One thing that none of us ever wants to deal with is having our identity stolen.  No matter how your identity gets stolen, it is one of the biggest invasions of your privacy to have someone besmirch your good name and trash your credit by making unauthorized purchases, getting fraudulent loans and doing whatever they want with your credit cards, and other personal information.

Because of the rise of social media, and the internet, having your identity stolen has become easier than ever.  Last year the number of victims of identity theft rose 12 percent!

The 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report – released today by Javelin Strategy & Research – found that the number of identity fraud victims in the United States increased 12 percent to 11.1 million adults in 2009, while the total annual fraud amount increased by 12.5 percent to $54 billion

So your chances of having your identity stolen are better than they have ever been – so you need to be ready in case the worst happens to you.   Today I want to go over the things you can do if it happens to you.

Things You Can Do To Prevent Identity Theft

There are a lot of things you can do to prevent identity theft before it happens.

• Don’t leave printed personal and financial information lying around where people can find it: A good deal of people who’s identities are stolen have it stolen by someone they know who had access to their personal paper lying on their desk, or around the home.  Make sure your personal documents are put away and secure.
• Shred credit card offers before tossing them: If you get a credit card offer in the mail shred it with a cross-cut shredder before throwing it in the trash. Otherwise people can dig through your trash and apply for credit in your name.  Another tip – only put your garbage can out shortly before the garbage truck arrives.
• Review your credit card and bank statements: Make sure you review all your credit card and bank account statements for irregular activity.
• Check your credit report regularly for any strange activity: Make sure to check your credit report regularly via annualcreditreport.com where you can get a free credit report from each of the credit bureaus every year.  I like to stagger my free credit report requests out every 4 months.  If you prefer to get more regular updates on your credit, you can sign up with one of the three credit bureaus to receive more frequent updates.
• Don’t give your your Social Security number unless absolutely necessary:  There are times when companies or individuals ask for your social security number when they don’t really need it. Decline to give it unless necessary.
• Secure your computer: Make sure you have anti-virus software installed, that you have a firewall running, and that you’re careful about what emails you open and links you click on.  If you get rid of your computer, make sure to completely erase any personal information first.
• Sign up for a credit monitoring service: Pay for a credit monitoring service like Lifelock or TrustedID Identity Theft Protection to help you be proactive about protecting your credit.

Consider signing up for a credit monitoring service like TrustedID Identity Theft Protection if you want more in depth credit monitoring and credit report access.

What To Do When Your Identity Is Stolen

Once you’ve discovered strange activity, accounts you didn’t open on your credit report, or other inconsistencies, it’s time to take action. Here are some steps you need to take.

Contact The 3 Credit Bureaus

One of the first things you should do is to contact the 3 credit agencies, and ask them to put a fraud  alert on your account.  Also, ask to add a victim’s statement to each of your credit bureau reports asking creditors to call you personally to verify all credit applications made in your name.

• Equifax: 800-525-6285 or www.equifax.com
• Experian: 888-397-3742 or www.experian.com
• TransUnion: 800-680-7289 or www.transunion.com

Change All Account Passwords, Get New Account Numbers If Necessary

Once you’ve found that your information has been compromised, you’ll want to go and make some immediate changes to the passwords on all of your important accounts. Change all of your online credit, savings, checking and other accounts.  If you have cards that may have been compromised, change the PIN number for the account and/or get new account numbers and cards altogether.

Think someone is using your driver’s license in their identity theft?  Go to the DMV and get a new license and license number.

You can even contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 to get a new SSN.

Report The Crime

Report the identity theft to the FTC at (877) 438-4338.  Fill out the ID Theft Affadavit a the FTC’s Web site. make copies and send to creditors. The agency also has an online complaint form.While federal investigators will sometimes only be able to pursue larger, more sophisticated fraud cases, they do monitor identity theft crimes of all levels in the hopes of discovering patterns and breaking up larger rings.

Report the identity theft to local police department, and give them as much information as you can so that it can be investigated. Give the officers a copy of your ID Theft Affadavit, and ask that it be incorporated into the police report.

Get a copy of the police report that is filled out so that you can give it to creditors and others as proof that the crime has occurred.

Contact Your Creditors

You will also want to contact your current creditors to let them know that your identity has been stolen.  If you’ve found fraudulent transactions on your account, document them and bring them to your creditor’s attention so you won’t be liable to pay them.

If there are accounts that were opened in your name but are not yours, contact them to close the account, and send them a complaint in writing.  You can also send them a copy of your ID Theft Affadavit and police report as proof of the identity theft.

Deal With Debt Collections

If you start receiving collections notices on debts that you did not incur, DON’T pay them.  Instead, send a written notice that you didn’t create the debt, and ask that they send you written validation of the debt. When they do, send them written notice back that you are not liable for the debts and include copies of your ID Theft Affadavit and police report so they know it is legitimate.  Also ask them to confirm in writing that you are not liable for the debts, and that the account will be closed.

Conclusion

Having your identity stolen is never fun, and if it happens to you it could really take over your life for a while until things are resolved.  If you remember to do everything mentioned above, however, you can help to minimize the damage done, and make sure you aren’t held liable for debts that you didn’t incur.

Do you have any suggestions of your own, or ID theft horror stories to share with everyone else?  Tell us about it in the comments!

This article was written by Peter Anderson. Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his baby boy, Carter. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also loves a brisk game of tennis every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page or check out his design site at http://www.logosforwebsites.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @moneymatters.

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Being in debt is never fun. You carry a weight on your shoulders, and are bound by the obligations that you must fulfill. It stinks, but at least there are some protections for people who aren’t able to pay, and rules that govern how debts can be collected. In the past, debtors were not given as much leeway. In fact they were treated quite harshly. They were often sent to debtor’s prison:

During Europe’s Middle Ages, debtors, both men and women, were locked up together in a single large cell, until their families paid their debt. Debt prisoners often died of disease contracted from other debt prisoners. Conditions included starvation and abuse from other prisoners. If the father of a family was imprisoned for debt, the family business often suffered while the mother and children fell into poverty. Unable to pay the debt, the father often remained in debtors’ prison for many years. Some debt prisoners were released to become serfs or indentured servants (debt bondage) until they paid off their debt in labor.

