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| The Unofficial Guide Reader's Bill of Rights | |
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| The Unofficial Guide Panel of Experts | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Easy Money | |
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| Credit Basics | |
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| Credit 101 | |
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| How Much Is It Going to Cost? | |
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| Truth in Lending | |
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| Can You Afford It? | |
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| Shop Around | |
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| Consumer Leasing | |
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| Types of Credit | |
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| Getting Credit | |
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| Borrowing for the First Time | |
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| Credit Application Tips | |
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| What If You're Turned Down? | |
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| Your Credit Worthiness | |
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| Credit Issues for Women | |
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| Discrimination Against Women | |
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| Develop Your Own Credit History | |
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| Joint Obligations and Assets | |
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| Divorce or Separation | |
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| Taking Responsibility for Other People's Credit | |
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| Cosigning a Loan | |
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| Children and Credit | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Money, Money Everywhere | |
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| Common Types of Loans | |
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| Home Mortgage | |
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| Home Equity Loan | |
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| Auto Loan | |
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| Student Loan | |
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| Sources of Money | |
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| Banks and Savings and Loan Associations | |
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| Credit Unions | |
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| Retirement Plans | |
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| Life Insurance | |
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| IRAs | |
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| Credit Cards: Plastic Explosives! | |
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| Bankcards | |
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| Store Cards | |
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| Travel and Entertainment Cards | |
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| Affinity/Hybrid Cards | |
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| Online Cards | |
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| Debit Cards | |
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| How Many Cards Are Enough? | |
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| Other Sources of Money | |
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| Finance Companies | |
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| Other Second-Mortgage Lenders | |
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| Loans in the Mail | |
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| Loans from Phone Solicitations | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Protecting Yourself and Your Credit | |
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| Stay Current with Your Debts | |
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| Follow the Instructions | |
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| Check Your Statement Promptly | |
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| Set Up a System | |
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| Setting Your Priorities | |
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| Help from the Consumer Credit Protection Act | |
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| Leveling the Playing Field with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act | |
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| Know Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Billing Act | |
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| How to Resolve Billing Errors and Disputes | |
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| Write to Your Creditor | |
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| Pay the Part of the Bill Not in Dispute | |
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| What Your Creditor Must Do | |
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| Still Not Satisfied? Don't Give Up | |
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| How to Stop Payment on Your Credit Card | |
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| How to Enforce Your Rights | |
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| Protecting Yourself Against Fraud | |
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| Credit Card Theft and Fraud | |
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| Other Fraud and Theft | |
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| Identity Theft | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Credit, Debt, and the Internet | |
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| Instant Money, Instant Debt | |
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| Electronic Fund Transfers | |
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| Automatic Teller Machines | |
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| Telephone Transfers | |
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| Debit Cards | |
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| Preauthorized Transfers | |
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| PC Home Banking | |
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| Online Credit Cards | |
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| Smart Cards | |
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| The Electronic Fund Transfer Act | |
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| The Internet | |
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| The Good | |
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| The Bad | |
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| Security Issues | |
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| Privacy | |
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| Cyber Debt | |
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| ...And the Ugly | |
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| The Top Ten Frauds | |
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| Fake Web Sites | |
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| Avoiding Internet Fraud | |
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| Where to Go for Help | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Your Credit History | |
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| Your Credit Report | |
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| Importance of a Good Credit History | |
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| Credit Reporting Agencies | |
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| Why They Keep Files on You | |
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| Who Can See Your Files? | |
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| Prescreening | |
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| The Big Three Credit Agencies | |
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| Your Rights to Review Your Report | |
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| The Fair Credit Reporting Act | |
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| How to Request a Copy | |
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| Standard Credit Report Elements | |
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| Consumer Identifying Information | |
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| Public Records | |
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| Collection Agency Account Information | |
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| Credit Account Information | |
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| Inquiries | |
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| Understanding Your Report | |
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| Positive Information | |
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| Negative Information | |
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| Need Help? Contact the Credit Bureau | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Repairing Your Credit Report | |
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| Reviewing Your Credit Report | |
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| Is It Really You? | |
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| Accounts That Aren't Yours | |
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| Legal Actions That Aren't Yours | |
