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    <title>Brooke English's Blog</title>
    <link>http://activerain.com/blogs/brookeenglish</link>
    <description></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1649308/unclaimed-funds-the-great-florida-treasure-hunt</guid>
      <title>Unclaimed Funds - The Great Florida Treasure Hunt</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;With record unemployment, the growing popularity of food stamps, emergency cash assistance, and government subsidies, more and more people are turning to the Internet in search of lost or forgotten money.&amp;nbsp; With over $33 billion in unclaimed funds nationwide, the fastest growing search terms on Google and Yahoo have been "unclaimed money" and "missing money."&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink reminds Floridians of an online claims system making it easier to recover funds held in the Bureau of Unclaimed Property.&amp;nbsp; Now holding in excess of $1 billion, the unclaimed property comes from dormant accounts in financial institutions, insurance and utility companies, securities and trust holdings.&amp;nbsp; Unclaimed property also includes tangible items such as watches, jewelry, coins, currency, stamps, historical items and other articles from abandoned safe deposit boxes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Since the program's inception 49 years ago, the Bureau of Unclaimed Property has successfully reunited owners or heirs of deceased owners with more than $1.4 billion in unclaimed property held in Florida.&amp;nbsp; Accounting for almost 45 percent of the money returned since the start of the program, CFO Alex Sink has successfully reunited owners, heirs and businesses with more than $630 million during her tenure.&amp;nbsp; In fact, almost $45 million in unclaimed property was returned in the months of February and March alone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;"In these tough economic times it's important that Floridians account for every dollar," said CFO Sink. "I encourage all Floridians to visit our web site at &lt;a href="http://www.fltreasurehunt.org/"&gt;www.FLTreasureHunt.org&lt;/a&gt;. With nearly nine million accounts, the chances are good we are holding cash or property for you, your business, or someone you know."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;In less than a minute you can determine whether you or a deceased relative is entitled to unclaimed funds or property in Florida.&amp;nbsp; For more information and to check if you are owed unclaimed funds, visit the Bureau of Unclaimed Property's website at &lt;a href="http://www.fltreasurehunt.org/"&gt;www.FLTreasureHunt.org&lt;/a&gt; or call toll-free (888) 258-2253.&amp;nbsp; If you find a match and believe the property is yours, an online claim form can be completed, printed, and mailed with supporting documentation for immediate processing.&amp;nbsp; You have the right to claim your property at any time and without cost.&amp;nbsp; Although there is no statute of limitations on making a claim, the Bureau of Unclaimed Property does not pay interest on accounts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Florida is not the only state that has an unclaimed property bureau.&amp;nbsp; Forty states participate in a program officially endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, an organization that proactively seeks owners of missing and unclaimed property.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; At &lt;a href="http://www.missingmoney.com/"&gt;www.MissingMoney.com&lt;/a&gt; &amp;nbsp;or &lt;a href="http://www.unclaimed.org/"&gt;www.Unclaimed.org&lt;/a&gt; you can quickly determine whether you are entitled to unclaimed funds by clicking on a participating state and entering your name.&amp;nbsp; Be sure to search each state that you have resided and under every name you have used.&amp;nbsp; Also search for deceased family members as heirs are sometimes very surprised to learn what has been left behind by their dearly departed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;A word to the wise when searching for unclaimed funds or property - most states, including Florida - do not charge a fee to recover unclaimed property.&amp;nbsp; There is no reason to pay a search firm for something you can do yourself in mere minutes at zero cost.&amp;nbsp; If you are approached by company advising that they have located property in your name and will process a claim on your behalf, politely decline and search the bureau registry yourself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Some of the more notable Floridians the Bureau of Unclaimed Property are holding funds for:&amp;nbsp; Congresswoman Corrine Brown, former US Senator Mel Martinez, former Miami Dolphin Dan Marino, Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and Florida Attorney General candidates Dan Gelber and Pam Bondi.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Source:&amp;nbsp; The Credit Report with Bill Lewis - Highlands Today, an edition of the Tampa Tribune.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/may/17/unclaimed-funds-great-florida-treasure-hunt/news-newbusiness/"&gt;http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/may/17/unclaimed-funds-great-florida-treasure-hunt/news-newbusiness/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;__________________________________&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;William E. Lewis Jr., is a credit repair expert with Credit Restoration Consultants and host of "The Credit Report with Bill Lewis" on AM 1470 WWNN, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 16:18:11 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1649308/unclaimed-funds-the-great-florida-treasure-hunt</link>
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    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1617078/us-supreme-court-rules-against-debt-collector</guid>
      <title>US Supreme Court Rules Against Debt Collector</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Debt collectors can no longer &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/claim-ignorance/"&gt;claim ignorance&lt;/a&gt; of the law as an excuse for violating the Fair &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collections/"&gt;Debt Collections&lt;/a&gt; Practices Act (FDCPA) while attempting to collect a debt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On Wednesday, the United &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/states-supreme-court/"&gt;States Supreme Court&lt;/a&gt; handed down a ruling that severely restricts the "bona fide error" defense under the Fair &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collection-practices/"&gt;Debt Collection Practices&lt;/a&gt; Act for &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collectors/"&gt;debt collectors&lt;/a&gt; that send erroneous collection notices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In a 7-2 ruling, the high court ruled that collection law firms could not use misinterpretations of the law in a "bona fide error" defense under the FDCPA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the matter of &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/jerman/"&gt;Jerman&lt;/a&gt; v. Carlisle, McNellie, Rini, Kramer &amp;amp; Ulrich, Karen &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/jerman/"&gt;Jerman&lt;/a&gt; sued an Ohio law firm for violating the FDCPA when it attempted to foreclose on her home following payment on the mortgage. In its &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/initial-collection/"&gt;initial collection&lt;/a&gt; notice, the law firm sought written proof that &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/jerman/"&gt;Jerman&lt;/a&gt; paid her &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/countrywide-home-loans/"&gt;Countrywide Home Loans&lt;/a&gt; mortgage. Absent proof of payment or a written dispute within 30 days, the debt would be presumed valid. &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/jerman/"&gt;Jerman&lt;/a&gt; hired an attorney to meet the written requirement, although the FDCPA does not explicitly require consumers to submit disputes in writing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Specializing in real estate and foreclosure law, Carlisle admitted that its &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/initial-validation/"&gt;initial validation&lt;/a&gt; notice intended &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/dispute-claims/"&gt;dispute claims&lt;/a&gt; to be submitted in writing. After &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/jerman/"&gt;Jerman&lt;/a&gt; sued, the firm argued that it should not be held liable under the FDCPA because the violation was an unintentional or "bona fide error." Carlisle defended the matter asserting a "safe harbor protection" stating they were unaware that "written" disputes were not required under the FDCPA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Although consumers are often instructed by &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collectors/"&gt;debt collectors&lt;/a&gt; to submit written disputes, no such language exists under the Fair &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collection-practices/"&gt;Debt Collection Practices&lt;/a&gt; Act. In this instance, Carlisle argued that said "bona fide error" was the result of a clerical mistake.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The lower court sided with Jerman, noting that while Carlisle had violated the FDCPA, it was not liable under the Fair &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collection-practices/"&gt;Debt Collection Practices&lt;/a&gt; Act for damages as the violation was unintentional or a "bona fide error." An appeals court decision affirmed that ruling, sending the case to the United States Supreme Court.