-named Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act. This bill, representing the biggest overhaul of bankruptcy law in twenty-five years, was written in order to discourage bankruptcy of convenience. Proponents of the bill, which included the credit card industry, say that the bill is necessary in order to stop an avalanche of bankruptcy filings by drug users and compulsive shoppers and gamblers.

Bills, creditors, debt collectors. Are you yearning for the days when all you had to worry about was the money in your piggy bank? If so, you are far from alone. Whether its illness, loss of a job, or simple overspending, it happens to the best of us. But that doesnt mean your financial situation needs to go from bad to worse.

Steps You Can Take To Regain Control When Finances Get Out Of Hand...

A headline for a retirement annuities flyer declares "Future
Secured!" Was your reaction like mine? Yea, sure!

Is our financial future ever that secure? Maybe for a few. But for the majority of us this is not true. Stock market changes, health costs and inflation fears all contribute to a sense of insecurity

You may have a good retirement pension and 401k plans but is it enough? How much control over our financial security do we have?

There are some things we all can do to feel more secure. Reducing debt is a good place to start.

Debt Settlement companies work with your creditors to help you reduce your unsecured debts though arbitration and negations. The important thing to realize about Debt Settlement is that it is a different type of program than Consumer Credit Counseling or Debt Reduction. Traditionally, these types of programs work with your creditors to lower your interest rates. Debt Settlement companies work with your creditors to reduce your credit card and unsecured debt balances, sometimes by as much as 40-60%!

Debt relief is a topic on a lot of consumers' minds these days, and with good reason. American credit card debt in 2001 was $692 billion, triple the amount from 1989. In that same time period, the average credit card increase for a middle-class family was 75%. The amounts were even higher for low-income families and senior citizens. At one time, such a high amount of credit card debt would seem frivolous as buyers spent money they didn't have on luxury items such as electronics or jewelry.

With mounting bills and unforeseen hardships, you may be considering some form of debt relief. There are many options to help you, but the best may actually be you helping yourself. Here are some suggestions for starting debt relief and becoming more solvent.

As consumer debt continues to spiral out of control, debt relief is fast becoming a major concern for many Americans. In 1999, Americans made $1.1 Trillion worth of credit card purchases. In 2001, American credit card debt hovered around $690 billion. Unfortunately, in todays unstable economic conditions, many Americans are being forced to turn to credit cards as a way to extend their income. Consumer debt is at an all-time high and Americans need to know what they can do to get out of debt.

You go to the mail box and scan - a couple fliers (nah), your magazine subscription (yes!) and bills (groan). Every month the bills show up and as you sigh and take out your check book you wonder if you will ever be free.

Each month you pay the minimums and although you KNOW you've got a handle on it - you are not charging your credit card or accumulating new debts anymore - it seems that you will be paying the minimum fees forever.

Happy Independence Day from The Money Motivator!

If you don't celebrate "The 4th of July" like we do in the United States, today still presents you with an awesome opportunity to examine your independence.

Independence means the quality or state of being dependent.
The word dependent means not subject to control by others, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.