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Friday, December 5, 2008

Information On Medical Malpractice Topics

By Chris Channing

Medical malpractice is an important subject to keep up on- especially for patients undergoing surgery or even those who already have. Should a patient discover a physician has given improper medication or has otherwise made an accident that caused problems, the patient can seek a reward.

If a physician makes a mistake is some shape or form, they need to confess to their accident and be prepared to better the situation. Even an act as accidental as prescribing the wrong medication can lead to a vast sum of money in terms of reward to the recipient. Clearly, medical malpractice deals with very important issues and should not be taken lightly by either party.

It is sometimes concern that those being sued don't have the money to pay the reward being sought. This isn't the case with physicians, since most are required to have medical malpractice insurance to protect themselves with. This means that insurance companies will be paying for the penalty of the physician- who also has to pay a deductible and will likely face increased premiums from the ordeal.

Once some patients take a look at how much a medical malpractice attorney charges, they will give second thought in hiring one. However, representing one's self is poor idea due to lack of experience, and normal lawyers may not have the necessary experience to argue a proper case in medical malpractice. In this case, it's best to bite the bullet and hope for the best.

The average cost of a medical malpractice attorney is going to be somewhat high, since the amount of money that is going to be won by the patient is usually quite large in sum. Since the patient has more to gain, or even more to lose, a lot is dependent upon the attorney's ability to argue the situation, make a clear and present case, and present a compelling list of backup arguments to win the judge or jury over.

Medical malpractice attorneys are more abundant than what most would think. In larger cities, a consumer has many choices to choose from- but can also go online to find more results for medical malpractice attorneys. Either which way, get quotes and document experience from each firm to decide who to side with, and to see who has best odds in winning the case at hand.

Final Thoughts

When trying to get medical malpractice compensation, keep in mind that the process is going to be long and trying. The legal system isn't always the fastest, not to mention that doctors usually have access to excellent lawyers. One may wish to settle outside of court to bypass the fees; a decision best discussed with legal counsel.

Continental Finance MasterCard - Bad Credit MasterCard

By Dan Moskel

The Continental Finance MasterCard is an unsecured sub prime credit card. This means that this card is designed specifically for individuals with a low credit score.

When this card is issued it will give you an initial limit of $300. You will be able to receive semi-annual increases to your limit, with a maximum limit of $2000.

This card does report monthly to all three credit bureaus. It is frequently used as a second chance credit card.

This card can help your credit score because by paying your monthly bill you will create a positive payment history. In addition by opening this account it will improve your ratio of credit to debt.

If you can improve these two factors you will improve your score. This is because these two factors are weighted almost as much as derogatory items on your credit report.

Your card is unsecured and that means that you do not have to put any money down to be extended this credit line. However you will be charged an annual fee, unfortunately with a damaged score every card that is available will have some fees.

The benefit of this card is the very low 9.75% APR. The industry standard on sub prime cards is just under 20%. Your card can be used at millions of locations across the globe.

There is an easy approval process, and can be used by people with a bankruptcy on their credit history. You will get the results of your application with seconds of completing it online.

The card is issued by The First Bank of Delaware. This bank has been a leader in sub prime lending for years.

You will also have online account access with your card. You will be responsible to keep your balance below your credit limit and to pay your monthly bill just like any card.

With a sub prime credit rating your other options include a secured credit card. This is a good choice however the account is reported to the credit bureaus as a secured account and you will receive less benefit to your score because it is secured.

Or you can get a shopping card. We do not suggest these cards because they come with monthly fees, a large deposit and often only report to one bureau.

In sum we do suggest the Continental Finance MasterCard to anyone looking to re-establish their credit rating. This card will help by improving your ratio of debt to available credit and can build you a positive payment history.

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Improve Your Credit Score

By John Cooper

Improving your credit score can seem like an impossible task. This is because there is so much contradictory information and the scoring model makes you feel as though you have no direct control over your credit score.

Well they are wrong. No matter how bad your credit score is you can take a couple easy steps and improve it.

1. Disputing and removing bad credit items on your report. You can do this yourself or hire a service but it will help your score the most.

