Blank Checks from Your Credit Card Issuer Carry Risks and Costs

Those blank “convenience checks” from your credit card company offer a quick way to write yourself a loan, pay bills or transfer other loans to your credit card account. But be aware that the use of a convenience check is a “cash advance” that comes with high costs and other potential pitfalls.

Credit Repair: These Facts Can Keep You Out of Hot Water

Everyday, companies target people who have poor credit histories with promises to clean up their credit reports so they can get a car loan, a home mortgage, insurance, or even a job – after paying a fee for the service. The truth is that no one can remove accurate negative information from your credit report. It’s illegal.

Data Breach at UC-Berkeley – 160,000 Records

The University of California-Berkeley acknowledged that hackers breached a database of the university’s health system records, including 160,000 names and Social Security numbers.

UC Berkeley said it was notifying the people affected about possible identity theft or fraud.

Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today hailed Senate passage of his legislation to put an end to the abusive, misleading, and deceptive practices employed by credit card companies.  Dodd’s Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act was approved by a vote of 90 to 5, and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

National Consumer Protection Week

In recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, I will provide a variety of consumer information to you this week that highlights efforts designed to help you make informed decisions about your money. These topics will include information related to credit, banking, mortgages, investments as well as protecting your identity.

Many thanks to the Federal Trade Commission and its steering committee partners listed below:

* AARP
* Better Business Bureau
* Consumer Federation of America (CFA)
* Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)
* Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
* Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
* Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
* National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA)
* National Consumers League (NCL)
* Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
* United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
* United States Postal Service (USPS)

To kick off this event, I have listed these topics for you today: Credit Repair: How To Help Yourself, Ten Ways to Protect Yourself from Scams and Rip-Off’s, and Obtaining a Free Credit Report.

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

Last week I got a chance to watch, for the 5th or 6th time that is, the 1994 inspirational movie, Rudy, and couldn’t help but notice the parallels in this fact-filled story with the lives of millions of hard-working Americans going through some tough financial times right now.

For those not familiar with the story here’s a quick background. Daniel E. “Rudy” Ruettiger, has dreamed of playing college football for Notre Dame but there are some obstacles standing in his way. He’s a little guy, slightly over five feet tall, weighing just over 100 pounds. He has very little money, and is required to work his way through school. He has poor grades, dyslexia, and if that’s not enough, his family and friends ridicule his dream of playing football. He has to enroll in a nearby Junior College for 2 years before being accepted at Notre Dame. He qualifies for the football prep team, which is a squad that only plays against the regular team players at practice, and is basically a practice dummy getting beat up and bloodied playing against much larger guys.  He gives it all he’s got and initially other team members become annoyed with him but eventually wins their admiration because of his spirit of inspiration. He almost quits his dream but sticks with it.