Debtor’s prisons continued to be used in the United States and United Kingdom into the 1800s, at which time both countries outlawed the practice of putting people in jail for their debts.  It was outlawed in the United States in 1833, and abolished in the UK in 1869.

You might be surprised to find out, however, that some countries to this day still use the practice.  Debtors in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, can be imprisoned for failing to pay their debts.

You Can Go To Jail For Your Debt – Even Today

While many people think being imprisoned for your debt in the U.S. is a thing of the past, they aren’t completely correct.

I was reading my local paper in Minnesota this past week when I discovered a series of articles talking about people who have been sent to jail for their debts.  While they have technically been sent to jail in many of these cases because they missed a court date related to their debt, or because they missed a court mandated debt payment, the fact remains that they were incarcerated in part because they have debt.

It’s not a crime to owe money, and debtors’ prisons were abolished in the United States in the 19th century. But people are routinely being thrown in jail for failing to pay debts. In Minnesota, which has some of the most creditor-friendly laws in the country, the use of arrest warrants against debtors has jumped 60 percent over the past four years, with 845 cases in 2009, a Star Tribune analysis of state court data has found.

Not every warrant results in an arrest, but in Minnesota many debtors spend up to 48 hours in cells with criminals. Consumer attorneys say such arrests are increasing in many states, including Arkansas, Arizona and Washington, driven by a bad economy, high consumer debt and a growing industry that buys bad debts and employs every means available to collect.

Whether a debtor is locked up depends largely on where the person lives, because enforcement is inconsistent from state to state, and even county to county.

While you’re probably OK if you follow up on court dates, and make your court ordered payments, if you miss a payment or a court date you could be in trouble.

Haekyung Nielsen, 27, of Bloomington, said police showed up at her house on a civil warrant two weeks after she gave birth through Caesarean section. A debt buyer had sent her court papers for an old credit-card debt while she was in the hospital; Nielsen said she did not have time to respond.

Her baby boy, Tyler, lay in the crib as she begged the officer not to take her away.

“Thank God, the police had mercy and left me and my baby alone,” said Nielsen, who later paid the debt. “But to send someone to arrest me two weeks after a massive surgery that takes most women eight weeks to recover from was just unbelievable.”

While I’m all for personal responsibility, and for following through on your debt obligations, some of the tactics being used by these debt collecters, and being followed up on by the law enforcement officials do seem a bit draconian. In some senses it seems like the debt collectors (credit sharks in suits as Dave Ramsey calls them) have taken over.

“The law enforcement system has unwittingly become a tool of the debt collectors,” said Michael Kinkley, an attorney in Spokane, Wash., who has represented arrested debtors. “The debt collectors are abusing the system and intimidating people, and law enforcement is going along with it.”

How often are debtors arrested across the country? No one can say. No national statistics are kept, and the practice is largely unnoticed outside legal circles. “My suspicion is the debt collection industry does not want the world to know these arrests are happening, because the practice would be widely condemned,” said Robert Hobbs, deputy director of the National Consumer Law Center in Boston.

Now if people are able to pay their debts, and are instead choosing to ignore their obligations and not pay, that’s one thing. If, however, they aren’t able to pay because of medical issues or other problems, why would you put them in jail?

Bail Is Often The Same Amount As The Debt

One thing people are finding once they’ve been put in jail is that their bail payment is set at the exact same amount of their debt owed.  When they post bail their money goes directly to the debt collector.

Hennepin County automatically sets bail at the judgment amount or $2,500, whichever is less. This policy was adopted four years ago in response to the high volume of debtor default cases, say court officials.

Some judges say the practice distorts the purpose of bail, which is to make sure people show up in court.

“It’s certainly an efficient way to collect debts, but it’s also highly distasteful,” said Hennepin County District Judge Jack Nordby. “The amount of bail should have nothing to do with the amount of the debt.”

If friends or family post a debtor’s bail, they can expect to kiss the money goodbye, because it often ends up with creditors, who routinely ask judges for the bail payment.

This does seem to be a bit shady – basically the law enforcement and judicial systems are being used as an extension of the debt collection agencies.   I’m sure the debt collectors will abuse this system since they’ve never been known for their fair debt collection practices.

How To Stay Out Of Jail For Your Debt

So how can you ensure that you’ll never end up on the wrong side of a jail cell door – especially if you have debt?

• Don’t avoid bill collectors or warrants.
• Make sure to read any documents you get from bill collectors or the courts.
• If you get a summons and complaint, you are being sued. You must show up in court.
• Respond promptly to a summons either denying or admitting to the debt.
  
• Show up for all court hearings.

So to stay out of jail, follow up on your debts, and if you are being sued or given a court date – show up!  If you don’t you could end up losing by default, and have a warrant sworn out for your arrest.

What do you think about the ways that debt collectors are now using the law enforcement and judicial system to collect debts for them?  Do you think it is right? Should debtors be afforded more protections, or are they getting what they deserve? Should new laws be passed? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

This article was written by Peter Anderson. Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his baby boy, Carter. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also loves a brisk game of tennis every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page or check out his design site at http://www.logosforwebsites.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @moneymatters.

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• How To Deal With Your Creditors. David Style!

I remember like it was yesterday, my wife and I were deep in debt and creditors were calling us every day! Of course just like many “good people” that owed money and either didn’t have the means to pay or just plain didn’t want to pay…..I applied the strategy of not answering the phone! Disclosure- I belonged to the category that because of being laid off I did not have enough money to pay but I will admit that eventually I got to the point that I just did not want to pay! Until one day I finally got fed up and said to myself: “I’m not supposed to be living like a prisoner in my own home, this has got to stop!”

