http://www.pcbs.org Credit cards, free credit reports and debt consolidation Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:55:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en During the first week of February the number of mortgage applications dropped. This was not particularly good news for the economy because it means that the demand for new homes is falling even as the recovery tries to find stronger footing. The falling demand for mortgages occurred despite the availability ... http://www.pcbs.org/consumers-apply-for-fewer-mortgages/ There are plenty of advertisements on television warning consumers about the problem of identity theft. There is one with singing pirates or singing medieval men that make identity theft almost sound like fun. One identity theft commercial has a policeman who explains he had his identity stolen. The implication is ... http://www.pcbs.org/go-one-place-for-free-credit-reports/ You're always being told to check your credit score. Magazine articles, TV commercials, and financial experts are always proclaiming the utter necessity of knowing your credit score. True, your credit score does have a big impact on your ability to get more credit, to obtain gainful employment, and ... http://www.pcbs.org/so-you-know-your-credit-score-but-what-does-it-mean/ You hear it all the time. You need to request your credit report on a regular basis to make sure that everything is correct. But what exactly are you looking for? If you have your credit report staring you in the face then what do you need ... http://www.pcbs.org/what-to-check-when-you-review-your-credit-report/ Pick up any newspaper right now and there is plenty of discussion about the economic recovery being underway. But many consumers have a hard time understanding that a recovery is in progress as they wonder if they will have a job by the time unemployment benefits run out. What recovery? Statistically speaking ... http://www.pcbs.org/what-can-consumers-expect-in-2010/ The Census Bureau decided to look at the changes in family statistics after a two-year recession. Millions of families have experienced significant changes in their lives that include unemployment and foreclosure. These changes have led to new trends. By documenting these trends the government is able to collect useful information ... http://www.pcbs.org/census-bureau-looks-at-recession-families/ Consumers have been inundated with news about the passage and implementation of the Credit CARD Act. CARD stands for Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure. There has also been a lot of negative publicity aimed at credit card companies pre-empting the law by raising interest rates and fees. The reason ... http://www.pcbs.org/consumers-prepare-for-credit-card-act/ Credit card scams appear every day and many of them are right on the border between illegal and legal. In other words, credit card offers may be technically legal but are deceptive because of how information is presented to the consumer. Recently it was union workers in Ohio who were ... http://www.pcbs.org/union-workers-target-of-credit-card-scam/ The consumer credit market all but came to a standstill for months over the last year. But even worse is the fact that many consumers watched their credit histories destroyed after years of timely payments. Rising foreclosures, and credit card and loan delinquencies, have created many black marks on credit ... http://www.pcbs.org/overcoming-destroyed-credit-history-focus-of-consumers/ You know that your credit score impacts your life. It determines how much you will pay for loans and if you will even be able to get one. It may even determine if you are hired for a job that you apply for. You have heard all ... http://www.pcbs.org/new-ways-to-improve-your-credit-score/