Financial News & Information.

I sit at my desk completely frustrated with Advanta. I opened up a business credit card with them 3 years ago and made a purchase of $6500 to help build my business credit for Rapid Recovery Solution, my Collection Agency. I have paid more then the minimum every month, on time. About 3 months ago noticed that my interest rate seemed a little high. No where on my statement did it say the actual interest rate so I called the company. After 10 min or so I get a live rep on the line and they tell me it is 36.1%. Are they kidding, this must be a mistake. I have over a 750 score and never missed a payment. They said they sent me a notice in Aug that they are doing this due to a change in there lending methods. It turns out this is the second time this year they did this. I went from 8.99% in Jan 08 to 18.99 in Feb 08 to 36.1% in Aug 08.

Now, being in the industry for over 10 years I know that I need to watch my credit. I look for charges I didn’t make and it is tough to scam me. I have seen it all but this takes the cake. They told me I am now at a high risk for default so that is why they raised my interest rate? That doesn’t make any sense. They should lower my rate if they think I will default on my credit card. How will an increase in what you are charging me keep me from defaulting. Luckily, I have the ability to pay off this card today but I want everyone to realize that these companies have you by the short-n-curly’s. Watch your statements and lookout for this scam.

FYI, In NY, the maximum interest rate is 30%. They are charging me more then the maximum allowed in my state. I will send a letter to the BBB, the NY Attorney General, the UT Attorney General and the Department of Consumer Affairs.

As a nation we are in deep trouble. If a credit card company can just raise my rate because they feel like it I am positive that 99% of their customers are also paying 36.1%. How many other credit card companies are doing this to innocent people? We need to fight back. I am going to tell as many people as I can.

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do except payoff the card. I was told I am a high credit risk. I paid the bill in full after I realized the rate was so high and the next month I received another bill for more finance charges for about $255. I paid that bill in full. I just received another bill in the mail for $5.65 and my rate was changed to 37.99%. Another point higher.

I had a few minutes so I called again to see why the rate went up again and they said “Sir, you have been classified as a very high credit risk and as a company we can’t risk you not paying your bill with us.” I said “I just paid my bill in full with your company, I have never had a late payment with your company in three years, I have one mortgage on my house for $290K, 25 years left at a fixed rate of 5.375% and it is worth over $500k and almost zero credit card debt personally. I am in the fastest growing industry right now, CNBC expects the debt collection industry to grow at 25% a year for the next decade. What else would I have to do to receive a better rate?” The extremely rude lady said “Sir, you would need to send a letter to Santa Clause and maybe he can help you out.”

The Government should put a maximum rate in place for the next year or so on all credit card debt. If the credit card companies are truly worried about consumers defaulting on their obligations, wouldn’t it make more sense to lower the rate so we can continue to make the payments? By raising the rate, it only makes it harder to pay and more likely that a consumer will default. The credit card companies are preying on the weak right now hoping you don’t pay so they can pound you with the highest interest rate. When you do default, they now have a higher balance to sell to a collection agency. In my eyes, this is a crime.

The Government doesn’t care either. Instead of giving the banks 350 billion dollars, They could have sent $1151.98 to each US citizen to pay towards credit card debt. The banks still get the money but we the people get a little break on our bill. The average family of four would receive $4607.92 to pay off a credit card. They reason that the banks need the money so they can lend money again to us? Are they crazy? All the banks did was raise the interest rates on our cards and pocket the money without ever having to say what the money went towards. No accountability!

Now the geniuses in Washington are considering giving billions to the auto industry so they can produce more shit cars that we can’t afford. How about giving the money to everybody with a current auto loan so we can pay for the car we already have. The money would still flow to the banks and auto makers via we the people.

Good luck America, your gonna need a miracle.

I feel better now. I was very upset prior to writing this blog. I hope everybody reading this realizes that if it can happen to me it can happen to anybody.

John Monderine Rapid Recovery Solution, Inc.