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In an opinion written for the 7-2 majority by Justice Sonya Sotomayor, the high court stated that "ignorance of the law will not excuse any person, either civilly or criminally." Carlisle had argued that misinterpretations of the law were written into the Fair &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collection-practices/"&gt;Debt Collection Practices&lt;/a&gt; Act. Sotomayor and the majority disagreed, noting that ignorance of the law was not explicitly written into the FDCPA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Justice Anthony Kennedy, in a dissent joined by Justice Samuel Alito Jr., said the high court's decision "aligns the judicial system with those who would use litigation to enrich themselves at the expense of attorneys who strictly follow and adhere to professional and ethical standards."But Sotomayor spoke directly to that objection in the majority opinion, writing, "We do not foresee that our decision today will place unmanageable burdens on lawyers practicing in the debt collection industry."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"Debt collectors should be treated like anyone else when violating a federal statute," said Scott Kleiman, a foreclosure defense attorney with Kalis &amp;amp; Kleiman. "The Supreme Court decision keeps intact an important reason for &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collectors/"&gt;debt collectors&lt;/a&gt; to abide by the law. While strong financial incentives encourage the collection of delinquent debts, continued unlawful behavior will not be excused and punished to the fullest extent of the law."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The case originated when Carlisle - acting as a debt collector - sent a notice and foreclosure complaint to Jerman, requiring her to submit any dispute "in writing" within 30 days. The "in writing" language was included in the notice based upon legal authority from other jurisdictions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Although &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/countrywide-home-loans/"&gt;Countrywide Home Loans&lt;/a&gt; subsequently dismissed the foreclosure action, &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/jerman/"&gt;Jerman&lt;/a&gt; turned to the Icove Legal Group, a Cleveland-based public interest law firm that filed a class-action suit on behalf of her and other homeowners who received the erroneous notice. "This case will have a far-reaching impact within the debt collection industry as consumer laws in a number of states have 'bona fide error' statutes identical to the Fair &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/debt-collection-practices/"&gt;Debt Collection Practices&lt;/a&gt; Act," stated attorney Ed Icove, in applauding the 7-2 majority decision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entire United &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/states-supreme-court/"&gt;States Supreme Court&lt;/a&gt; opinion can be read at &lt;a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1200.pdf"&gt;http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1200...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Source:&amp;nbsp; The Credit Report with Bill Lewis - Highlands Today, an edition of the Tampa Tribune.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/apr/25/us-supreme-court-rules-against-debt-collector/columns-welewisjr/"&gt;http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/apr/25/us-supreme-court-rules-against-debt-collector/columns-welewisjr/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;William E. Lewis Jr., is a credit repair expert with Credit Restoration Consultants and host of "The Credit Report with Bill Lewis" on AM 1470 WWNN, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:03:23 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1617078/us-supreme-court-rules-against-debt-collector</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1515620/a-truly-free-credit-report-without-cost-or-fee</guid>
      <title>A Truly Free Credit Report Without Cost or Fee</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Have you ever been denied credit, goods, benefits, services, employment and/or insurance?&amp;nbsp; Do you have a problem with "free" credit reports that are often bundled with credit scores and/or credit monitoring services and steep monthly fees?&amp;nbsp; If so, you are not alone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;As part of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and &lt;a href="http://www2.highlandstoday.com/topic/k/disclosure-act/"&gt;Disclosure Act&lt;/a&gt; of 2009 (commonly referred to as the Credit Card Act of 2009), advertisements for credit reports will soon require enhanced disclosures to help consumers avoid confusing "free" offers.&amp;nbsp; These offers often require consumers to spend money on credit scores and/or credit monitoring while the "no-strings-attached" credit reports available through the central source at &lt;a href="http://www.annualcreditreport.com/"&gt;www.AnnualCreditReport.com&lt;/a&gt; are truly free to consumers once every 12 months.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Effective April 1, 2010, the Federal Trade Commission's Free Credit Reports Rule will require a prominent and enhanced disclosure in advertisements for "free" credit reports.&amp;nbsp; Specifically, all websites offering "free" credit reports must include - across the top of any page that mentions them - a disclosure stating: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.&lt;/strong&gt; Read more at FTC.GOV&lt;br&gt;You have the right to a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com&lt;br&gt;or 877-322-8228, the &lt;strong&gt;ONLY&lt;/strong&gt; authorized source under federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The website disclosure must include a clickable button to "Take me to the authorized source" at &lt;a href="http://www.annualcreditreport.com/"&gt;www.AnnualCreditReport.com&lt;/a&gt; as well as clickable links to the Federal Trade Commission website at www.ftc.gov.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Under recent legislation, the Credit Card Act of 2009 required the Federal Trade Commission to issue a rule to prevent deceptive marketing of "free" credit reports. &amp;nbsp;Specifically, the Act requires that certain advertisements for "free" credit reports include prominent disclosures designed to prevent consumers from confusing these so-called "free" offers with the federally mandated "free" annual credit reports available through the "centralized source," which is www.AnnualCreditReport.com.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The Federal Trade Commission proposed amending the rule in late 2009 and received more than a thousand comments from consumers, consumer reporting agencies, consumer report resellers, business and trade organizations, state attorneys general, consumer advocates, law firms, members of Congress, and academics. Most of these comments were in favor of change and enhanced disclosure requirements.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The amended rule also restricts practices that might mislead or confuse consumers as they attempt to obtain their federally mandated "free" annual credit report. The consumer reporting agencies of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion will now be required to delay the advertising of any products and/or services at the central source until the consumer has successfully obtained their "free" annual credit report. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Except for the wording of the disclosures for television and radio advertisements, which takes effect on September 1, 2010, the new rule is effective April 1, 2010.&amp;nbsp; The Federal Trade Commission will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the amended rule as well as the required disclosures and may consider additional changes as deemed necessary in the normal course of affairs. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Information contained in credit reports may determine whether a consumer can obtain credit, goods, benefits, services, employment and/or insurance.&amp;nbsp; As such, it is important that consumers review their credit reports and correct any information that is inaccurate, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union are required to provide consumers with a "free" annual credit report once every 12 months, but only upon request.&amp;nbsp; To learn more about their right to a "free" credit report under federal law, consumers are encouraged to visit the Federal Trade Commission website at &lt;a href="http://www.ftc.gov/freereports"&gt;http://www.ftc.gov/freereports&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;__________________________________________&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;William E. Lewis Jr., is a credit repair expert and host of "The Credit Report with Bill Lewis" on AM 1470 WWNN, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:43:19 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1515620/a-truly-free-credit-report-without-cost-or-fee</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1418145/loan-modification-licensure-in-florida-an-industry-no-longer-without-regulation</guid>