2. If you have a bad credit item verified or delinquent account then pay them. Work out a payment plan and have them remove the negative credit item in exchange for your payment.

3. Pay your bills on time. It is estimated that missing a payment can damage a good score by up to 50 points.

4. Open a new line of credit. You will get the most benefit if this is a revolving line of credit. We recommend an unsecured credit card.

This will also help you build a positive payment history by paying your monthly bill. However if you can not qualify for an unsecured credit card then open a secured card, but make sure it reports to all 3 bureaus.

In addition by keeping your balance at approximately 10% of the credit limit it will build the most credit. This shows that you use your credit and use it responsibly.

5. Pay down you large debts. This will help your ratio of available credit to debt. The bureaus want to see that you are not in over your head and the best way to show this to them is by having available credit.

These are the only factors you should focus on when improving your credit score. There is one last tip that is surrounded in controversy.

6. Piggyback credit, this is where you become an authorized user on a high credit limit credit card. The benefit is this account is now reported on your credit report and adding a tremendous boost.

This tactic was widely abused and the scoring model has made some changes. It is said to have removed the benefit however it is debated as to if those changes have taken place yet.

In sum, focus on steps one through five and you are on your way to a 700 credit score. You don't have to live with bad credit you can increase your score and your quality of life.

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Money And Stress - Find Hidden Money, Time And Simplify Your Life

By Christina Helwig

Take a good look around your life. Can you simplify the processes you use to complete your tasks and projects in anyway? How cluttered is your home? Your desk? Your calendar? Your bills, etc.

When you simplify you ease the pressure that life places on you. You clear away pressures and or items that get in your way of living at your highest level. You cannot think and function properly if you are stumbling over items piles of bills, unfinished work, multiple projects, a cluttered schedule and other "stuff" that you do not actually need or want.

To have a clear mind and the freedom to use your time efficiently to you need to simplify your life. You need to get rid of all the "junk" in your home that you have to move around for no reason. Right away you should clear yourself a work space in your home. This space needs to be completely yours and clean at all times. This area should be quiet and preferably be somewhere that you can shut a door and work by yourself.

In addition to cleaning up and simplifying your home you should take a good look at the activities that you have committed your time to. Often in the soccer mom culture we over-extend ourselves time wise. We say "yes" to dinner with a friend when we really just want to have a night off. We over schedule our children's schedules and by default our own time since we are responsible for driving them around and preparing them for events.

What have you said "sure" too lately that you don't really want to be involved in? Make a list of all your projects and cross off ones that are not important. This includes doing things like shopping. In many cities you can pay ten bucks and have all your groceries delivered to you. The 1 1/2 to 2 hours you used to spend at the store can now be spent working on your important projects. Continue with this activity until you free up over 10 hours a week to spend working on your goals.

If you are living with a significant other see if the chores are evenly spread between you and your partner. If they are not - redistribute them evenly or hire someone to do the things that you hate doing. Or trade time with a friend for something they do well and you do poorly. Both you and your partner deserve to have free time to work on your goals. Working as a team allows each of you to have time to work on projects that are important to each of you. Your spouse will be much happier and so will you.

An area that always needs critical attention is your finances. Are there things in your monthly budget that you do not need or really don't have the money for? Are you paying for services that you do not use? What about your home and cell phone? Do you actually use both? Can you switch insurance to save money? How much food are you buying that just ends up being tossed out? If the family won't eat a certain food, then don't buy it. Surprisingly, wasted food is a major expense for many families.

Simplifying is to take stress off your life both mentally and financially. The additional cash that you "discover" once you have reduced your obligations, you should use to work on your goals. Before you might have believed that you could not afford to put any money towards your goals . . . simplifying your life will give you room in your budget to afford to pay for projects you care about. Even if it you can only find $20 a month to spend on your goals that is good start. Over time you will make choices and decide whether a going out for to eat or putting that money towards your chosen goal is the correct decision.