I was tired of running and being a prisoner in my own home. Every time the phone rang my stomach felt as if I was on the worlds most violent roller coaster. I was tired of feeling ashamed and defenseless and full of fear! Enough was enough! A life full of fear and bondage was not the life God had intended for me to live. So I got down on my knees and asked God for wisdom on how to deal with these creditors so that I can stop living a life of fear and regain my life.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.- James 1:5 NLT

Here’s the answer I got: “Deal with your Creditors like David dealt with Goliath”!

I learned that before I could start applying the Debt Snowball plan that I had heard so much about, I had to first learn how to talk with the creditors that held all this debt! But how could I possible talk with these people that seemed to hate me and really didn’t care anything about my situation, all they wanted was my money! They didn’t care that I had just been laid off and that I was fighting from week to week to feed my kids and to keep the lights on in my home!

So if I was going to “deal with my creditors like David dealt with Goliath” the first thing that I did was read about the account of how David defeated Goliath in I Samuel chapter 17. From this story and experience I learned five key principals which I will call “Stone 1-5″! By applying these principals to my life I no longer feared talking with my creditors, I now actually looked forward to speaking with them. Very soon my wife and I were paying off our debts and got control of our life and our phone lines again!

The 5 Stone Principals of dealing with your creditors like David dealt with Goliath:

He (David) picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he (David) started across the valley to fight the Philistine (Goliath). I Samuel 17:40 NLT

Stone #1) Be proactive

One of the problem’s running from my creditors was that I became a very reactive person. Meaning that I was reacting to my circumstances instead of being proactive and shaping my circumstances. As it states above in I Samuel 17:40 NLT, “David started across the valley to fight Goliath.” As you can see David did not wait for Goliath to come to him, David took the first steps towards Goliath! That is what I started doing, instead of the creditors making my phone ring, I had to make their phones ring!

Being proactive actually gave me the advantage because I dictated when the call was made and I already had a plan for what I was going to talk to the creditors about that day! Here’s the funny thing, just like Goliath your creditors are used to people running away from them and being reactive and not proactive.

Stone #2) Understand what the reward is for winning this battle

There’s an old cliche that says “You must pick and chose your battles” in other words if your going into a fight you should always know what the reward for victory is. And even more important, is that reward going to be enough motivation for you to keep going no matter what it looks like? Even David did this before he decided to go up against Goliath:

“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!” ²⁶ David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? – I Samuel 17:25-26 NLT

I had to ask myself what will the reward be for dealing with these creditors and will the reward be worth the fear and discomfort that I was going to have to face? I decided that the rewards were: Peace of mind, control, confidence, freedom & freed up monthly cash flow! It was definitely worth going into battle for! What are you fighting for? Is it worth it? The answer in this case is definitely, Yes!

3) Make positive confessions before calling

One thing that really helped me eliminate some of the fear of calling a creditor was to make positive confessions before making each call. This helped me get the butterflies out of my stomach. I confessed things like: “I have favor with this creditor”, “this creditor will honor that I am being proactive and will work with me”! Listen to how David spoke positively before he went out to fight Goliath:

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine (Goliath) shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. – I Samuel 17:36

So before you make your call make positive confessions to help get the butterflies out of your stomach and build up your confidence for a positive outcome!

Stone # 4) You must document everything!

Ok, so you won’t necessarily find this stone in the story but I learned this lesson the hard way since many of the creditors seem to forget promises that they were making on their end, I had to start documenting everything! I purchased a separate notebook to log all of my calls in one place and here’s a quick run down on what I documented on each call:

1. Date & Time
2. Full name and extension of every person you spoke with
3. What did you talk about specifically that day
4. If an agreement was reached request that they send it to you in writing
5. Keep all documents in one file and store for future reference especially “Paid in full” statements!

Documentation is crucial as your dealing with your creditors.

Stone #5) Remember God has your back:

This is the most powerful out of all the stones! The one thing that I had to remember during this whole time that I was fighting to get out of debt and to work with my creditors was that God was in control and that he had my back. So no matter what the outcome of the call was going to be, I had already won! David told everyone who had his back before he set foot on the battlefield and right before he fought Goliath:

David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.- I Samuel 17:37 KJV

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!- I Samuel 17:47 NLT

So, stay encouraged we have the greater one living on the inside of us. If you just remember this one thing you will be off to a great start in dealing with your creditors like David dealt with Goliath!

How do you relate to my story? What “stone” would you add that helped you overcome the fear of dealing with your creditors?

This is a guest post by Carlos Frank. Carlos is extremely passionate about helping people gain control of their personal finances. In his personal life, Carlos had to overcome poverty, severe paycheck to paycheck living and layoffs from 3 jobs in corporate America! Carlos is the founder of www.GoodStewardKeys.com a faith based personal finance blog focused on helping people manage and increase the resources that God has entrusted them with! You can follow Carlos on Twitter @CarlosFrank.

This article was written by Guest Poster. We love guest contributors here at Bible Money Matters. Would you like to write for us as well? Please check out out our guest post submission guidelines and then contact us with your post idea!

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Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD) of 2009

On May 22nd, 2009 Barack Obama signed new legislation into law called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit CARD Act).  The law was supposed to force credit card companies to become more transparent with their fees, interest rates and other provisions, and create a more consumer friendly environment.  Whether or not that will actually happen is still up for debate.  As of yesterday, February 22nd, 2010, the law is now in effect.

Provisions Of The 2009 CARD Act

The bill looks to put some limits on what the credit card companies can do in regards to charging fees, upping interest rates,and in theory forces them to be more transparent with customers.  Many believe it will significantly change the face of the credit card industry.   Some of the major provisions include:

• Requires credit card companies to give cardholders 45 days advance notice of an increase in interest rates.  (You can opt out of interest rate hikes, meaning you can repay at your current rate, but not make new purchases)
• Prohibits credit card companies from increasing interest rates retroactively on existing balances unless the cardholder is more than 60 days late in making a payment. If the cardholder pays on time for the following six months, the company will have to restore the original rate.
• Prohibits credit card companies from marketing and issuing cards to borrowers under the age of 21.
• Requires balances with higher interest rates to be paid first, instead of lower interest first as many companies do now.
• Permits consumers to set credit limits lower than the limit offered by the credit card company.
• Requires that statements be mailed out at least 21 days before payment is due.
• Card issuers can’t charge customers extra fees to pay their bill unless it is an expedited payment.
• Card holders must give consent to allow card issuers to process over the limit transactions. Even with consent, only one over limit fee is allowed per billing cycle.