      <title>Loan Modification Licensure in Florida - an Industry No Longer Without Regulation</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The days of simply opening up shop and starting a loan modification business have come to an end in Florida. Individuals or businesses providing loan modification services must now be licensed as a mortgage broker by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) in order to conduct business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The Florida legislature recently passed Senate Bill SB 2226. This law makes significant changes to Florida's mortgage brokerage law - Chapter 494, Florida Statutes - effective January 1, 2010. In particular, the new law specifically covers negotiation of existing loans as being part of the duties of a mortgage broker. As such, any individual or business attempting to negotiate a loan mortgage modification in Florida will require a license through OFR. Additionally, there are new disclosures required in order to perform a loan modification - large type print on contracts and a three day rescission period are among a few of the changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The new law also requires "loan originators" to obtain a license. Prior to the amended law, there was a large loophole that allowed salaried employees of a mortgage broker to act as loan originators and still receive compensation for bringing a borrower and lender together. Although this section of the law phases in on October 1, 2010, hundreds of individuals have submitted applications to the OFR to become compliant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The new law was sparked by hundreds of complaints filed with the state attorney general's office in Tallahassee. While only 59 complaints were filed in 2008, the number skyrocketed to approximately 3,750 this year, according to Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who recently appeared on the Credit Report with Bill Lewis on AM 1470 WWNN in south Florida.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;In an effort to combat the rampant increase in foreclosure rescue scams within an industry previously unregulated, General McCollum sued three Miami-Dade County foreclosure rescue firms - and the attorneys who worked for them - alleging that they charged advance "qualifying payments" as high as $1,299 to perform loan modifications in violation of state law. Filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on December 17, 2009, the suit also claims the company required clients to set up escrow accounts for additional fees and deceived them by implying the money was for legal representation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;After receiving numerous complaints - the majority originating from consumers outside Florida - the attorney general began investigating Kirkland Young LLC in July, 2009. State regulators soon realized that the business was affiliated with ABK Consultants Inc. and Attorney Aid LLC, which were also named in the suit. Although located in Miami-Dade, the businesses solicited customers nationwide. The legal action seeks to shut down the three companies, a $10,000 fine for each violation of state law, as well as restitution for consumers scammed in the process. Although in receivership, Kirkland Young has also been sued by the Federal Trade Commission.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Through November 30, 2009 South Florida ranks fourth in the nation for home loan modifications, with 34,860 under President Barack Obama's Making Home Affordable Program. Nationwide, 24 percent of the 3.3 million homes with distressed loans have been modified, according to a U.S. Department of the Treasury report. While the new law is not going to eliminate loan modification scams completely, it will make them more difficult. In the first half of 2009, the Miami-Dade County's Mortgage Fraud Task Force was handling more than 200 cases of loan modification fraud. In 2008, the Miami-Dade field office of the FBI had the second-highest number of mortgage fraud reports in the country with 5,155 reported instances.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;William E. Lewis, Jr., is a credit repair expert and host of "The Credit Report with Bill Lewis" on AM 1470 WWNN, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues. The Credit Report is brought to you by Credit Restoration Consultants - the leading credit restoration firm in South Florida. If you are having credit problems, if your bills are out of hand, or if you just want a credit check up, call CRC at (954) 581-5050 or visit them online at &lt;a href="http://www.talkaboutcredit.com/" target="_new"&gt;http://www.TalkAboutCredit.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
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      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:20:13 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1418145/loan-modification-licensure-in-florida-an-industry-no-longer-without-regulation</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1416428/credit-card-act-of-2009-a-primer-to-basic-consumer-protections</guid>
      <title>Credit Card Act of 2009 - A Primer to Basic Consumer Protections</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;In an ideal world, one would not worry about the recession, high unemployment rates, the foreclosure epidemic and the never ending debt load carried by the average American. In what has been commonly referred to as the "Year of the Consumer," 2010 has a lot to offer in the way of federally mandated "changes" as it relates to the credit card industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With less than 30 days until enactment of The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 creditors and financial institutions are doing their very best at circumventing the new law, also known by its short title - The Credit Card Act of 2009. Are you aware of your rights and protections under the new law?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are several positive changes that will have an impact on how each and every American utilizes their credit cards, debit cards - even their gift card.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Consumer Protection&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Retroactive and/or retrospective interest rate increases will be banned except when a cardholder is more than 60 days delinquent in paying a credit card bill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; A credit card issuer must review the cardholder's account six months after increasing the interest rate and return the annual percentage rate to the prior lower level if the all payments have been submitted on time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; An interest rate cannot be increased within the first 12 months of account existence and promotional rates must have a minimum of 6 months in duration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; An advance notice of 45 days must be provided to the cardholder prior to significant changes in credit card terms and conditions. This includes any reward or benefit structure of a credit card.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; The practice commonly known as universal default and double-cycle billing are no longer allowed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Bills must be sent out no later than 21 days before the due date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Payments cardholder makes must be credited as on time if the payment is received by 5 P.M. on the due date. All due dates that occur on a weekend or holiday are extended until the next business day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; All over limit fees are now prohibited unless the cardholder specifically opts to allow processing of a transaction rather than being denied at a point of sale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Enhanced Consumer Disclosures&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; A clear disclosure on how long it would take to pay off a credit card balance if cardholder makes only the minimum payment each month must be provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; A clear disclosure on the total cost of interest and principal payments if a cardholder makes only the minimum payment each month must be provided.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; Any late payment deadline and/or postmark due date are required to be clearly shown and provided to cardholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Protection of Young Consumers&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Credit cards can no longer be issued to individuals under the age of 21 unless they have an adult co-signer or show proof that they have the means to repay the debt through a reasonable income.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; All college students will be required to receive permission from parents and/or guardians to increase a credit limit on joint accounts they hold with those individuals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; Individuals under the age of 21 will now be protected from pre-screened credit card offers unless they specifically opt-in for said offers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gift Cards&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Gift cards are now required to remain active for at least five years from the day of their initial activation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Dormancy or inactivity fees may no longer be imposed on gift cards unless there has been no activity in a 12-month period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;middot; Dormancy or inactivity fees must be clearly disclosed to gift card buyers upon purchase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; Should a gift card expires after 5 years, the terms of expiration must be clearly disclosed to gift card buyers upon purchase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The majority of the new rules under the Credit Card Act of 2009 will be take effect 9 months after the signing of the bill, which - in this instance - puts the effective date as February 22, 2010. The remaining provisions will become effective on August 22, 2010.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;William E. Lewis, Jr., is a credit repair expert and host of "The Credit Report with Bill Lewis" on AM 1470 WWNN, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues. The Credit Report is brought to you by Credit Restoration Consultants - the leading credit restoration firm in South Florida. If you are having credit problems, if your bills are out of hand, or if you just want a credit check up, call CRC at (954) 581-5050 or visit them online at &lt;a href="http://www.talkaboutcredit.com/" target="_new"&gt;http://www.TalkAboutCredit.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:36:37 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1416428/credit-card-act-of-2009-a-primer-to-basic-consumer-protections</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1203056/credit-restoration-consultants-proudly-presents-the-foundation-for-coloring-away-pain-s-2nd-annual-fundraising-event</guid>