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Learn The Down side About Creditors

By Caden Flynn

Credit cards can be a great thing, but if you fall into debt with them, you will soon learn the down side about creditors. Creditors have loaned money in the form of credit lines to consumers, often in the form of major credit cards. When you do not pay off your credit card balance in a timely manner, these creditors turn over your account to collection agencies, and finally it goes to court.

If you are currently looking for a credit card, make sure you understand how they work. Credit cards are a big responsibility, especially with the threat of identity theft nowadays. Not only do you need to worry about others using your card, but you also need to ensure that you are using it responsibly yourself. It should be used for necessities and emergencies, such as getting behind on bills or paying for car repairs. The interest you'll pay by using your credit card is worth the convenience of being able to pay for these necessary costs.

If you do need to charge a lot for a big emergency, try to pay it off as soon as possible, even in many small amounts.

If you end up using the card to pay for items like groceries because your paycheck could not stretch far enough, try buying items that are on sale, or generic brands, to avoid charging more than you have to. Only charge enough to last until you'll have you next paycheck and can pay cash. Of course, don't spend more than you make, but you shouldn't starve if you have a credit card as backup.

Emergency situations are the perfect time to use your card. Medical expenses are one example of a large fee which you can put on your card, provided that it does not go over your credit limit. However, you should seek health insurance to avoid having to charge such large bills, as they can take a long time to pay off and you will pay a lot in interest.

There are other, less critical, reasons to use a credit card. This includes traveling, since it is not wise to carry a lot of cash with you, especially when going somewhere unfamiliar. But you should keep in mind that each of your transactions while traveling will cost you interest and fees, so try to keep your overseas purchases to a minimum.

If you are beginning your search for a credit card online, make sure that you understand the fees. Do not run up a large balance, because if you're unable to pay it, you'll have to deal with collections agencies. Many collections agencies use unethical or even illegal methods to get into your undisputed or disputed accounts just so you can pay your debt. Know your rights and the laws before accepting a credit card, and review them if you find yourself in debt, since credit card can surely affect your credit score in the future. With that said, credit cards can be a very valuable resource, and they come in handy during many situations.

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Do It Yourself Credit Repair

By Mike Carbeck

Many people mistakenly believe that they only need to go through an agency, for any hope of credit repair. Please be assured this is not always the case. It is entirely possible that it will cost you more time and money to go through an agency, than it would be to do it on your own. However, before contacting an agency for help follow the steps below and you may be surprised at the results.

Repairing credit on a do-it-yourself basis takes time, patience and dedication. Your first step is to contact the credit reporting agencies in writing and request a copy of your credit report. By Federal Law, you are entitled to this information free of charge every year. The top three credit agencies are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experion, you can find out information about these agencies by doing an Internet search under "Credit Reporting Agencies", or you can even look through the phone book. Be sure to include the following information in your letter to the credit agency:

1.) A request in writing for a copy of your credit report (You are entitled to one free report per year) 2.) A copy of your state issued ID or Drivers License 3.) Proof of your current address if the information is not on your ID or Drivers License 4.) A list of your last known addresses for a period of 5 years 5.) A copy of your social security card 6.) Also make sure to sign the document

You then need to allow 4-6 weeks for you to receive your credit reports. If you have already gotten an annual credit report from another agency, and are not eligible for a free yearly report, you could also receive a letter of denial within sixty days of receipt. If you get a denial letter, copy it and enclose this with your written request as well.

Once you get your reports from all the agencies, you need to sit down and review each one. Make sure the information contained is accurate. Use a spreadsheet or written log to track any differences you may note. Do not hesitate to launch a dispute if you find something on these reports that is invalid or wrong. The agencies will allow you to file an official dispute request online. Your credit reports need to include contact and account information for each separate creditor. Organize this list of your debts and creditors. Most debts that are 7 years or older, may not even appear on your report. Most creditors who do not have any contact with you after 7 years will write off the debt. Some may continue to try and find you, either way leave well enough alone and if something is not listed then do not question it.

