The new credit card rules went into effect Monday February 22, 2010. And if you thought that this finally brought the end to banks and credit card companies’ bloodsucking practices, think again. Banks started devising new ways to bite you in the ass before the new rules took effect.

Granted, there is no way to foresee every move and counteract it through legislation. In fact, it is also phenomenal that the bill was not killed at conception. May be there is some change at Washington after all (though we still have miles to go). Corporate America and the legislative bodies became bed partners long ago it is not going to change any time soon. But that’s a different subject. More on New Credit Card Law – Banks Can Still Bite You in the Rear

If you are asking ‘how do I clean up my credit report,’ the first thing you need to do is to avoid speculating. That is, you will need to order a copy of your credit report. Upon receiving the report, you can examine it for errors and accuracies.

By having a copy of the report in your hand, you will know exactly where you have to go to clean up your credit report. Again, speculating on negative components to your credit score makes no sense. You need to have accurate info in front of you. More on The Answers to How Do I Clean Up My Credit History

The process of how to clear bad credit history can be a rather involved one. However, by taking the appropriate steps, you can most assuredly clear up your credit rating and get yourself back on track for pristine credit.

Yes, it may take some time and effort to clear up a poor credit score and history. But, time will go by whether you take the right steps or not. So, would it not be better to take the steps to improve your credit? More on A Few Steps to Clear Bad Credit History

It is a good thing that new credit card rules and regulations have been enacted to protect consumers from predatory practices. But banks found ways of going around these laws even before they went to effect Monday February 22nd 2010. More on New Credit Card Laws: Good But Not Good Enough

It is amazing how many people do not know their rights when it comes to debt collection. You can stop debt collection agencies from hounding you day and night and deal with them in your own terms. This article will explain how.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is the federal law that says what debt collection agencies can do or not do when collecting a debt from an individual. This law protects consumers from undue harassment.

One of your rights under that law is to put stop to all communication from a collection agency. However this part should be used judiciously as it can backfire in your face. There are instances when some form of communication should be left open. More on How to Stop Collection Agencies Dead On Their Tracks

By James Keegan (Guest writer)

Are you looking to dispute items on a credit report? If so, you have probably noticed something on the report that is completely inaccurate. More than likely, you are probably stressed and upset over the presence of inaccurate information on your credit report.

Well, it would be best not to get upset. The ways to deal with disputing items on the credit report are fairly straightforward and easy. For those wondering how to go about it, here are a few steps to follow: More on Ways to Dispute Items on a Credit Report

Is the process of do it yourself credit repair as difficult as some contend? Honestly, anyone that is saying that it is very difficult to perform proper personal repair to one’s credit truly does not know the steps involved with such a process.

Those that have experience in this area will tell you that it is not as tough to repair one’s credit as some will lead you to believe. The effective steps that can be taken are often relatively simple and can be put into motion almost immediately. More on Simple Steps of Do It Yourself Credit Repair

While credit card fraud is on the rise, internet credit card fraud seems to be rising more dramatically. This should not be taken to mean that making online purchases is more risky than other means of purchasing goods or services. In fact, the opposite is true. How is this?

You see, as long as you do your purchases through reputable companies with secure servers, you should be alright. Loosely defined, a secure server encrypts information so it cannot be read or cracked by a middle person. But how do you tell if a server is really secure? More on Internet Credit Card Fraud – Protect Yourself

Not all debts are bad debts. You need a reliable car to get you to work and other places. This is good debt. You need a roof over your head, and a place to call your own: a mortgage is a good debt. You need to go to school to get a good and satisfying (hopefully) career or job: Student loan is good debt.

But even good debt can turn into bad. If you have to stretch your budget to purchase that sleek sports car just because you want it, that is bad debt. If you purchase a big nice home that you can hardly afford, that is bad debt. Buying homes like that is part of what caused the mortgage crisis which in turn caused a world recession; but that is another story.

But what truly is bad debt is credit card debt. However, even this depends on how you use it. There is nothing wrong in having a credit card, or several of them. What is wrong is your attitude toward credit cards and how you use them. More on Eliminating Credit Card Debt: The Snowball Effect that Can Eliminate Your Debts, Fast

The concept of credit card debt settlement can prove to be appealing to many people. After all, the ability to close out a credit card account with a agreed upon settlement payment may prove to be a much better option than having to perpetually deal with paying off large amounts of debt.

And many credit card companies would probably prefer to explore such options with you if the alternative would be having to deal with bankruptcy courts. However, there is an ominous specter that can emerge of the horizon. That specter is the process of negotiating credit card debt settlement and this is certainly a process that most people would prefer that they would wish to take part in. More on The Process of Negotiating Credit Card Debt Settlement