Side Effects Of The Card Act

A lot of people are saying that the CARD Act could have unintended consequences.  Among them:

• Possible reduction in airline miles, bonus programs and cash rewards programs.
• New annual fees implemented where there weren’t any before.
• Annual fees raised.
• Reduced rebates.
• Harder to get a credit card, even for those with good credit.
• Increased transaction fees for retailers (higher costs for consumers?).

All in all I think the legislation isn’t necessarily bad, I just don’t think it will help as many people as it’s supposed to – and the banks will find ways around the new laws.  A new day, a new scheme to make money.

Really want to cut out your worries about using credit cards?  Pay cash instead!

What’s your opinion of the CARD Act?  Do you think it will be beneficial for consumers?  Have you seen your rates at your bank go up? Have you gotten a barrage of new credit card fees and regulations pamphlets in the mail?  Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

This article was written by Peter Anderson. Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his baby boy, Carter. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also loves a brisk game of tennis every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page or check out his design site at http://www.logosforwebsites.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @moneymatters.

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New credit card reform laws are going into effect in February of 2010 to provide more consumer protection.  The reform was put in place to deal with what were some abusive practices of interest rate hikes and fees.

You may recall a post from Pete earlier this year in which he talked specifically about the changes the credit card act will bring forth.  To name a few, it will include consumer friendly regulations around unfair interest rate hikes, unnecessary fees, fairness in timing of payments and enhanced disclosure of terms.

Pete also asked a very important question in his post:  “Could there be unintended consequences?”

Well, already credit card companies are working the system to make sure their profits don’t suffer.  In a recent Business Week article, credit card companies are putting some tricks into play and if you are a credit card user, you need to be aware of them.

Floors For Rates

It will be more difficult for credit card companies to raise rates under the new laws.  According to the article, unfortunately, a lot of credit card issuers are moving customers over to variable rate cards to avoid this legislation.  The credit card companies can limit how low rates can go, so there may not be much benefit when the rate drops (tied to an interest-rate index), but certainly is a benefit if the rate climbs.

Rate Picking

Once the consumer is moved over to a variable rate card, the credit card company may be able to pick a starting rate which is the highest rate for the past 3 months on the interest rate index it tracks.

The result is that borrowers pay an average interest rate that is .3 percentage points higher than before.  The card industry could generate $720 million a year from this shift.

Thresholds Lowered On Fees

With the new law credit card companies must provide a 21 day grace period in making payments before fees can be issued.  Watch out because if you don’t make your payments by that deadline the fees could be even higher than they were before the legislation.  The article mentions that fees generally go up based on the size of the balance.  The largest fees used to be on balances of $1000 or higher and now those fees will start on $250 balances.  Wow!

Unlimited Fees

Balance transfers have often been used to move balances over to a lower rate card.  Using a balance transfer option may now come with a price.  The article states balance transfer fees are being increased.  There used to be a cap for the transfer fee at $50.  Yikes, fewer companies are capping fees and will now just be a % of the balance.

No Use Fees

This one probably disturbs me the most.  As consumers are trying to cut back on spending in general (yeah for savings!) they are being penalized with inactivity fees (boo!).  Some card companies are even penalizing consumers if they close accounts with balances.

Final Thoughts

Pete, unfortunately, I think we’re seeing some of those unintended consequences come to life through these “credit-card tricks”, as Business Week perfectly describes them.

But, my philosophy with credit card use is pretty simple.  These tricks and other problems associated with credit cards go away the less we use them (except now for the no use fees) or choose not to make them a part of our plan.

Personally, my family has a credit card, but we make sure we don’t abuse the use of it.  We don’t spend more than we can pay off each month and never spend ahead on something that we don’t know where the funds will come from to pay.

I think this approach bodes pretty well for avoiding the credit card company trick bag.   You can bet there’ll be more to come with this story as we move into the New Year and the laws go into effect this February.  Check card anyone?

What do you think?  Will there be another set of laws to deal with these new tricks?  Are credit card companies too good at changing the game?

This article was written by Jason Price. Jason Price is a personal finance writer at One Money Design and a Money Map Coach. His mission is helping people achieve true financial freedom. He provides practical tips for managing money wisely and shares Biblical financial principles. Beyond personal finance, Jason enjoys spending time with his family and playing soccer. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Why I Love My Credit Card

If you’re read my site for a while you may be a bit surprised to find out that I actually do use a credit card. I’m usually the one that’s first to tell people that they shouldn’t use credit, and that they should save up for things that they buy.

While I do believe you should save up for the things you buy, I also believe that sometimes it’s ok to take advantage of a good thing when you can.  If you can get cash back rewards for things you’re buying anyway, why not do it? You just need to keep in mind that the credit card companies are not your friend, and don’t really want to help you. You need to go in with a wary and skeptical eye.   You need to know what you’re signing up for – and if you do get a rewards card, make sure that you actually use the rewards.  Almost 41 percent of people with rewards cards NEVER use the reward!

More than 41 percent of reward cardholders either rarely or never even bother to use their rewards, said a 2006 survey by GMAC Mortgage and Harris Interactive.

With that in mind my wife and I do have one credit card that we use, the Chase Freedom Cash Rewards card. We use it for things like groceries, gas and in some cases for high ticket items like vacations or electronics that we purchase.   Whenever we use the card we only buy what we have the cash to pay for right away – and when we get the bill – we pay it in full.  We NEVER carry a balance on the card because that can quickly negate any rewards that you’re receiving. 

