دانلود کتاب Credit Repair Kit For Dummies, 5th ed.

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Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with Credit Repair
Chapter 1 Introducing Credit Repair, Credit Scores, and Your Life on Credit
Repairing Bad Credit
Settling debts
Resetting your goals
Rebuilding your credit by using it
Using a cosigner or becoming an authorized user
Finding sources of free help
Dealing with collectors
Weathering a Major Crisis
Mortgage meltdowns
Medical debt
Student loans
Car loans
Understanding Diversity in Credit
Filing Bankruptcy
Protecting Your Credit and Your Identity
Getting familiar with credit laws
Receiving free reports and filing disputes
Signing up for credit monitoring
Setting alarms, alerts, and freezes
Identifying identity theft
Maintaining Good Credit Throughout Life
Establishing credit for the first time
Making credit changes at life’s stages
Avoiding pitfalls
Managing Credit in Today’s Unforgiving Economy
Planning for success
Reviewing your credit report
Knowing your credit score
Considering credit a renewable resource
Chapter 2 Turning Your Credit Around
Understanding How Your Actions Impact Your Credit Score
Using a Cosigner to Raise Your Score
Turning Small Purchases into Big Credit
Maximizing Your Credit Score with Major Expenditures
Leveraging your mortgage
Financing your car
Paying back student loans
Understanding How Good Debt Builds Good Credit
Achieving goals with the help of credit
Sending a message to potential lenders
Giving nonlenders a sense of how you handle responsibility
Selecting the Best Tools for Building Your Credit
Spending your way to better credit with a spending plan
Tracking your progress: Paying attention to your credit report and score
Chapter 3 Cleaning Up Your Credit Reports
Understanding the True Value of Good Credit
Reviewing Your Reports for Problems
Using the Law to Get Your Credit Record Clean and Keep It That Way
Identifying and Disputing Inaccurate Information
Understanding the dispute process
Correcting all your credit reports
Contacting the creditor
Adding Positive Information to Your Credit Report
Asking your landlord to report your rent payments
Adding your utility and cellphone payments to your report
Opening new credit accounts
Adding a 100-word statement
Chapter 4 Getting the Best Help for Bad Credit for Free
Knowing Whether You Need Help
Gauging your need for outside assistance
Handling situations on your own
Identifying Help You Can Get for Free
Getting help with your mortgage
Considering credit counseling
Working with an attorney
Chapter 5 Coping with Debt Collection
Handling Those Collection Phone Calls
Knowing what collectors can do
Knowing what collectors can’t do
Deciding whether to answer the phone
Preparing to answer collection calls
Knowing what not to say
Taking Charge of the Collection Process
Asking for proof that the debt is yours
Knowing when debts fade away: Statutes of limitations
Negotiating a payback arrangement
Keeping your promise
Identifying Escalation Options That Help
Asking to speak to a manager
Approaching the creditor
Fighting harassment
Communicating with Customer Service Before Being Placed for Collection
Contacting your creditor promptly
Explaining your situation
Offering a solution
Covering all the bases
Keeping Collectors in Check
Calling in a credit counselor
Referring the matter to your lawyer
Freeing Up Money to Pay a Collector
Utilizing a spending plan
Cutting the fat from your monthly spending
Avoiding Collectors Altogether
Getting organized
Stopping the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle
Chapter 6 Working with Collectors, Lawyers, and the Courts to Manage Debt Obligations
Getting a Handle on Charge-Offs
So what is a charge-off?