      <title>Credit Restoration Consultants Proudly Presents The Foundation for Coloring Away Pain's 2nd Annual Fundraising Event</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The Foundation for Coloring Away Pain announced today that they will host &lt;strong&gt;LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! &lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;This 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; annual fundraising event will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 6:00PM -11:00PM at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, 250 Raquet Club Road, Weston, FL 33326.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The red carpet attired evening will include cocktail hour,&amp;nbsp;music, dancing, entertainment, sit down dinner, silent auction, white hot casino tables, and cash bar.&amp;nbsp; Cost to attend is $100.00 per plate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Children's limited life experiences and immature language skills often leave them confused, scared and silent during times of difficulty and tragedy.&amp;nbsp; Realizing a child's first written language is coloring and drawing, The Foundation for Coloring Away Pain was founded to help children open up.&amp;nbsp; Whether it is a community devastated by a hurricane or a child who has lost their parent to senseless violence, it is our hope to help children cope and encourage them to tell their story through drawing and coloring.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;"Because we don't know when or where disaster will strike we need to be always ready to assist the children, our goal with this year's event is to raise enough funds to pre-print a certain amount of coloring books so that we can respond even quicker," says Kim Herrick, CEO and President.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;For tickets and more information please visit &lt;a href="http://www.coloringawaypainfoundation.org/" title="http://www.coloringawaypainfoundation.org/"&gt;www.coloringawaypainfoundation.org&lt;/a&gt; click on "events" or through mail at Foundation for Coloring Away Pain PO Box 279051 Miramar FL 33027-9051&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;# # #&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Kimberly Pressley-Herrick, please call (954) 907-9476 or e-mail at &lt;a href="mailto:kim@coloringawaypain.com"&gt;kim@coloringawaypain.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:41:19 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1203056/credit-restoration-consultants-proudly-presents-the-foundation-for-coloring-away-pain-s-2nd-annual-fundraising-event</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1201878/south-florida-s-finest-couples-gala-cystic-fibrosis-foundation</guid>
      <title>South Florida's Finest Couples Gala - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Outstanding Couples of South Florida to be Honored at 2009 Finest Couples Gala&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;South Florida's most outstanding couples will be honored for their success in business, leadership in the community, and unparalleled support of charitable causes.&amp;nbsp; The CF Foundation will celebrate the couples' power in partnership and recognize their accomplishments on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;This year's event co-chair persons are&amp;nbsp;Jennifer and William E. Lewis, Jr., and&amp;nbsp;Eileen and Chip&amp;nbsp;LaMarca.&amp;nbsp; The couples being honored include: Catalina and Freddie Avalos, Robin and John Bartleman, Tony Beall and Ray Birbilas, Rhonda and Adam Black, Cheryl and Michael Brown, Tamara and John Chase, Carole and Governor Charlie Crist, Marlene and Pedro Dijols, Danielle and Nick DiNicola, Stephanie and Commissioner Angel Gomez, Pauline and Juan Carlos Gomez, Genesi and Julio Gonzalez, Barbara and Hal Hammel, Lisa and Derek Hayward, Karen and Joe Hillman, Cyndie and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Trina Robinson and Clarence McKee, Melissa and Congressman Adam Putnam, Summer and Jim Robertson, Sharon Glazer and David Singer, Kristi Krueger and Todd Templin, Sheryl and Bruce Udolf, Michelle Seyez and Alan Jay Wildstein.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The fifth annual gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and a tribute to the honorees.&amp;nbsp; Following presentations of South Florida's Finest Couples, guests at this black-tie optional event will have the opportunity to mingle while dancing the night away to EOEntertainment. This year's sponsors include Publix Supermarkets and Credit Restoration Consultants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Tickets to attend &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;South Florida's Finest Couples&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; are available for $200 each or $1,750.00 for a table of ten.&amp;nbsp; For more information about the event, to purchase tickets, or to find out about the available sponsorship opportunities, please call Jennifer Tate at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation office at (954) 739-5006 or email jtate@cff.org&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WHAT:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; South Florida's Finest Couples&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WHEN:&lt;/strong&gt; Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WHERE:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 S.E. 17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About CF and the CF Foundation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the leading organization devoted to curing and controlling cystic fibrosis.&amp;nbsp; CF is a genetic disease that can lead to life-threatening lung infections and digestive problems.&amp;nbsp; Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation funds CF research, has more than 80 chapter and branch offices throughout the country, and supports and accredits a nationwide network of CF care centers, which provide vital treatments and other CF resources to patients and families.&amp;nbsp; For more information, please visit www.cff.org.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:40:39 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1201878/south-florida-s-finest-couples-gala-cystic-fibrosis-foundation</link>
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      <title>A Tale of April Fool's at AM 1470 WWNN</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;A tale of April Fool's at AM 1470 WWNN didn't go over well with morning drive hosts Steve Kane and Brian Craig of the "Steve Kane Show" in south Florida.&amp;nbsp; From the radio waves to the telephone lines, an April Fool's prank played by fellow host Bill Lewis of the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour" didn't sit well with Steve and Brian.&amp;nbsp; In a joke that spanned almost a week, it was only on April 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; that fellow hosts and listeners alike learned that Bill Lewis had not left the station and his long standing show on financial issues.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Although not a holiday in its own right, April Fool's Day or All Fools Day as it is called in several countries, is celebrated on April 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;.&amp;nbsp; It is a day that is marked by the commission of hoxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on family, friends, co-workers, enemies and neighbors.&amp;nbsp; The aim of April Fool's is to embarrass the weak and gullible.&amp;nbsp; In light of the April 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; date itself, certain pranks require intense planning and cooperation of others to remain credible.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As the longtime host of the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour" on AM 1470 WWNN in south Florida, Bill Lewis has provided self-help tips and advice regarding credit repair, finances, and related topics for over five years.&amp;nbsp; On occasion, Bill has hosted politicians such as Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Charlie Crist, Alex Sink, and Bill McCollum in addition to local politicians seeking election or retention in office.&amp;nbsp; Throughout the years, Bill's show has strayed from the original concept of providing financial awareness to his listeners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In a scheme that involved station management, Bill Lewis sought to strengthen his listener base and to consolidate the topics hosted.&amp;nbsp; If Bill's show was to evolve, the name had to be changed.&amp;nbsp; Gone was the name "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour."&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Born was "The Credit Report" with Bill Lewis, a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends and cutting edge issues.&amp;nbsp; In contemplation of said change, Bill Lewis announced to his listeners a week in advance that the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour" was voluntarily coming off the air on Tuesday, March 31&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and that an unknown host was replacing him.&amp;nbsp; Lending credibility to the prank was a detailed on-air conversation with station manager Bob Morency on his "last day" in which Bill ridiculed Beasley Broadcasting and AM 1470 WWNN in general.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On April 1st, Bill Lewis was replaced by Liberal Barry and Nat Trayger of "Middle Ground" - a weekend show on AM 1470 WWNN that is considered polar opposite to the "Steve Kane Show."&amp;nbsp; In fact, show hosts Barry Murray and Nat Trayger spend their entire existence dissecting the ramblings of Steve and Brian.&amp;nbsp; What a way to pay tribute to the existing hosts of the Steve Kane Show!&amp;nbsp; What a day for Steve and Brian thinking arch-rivals Liberal Barry and Nat Trayger had replaced Bill Lewis immediately following their show each and every morning.&amp;nbsp; It would be a full 24 hours before the cat was out of the bag.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In an April Fool's joke that had everyone wondering why Bill was leaving the air, "The Credit Report" with Bill Lewis was born on April 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Gone was the company name that no longer represented the true nature and intent of the show.&amp;nbsp; Gone were the personal viewpoints that adversely impacted Bill's credit restoration business.&amp;nbsp; Although disclaimers touted that the "personal viewpoints of the host, guests, and callers were not those of the station management" it may never be known how many listeners were turned off by Bill Lewis and his rude, arrogant, annoying and obnoxious viewpoints.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Have you grown tired of the "Credit Restoration Consultants Hour?"&amp;nbsp; You can now tune into "The Credit Report" with Bill Lewis weekdays at 9am and 9pm on AM 1470 WWNN in south Florida.&amp;nbsp; As a daily forum for business and financial news, politics, economic trends, and cutting edge issues, your opinion matters.&amp;nbsp; Talk lines are open at (888) 565-1470 and for those outside the local area, you can listen live at &lt;a href="http://www.wwnnradio.com/"&gt;www.WWNNRadio.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:33:16 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1017115/a-tale-of-april-fool-s-at-am-1470-wwnn</link>