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| "Closed by Consumer" Accounts | |
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| Incorrect Late Payments | |
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| Duplicate Submissions | |
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| Closed Accounts | |
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| Correcting Mistakes | |
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| Credit Repair Services | |
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| Do-It-Yourself Repairs | |
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| How to Use the "Consumer Statement" | |
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| Creating Your Own Report | |
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| Your Legal Rights | |
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| Divorce and Your Credit Report | |
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| Credit Report Monitoring Services | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| In Over Your Head | |
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| The Credit Crunch | |
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| Frequent Causes of Money Problems | |
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| Divorce | |
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| Job Loss | |
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| Medical Bills | |
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| Other Events | |
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| Frequent Borrowing Mistakes | |
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| That Sinking Feeling | |
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| Common Danger Signals | |
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| How Much Do You Owe? | |
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| Your Debt-to-Income Ratio | |
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| Your Current Ratio | |
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| What Are Realistic Limits on Your Credit? | |
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| Who Gets into Debt? | |
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| Responsible | |
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| Situational | |
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| Chronic | |
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| Combination | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Credit Problem Psychology | |
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| Identifying the Causes of Credit Problems | |
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| Are You a Compulsive Spender? | |
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| What Motivates Bad Spending Habits? | |
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| Is This Really a Money Problem? | |
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| Online Addiction | |
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| How to Deal with Your Problems | |
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| Accepting Responsibility | |
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| Don't Blame Others | |
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| Making Changes | |
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| Breaking Old Habits | |
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| Creating New, Healthier Habits | |
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| Keep an Open Mind | |
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| Discussing Your Problem | |
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| Restoring Your Self-esteem | |
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| Dealing with Anxiety | |
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| Maintaining a Healthy Sense of Humor | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Time for Action | |
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| Getting Your Act Together | |
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| Changing Your Attitudes About Credit | |
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| Look at Your Lifestyle | |
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| Forego Short-Term Pleasure | |
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| Develop Sound, Long-Range Goals | |
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| Eliminate Your Access to Credit | |
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| Budgets vs. Spending Plans | |
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| Identify Monthly Expenses | |
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| Prepare Your Monthly Budget | |
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| How to Evaluate Your Budget | |
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| Use Your Budget as a Guide | |
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| Your Spending Plan | |
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| Tips for Reducing Expenses | |
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| Try Using Cash | |
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| Tips for Increasing Your Income | |
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| Don't Give Up | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Dealing with Creditors | |
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| Determining Your Current Debt Situation | |
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| Early Stage | |
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| Middle Stage | |
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| Late Stage | |
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| How to Negotiate with Creditors | |
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| Develop a Plan | |
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| Implementing Your Plan | |
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| Fixed Loans | |
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| How to Keep Your Car | |
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| How to Keep Your Home | |
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| Charged-Off Accounts | |
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| Your Creditors and Their Options | |
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| Informal Collection | |
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| Bill Collectors | |
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| Court Proceedings | |
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| Judicial Weapons | |
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| The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act | |
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| How Collectors May Contact You | |
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| What They Must Tell You | |
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| How You Can Stop Them | |
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| What Bill Collectors Can't Do | |
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| Harassment | |
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| False Statements | |
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| Unfair Practices | |
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| Tips for Dealing with Bill Collectors | |
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| Your Rights and How to Protect Them | |
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| The IRS | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Help is on the Way | |
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| Where to Go for Assistance | |
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| Need Help? | |
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| Nonprofit Services | |
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| National Foundation for Consumer Credit | |
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| Consumer Credit Counseling Services | |
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| What They Offer | |
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| Who's Eligible? | |
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| Your Budget | |
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| The Debt Management Program | |
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| Your Responsibilities | |
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| Your Rights | |
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| Debt Counselors of America | |
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| What They Offer | |
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| Something Special | |
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| Genus Credit Management | |
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| What They Offer | |
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| Is Genus for You? | |
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| Debtors Anonymous--For Compulsive Spenders | |
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| What Is Debtors Anonymous? | |
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| Is D.A. Right for You? | |
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| Tools | |
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| How to Contact Debtors Anonymous | |
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| Money 2000 | |