You can take it upon yourself to contact a creditor and make payments on an installment basis, if they are willing to work with you. Some may make it very difficult and will demand immediate payment in full. If a creditor is being unreasonable, feel free to speak to their supervisor. Expect that some creditors will be downright rude and obnoxious, do not let this discourage you, just ask to talk to someone else. Keep a written log of conversations and note the name and contact information of the person you speak with every single time.

It may take a while to feel like you are making any real progress, but with your payment arrangement, your credit will fall into place within twelve months or less.

It is extremely important to note that while you are making payments to your creditors, when you mail in the payment, you keep a copy of all your receipts. Always include a self addressed stamped envelop with your payments and request a return receipt from your creditor.

Always get annual copies of your credit report from each agency. Do not over obligate yourself to any other creditors while making payments to another. You may even receive several credit offers in the interim. Learn how to eliminate creditors and throw them out. Keep yourself focused on the goal of getting yourself out of debt and keep track of payments and contact information, dates, times and names of who you speak with.

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Please Help Me Get Out of Credit Card Debt

By James Johnson

With not enough money at the end of each month, you may find yourself charging more and more of life's necessities. Help me get out of credit card debt is an issue haunting many people these days as personal finances are continually eroded by rapidly rising prices in everything from food to gas. Paying only the minimum due on high interest credit cards will result in your paying much more than you have actually spent and as such getting out of debt will continue to be a problem.


Getting yourself out of credit card debt is difficult but you need to commit yourself to a plan to pay the debt off. The faster you can pay off your credit debts now, the more money you will save yourself for the future.

Start your help me get out of debt program by making a list of what you owe, down to the penny. You can do this on paper by hand, or a spreadsheet on your computer, but you must account for everything. Include not only the balance due, but your monthly payments and how much it is costing you in interest. You will use this chart every month when you pay your credit cards.

Once youve established the amount of your total debt. It will be extremely helpful to start making extra payments to start getting it paid off as quickly as possible. One of the key elements to making your "help me get out of debt" plan work requires that you to make additional payments and when you don't do this, the plan wont work.


In case the number of dollars that you have for paying off your debts is limited then you must pay off the credit card bills with the smallest outstanding balances first. The reasoning behind this is, instead of adding a little bit to paying down several credit cards your goal will be to pay off one credit card at a time. This looks much better on your credit report and you will be solving your own help me get out of credit card debt" problem.


Completely paying off at least one credit card balance will have a positive psychological effect. By paying off even the one credit card, you will have eliminated a portion of your debts and you will feel like you are making progress toward your goal. This can encourage you to continue in your quest to get out of credit card debt.


Stay firm with your goal to pay off your credit card balances and in no time at all, you will not have to say, "help me to get out from under my credit card debt." You will have your finances back under your control and will be able to put your income to use for more important matters.

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Finding Inexpensive Computer Buys

By Chris Channing

With technology becoming more important to take advantage of with every passing decade, families and students will have need for a computer to keep up to date. But since computers and laptops are extremely expensive, finding one can be tough. Luckily there are some ways to get a piece of technology without sacrificing one's bank account.

The age old debate of obtaining a laptop versus obtaining a desktop is a long-winded one. Desktops are usually the best choice for family situations, since they allow for more power for less money. Laptops are a must for students and businessmen, who need the extra mobility in their school and places of employment.

When a consumer goes to buy a computer for the first time, they often hear the question "What would you like this computer to do for you?" In this case, this question is valid because depending on what a computer can perform, the price is going to change drastically. If you only need to read email and look at websites, a simple computer is all you need. Playing the latest video games or using advanced software will require more powerful and expensive computers.

If you need a good computer, but it's still too expensive, there are also other ways in obtaining them for a discount price. One way to do so is to catch electronics on sale at key points in the year. Christmas time is usually a season in which price drops are experienced- as well as "Black Friday"- a time after Thanksgiving in which large sales are seen. August is another important month, as students are going back to school and retailers give out moderate discounts.

Another option that very few people investigate is to go through a wholesaler to buy their computers. This can sometimes be less appealing, as some wholesalers won't have extended warranty plans, return policies, or other benefits a normal store would provide. This varies, however, and most wholesalers will have electronics at vastly discounted rates. Most wholesalers will also charge a membership fee, too- so keep that in mind as well.