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      <title>Complete Credit Repair only $1,499.00 by Credit Restoration Consultants</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Experts are talking recession and families are wondering how to protect their financial security.&amp;nbsp; With the foreclosure epidemic, unemployment at an all time high, and Congress scrambling to bail out the financial industry, many consumers are experiencing severe stress as it relates to their economic stability and general well being.&amp;nbsp; Although gasoline prices have fallen into the low $2.30 range, the economy is struggling with food prices and professional services that have increased at alarming rates.&amp;nbsp; As a result, many families have scaled back on their spending to include only the necessities.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In an ever worsening economy your good name and reputation within the community is becoming more important.&amp;nbsp; Creditors have tightened their guidelines effectively barring millions of Americans from borrowing money.&amp;nbsp; Even those with excellent credit are experiencing reduced credit limits and closed equity lines.&amp;nbsp; Mortgage lenders, auto finance companies, credit card issuers and banks have all raised the bar.&amp;nbsp; Borrowers with low credit scores can expect to be denied or to pay significantly higher interest rates than those with excellent credit.&amp;nbsp; Long gone are the days of obtaining credit, goods, benefits, services and/or employment with a 620 credit score.&amp;nbsp; In more instances than not, a consumer will be denied if they maintain a credit score lower than 720.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The terms credit repair, credit restoration and/or credit rehabilitation are somewhat synomous.&amp;nbsp; Those with bad credit cannot afford to ignore the potential benefits of credit repair.&amp;nbsp; In today's society, credit repair is more important than ever.&amp;nbsp; Approximately 78% of credit profiles contain some sort of error or omission materially impacting credit worthiness.&amp;nbsp; As such, one would be wise to at least explore retaining a reputable credit service organization in the restoration of their own good name and reputation within the community.&amp;nbsp; With that said, Credit Restoration Consultants may be that credit service organization.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Credit Restoration Consultants is a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness as well as identity theft.&amp;nbsp; We assist consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile. Everything we do is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Credit Restoration Consultants will assist a consumer in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addition to creditors, collection agencies, third-party record providers and state/federal/private regulatory authorities.&amp;nbsp; Keep in mind that anything Credit Restoration Consultants can do - you can do yourself.&amp;nbsp; Where Credit Restoration Consultants has the edge is the fact that we possess the education, knowledge and a source proven method which yields results. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Unlike most credit service organizations that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, Credit Restoration Consultants has devised a strategy whereby disputes are submitted electronically, verbally and in writing over a six month period to the credit reporting agencies, creditors, collectors, and third-party record providers reporting negative, inaccurate, obsolete and/or erroneous information.&amp;nbsp; Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a particular state, Credit Restoration Consultants has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients.&amp;nbsp; Credit Restoration Consultants can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory tradelines, personal identifiers and more!&amp;nbsp; While the credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months, most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Credit repair, credit restoration and/or credit rehabilitation is as legal as pleading "not guilty" in a court of law.&amp;nbsp; With that said, one must understand that as a credit service organization Credit Restoration Consultants is not a law firm and that none of its employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida.&amp;nbsp; As such, Credit Restoration Consultants cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding.&amp;nbsp; In the event that legal representation is required, Credit Restoration Consultants may provide an appropriate attorney referral for consultation.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Still not convinced as to the benefit of utilizing Credit Restoration Consultants in the restoration of your good name and reputation within the community?&amp;nbsp; You should tune into the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour with credit repair expert Bill Lewis.&amp;nbsp; Bill can be heard weekday's on the 9's - both 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. eastern time - on AM 1470 WWNN in south Florida. For those listening online, streaming audio can be accessed at &lt;a href="http://www.wwnnradio.com/"&gt;www.wwnnradio.com/&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp; by clicking on the listen live link.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For more information on Credit Restoration Consultants or to discuss the $1,499.00 Internet special, please contact us at (954) 581-5050 or online at &lt;a href="http://www.talkaboutcredit.com"&gt;www.talkaboutcredit.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:09:02 -0800</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/784135/complete-credit-repair-only-1-499-00-by-credit-restoration-consultants</link>
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      <title>Credit Restoration Consultants Joins the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Credit Restoration Consultants - a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness and identity theft -&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;has a long proud history of volunteer service.&amp;nbsp; Our volunteers are working to meet the needs of their neighborhoods and the community by participating as committee members or volunteers in the Weston Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society event, as well as with the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In recognition of these outstanding achievements, Credit Restoration Consultants&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;is proud to announce the availability of the President's Volunteer Service Award, a prestigious national honor offered in recognition of volunteer commitment.&amp;nbsp; Established in 2003, this new Award is given by the President of the United States and honors individuals, families and groups who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service over the course of 12 months.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Credit Restoration Consultants&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;has teamed with hundreds of organizations and businesses across the country to deliver this Award to our most outstanding volunteers.&amp;nbsp; As a Certifying Organization of the President's Volunteer Service Award, we can nominate potential recipients and distribute the Award to those who meet or exceed the Award criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"Credit Restoration Consultants&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;is extremely proud to join the President of the United States in recognizing the volunteers who consistently take the time to make a difference in the lives of others," said William E. Lewis, Jr.,&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;president of Credit Restoration Consultants&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;"Volunteers strengthen America and inspire others to get involved.&amp;nbsp; We are proud to honor our volunteers who are answering the call with this Award."&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Children, adults, families and groups can receive the Award and, given their ongoing service activity, many of our volunteers may already meet the requirements (see sidebar).&amp;nbsp; To qualify for the President's Volunteer Service Award, volunteers simply submit a record of their service hours to Credit Restoration Consultants (under organization number JQZ-25158) and we will verify the service and deliver the Award.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Volunteer service hours are not limited to those performed on behalf of Credit Restoration Consultants, the Weston Relay for Life, or the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.&amp;nbsp; In fact, service hours can be accumulated through work on a variety of projects throughout the year.