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| Other Free (or Inexpensive) Advice | |
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| For-profit Counseling Services | |
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| What to Avoid | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Climbing Back Up | |
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| Getting Started | |
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| Payment Strategies | |
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| Pay Off Smaller Debts First | |
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| Pay Off High-Rate Debts First | |
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| Using Your Savings | |
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| Restructuring | |
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| Your Debt Consolidation Options | |
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| Credit Card Surfing | |
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| Home Equity Loans | |
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| Second Mortgages | |
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| Home Equity Line of Credit | |
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| Tapping Your Retirement Plan | |
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| Life Insurance | |
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| Turning to Family or Friends | |
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| What to Avoid | |
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| Stay on Course | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Bankruptcy | |
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| Bankruptcy--Your Last Resort | |
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| Bankruptcy 101 | |
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| A Brief History | |
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| Something's Wrong | |
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| What Is Bankruptcy? | |
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| Disadvantages | |
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| When Is Bankruptcy Appropriate? | |
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| How Does Bankruptcy Work? | |
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| Types of Bankruptcy | |
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| Chapter 7 Bankruptcy | |
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| Chapter 13 Bankruptcy | |
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| Causes of Bankruptcy | |
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| What Triggers Bankruptcy? | |
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| Your Choices | |
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| Do Nothing | |
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| Negotiate with Your Creditors | |
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| Get Outside Help | |
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| Does Bankruptcy Make Sense? | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Bankruptcy--Chapter and Verse | |
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| How to Decide Which Way to Go | |
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| Previous Bankruptcy Discharge | |
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| You Don't Want to Hurt a Cosigner | |
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| If You've Tried to Beat the System | |
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| "Liquidation Bankruptcy" Chapter 7 | |
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| Filing the Petition | |
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| The Automatic Stay | |
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| The Bankruptcy Trustee | |
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| Discharge of Debt | |
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| What's Exempt | |
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| What's Not Exempt | |
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| "Wage Earner Bankruptcy" Chapter 13 | |
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| Filing the Petition | |
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| Court Appearances | |
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| Discharge of Debt | |
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| Extenuating Circumstances | |
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| Keep Your Home--Maybe | |
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| The Homestead Exemption | |
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| Foreclosure | |
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| Is There Life After Bankruptcy? | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Reestablishing Your Credit | |
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| Up from the Ashes | |
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| Catch-22 Again | |
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| Check Your Credit Report | |
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| How Long Will This Take? | |
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| What to Avoid | |
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| Credit Repair | |
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| Other Things to Avoid | |
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| Pay Off Your Debts | |
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| Credit Rating Builders | |
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| Take Out a New Loan--Really! | |
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| Be Creative | |
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| Getting New Plastic | |
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| Department Store | |
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| Gasoline Cards | |
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| Secured Credit Cards | |
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| What You Should Know | |
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| The Best Deals | |
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| Important Factors | |
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| What to Avoid | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Avoiding Future Problems | |
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| Develop New Financial Goals | |
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| Limit Your Use of Credit | |
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| Wise Use of Credit | |
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| Your Car | |
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| The Internet | |
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| The Float | |
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| Cool Cash | |
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| Establish Sound Savings Habits | |
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| Create an Emergency Fund | |
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| General Savings | |
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| Begin Retirement Savings | |
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| Other Investments | |
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| The Wonders of Prepayment | |
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| Which Debts Should You Prepay? | |
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| Strategies to Use | |
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| What About Prepayment Penalties? | |
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| Streamline Your Finances | |
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| Direct Deposits | |
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| Automatic Bill Payments | |
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| Building on Your Success | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| One More Step | |
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| What Have You Learned? | |
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| Waking Up from the American Dream | |
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| Rich in Things--Poor in Spirit | |
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| You Can't Buy Happiness | |
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| Sobering Statistics | |
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| Same Money-Saving Ideas, New Perspective | |
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| Look at Your Lifestyle | |
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| Where Else Can You Save? | |
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| Escape from Affluenza | |
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| Where Do You Go from Here? | |
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| Downshifting | |
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| Voluntary Simplicity | |
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| A New American Dream | |
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| It's Only Money | |
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| Just the Facts | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Resource Guide | |
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| Recommended Reading List | |
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| Important Documents | |
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| Index | |