Some of the benefits we love from our cash rewards card?

• We get a couple hundred dollars in cash back every year, while paying no fees. (never sign up for one of those cards with an annual fee!)
• We get extra perks with the card, things like extra warranty protection on the things we buy, travel insurance, price protection, theft protection, fraud protection and roadside assistance.
• Anti-fraud protection – and zero liability for purchases illegally  made with our card.

Why I Hate My Credit Card

If you’re read my site for a while you know that I’m not a huge fan of the credit card companies mainly because of their anti-consumer friendly behavior over the years. They like to charge fees for no good reason, jack up interest rates for those who can least afford it, and pretend to be on your side when all they’re really trying to do is get you into more debt.    When you finally can no longer pay many of them will engage in downright illegal behavior.

When McDonald’s started taking credit cards for purchases, the average purchase went from $4.50 up to $7.00!

Because they’re so shady – I would NEVER suggest using a credit card if you’re in debt, or if you’ve got a spending problem. In those cases you’re better off to just cut up the cards.   For those who are able to spend responsibly only on things they need, I think it’s ok to use credit if you’re extremely careful.

So with that said, here are some of the main reasons I hate credit cards in general, and my own one specifically.

• When spending on a credit card, people tend to spend 12-18% more.  The reason?  Spending cash hurts more.
• When you use a credit card you are subject to the credit card company’s whims – especially when you carry a balance.  They can raise your rates whenever they want!
• They always try to pretend that they’re looking out for your best interests when in fact they really just want you to carry a higher balance.
• They encourage irresponsible spending by promoting a culture that says “things can make you happy”.

So those are a few of the reasons why I’m extremely wary when I use credit cards. If you’re not careful, they will get you -and you’ll end up paying more than you thought. If you’re a responsible spender, however – there are some benefits to be had by using credit. Just make sure you’re not falling prey to the consumer mindset and end up spending for things you don’t need.

Do you love or hate your credit card? Give us the reasons why you do in the comments!

Credit Card Chaser is currently running a contest through 12/16 asking people why they hate or love their credit card. Tell your own story on your blog and you could win $500!

This article was written by Peter Anderson. Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his baby boy, Carter. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also loves a brisk game of tennis every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page or check out his design site at http://www.logosforwebsites.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @moneymatters.

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Since earlier this year we’ve been talking a lot about the $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit that was passed as a part of the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package. The credit has been available for first time homebuyers since January 1st, and will continue to be available until November 30th. Now that the program is beginning to wind down, the rumblings about trying to get the program extended or modified have begun. A few months ago there was talk about the tax credit being increased to $15,000, but that never got off the ground.  Another bill that was introduced last month also never got out of committee.  So while there is interest in passing an extension, nothing has come to fruition yet.

Many Hope For An Extension Of The First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

The National Association of Home Builders are saying that they’re already beginning to see new home purchases starting to drop since the program will soon be gone:

In order to create hundreds of thousands of badly needed jobs and move the economy to higher ground, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on Congress to extend and expand the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit set to expire at the end of next month.

Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe warned that builders are reporting that business generated by entry-level buyers is already declining because it is now too late to complete a new home sale in time to take advantage of the tax credit.

To spur job growth, help reduce foreclosures and excess housing inventories and stabilize home values, NAHB is calling on Congress to extend the home buyer tax credit for an additional year through Nov. 30, 2010 and make it available to all purchasers of a principal residence.

The drop in business seen by home builders is real.  The number of building permits for new homes dropped significantly in September

Applications for home building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell in September by the largest amount in five months — a discouraging sign for the housing industry.

The decline, in part, reflected uncertainty about whether Congress will extend a tax credit for first-time homebuyers.

The applications for building permits fell 1.2 percent in September. That’s the biggest decline since a 2.5 percent drop in April and underscored worries that the fledgling housing revival could be derailed by rising unemployment, tighter bank lending standards and the expiration on Nov. 30 of the government’s $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.

Is The Tax Credit A Good Idea? Some Think It Won’t Make Much Of A Difference

Many in the building and real estate industries are clamoring for an extension of the credit, while others aren’t so sure that the cost of extending the program are worth it.

Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan said at a congressional hearing Tuesday that supporting the housing market “can be very expensive, especially at a time of significant budget deficits.”

The administration will make a recommendation on whether to extend the credit in the coming weeks, after studying data on tax filings from the Internal Revenue Service. While there would be some negative effects if it were allowed to expire, Donovan said, “I do not believe that a catastrophic decline would be the result.“

Some analysts and lawmakers are skeptical about extending the credit, arguing that most homebuyers who receive it would have decided to buy anyway. And soaring unemployment is likely to dull the impact of any extension, Mark Vitner, a senior economist with Wells Fargo Securities, wrote in a note to clients.

“Many of the most likely buyers targeted have already taken advantage of the program,” he wrote.

The Newest Tax Credit Bill Piggybacks On Unemployment Benefits

So there is clearly division as to whether the program should be extended.    Other bills to extend the credit and increase the amount it gives to homebuyers have already died a slow death in committee never to again see the light of day.    This week Congress is once again considering another plan that would extend the credit through June of 2010.  Whether this new one will make it out of the committees remains to be seen.

The latest Senate proposal would drop the requirement that the credit be available only to first-time buyers, broadening the reach of the program but also adding to its cost, estimated by congressional analysts at $16.7 billion.

The backers of that idea, Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate’s banking committee, have suggested that their measure be attached to another pending bill aimed at throwing a lifeline to people hit by the recession, an extension of federal assistance to the millions in danger of exhausting unemployment insurance benefits.

….

The Isakson-Dodd proposal would extend the credit to June 30, 2010. It would also remove the first-time homebuyer requirement and raise the eligibility income limit to $150,000, or $300,000 for a couple. That’s double the current phase-out limits.