Making sense of unpaid charge-offs
Making charge-off payments
Coming to a Debt Settlement Agreement
Considering a debt settlement offer
Hiring a debt settlement firm
Reaching expiration dates on debts
Finding Out about Judgments and What They Mean to You
Understanding Wage Garnishments
Dodging wage garnishments
Figuring out how much can be garnished
Stating Your Case in Court
Managing IRS Debts, Student Loans, and Unpaid Child Support
Handling IRS debts
Educating yourself about student loans
Putting your kids first: Child support
Part 2 Reducing Credit Damage from Major Setbacks
Chapter 7 Reducing Credit Damage in a Crisis
Assessing the Damage from a Mortgage Meltdown
Understanding How Mortgages Differ from Other Loans
Spotting a foreclosure on the horizon
Counting to 90
Knowing Where to Turn for Help
Finding good help for free
Working with your mortgage servicer
Avoiding help that hurts
Alternatives to Going Down with the Ship
What to do first
What to do for more serious problems
What to do to end matters
Managing a foreclosure
Strategic default: Stopping payments
Dealing with Deficiencies
Preparing for “Credit Winter”
Curing Medical Debt
Understanding new reporting and scoring rules
Reviewing your options for paying medical bills
Discovering how insurers get your medical information
Monitoring insurance claims for errors
Dealing with denied medical claims
Managing Student Loans
Default timelines
Loan forgiveness programs
Where to get help
The impact of the CARES Act on student loans
Avoiding Car Repossession
Repossession: What you can do
Dealing with auto loan default deficiencies
Coping with So-Called Acts of God and Other Things That Are Not Your Fault
Chapter 8 Filing for and Recovering from Bankruptcy
Deciding Whether Bankruptcy Makes Sense for You
Deliberating the bankruptcy decision
Adding up the pluses and minuses
Considering a debt management plan first
Understanding Bankruptcy, Chapter and Verse
Qualifying for and Filing for Bankruptcy
Qualifying for Chapter 7
Qualifying for Chapter 13
Managing Your Credit After a Bankruptcy
Telling your side of the story
Reaffirming some debt
Repairing your credit score
Establishing new credit
Moving forward with a game plan
Chapter 9 Repairing Credit Damage in the Wake of Identity Theft
Taking Fast Action When Identity Theft Occurs
Communicating with the right people
Protecting your identity through the FACT Act
Sending out a fraud alert
Blocking fraudulent credit lines
Getting and Using Credit After Identity Theft
Closing and reopening your accounts
Altering your PINs, passwords, and radio transmissions
Changing your Social Security number and driver’s license number
Part 3 Rebuilding Credit, No Matter Where or When You Begin
Chapter 10 Starting or Restarting Your Credit in Real Life
Debunking Misinformation about Banking and Credit
Why you need credit
Why credit is safe
Obtaining Credit: Starting Out on the Right Foot
Establishing a credit file without a Social Security number
Setting goals before you set out
Establishing a relationship with a financial institution
Using prepaid and reloadable cards
Fattening up your credit file
Avoiding high interest, fees, and scams
Overcoming Credit Fears and Mistakes
Qualifying for First-Time Cards and Lending
Getting a credit card
Using savings for credit
Considering Credit for Students and Military Members
Giving credit to students
Following military credit rules
Chapter 11 Ending Life’s Negative Credit Surprises
Keeping Your Credit from Hurting Your Job Prospects
Dealing with Rental Application Checks
Knowing what’s on your reports
Taking action
Qualifying for a Mortgage
Ordering your credit report and score
Looking at your credit file like a lender
Preparing to Purchase a Car
Arming yourself with information
Reviewing what to consider when you’re at the dealership
Unveiling the Relationship between Your Credit and Your Insurance Premiums
Understanding insurance scores
Getting a copy of your insurance score and insurance claim report
Figuring out what to do with your newfound knowledge
Taking other factors into account
Chapter 12 Protecting Your Credit During Major Life Challenges
Tying the Knot in Life and in Credit: A Couples’ Guide to Building Good Credit
Engaging in prenuptial financial discussions
Considering joint accounts
Managing joint debt
Avoiding money conflicts
Protecting Your Finances in a Divorce
Taking precautions when a split-up looms
Preparing your credit before heading to court
Protecting your credit in a divorce decree and beyond
Keeping Credit Strong While Unemployed
Preparing your credit for the worst-case scenario
Using credit when you don’t have a job
Protecting your credit lines
Curing Medical Debt
Reviewing your options for paying medical bills
Discovering how insurers get your medical information
Monitoring insurance claims for errors
Dealing with denied medical claims
Resolving Credit Issues After the Death of a Spouse or Partner
Understanding what happens to joint credit when you’re single again
Knowing exactly what your liability is
Building your credit record on your own
Fitting Credit into Retirement
Budgeting on a fixed income
Using credit for convenience
Part 4 Making Sense of Credit Reporting and Scoring
Chapter 13 Discovering How Credit Reporting Works
Grasping the Importance of Your Credit Report
What Is a Credit Report, Exactly?