One of the most valuable things that can lead to a discount is simply visiting online retailers and local retailers alike. Consumers will be surprised to learn that many times Internet retailers will have much cheaper prices, but will also see that local retailers will have special in-store discounts: so visiting both is a good idea to ensure one certain product is obtained at the cheapest price.

Closing Comments

The world of technology continues to grow each day, and with it prices are going down all the time on older bits of technology. Because of this fact, one can obtain a computer today with very little money; so it's recommended to get out there and buy one if you do indeed have a need for one.

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Erase Bad Credit

By John Cooper

You do not have to just wait for negative marks on your credit report to fall off. You can remove them and improve your credit score.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act that was passed by Congress gives you the right to dispute any item on your report. This act also makes it law that if the item is not verified by the creditor then the bureau must delete it from your credit report.

For you to dispute an item you must create a dispute letter. You can do this yourself or you can hire a service to do it on your behalf.

Upon receipt of a valid dispute letter the bureau will investigate the item. They will ask the creditor to verify the account, the balance and the dates of delinquency.

If the creator is unable to verify the account then it must be deleted from your report. The easiest items to remove have been learned to be a charge off, repossession and a late payment after they have aged for two years.

After two years the lender has received some form of payment. For example with a charged off credit card account the debt has been sold to a collection agency, and the lender has no need to save any record of your account.

Recent delinquent accounts, tax liens, judgments, and bankruptcies are more difficult to remove. If you have one of these marks then hiring a service is a good idea, because they have advanced dispute tactics.

If you have a service and your disputed item is verified then they can use advanced dispute techniques to remove the item. The techniques include; creditor direct intervention, escalated dispute information requests, and debt validation.

You can help your score by building positive credit too. This can be done by opening a new revolving line of credit such as an unsecured credit card. This will help you create a positive payment history and improve your available credit to debt ratio.

In sum, you should not wait seven years for credit repair to occur naturally. You can take steps today and rebuild your score.

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Budget Budging - The Key To A Debt Free Life

By Jenni Snook

There's one thing I must clear up before I begin this article. Your budget is not a source of restriction. You can construct the life you've always dreamt of with it.

It's possible that you don't like the term personal finance budgeting. Another term, personal finance planning, may also not be your cup of tea. I know I don't. Anything composed of more than 1 word has the capacity to overwhelm us.

Nevertheless, whether we do or don't like the term, it does not matter. What we must know is that we will benefit much more than if we were to completely disregard it.

Why is this true?

Because it us with important resources with which we can start to realistically create the life we all desire. Is there anyone who doesn't dream of debt-free lifestyle? You wouldn't be reading this sentence in this article right now if it wasn't the case.

So, how does one successfully build a life free of debt?

I will make this as least complicated as possible. Two simple words: Budget Budging. It's important that you never forget these 2 words because they will become a central part of your personal finance planning.

So what is budget budging?

It simply means that you take control of your budget rather than being controlled by it. The most important part of this is dictating your budget. If you are able to dictate your budget, then you can dictate your lifestyle. Simple as that.

It's important that you firstly come up with a budget that fits your needs and follow it. Record all the money you spend to the last, in whatever form it may be eg cash, cheque or credit card.

This is a great way to know for sure where all your money is going. It helps to find out what steps may be necessary to create a good and realistic budget for you. Nevertheless, it's important that it's a budget that allows you to live comfortably while eliminating your debt.

Eliminating waste should be the second thing you should do. You will soon discover, by evaluating all your expenses, that you are being wasteful with your money. It's important that you're ruthless during this process.

You might have to sacrifice some things. It can be helpful to think deeply about what you can really do without. Be honest with yourself. Don't hesitate to forego some luxuries that you don't really need.

The reason why people don't cut such waste is because they think short term. They think about the short term pain, not the long term gain.

As with many other things in life, personal finance budgeting will seem a bit complicated and difficult to manage at first, but after creating a great budget for yourself, you will soon realise that it was well worth doing.

Do you think that there's anything else that would make you happier than debt free life?

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