Provisions Of The New Proposed Homebuyer Tax Credit

So if this new bill that is piggybacking on an extension of unemployment benefits were passed, it would mean that the tax credit would be extended, and the new provisions would be:

• You would not need to be a first time homebuyer – that provision would be removed.
• It applies to homes purchased through June 30, 2010.
• You must keep the home for three years.
• The credit is refundable.
• The credit is for $8,000 or 10% of the home’s value, whichever is less.
• It phases out for incomes between $75,000 to $150,000 for single and $150,000 to $300,000 for couples.

So while it is still unsure as to whether this particular extension of the first time homebuyer tax credit will be passed, the momentum for an extension to be passed in some form is very real.  I would expect something to be passed at some point this  year.

UPDATE: A new bill has been “agreed to” by Senators, that would extend the credit and add a $6500 Tax Credit for current homeowners.  Details here.

What do you think?  Should the tax credit for homebuyers be expanded to all homebuyers, and extended until June of 2009?  Will the effect it has on our economy be worth it, or will it be just another large expenditure when we are already running huge deficits?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article was written by Peter Anderson. Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his baby boy, Carter. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also loves a brisk game of tennis every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page or check out his design site at http://www.logosforwebsites.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @moneymatters.

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The last few months have seen an increase in home sales to first time homebuyers, as well as a slight improvement in the real estate market as a whole.  A lot of people feel that this is largely due to the first time homebuyer tax credit that the Obama administration passed earlier this year. The measure, which was passed as a part of February’s stimulus package, gives first time homebuyers tax credits of up to $8000 when they buy their first home.  It certainly is an attractive offer if you’re looking for a home anyway – and we have several friends that have bought homes this summer because it was such a great deal.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how the time that was available to take advantage of the tax credit was quickly running out.  The credit is only applicable to home purchases that have been completed by December 1st, and since most home closings can take anywhere from 30-60 days,  if you haven’t already put in a purchase agreement on a house by now, you may be out of luck!

For a lot of people that is going to come as a big shock and a disappointment, but all hope is not gone!   Congress is already talking about extending the program, and possibly expanding it to all homeowners and increasing the credit to $15,000.  It is far from a done deal, but it is currently being debated by our legislators.

the National Association of Realtors wants to expand the tax credit to $15,000, and it wants to allow all buyers to be able to qualify, not just those who have been out of the market for three years, according to The New York Times. The $15,000 figure is actually the amount that the credit’s initial sponsor in Congress, Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a former real estate agent, had wanted. Now Isakson is introducing a bill that would provide up to a $15,000 tax credit to any buyer who stays in their newly purchased home for a minimum of two years, according to the Times.

So Congress currently has bills that are being put forward that would extend the tax credit, increase it to $15,000 and allow all homebuyers (not just new homebuyers) to take advantage of the credit.  Whether this bill will pass is another matter.  It is currently up for debate, and the president is debating whether continuing it would be a good plan.

Asked about whether the Obama administration would consider extending the credit, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the administration’s economic team was evaluating the impact on new home sales and would make a recommendation to the president, according to the Associated Press.

The tax credit has been expensive, but it has arguably been successful in helping the ailing real estate and construction industries survive in recent months. However, like other supposedly temporary tax credits, the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit may end up being called the Perennial Homebuyer Tax Credit.

One of the biggest problems the bill faces is the price tag.  Estimates say that it could cost anywhere from $50 billion to $100 billion dollars.   Whether that is worth it right now is debatable.

Only time will tell if Washington will decide to continue the program.  If they do I can already hear all of the people complaining that they “only got $8,000″, or from others who want this credit to become permanent – not just a one-time deal.

UPDATE:  New First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Bill Extension Introduced

A bill introduced last night after I wrote this post would now extend the tax credit for another 6 months, while not changing the the amount of the credit,  or who is qualified to receive the credit.  From housingwire.com:

A senate bill introduced late Thursday would extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit for six months after its current November 30 expiration date.

Maryland Democrat Sen. Benjamin Cardin introduced S.B. 1678, and it is co-sponsored by senators John Ensign (R-Nev.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Migh.)…

The bill would not change anything on the tax credit except its expiration date, although at least one housing industry group is calling for an expansion of the credit and another, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), has urged an extension of the tax credit.

So if this were to particular bill were to pass, the tax credit would be extended, but not increased or changed to include all homebuyers.

UPDATE:  11/5/2009

Bill passed by Senate and House to extend the $8000 tax credit. Now only needs to be signed by the president.  Extends the bill to include a $6500 current owner homebuyer tax credit.

What do you think?  Should the tax credit for homebuyers be increased to $15,000 and be expanded to all homebuyers?  Will the effect it has on our economy be worth it, or will it just be another over-reaching expenditure of taxpayer money?  Would you rather they just extend the current program? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article was written by Peter Anderson. Peter Anderson is a Christian, husband to his beautiful wife Maria, and father to his baby boy, Carter. He loves reading and writing about personal finance, and also loves a brisk game of tennis every now and again. You can find out more about him on the about page or check out his design site at http://www.logosforwebsites.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @moneymatters.

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This is a guest post from Jonathan over at MasterYourCard.com where he talks about money, credit cards (what else?) and lots of other finance related topics. Sign up for his RSS feed here.

With a shaky economy and tightening credit terms, it can be easy to be paranoid about your credit score. If you’re planning a major financing or recovering from bad credit, it’s not unsurprising that you’d be as self conscious and mindful about your credit score as a supermodel would be about her (or his) weight. But you can’t let the fear of straying from that ideal number rule your life. Just controlling your waistline is a matter of understanding the effects of diet and exercise on your body, keeping you credit health on the up and up is a matter of understanding what kinds of events affect your credit and which do not. Read on to learn about five things that don’t affect your credit score.

