Will Rebate Checks Make a Difference?

Rebate checks might soon be in your mailbox. As part of President Bush's stimulus package, income tax filers will receive between $300 and $1200 come may. Congress hopes putting money in American's hands will boost the economy, but Senator John DeFrancisco of Syracuse believes this is only a short-term solution, and we need to look towards the future. A recent poll shows American's will spend the money paying bills, filling up the gas tank, and getting out of debt. DeFrancisco says taxes should be lowered instead of a one time rebate check.

Here is more information and some guidelines to find out if and how much you will be getting back.

Source: Associated Press

Beginning this spring, more than 130 million people will get rebate checks from the government in amounts from $300 to $1,200.

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Personal loans: help meet your personal expenses

(Best Syndication) Unsecured loans and personal loans are need of today's people. People have to take out loans In order to meet personal expenses. For the purpose, personal loans are demanding. People make efforts to avail loans for home improvement, business development, children's education, debt consolidation etc. you can get these loans for your long term and short-term purpose.

Personal loans can be secured and unsecured in nature. Secured loans are offered on the basis of collateral validation. Collateral is a thing that guarantees your loan repayment. On the basis of the placed item, you get the amount. Amount varies person to person since there is a variation in terms of the value of property. To the contrary the unsecured loan provisions which are obtained without any sort of pledging placing.

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Debt collector in the doldrums

SHARES in the nation's biggest debt collection agency, Credit Corp Group, collapsed yesterday, falling nearly 80 per cent after the company revealed its full-year profit would probably drop by almost 50 per cent.

Less than three months after its first profit warning, Credit Corp revealed that its full-year profit would be slashed by up to $9 million to $10-12 million -- and at least one analyst believes the company will not meet that revised target.

Management blamed the dramatic profit decline on a "substantial proportion" of recent debt ledger purchases failing to meet revenue expectations.

Debt collection agencies make their money from bidding for parcels of bad and doubtful debts, with the aim of recouping more than they paid for them.

Chairman Christopher Deane resigned immediately.

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Lawmakers irate over payday rates

"I still believe that they are the new loan sharks of the 21st century," she said.

Stories of quick cash and high interest rates like Medlock's are driving legislation at the Capitol this year to sock it to "predatory lenders."

"Not even the mob can charge as high of interest rates," said Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a Denver Democrat who announced a bill Thursday that would muzzle the industry. "This legislation will help hardworking men and women in Colorado who are living paycheck to paycheck."

In what they say is the toughest crackdown on payday lenders in the nation, lawmakers want to cap the annual interest rate on payday loans at 36 percent and prohibit lenders from giving people with unpaid loans more money. Lenders would have to check a database to see whether customers are already in debt.

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Project Lifeline to help East Tennesseans

Knoxville (WVLT) -- Project Lifeline is just the latest plan designed to help homeowners who are struggling to avoid foreclosure.

Almost every presidential candidate has already proposed a solution.

Volunteer TV's Rob Pratt has local reaction to the latest plan.

While many welcome any relief right now, at least one local expert doubts this plan or any other proposal will make much difference.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson stands with leaders of six major banks who have agreed to join the latest effort to help people who are close to losing their homes to foreclosure.

Director of UT's Center of Business and Economic Research Bill Fox says, "This is just kind of a public statement of what is in the banks best interest anyway."

Fox looks closely at the effect government plans like this will have on the economy.

Fox says whether it's this plan or the one proposed recently by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the impact is likely to be small, "The number of people who qualify is relatively limited in each of the proposals that are out there. But I think we need to keep in mind that the industry, like the government, has an incentive for people not to go in foreclosure."

Project Lifeline covers all types of mortgages.

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A Shortcut to Debt Free Life

(Best Syndication) There is no magical, mystical and ready-made formula available to lower your debt burden. The best solution is your common sense and having a plan for your own budget. Good plans aiming to reduce debt burden are 80% about your financial behavior and 20% about financial knowledge.

It is not a rocket science that will immediately propel all your debts in one shot. However, reducing your debt burden is easy though it takes time. Your behavior during this period is the greatest factor for the plan's success.

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Even collection agencies should be reasonable

A collection agency is asking me to pay a debt. I asked them for a payment plan but the agency wants the full amount of the debt. I tried to get a loan to pay them off but was denied.

I have decided to give up my car so I will have that extra money to pay on the debt. I informed the collector of this but the agency wants all the money.

I'm trying to eliminate different things from my budget, such as cable and my cell phone, so I can make this debt good. But how do I make the collector understand that I am trying to pay this? I don't know where to go from here. -- Esther

Dear Esther,

You've probably heard the expression "you just can't please some people." Your collector fits this category like a glove. I want you to stop worrying right now about pleasing this maniacal collector.

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What's in and what's out in a potential stimulus package from the ...

Congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson are narrowing their differences in search of a bipartisan economic stimulus deal that could move swiftly through Congress.

WHAT'S IN

_Tax rebates: Checks of at least $300 for all people earning a paycheck, including low-income earners who make too little to pay income taxes. Families with children would receive an additional $300 per child, while those paying income taxes could receive higher rebates. Rebates may be capped at $1,200 for couples with children.

_Business tax write-offs: Spurring business investments with so-called bonus depreciation, more generous expensing rules and a change to allow businesses suffering losses now to reclaim taxes previously paid.

_Housing rescue: Allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy loans larger than $417,000.

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