&amp;nbsp; The only requirement is that the necessary hours be completed within 12 months; recipients can qualify for a new Award each year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"Our volunteers should strive to earn the President's Volunteer Service Award every year," said William E. Lewis, Jr.&amp;nbsp; "Even if you've never volunteered before, the Award is within your reach.&amp;nbsp; In fact, the strength and success of our nation depends on every one of us taking an active role in the community where we live.&amp;nbsp; You can also help strengthen America by asking your friends, families and neighbors to join you in helping your community.&amp;nbsp; Most people say &amp;lsquo;yes' if asked to volunteer - all it takes is a personal request."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation - created by President George W. Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers make to our nation.&amp;nbsp; To learn more and find out how to qualify for the Award, visit &lt;a href="http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/"&gt;www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov&lt;/a&gt; and enter the Credit Restoration Consultants section under organization number JQZ-25158.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SIDEBAR&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To be eligible to receive the President's Volunteer Service Award, applicants' service hours must be confirmed by a registered Certifying Organization.&amp;nbsp; There are three levels of the Award varying by hours of service completed within a 12-month period:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kids - 14 and younger&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bronze Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 50 - 74 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Silver Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 75 - 99 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gold Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 100 or more hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Young Adults&lt;em&gt; - &lt;/em&gt;Ages 15 - 25&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bronze Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 100 - 174 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Silver Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 175 - 249 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gold Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 250 or more hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adults - Ages 26 and up&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bronze Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 100 - 249 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Silver Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 250 - 499 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gold Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 500 or more hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Families and Groups (two or more people)*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bronze Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 200 - 499 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Silver Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 500 - 999 hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Gold Award&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 1,000 or more hours&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;*Each member contributing at least 25 hours towards the total&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;President's Call to Service Award&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Individuals who have completed 4,000 or more volunteer service hours over the course of their lifetime are eligible to receive the President's Call to Service Award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:59:04 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/676041/credit-restoration-consultants-joins-the-president-s-council-on-service-and-civic-participation</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/656853/micro-mini-version-of-the-credit-restoration-consultants-hour</guid>
      <title>Micro-Mini Version of the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Have bad credit? Need credit repair? Care to repair your own credit or even hire a credit service organization? Before you do so, you should tune into the micro-mini version of the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour with credit repair expert Bill Lewis. Are you unable to tune into Bill's regular show on AM 1470 WWNN weekday's on the 9's - at both 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. eastern time?&amp;nbsp; If so,&amp;nbsp;tune into the micro-mini version of&amp;nbsp;the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour each and every morning at 6:30 a.m.&amp;nbsp;eastern time on WSBR 740 AM, south Florida's only Money&amp;nbsp;Talk station.&amp;nbsp; For those listening online, streaming audio can be accessed at &lt;a href="http://www.wsbr.am/"&gt;www.WSBR.am&lt;/a&gt; by clicking on the listen live link.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Credit Restoration Consultants is a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness and identity theft. We assist consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile. Everything we do is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Credit Restoration Consultants will assist a consumer in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addtion to creditors, collection agencies and third-party record providers. Keep in mind that anything we do, you can do yourself. Where Credit Restoration Consultants has the edge is the fact we possess the knowledge and a source proven method which yields results. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Unlike most credit service organizations that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, Credit Restoration Consultants has devised a strategy whereby disputes are submitted verbally, electronically and in writing over a six month period to credit reporting agencies, creditors, collectors, and third-party record providers reporting negative, inaccurate and/or erroneous information. Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a particular state, Credit Restoration Consultants has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients. Credit Restoration Consultants can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory tradelines, personal identifiers and more! The credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months. Most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Credit restoration is as legal as pleading "not guilty" in a court of law. With that said, though, one must understand that Credit Restoration Consultants is not a law firm and that none of its employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. As such, Credit Restoration Consultants cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding. In the event that legal representation is required, Credit Restoration Consultants may provide an appropriate referral for consultation.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For more information on Credit Restoration Consultants, please contact us telephonically at (954) 581-5050, online at &lt;a href="http://www.creditrestorationconsultants.com/"&gt;www.CreditRestorationConsultants.com&lt;/a&gt; or tune into the micro-mini version of the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour with credit repair Expert Bill Lewis weekdays at 6:30 a.m. on WSBR 740 AM, south Florida's only Money Talk station.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:54:57 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/656853/micro-mini-version-of-the-credit-restoration-consultants-hour</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624084/child-identity-theft-</guid>
      <title>Child Identity Theft </title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;A new variation of identity theft&amp;nbsp;has substantially gained in popularity over the last four years&amp;nbsp;- child identity theft. Child identity theft occurs when a child's identity is used by another person for the imposter's personal gain. The perpetrator may be a family member or someone known by the family. It could also be a stranger who purposely targets children because of the lengthy time between the theft of the information and the discovery of the crime.&amp;nbsp; The Federal Trade Commission says child identity theft has&amp;nbsp;tripled in the past three years.&amp;nbsp; The FTC reported 8500 cases in 2003, more than 14,000 in 2005, and 26,300 in 2006.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Children are often easy targets because thieves get an eight&amp;nbsp;to ten year head start on them. In fact, most children who have had their identities stolen are not aware of it until they someday apply for credit, college, or employment. &amp;nbsp;Parents or relatives are usually the first to notice that something is not quite right. Some of these child identity theft cases involve split families (one of the parents is the perpetrator and the crime is exposed by the other, unoffending parent). Discovery often comes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When attempting to open a savings/checking account or college fund for the child. In this scenario, an unoffending parent discovers that there is already an account with that social security number or that a new account is denied due to prior worthless checks on file at Chex Systems; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When numerous pre-approved credit offers come in the mail bearing the name of the child; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When credit cards, checks, invoices or bank statements (not opened by a unoffending parent as a joint holder) are received bearing the name of the child; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When collection agencies call and/or send letters about accounts not opened by the child; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When a child is denied the privilege of obtaining a driver's license because another individual has a license with that social security number. The imposter may even have accumulated traffic citations in the child's name; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;While going through papers during a divorce proceeding or while straightening up the house (Parental identity theft) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When a law enforcement officer knocks at your door with a warrant for the arrest of your child. