Debts are Like Children

St. Petersburg Debt Collection Attorneys reflect on a little Morning Debt Collection Humor.

Debts are like Children, the smaller they are, the more noise they make  (Old Spanish Proverb)

So... take the smallest debt making the most noise, pay it off, give yourself some relief, then start working on the bigger picture!

Need Debts Collected?

St. Petersburg Debt Collection Attorney Marcadis Singer, PA are ready to help.

Marcadis Singer, PA

Florida Collection Attorney

5104 South Westshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida 33611

info @ marcadislaw.com

(888) 547-1881

(813) 288-1881

New Clients 

Ext. 247 Gil Singer

Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis

Existing Client Client Liaison

Ext. 242

To Pay a Claim

Ext.  245

http://www.marcadislaw.com

Ft. Lauderdale Debt Collection Attorney

Good Morning Ft. Lauderdale.

Marcadis Singer, PA are debt collection attorneys in Florida, and collect from debtors in the beautiful city of Ft. Lauderdale.

We Collect the Money You Are Owed.

Marcadis Singer, PA

Florida Collection Attorney

5104 South Westshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida 33611

info @ marcadislaw.com

(888) 547-1881

(813) 288-1881

New Clients 

Ext. 247 Gil Singer

Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis

Existing Client Client Liaison

Ext. 242

To Pay a Claim

Ext.  245

http://www.marcadislaw.com

When the guys in the White Hats are really not on your side.

From ABC News, as a result of a Press Release from the Federal Trade Commission.

This is about the "credit repair" industry.  They aren't necessarily the guys in the white hats!

Frankly it "galls" us that as debt collection attorneys, we work hard to collect legitimate debt that individuals and corporations owe.  As a matter of internal policy, we are always respectful of the rights and situations of the debtors we contact.  Most have simply fallen behind, some were oversold credit, some lost their jobs.   Our experience though is that most would take care of their debt if given the right combination of time and motivation.  And the debt collection industry has a horrible reputation, and is subject to massive legislation.

Then there is the industry on the other side of the equation.  The guys supposedly wearing the white hats, the ones everyone loves.. Credit Repair Companies.  These folks are largely (although not entirely) unregulated, and many will take advantage of those who are desperate and can least afford their services.

So from the FTC through ABC News, here are the three worst things you can do with credit repair companies.

1.  NEVER pay in advance for credit repair and debt settlement services, its illegal.  Countless lawsuits have been filed against companies in this business that simple took the money and did.. absolutely nothing.  That's your hard earned money.. that could have really helped you by paying down some debt.

2.  Pay Credit Repair companies for what you can easily do your self.  A credit repair company that says they can get true, but unflattering infomration off of your credit report is flat out lieing to you.  If there is information on your credit report that isn't true, a simple letter from you is all it takes, not a high priced credit repair company.

3.  Paying for debt settlement services.  Here's the pitch.. are you ready... "Pay a voluntary contribution to our free services"  (that's an illegal upfront fee, but is pretending to be something else)  Stop all communications with the people you owe money too (that will really motivate them to work with you won't it!)  and we will force them to settle for pennies on the dollar  (well, we won't settle with them for any less than we will settle for you, and, your credit report will be impacted by the fact that its a settlement).

The truth is, this shady industry that promises to get you out of all your troubles might have a few people that truly believe in what they are doing, but they are mostly extorting a buck out of a segment of the population that can least afford it.    If you truly want to help your debt situation, take the money these guys would have taken from you, and offer it to the people trying to collect, explain it's what you have, and how can they work with you.

The guys in the white hats... well.. if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

Marcadis Singer, PA

Florida Debt Collection Attorney

5104 South Westshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida 33611

info @ marcadislaw.com

(888) 547-1881

(813) 288-1881

New Clients 

Ext. 247 Gil Singer

Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis

Existing Client Client Liaison

Ext. 242

To Pay a Claim

Ext.  245

http://www.marcadislaw.comhttp://www.marcadislaw.com

Consumer confidence highest in 6 years in June

Impressive job growth and increasing stock prices has been raising consumer confidence as it hit a new high this month.