Revealing the facts about your financial transactions
Providing insight into your character
The Negatives and Positives of Credit Reporting
The negatives
The positives
Your Credit Report’s Numerical Offspring: The Credit Score
Cracking credit score components
The reasoning behind risk factors
Chapter 14 Understanding Credit Reports and Scores
Getting Copies of Your Credit Reports
Where to get your reports
What you need to provide
When to get copies of your credit reports
Tracking Down Specialty Reports: From Apartments to Casinos to Prescriptions
Perusing Your Credit Reports
Identifying information: It’s all about who you are
Accounts summary: An overview of your financial history
Bankruptcy public records: The most serious element in a credit report
Credit inquiries: Tracking who has been accessing your file
Account history: Think of it as a payment CSI
Your optional 100-word statements: Making sure your voice is heard
Correcting Any Errors You Find
Contacting the credit bureau
Contacting the creditor
Getting and Understanding Your Credit Scores
Ordering your score
Telling a good score from a bad one
Connecting pricing to your credit score
Knowing the reason for reason statements
Chapter 15 Monitoring Your Credit Reports and Scores
How Credit Monitoring Really Works
Understanding the Types of Monitoring Services Available
Making a Case for and against Third-Party Credit Monitoring
Monitoring on your own
When paid monitoring may be worth the time and money
Recognizing the protection you have already
Getting Your Money’s Worth from Monitoring Services
Setting Alarms, Alerts, and Freezes
Alarms
Fraud alerts
Credit freezes
Part 5 Successfully Managing Your Credit for Life
Chapter 16 Putting Yourself in Control of Your Credit
Determining Your Credit Style
Balancing Spending, Savings, and Credit Use
Spending on your terms
Saving for financial emergencies
Using credit to enhance your life
Remembering the Importance of Planning When It Comes to Your Credit
Zeroing in on the plans others have for your money
Developing your own plans for your future
Chapter 17 Taking a Sustainable Approach to Your Credit
Going Green: Treating Credit as a Renewable Resource
Recognizing your credit environment
Taking a closer look at the parts that make up your credit ecosystem
Sustaining Your Credit Ecosystem for Life
Funding college
Home sweet home
Credit on wheels
Steering Clear of Credit Pollution
Endangering your payment history
Clear-cutting your credit in bankruptcy
Outlasting a long, cold credit winter
Surviving and Reviving After a Credit Catastrophe
Understanding what happened
Rebuilding your credit ecosystem
Chapter 18 Safeguarding Your Credit with a Spending Plan
Appreciating the Benefits of a Solid Spending Plan
Deciding on Goals: Imagining Your Future as You Want It to Be
Setting the stage for planning
Categorizing your goals
Putting your goals in order
Building Your Vision of Your Future
Step 1: Counting up your income
Step 2: Tallying what you spend
Step 3: Making savings part of your spending plan
Step 4: Managing your credit to improve your spending plan
Step 5: Looking at your insurance options
Step 6: Planning for the IRS
Step 7: Planning for retirement
Using Cool Tools to Help You Build and Stick to a Spending Plan
Web-based financial calculators
Budgeting websites
Smartphone apps
Spending plan assistance
Adjusting Your Priorities and Your Plan
Chapter 19 Understanding Equity and Diversity in Credit
Benefitting from Financial Inclusion
Participating in the Financial System
Taking or Retaking Control of Your Credit
Educating Yourself on How the System Works
Tackling Debt
Student loans
Payday loans
Collections
Bankruptcy
Working Toward the Goal of Homeownership
Chapter 20 Knowing Your Rights to Protect Your Credit
Why You Have the Right to Credit Protections
The CARD Act: Shielding You from Credit Card Abuse
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The New Cop on the Financial Beat
Safeguarding Your Credit Data through the FACT Act
The FDCPA: Providing Protection Against Debt Collectors
Controlling the contacts
Finding out about the debt
Stopping a collector from contacting you
Spotting prohibited behavior
Suing a collector
The CROA: Getting What You Pay For
Knowing what credit repair organizations must do
Understanding what credit repair companies can’t do
Exploring Other Protections
The ins and outs of payday loans
The details of debt settlement
The scoop on the statute of limitations
Chapter 21 Protecting Your Identity
Keeping Thieves at Bay
Getting on the technology train
Looking out for phishing scams
Safeguarding your computer data
Keeping passwords secret
Protecting your mail
Storing financial data in your home
Putting your credit information on ice
Shielding your credit card number
Catching Identity Thieves in the Act
Watching for early-warning notices
Early warnings from the IRS
Handling a collections call
Detecting unauthorized charges
Being denied credit or account access
Noticing missing account statements
Part 6 The Part of Tens
Chapter 22 Ten Consumer Protections Everyone Needs to Know
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act
Your Lawyer
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Statute of Limitations Laws
Your State Attorney General
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act
The Federal Trade Commission
Chapter 23 Ten Strategies for Dealing with Student Loans
Knowing How Student Loans Are Reported Differently Than Other Loans
Dealing with the Collection Process
Identifying the Best Repayment Option for Your Situation
Taking Your Loans to Bankruptcy
Dealing with the Prospect of Default
Gaining Student Loan Forgiveness
Lowering Your Bill While You’re in School
Keeping Up with Your Loans After You’re Out
Setting Limits During the Planning and Application Process
Getting Help if You’re in the Military
Chapter 24 Ten Ways to Deal with a Mortgage Meltdown
Knowing When You’re in Trouble
Knowing How Your State’s Laws Treat Foreclosures
Nonrecourse or recourse
Judicial or nonjudicial
Deciding Whether to Stay or Go
Walking away
Working with the lender to exit
Staying the course
Tightening Your Spending to Stay in Your Home
Prioritizing Your Spending to Build Cash
Lessening the Damage to Your Credit
Knowing Who to Call
Beware of Scams
Beefing Up Your Credit
Consulting an Attorney
Index
EULA