1. Soft Pulls

While looking over your credit report (which you should do once a year – the government gives you a free credit report every 12 months), you may have noticed some unfamiliar inquiries into your account. Even though “number of recent inquiries” does appear on FICO’s list of items that affect your credit score, you shouldn’t worry about the bulk of the inquiries that appear on your credit report. This is because, unless you authorized the inquiry, all retrievals of your credit history are considered “soft pulls” and do not affect your overall credit score. They are simply shown on your credit history for your information. FICO classifies three types of “soft pulls”:

• “Promotional inquiries” that are initiated by lenders to “pre-screen” you to see if you are “pre-approved” for a credit card. If you are, they’ll send you junk mail, but it won’t affect your credit score.
• “Administrative inquiries” that are initiated by lenders with whom you already have an account. These are done just to review your account with them and aren’t a red flag to other companies.
• “Consumer initiated inquiries” are when you retrieve your own credit history and obviously don’t affect your score.

FICO also will not ding you when your employer checks your credit history, as this is standard operating procedure for some pre-employment screening.

So what is FICO referring to when it mentions “recent credit inquiries” and why does anyone care? Basically, this is a gauge of how many loans you actually applied for. If you tried to sign up for 6 credit cards in one year, that’s a bit fishy. It means either (A) you are borrowing irresponsibly or (B) you are getting rejected for credit cards. Note, though, that some utility companies, banks and phone service providers also do hard pulls. But don’t worry – “recent credit inquiries” is only a fraction of the “new credit” piece of the pie that composes 10% of your overall score. If you are still worried, check out this list of companies that initiate hard pulls on your account.

2. Your Age, Race, Creed, Gender or Marital Status

Ever feel like you got snubbed for a loan because you were a 75 year old atheist, Pennsylvanian, polygamist, celibate, hermaphrodite who voted for Kodos? If you did, then it’s probably not true and definitely not because those things showed up on your FICO score. While some lending institutions – that is the banker or loan officer sitting across the desk from you who says “No” based on his or her own judgment – may be guilty of redlining, FICO recognizes that “U.S. law prohibits credit scoring from considering” race, color, sex , religion, national origin, and marital status “as well as any receipt of public assistance, or the exercise of any consumer right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.” So, know that while people may be prejudiced, your credit score is not.

3. Credit Counseling

If you are in over your head in debt, you may need to seek professional help from a credit counselor. This is a difficult decision as it takes a certain amount of initiative and pride-swallowing. The concession of retaining the services of a credit counselor is nearly akin to declaring bankruptcy in that you are admitting that you are unable to handle your liabilities on your own. But unlike bankruptcy, signing up for credit counseling does not appear on your credit history and does not affect your credit score. This is because you are not receiving any protection from the law or declaring any kind of change in your status. You aren’t liquidating your possessions or formally stating that your liabilities surpass your assets. You are merely seeking advice and guidance from a private party. While hearing that you have had credit counseling may make a loan officer believe that you’ve had problems with debt, this is purely a subjective call on the lender’s part. FICO has no idea whether or not you’ve had counseling, and thus won’t factor it into your credit score.

Note, though, that some of the measures that your credit counselor suggests may indeed affect your score. If they recommend a debt consolidation loan, refinancing or bankruptcy, then these things will very likely affect your score. A reputable credit counselor will fully apprise you of the repercussions before asking you to proceed.

4. Authorized Users

On the topic of debt counselors, one recent change to FICO’s scoring has effectively put the bushel over a common quick fix for bad credit that was commonly employed by disreputable credit repair institutions. Up until August 2009, you could sign up an “authorized user” to your account with a better credit score than yours and your FICO score would see a significant increase. This method of “piggybacking” on the good reputation of another user has since been put to rest by FICO 08. So, if a credit counselor or debt repair whiz suggest the strategy, decline for two good reasons: (1) it’s unethical and (2) it doesn’t work.

5. “Any information that is not proven to be predictive of future credit performance.”

On FICO’s list of “What’s not in your credit score” there’s a catchall item that reads “any information that is not proven to be predictive of future credit performance.” So, what does this mean exactly? It includes quite a few things – all of which won’t appear on your credit report:

• Your employment history and your level of income. This can get reported in government surveys, standardized tests, employment applications, medical forms and more, so it’s easy to feel like “they” might be using this information against you. But fret not – this data is usually collected for statistical analysis and does not affect your credit score. In fact, it’s illegal. That’s not to say that you are entitled to a loan if you’re unemployed – again, that’s the loan officer’s call and has nothing to do with your FICO score.
• Rental agreements. Some people believe that they are stereotyped as low income individuals if they rent rather than own their homes. While a lease is a legal document and some landlords may pull your credit report, the fact that you are a renter doesn’t affect your credit score. Now, if you default on your lease and the items is sent to collections, then you’re busted. But if you are a responsible renter, then fear not.
• State or city of residence. True, your credit report does show your current address. But that has no quantifiable affect on your likelihood of repaying your loans or not. Don’t worry – living in Las Vegas doesn’t flag you as irresponsible.
• Interest rates on your other accounts. Experian, TransUnion and Equifax don’t tell lenders what kind of interest rate you are being charged. FICO doesn’t care either. If all your interest rates seem to be hovering around the same number, it’s likely because your lenders used similar formulas to arrive at the number, not because they are in cahoots.

All in all, it’s better not to be paranoid or overly clever about your credit score. Just like eating in moderation and getting plenty of exercise is the best way to stay slim and fit, controlling your spending and matching your lifestyle to your income is the best way to keep your credit healthy. While FICO’s formula isn’t exactly public knowledge, it’s not quite as mysterious as we all believe it to be. Practice common sense and responsible spending habits and you’ll have little to worry about.

This article was written by Guest Poster. We love guest contributors here at Bible Money Matters. Would you like to write for us as well? Please check out out our guest post submission guidelines and then contact us with your post idea!

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This is a guest post by Mr Credit Card from askmrcreditcard.com.  Mr Credit Card reviews credit cards , lots of them!  Today, he would like to share his thoughts on questionable business and marketing practices and how we fall for their hype. You can subscribe to his RSS feed here.