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;There are some cases that appear to be identity theft but are not. Receiving a pre-approved credit card offer in your child's name might upset you as a parent. However, it might only be an innocent marketing tool sent by a potential creditor because you opened a college fund for your child. A quick check of credit reports will help sort out the truth. Currently, all three credit reporting agencies have automated systems. You should contact them annually to request a credit report on your children. If you are advised that no credit report exists, your child is safe for the time being.&amp;nbsp; Equifax can be contacted at (800) 685-1111; Experian can be contacted at (888) 397-3742; and Trans Union can be contacted at (800) 916-8800.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;A common misconception of most individuals is that creditors and credit reporting agencies have a method of verification when it comes to the age and identity of an applicant.&amp;nbsp; Since most creditors rely strictly upon the written application when rendering a credit granting decision and the age of an individual becomes "official" with a credit reporting agency upon the first application for credit, said reliance can be fatal in the area of identity theft.&amp;nbsp; This is a fault within our credit reporting system that needs to be rectified if we are to reduce the incidence of child identity theft.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;If your child is the victim of identity theft, you should file a police report with your local law enforcement authority immediately.&amp;nbsp; Federal law mandates that the credit reporting agencies investigate and correct all identity theft issues.&amp;nbsp; Nevertheless, it all starts with a police report.&amp;nbsp; Without the police report, creditors and/or credit reporting agencies are not required to act upon your complaint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:44:12 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624084/child-identity-theft-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624074/stop-the-bill-collector-with-a-simple-cease-and-desist-order</guid>
      <title>Stop the Bill Collector with a Simple Cease and Desist Order</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Debt collectors are highly motivated to convince debtors to pay the debt because they frequently work on a low base pay plus commission. This business model has created the reputation for bill collection agencies that we know today.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The collector might engage in threatening behavior and harassment. However, like any other business they are governed by laws that prohibit certain abusive practices.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;There are three reasons for a debt collector to contact you: your creditor has not received a payment from you within the time frame discussed in the contract; you are a victim of an identity theft meaning someone used your identity to obtain credit and didn't pay it off; and finally, you might be contacted by collectors who are looking for someone other than you . &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;When contacted by a collector, take as much information as possible from the caller. Ask for the name of the company, address, the caller name, fax and phone number, amount owned, and the name of the creditor who passed your account to them. Also, tell them you expect to receive a notice in the mail concerning this debt. The last step is very important because you need to have proof of the debt in question in writing.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;If you discovered that the debt is not yours, never pay it off simply to get rid of the collector. Also, never ignore the collector either. They will not stop contacting you, and may even file a lawsuit against you. If you are repeatedly being contacted by a collector looking for someone other than you, it may be considered a form of harassment. To stop this you need to send them a letter requesting to cease calls. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;If you established that the debt is yours and you don't feel comfortable dealing with a collector via phone, tell them you want all future correspondence in writing. You need to send this request via a certified mail and request a return receipt. If you want to allow calls only between 5pm and 6pm, tell them about it in the letter. By law collection companies are required to respect your privacy and will have to cease all phone calls to your home, relatives, neighbors, and work. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Once you have their claims in writing it's easier to seek legal help, and keep records of your correspondence.&amp;nbsp; Send all your responses to bill collectors via Certified Mail. This way you will have proof of receipt by the addressee.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Remember that the amount they claim you owe is negotiable. You can negotiate the total amount due, number of payments, and the payment deadline. Once you worked out the payment plan, request it in writing.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;What a debt collector CANNOT do:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;1.) Use deceptive practices. For example, threaten you with arrest or trick you into paying for collection calls. &lt;br&gt;2.) Use obscene language. &lt;br&gt;3.) Call you at work after you tell them that your boss does not approve these calls. &lt;br&gt;4.) Deny you the right to receive a written notice (within five days after your first phone conversation) that would tell you how much you owe and the name of the creditor that says you owe the money. If you do not receive the notice within five days, call the collection agency and ask for its address and fax number. Then, send a letter to the collector noting its failure to send you the required notice. As a minimum, make a note in your file. &lt;br&gt;5.) Refuse to give its name and the name of the collection company when asked. &lt;br&gt;6.) Put a debt on your credit report if you file a dispute. It must validate the debt by obtaining a verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment from the creditor before continuing their collection efforts. The results of the investigation must be mailed to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;SAMPLE CEASE AND DESIST LETTER&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The cease and desist letter has legal stature based upon the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act at section 805. You can read it for yourself here. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies to both the agency and to attorneys who collect two or more debts per year. This law &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;does not&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; apply to the original creditor. However many original creditors will honor your request to not be called. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please note that when a consumer debt collector receives a cease and desist letter they may move the account to legal status. This means that if they intend to sue you, the cease and desist letter will prompt them to bring suit immediately. So if there is an alternative way to stop being bothered by their calls, like using an answering machine, I'd suggest that you try it first. If there is no alternative then send the cease and desist letter. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Send the letter via certified mail with a return receipt request. Keep a copy of the letter for your files. The letter may take a couple of weeks to work its way through the collection agency's system before your number is taken out of their automated dialers. Even after they receive the letter they are allowed (under law) to contact you one time to notify you of their intent.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The below letter is easily personalized by utilizing a word document program. Although &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; the cease and desist letter currently utilized by Credit Restoration Consultants, it will serve to notify consumer debt collectors of your intent and purpose.&amp;nbsp; Although protected by copyright, single user permission is granted to individuals in the self help credit restoration process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;My Address&lt;br&gt;My City State and Zip&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;December 30, 2001&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Acme Collection Agency&lt;br&gt;12345 West Main Street&lt;br&gt;Any Town, AL 30311&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Dear Sir/Madam:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This letter is forwarded to your collection agency reference account number 123456 and the dunning collection notices/calls recently received. Insofar as your agency is a debt collector pursuant to section 803 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you will be treated like one. Therefore, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - and all of its relevant provisions - will be invoked.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that this is a disputed debt pursuant to section 809 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The specific content of said dispute was recently stated - verbally - to an individual at your agency who refused to provide their name upon request thereof. Pursuant to the FDCPA, you are prohibited from dunning a debtor when a specific debt is disputed.