I ask what is going on here in the USA? I am not a financial genius and I could be wrong but this is the way I see it. First we bailed out the banks because they gave out too many bad loans. These people who are financial geniuses gave out loans to people who could not afford them, hoping things would get better and the people could pay their Bills. Basically what they did was gambling. Its like me going to Las Vegas betting over and over on red figuring it will come up eventually and when it never does and I lose all my Money. I then go and ask for all of it back plus more! The Banks who gave the Mortgages where given a bail out of around 600 Billion Dollars so they could stay in business. Now as I have read for around half of that the Government could have paid off all those bad loans and helped poor American Families keep their homes. If all the bad loans where paid then would not that take care of all the Banks problems? Instead they gave super rich bankers who mad bad choices lots of Money so they can continue to make the same decisions that failed before and live their incredible lives that most of us can only dream about.

Now we have the same thing going on with the Auto industry. I do not understand why we would bail them out. It seems to me that if you run a business and you fail, well then you fail. Aren’t these the same auto makers who over charge us for their cars? I can not believe none these manufactures can make a car that will last much longer and run on less gas or some other type of cheaper fuel. The Auto industry and the men who run it have been a major controlling factor in the world for many years. Aren’t these the same Auto Tycoons that we have heard stories about them keeping all the new smaller car companies from starting up or “buying up” any competitor who comes up with a better Motor Vehicle for over the last half century? The story of Tucker and his dream of making a better car for hard working Americans, Was that not a true Story?

If these Auto Companies where left to go out of Business many Americans who work at these Companies factories would lose their jobs. I do care and understand that it would be very hard on them. Right now is a tough time for all Americans. But I believe that before the dust could even settle from these companies collapse, We would have many small car manufactures starting up making much better cars at lower prices. These cars would last many years longer then the current ones we drive and I can only guess would run much further on a gallon of gas or some other cheaper fuel source. I would bet that fuel would be much better for the environment. Soon after with the huge super powerful big Three of the auto industry no longer in control and maybe crushing any small start up auto manufacturers, We would have hundreds of small car companies all across the Country and soon many more jobs for everyone along with much better automobiles to drive around in that burn cleaner fuels. Who knows maybe we could even get those dam flying cars we where all promised as Kids!

This is a hard time for this country. I think it is evident in the choices the American people have made as of recent, that we now know we can no longer have the same people in power making the same mistakes. These companies and the people that have been controlling this Country have lead us down this road. It looks to me that now that we have reached the end of the road and there is a cliff. Those that have been leading us are now asking us all to trust them and jump off that cliff and fill in the gap so they can walk over us and allow them to continue leading the way !

The idea of this country has always been if you can build a better Mouse trap you can become a Millionaire.What it looks like to me is these people did not allow any one else to build a better Mouse trap. Then they sold the only traps available making them so they would last only a short time, While charging a real high price for them. It has got to the point where the people can not afford to buy new Mouse traps when the old ones brake and have decided they will either try to fix the old ones or just live with the mice. They need their money for other things more important then new Mouse Traps. Now like in the case of the auto Companies they are asking the Government to give them the Money the people can no longer afford to spend on their products.

Now is not the Money they are asking to be given the hard earned Money the Government has taken from the same people in Taxes who can no longer afford to buy these products! These Companies are getting the hard earned Money of the American People who can no longer afford to buy these over priced Vehicles, That last a much shorter time then the ones made 50 years ago. Now our Government who has been over taxing us for years is thinking about giving away 15 Billion dollars of our money.

What charities and programs are we going to have to cut so these Auto tycoons who have houses all over the world, Their own private Jets and pretty much anything they have ever wanted continue to get richer? Will this money come from our Schools? What about the Hungry Children of the USA? What about all those people who are out of work and those that are going to lose their homes the banks are foreclosing on? I bet 15 Billion dollars could really help them out.

America is the land of dreams. It is the Country where a man can be poor one day and rich the next if he has a good idea. There is nothing that says if you have a great Idea and then you make a Mistake and lose everything the Government will bail you out! We are not helping the poor Auto factory workers here, They most likely will loose his jobs any way. We are only helping the Rich Auto Tycoons to be able to pay for all their many luxuries! Do I think our Government will bail them out? Well to that all I have to say is take a look at who funded many of today’s politicians campaign and then you will have your answer?

Again I am not a financial Genius and I may have this all wrong I am only Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com

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Identity theft is the fastest-growing white-collar crime in the US, and it often has devastating effects on those that become its victim. Take the necessary steps today to ensure that you do not become identity thefts next victim.