First, I would like to thank Peter for letting me do a guest post here. Being a Christian myself, I have been very impressed with how Peter shares his thoughts about what the bible says about money and other things. I would like to talk about and highlight shady business practices, how many still fall for marketing hype and what we can do to avoid and not get involved in these industries. I would also like to challenge everyone who works in these industries or any industry that has any ethical question marks over them to come up with ways to either not engage in these practices or leave your industry altogether.

But first, I would like to highlight some questionable business and marketing practices by businesses that are pretty much part of our everyday life.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. – Timothy 6:10:”

Shady Mortgage Practices

We all know what happened in the mortgage industry that led to the whole real estate boom and bust. In the good old days, banks were required to hold on to your mortgage on their balance sheet until you paid it off or until it matures. With the innovation of securitization, banks did not really have to check if their mortgage applicants are really creditworthy since they will sell those mortgages off to investors anyway.

Mortgage brokers also knew that since banks did not really care as much about creditworthiness of their borrowers, they too became lax in their lending standards. Since they were paid “commissions” for their sale, all that mattered was the sale!

When “no income docs” was first accepted in the mortgage, it was really meant for small business owners who really did not report their income fully or had better cash flow numbers than their “income” implied. Instead, this got abused by the mortgage industry. But happened will now go down in financial history as one of the great housing bubbles we have ever faced. But aren’t we to a certain extent guilty of our lack of personal responsibilities when we took on loans that we could not have afforded? And to those mortgage brokers who pushed a loan even without proof of income, wasn’t that not really ethical even though the banks accepted no docs (or fake income declarations)?

“Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich. Proverbs 28:6″

Get Rich Quick Schemes

You see that all over the internet. Schemes promising “instant riches”. Just follow the “set formula” and you will start earning passive income. Look, ask Peter, it takes effort to build any business. It takes effort for him to write great post so that readers keep coming back to this site. Nothing is easy, anything worth doing requires hard work.

The worst thing is that not only are many of these schemes scams, but they are way overpriced and not appropriate. I remember attending a David Bach “free seminar” that was conducted and there was a lawyer who was talking about reducing taxes. He mentioned the concept of using a variety of techniques like a charitable remainder trust. At the end of his speech, he then proceeded to sell his cookie cutter techniques for $4,000.  What a rip off! How could you sell a cookie cutter “estate type planning” when these sort of things have to be highly customized.

Stock Trading Techniques

Many folks sell their “technical trading systems”. During that same David Bach seminar, one chap stood on the podium telling how his IMO “backward looking” software would have told you not to buy Enron, Worldcom, Ford etc during 2000!

Here’s the deal, if you discovered a secret technique to invest or day trade or an arbitrage opportunity that the financial market has not discovered, why tell the whole world? Why not use it yourself? You can set up a hedge fund, approach institutions and raise money. If you are really that good, you will raise more money and earn the true big bucks like a really good hedge fund manager instead of subscribing to silly stock picking newsletter!

Sub Prime Credit Cards

The segment in the credit card industry (my expertise) where we see the most outrageous practice is in the sub prime sector. Here, there are cards that are specifically issued for folks who have their credit slammed to the low 600s or 500s type score. They also target folks who just come out of bankruptcy.

Using past history as their excuse, they charge a heck of a lot of fees. When you apply for such cards, they will have to pay an upfront application or processing fee. On top top of that, you have to pay an annual fee and in many cases, a monthly “maintenance” fee (whatever that is for). They are not ashamed to charge you rates of 19% or more! Heck, the fees are more expensive than an Amex Gold Charge Card!

I get many emails from my readers asking me to recommend credit cards for people with bad credit. I usually suggest that they consider getting secured credit cards instead because you do not get charged outrageous fees. But still, most end up getting an unsecured sub prime card even though it is more cost effective (fee wise) to get a secured card! Does ego have anything to do with this?

Now, if these cards disclosed their fees openly, that is all good and fine (well, still not really). What what they do is to send junk mails to residents and tell them that “THEY CAN GET A CREDIT CARD EVEN WITH BAD CREDIT” or “NO CREDIT CHECKS”. Unfortunately, most people never ask or even read the fine print if there is any. The FTC has sued a few companies like Compucredit for deceptive marketing!

“Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. Proverbs 13:11″

Colleges getting paid for credit card sign ups

Nobody really knew about these practices until recently. But credit card companies have been paying “commissions” to colleges whenever a student signs up for student credit cards at campus.

The credit card companies are smart. They “sponsor” different sports teams and groups and make their members get their friends to sign up! Now, none of these is illegal. But if you really think about it, a colleges’ main job is to educate and prepare their students to lead a productive economic life. They really have no business allowing credit cards to be issued at college campus know well that most students will end up lots of credit card debt! But I guess they could use the money, so they close one eye.

When a sale is not a sale

Here’s one last example of questionable business practice. Check out this piece about a grocery flyers. It turns out that many times, items listed there are not on sale at all! Rather, they are “sponsored” by manufacturers. In fact, the article went on to state that when an item is listed on a flyer, sales could increase by a few hundred percent!

Once again, another deceptive practice by folks who are just after the next sale.

How to Guard Against Deceptive Marketing

Yes, folks are out their selling products that do not work or stuff based on unrealistic hype. But we consumers are at fault as well. We fall for things because we blindly follow what others say. We want things instantly. We want success now. We want to lose weight without working out. We want to buy things that we cannot afford. We want to buy that furniture at zero down and 0% for 24 months.

Here are a few things we have to do and be constantly aware of :

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” (Proverbs 10: 4)

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7).

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. (Proverbs 18:15).

A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength.” (Proverbs 24:5).

Conclusion

While businesses are all about profit maximizing, there are opportunities out there that you can pursue without compromising your conscience, and your relationship with God. And for those working at your own business, ask how can you serve your customers better instead of how much money you can make if you implement a particular marketing technique.

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous (i.e., morally right and just) will thrive like a green leaf.” (Proverbs 11:28)

I hope this post has given you some food for thought.

This article was written by Guest Poster. We love guest contributors here at Bible Money Matters. Would you like to write for us as well? Please check out out our guest post submission guidelines and then contact us with your post idea!

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