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that this is a disputed debt pursuant to section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It is my belief that your agency has illegally reported this disputed debt to Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. If this is the case, I will most certainly litigate an action against your agency insofar as it has willfully reported a disputed debt. Pursuant to the FCRA, your agency must notify the consumer reporting agencies of any disputed delinquency immediately upon notification thereof. A further cause of action may exist for failure to perform this ministerial task.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that I desire no further communication with your agency under section 805 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your agency is to CEASE and DESIST all further communication immediately. Should I receive another piece of dunning correspondence that does not comport with the provisions of the FDCPA, I will immediately initiate litigation against your agency.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sincerely,&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;John Q. Public&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE A DEBT COLLECTOR OBEY THE LAW. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM AN ALLEGED DEBTOR REFERENCE A DISPUTED DEBT.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:39:27 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624074/stop-the-bill-collector-with-a-simple-cease-and-desist-order</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624067/credit-restoration-consultants-returns-to-the-6th-annual-starlight-greater-open-golf-tournament-</guid>
      <title>Credit Restoration Consultants Returns to the 6th Annual Starlight Greater Open Golf Tournament </title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Credit Restoration Consultants (CRC), a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness and identity theft, has once again returned to the Starlight Greater Open Golf Tournament as the presenting sponsor. Having surpassed its 2007 goal, CRC pledges even more support for 2008!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;As a devoted supporter of Starlight for many years, we encourage others to make an investment that will make a huge difference in the lives of more seriously ill children and their families in Florida. &amp;nbsp;Please join Credit Restoration Consultants in supporting the Starlight Florida 6th Annual Greater Open Golf Tournament on Friday, November 7, 2008 at Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, Florida.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Children fighting serious medical conditions often feel like they are alone. They don't get to see their friends as often as they would like. Most of their time is spent shuffling between hospital rooms or meeting with physicians. With so much commotion on the outside, it is easy to forget there is a child on the inside.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. Your gift will ensure that more families have access to Starlight's entertainment, education and family activity programs that have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Won't you please show your support today by using this form to make a contribution?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Your participation - either financially or as a volunteer -&amp;nbsp; enables Starlight to provide seriously ill children with a variety of programs and services that entertain and educate, and most importantly, provide them moments when they can forget about their medical condition and focus on what they do best - be kids.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Programs supported by these proceeds include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;Oslash;&lt;a href="http://www.starlight-florida.org/site/c.deIHLOOsGnF/b.1778115/k.9455/Great_Escapes.htm" target="mytarget"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Great Escapes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, family activities and events during which seriously ill children, their parents and their siblings can regroup as well as meet other families in similar circumstances. To host a Great Escape outing costs $2,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;Oslash; &lt;a href="http://www.starlight-florida.org/site/c.deIHLOOsGnF/b.1778177/k.A36B/Fun_Centers.htm" target="mytarget"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fun Centers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, mobile entertainment units containing a DVD player and Nintendo Wii&lt;sup&gt;TM&lt;/sup&gt; to help hospitalized children pass long hours and find distraction from medical procedures. To place a Fun Center in a hospital, the cost is $4,250.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;Oslash;&lt;a href="http://www.starlight-florida.org/site/c.deIHLOOsGnF/b.1778121/k.C11E/PC_Pals.htm" target="mytarget"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PC Pals&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, specially configured for hospitalized children that provide bedside entertainment, internet access, and educational software to help children pass long hours and stay connected to friends, family and schoolwork. Each PC Pal placement is $5,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;If you want to be part of the Credit Restoration Consultants team at the Starlight Greater Open Golf Tournament being held on Friday, November 7, 2008 at the Jacaranda Golf Club in Plantation, please contact event chair, Renee Feldman directly at (954) 449-9985 or visit us online at &lt;a href="http://www.talkaboutcredit.com/"&gt;www.TalkAboutCredit.com&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; To learn more about Starlight's services and programs, please contact Sasha Moon at (954) 318-2178, or visit the website at &lt;a href="http://www.starlight-florida.org/"&gt;www.Starlight-Florida.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:36:56 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624067/credit-restoration-consultants-returns-to-the-6th-annual-starlight-greater-open-golf-tournament-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624062/bad-credit-credit-repair-fix-bad-credit-credit-restoration</guid>
      <title>Bad Credit - Credit Repair - Fix Bad Credit - Credit Restoration</title>
      <description>&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Have bad credit? Need credit repair? Care to repair your own credit or even hire a credit service organization? Before you do so, you should tune into the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour with credit repair expert Bill Lewis. Bill can be heard weekday's on the 9's - both 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. eastern time - on AM 1470 WWNN. For those listening online, streaming audio can be accessed at &lt;a href="http://www.wwnnradio.com/" target="_blank"&gt;www.WWNNRadio.com&lt;/a&gt; by clicking on the listen live link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Credit Restoration Consultants is a credit service organization specializing in the restoration of consumer credit worthiness and identity theft. We assist consumers in achieving a favorable financial credit profile. Everything we do is legal utilizing laws enacted by Congress to dispute negative, erroneous, obsolete, and/or fraudulent information contained within your consumer credit profile. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Credit Restoration Consultants will assist a consumer in the submission of disputes electronically, verbally and in writing to the Equifax, Experian and Trans Union consumer reporting agencies in addtion to creditors, collection agencies and third-party record providers. Keep in mind that anything we do, you can do yourself. Where Credit Restoration Consultants has the edge is the fact we possess the knowledge and a source proven method which yields results. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Unlike most credit service organizations that submit the same written dispute letters monthly, Credit Restoration Consultants has devised a strategy whereby disputes are submitted verbally, electronically and in writing over a six month period to credit reporting agencies, creditors, collectors, and third-party record providers reporting negative, inaccurate and/or erroneous information. Utilizing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in addition to laws applicable to a particular state, Credit Restoration Consultants has obtained thousands of deletions and updates for its clients. Credit Restoration Consultants can help remove erroneous and/or inaccurate judgments, liens, bankruptcies, student loans, inquiries, derogatory tradelines, personal identifiers and more! The credit restoration process can take anywhere from 30 days to six months. Most clients see dramatic results in 45-60 days.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Credit restoration is as legal as pleading "not guilty" in a court of law. With that said, though, one must understand that Credit Restoration Consultants is not a law firm and that none of its employees is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. As such, Credit Restoration Consultants cannot provide legal advice nor represent any individual before any court or in any legal proceeding. In the event that legal representation is required, Credit Restoration Consultants may provide an appropriate referral for consultation.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For more information on Credit Restoration Consultants, please contact us telephonically at (954) 581-5050, online at &lt;a href="http://www.talkaboutcredit.com/"&gt;www.TalkAboutCredit.com&lt;/a&gt; or tune into the Credit Restoration Consultants Hour with credit repair Expert Bill Lewis weekdays on the 9's (eastern time) on AM 1470 WWNN.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>Brooke English (Credit Restoration Consultants)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:34:51 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/624062/bad-credit-credit-repair-fix-bad-credit-credit-restoration</link>
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