Do Second Chance Bank Accounts Exist?

You might consider looking into a “second chance bank account” if you have had your bank account closed or suspended. Also known as non-ChexSystems checking accounts, these second chance bank accounts help those who are having a hard time opening a bank account.

ChexSystems is a check verification service and consumer reporting agency. You are at risk of being reported to ChexSystems if you perform any type of financial misdemeanor. Of all the banks in the United States, approximately 80% of them use ChexSystems for reporting when an overdraft limit is exceeded, a payment is not honored, or a check is bounced.

You will be reported to ChexSystems if you do any or all of these things habitually. This behavior may also lead to your bank account being closed. Because of your past banking history, most banks will be hesitant of opening an account for you, if they even consider it at all.

Second chance bank accounts allow you a chance to get things back under control. These checking accounts operate like standard bank accounts in that you can access your money and pay your bills. For people whose bank accounts have been closed, these second chance bank accounts offer a needed opportunity to start over again.

A variety of banks and finance companies offer second chance bank accounts. You can even find some of these companies on the internet. To be accepted for one of these accounts, you will need to complete an application and provide address and identification information, which will be verified.

Before you do this, it is a good idea to get a copy of your ChexSystems report. You should review the report for any inaccurate or false information. If the report contains any information which is false or inaccurate, the information can be revised or deleted. It may well be that this false information is what is keeping you from being able to obtain a checking account in the first place.

However, if all the information is accurate, then a second chance bank account is likely the next step to take. These accounts are easy to open and are recommended for people who need a second chance.

Before applying for one of these second chance bank accounts, it is wise to shop around. These bank accounts often charge monthly or annual fees and some even require a one-time payment for opening the account. Therefore, it is smart to shop around and get the best deal.

Does Lexington Law Work? See What Happened When this Man Hired Lexington Law Firm.

Posted under Credit

How to Find a Credit Repair Attorney

Credit Repair Attorney: How to Decide if You Need One to Clean up Negative Items

Fixing a bad credit report is not a pleasant experience. There are basically two ways of going about the credit repair process.

Many people decide first to fix their own credit only to discover the process is much more involved than they expected. This is because they are trying to save a few dollars by going the inexpensive route.

Unfortunately you may discover that repairing bad credit is one of those projects that only appears easy. There is so much to the process including legal research and writing, which is challenging even for credit lawyers at times.

If you are not the type of person who enjoys legal research in your free time, or don’t have patience for translating wordy statutes and confusing case laws from around the country, then this might not be for you. But if you are determined enough to plow through the stacks of law books, then you should expect to spend at least a a few Sunday afternoons researching applicable credit laws at your local library.

Assuming you are able to understand the case law and statutes, then you have to move onto the more important part of credit repair. The next step is to write a coherent and compelling dispute letter. You will need to cite the applicable case law and disputed items.

For example, the credit bureaus are trained to be on the lookout for those people trying do it yourself credit repair. They can easily spot the dispute letters written by amateurs. This can be a problem since credit bureaus are infamous for ignoring badly written dispute letters.

Even if you are a good writer, you probably are not going to enjoy standing in line at the post office. To ensure your dispute receives a proper investigation, you will need to mail the letter via United States Certified Mail.

By now you are probably wishing you had more free time. Mailing dispute letters via certified mail takes a lot of time. Unless you are extremely casual about how you spend your free time, this is probably not worth your time.

Disputing bad credit errors on your own also takes an organized office space and a strategic plan. For example, you will need a spreadsheet to track the progress of each disputed item. Plus, you will need to give yourself reminders or some type of alert in the event the bureaus or creditors have allowed the proper investigation period to expire.

As you can see credit repair is not a fun experience. There are so many better and more efficient uses of your time. Plus, it is difficult to learn and apply complex legal statutes and case law to your unique credit experience.

I repaired my Terrible Credit. My credit Score is up to 745. Lexington Law Works. See Documented Proof at www.creditforcouples.com

Posted under Credit

This post was written by Casey Deanwater on January 2, 2010

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Credit Card Debt Consolidation Loans: Understanding the Basics

Credit card debt consolidation loans are a great resource for anyone who is trying to get back on their feet. The recent recession does not help the many people who are now suffering under the stress of credit card debt. People who have several credit cards and those who start to see that their debt is getting out of hand should think about getting one of these loans.

Credit card debt consolidation loans are easy enough to understand. The company giving you the loan combines all of your debts together and puts it into one owed amount. Every month you make a payment to cover the amount with one interest rate, instead of several. This way you are able to negotiate lower interest and/or lower monthly payments to help you get the loan paid off. The lending company you work with charges a fee or an extra interest rate for their own benefit. The most important part is that you make the payments to this loan on time, otherwise you will further ruin your credit and go into more debt. If you do make payments on time you will only have to worry about one payment instead of several.

When you don?t make on time payments the first thing that is going to happen is that your interest rates on your loan are going to increase. With more late or missing payments your interest will get higher as you become more of a liability for them. You will also see your credit score go down as they report your late and missing payments.

Getting a credit card debt consolidation loan is simple enough if you know where to look. There are many different sources online that can help you. In fact, there are so many companies online that it may make it harder for you to find a dependable business. You can also go to your local bank to look for help. They are usually happy to give you all of the information about credit card debt consolidation loans and help answer any questions you have.

Some lending companies go right to your creditors. They negotiate lower interest rates and payments plans so you can pay off the money yourself. In the end every creditor simply wants the money you owe them, even if it takes a little longer then estimated to get it. Be careful with some of these negotiating companies since there are several illegitimate ones out there.

To find a legitimate debt consolidation company, ask your banker for some suggestions. You can also ask them about companies that you should stay away from. If you are searching online you should make sure that your debt consolidation company has a long history with a good reputation that you can trust. By taking these simple steps you are avoiding being taken advantage of, and that your debt will go away as fast as possible.

Layla Vanderbilt is the content coordinator for a leading website that offers for debt consolidation advice and guidance.

Posted under Credit Cards

This post was written by Layla Vanderbilt on January 1, 2010

Tags: , , , , , , ,