“The Bead” Blog by Abacus Credit Counseling
Pro Bono Legal Assistance
General Money Management
Saving Money
Fraud Protection and Banking
Credit Reports and Credit Scores
Improving Your Credit Score
Information on Bankruptcy

“The Bead” Blog by Abacus Credit Counseling

Abacus provides an online blog, "The Bead," for interesting articles about saving money and financial options, and our resources page for information about saving, credit cards and credit scores.

Visit the blog at: abacuscc.blogspot.com.

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Pro Bono Legal Assistance

Should you need legal assistance in filing bankruptcy or in other matters, you may qualify for discounted or free ("pro bono") assistance. The following groups may provide pro bono services in your area:
In addition to these organizations, or if you live outside the areas listed below, you may try contacting the local bar association of the nearest metropolitan area.

Public Counsel, serving Southern California
http://www.publiccounsel.org

Legal Services of New Jersey, serving New Jersey
http://www.lsnj.org/

Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, serving the Chicago area
http://www.lafchicago.org

Dade County Bar Association, serving the Miami area
http://www.dadecountybar.org/public_service.htm

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General Money Management

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC is a federal government agency that focuses on administering consumer protection laws. This website contains a great deal of useful information for consumers about how to get out of debt, save money, and report fraudulent consumer practices. Especially useful are the free, downloadable brochures (e.g., "Solving Consumer Problems," "Knee Deep in Debt," and "66 Ways to Save Money").
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm

Office of Financial Education Newsletter

The Office of Financial Education, a division of the Treasury Department, distributes a monthly e-mail newsletter with information about how to make better personal financial management decisions.
http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/financial-institution/fin-education

CNNMoney's Money101

This site provides a guide on personal financial management.
http://money.cnn.com/pf/101/

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Saving Money

Consumer Action Handbook

This handbook, published by the Federal Citizen Information Center, provides advice about how to make the best purchases when shopping for a car, home accessory, etc. In addition, it provides information about where to file a consumer complaint.
http://www.consumeraction.gov

Consumer Reports Magazine

Consumers Union, an independent, non-profit organization that tests consumer products and reports on their characteristics to consumers, publishes Consumer Reports Magazine and maintains the consumerreports.org website. This magazine and website provide useful product information to potential buyers, including product prices, usability ratings, safety ratings, and product characteristics. Consumer Reports covers practically all products, from cars to sewing machines.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home.htm

GasBuddy.com

This website provides up-to-date information about where to find the cheapest gas prices in your neighborhood.
http://gasbuddy.com

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

This U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development site provides information about renter/homebuyer rights, housing assistance programs, and assistance with home improvements.
http://www.hud.gov

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Fraud Protection and Banking

Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Resource

Discusses how to deter, detect and defend against identity theft.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft

National Consumers League

This site, sponsored by the National Consumers League, provides information about how consumers can protect themselves against telemarketing and internet fraud and other safety/regulatory issues.
http://www.nclnet.org

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

This organization provides information about how your savings are insured by the Federal Government, how to save on ATM fees, and other investment information.
http://www.fdic.gov/

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Credit Reports and Credit Scores

What is a credit score?

Technically speaking, a credit score is a three-digit number based on your history of paying bills and debt profile that lenders (such as credit card companies and banks) use to determine the likelihood of whether you will pay on time. Your credit score is key information that you need to have a complete understanding of your credit profile. It impacts whether a lender will decide to extend credit to you and the interest rate that you will have pay to borrow money. It is important to know your credit score to be able to question the accuracy of the score. If there is incorrect information included in the credit history being used to generate the score, you can challenge that information to correct the record and your score. Knowing your credit score may also help to negotiate the best rates with lenders.

Knowing Your Credit Score

Equifax, Experian, and Transunion are the three major credit bureaus that issue credit reports. Their sites provide information about the types of information on a credit report and they provide credit scores for a nominal fee.

Equifax
http://www.equifax.com

Experian
http://www.experian.com

TransUnion
http://www.transunion.com

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Improving Your Credit Score

SmartMoney recently published an article with tips on improving your credit score.
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/debt/Declaring-Bankruptcy-Can-Improve-Your-Credit-Score-20681

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Information on Bankruptcy

"The Bankruptcy Rules"

SmartMoney published this interesting article explaining "the bankruptcy rules," including what your should consider before filing, the differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and what happens after bankruptcy.
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/debt/understanding-the-bankruptcy-rules-15647

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