The consumer confidence index rose to 85.2 from 83.5 in May according to the Conference Board. That is the highest the index has been since 2008, and economists were expecting a reading of 83.5.

The first quarter saw a slight decrease in the economy for the first time in three years, but the happiness of consumers is directly related to the labor market. Monthly job gains have increased up to 231,000 up from 194,000 in 2013.

The leap in the index is heavily influenced by the outlook of current conditions by consumers. Consumers saying that business conditions are favorable rose to 23% from 21%. In addition, those that said conditions are bad fell to 22.8% from 24.6%.

Perceptions across the nation have also changed. 14.7% of consumers that were surveyed in June felt that jobs were plentiful, up from 14.2% in May. There was a .4% decrease in those that said jobs were harder to get – 31.8% down from 32.2%.

Marcadis Singer, PA

Florida Collection Attorney

5104 South Westshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida 33611

info @ marcadislaw.com

(888) 547-1881

(813) 288-1881

New Clients 

Ext. 247 Gil Singer

Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis

Existing Client Client Liaison

Ext. 242

To Pay a Claim

Ext.  245

http://www.marcadislaw.com

Ways to help minimize your medical debt.

For most customers, paying medical bills out of pocket is out of the question. According to an analysis by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, 1 in 3 families struggle to pay their medical bills. Even some people with insurance struggle and people with both high and low incomes can be overwhelmed by mounting medical bills.

Having medical debt can be stressful and be crippling in the long-run.

Here are some steps one can take to aid in dealing with medical debt.

·      Be sure to follow up with your doctor and or hospital before treatment to determine what the expenses will be and how much any insurance you have will cover. It’s important that you let your healthcare professional know if you are strapped for cash and cannot pay the bill ahead of time. This will help you plan ahead to pay for bills that you may not otherwise be able to cover. Patients of all types can often qualify for programs that will help pay for medical costs.

·      Ask your doctor about the prices of Medicare to see if you can get a cheaper price than the individual offer price. More often than not, Medicare can save you a lot of money.

·      Always double check your bills. As of 2010 a Commonwealth Fund study found that nearly 9 million people were contacted by a debt collection agency because of billing mistakes.

·      Be sure to save the “Explanation of Benefits” from your insurance company as it is often the most reliable way to know how much money you will owe.

·      When you receive the bill from your hospital or doctor, make sure that the insurance company’s payments are included. There can sometimes be a problem between your insurer and the doctor and there just has yet to be a payment from the insurance company.

·      Always double check what plan you bought for your insurance. If you have purchased a silver plan, you may qualify for cost-sharing subsidies which may aid in bringing down the out of pocket costs.

·      Credit cards can be dangerous when paying for medical debt. Interest rates can be particularly high and can be difficult to pay off, so be careful when paying with them!

·      It is always incredibly helpful to have a close friend or family member to help you with finances if need be. Sometimes it can take a lot of research to know what is what, and you may be too sick to do it for yourself.

·      There are many resources that can offer you help and or information such as the consumer affairs office or office of the attorney general. Nonprofit counseling services are in abundance and may be able to help with legal services.

Marcadis Singer, PA

Florida Collection Attorney

5104 South Westshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida 33611

info @ marcadislaw.com

(888) 547-1881

(813) 288-1881

New Clients 

Ext. 247 Gil Singer

Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis

Existing Client Client Liaison

Ext. 242

To Pay a Claim

Ext.  245

http://www.marcadislaw.com

Bad Debt - Expensive Mistakes

Mistakes can be expensive – particularly if you do not learn from them. Mistakes that are repeated can create a massive hole in your wallet.

When a company has a bad debt write off, it may be within the company’s best interest to evaluate and examine whether or not the credit risk was properly handled and monitored. Also, it is important to determine whether or not the account was managed correctly when there was reason to believe the customer was financially compromised. These may be some important questions to ask:

• Who was involved in making the credit decision?
• Was everything properly documented?
• When was the last time the credit file was updated?
• What occurred to indicate that the debtor was financially compromised, and what was done about it during that time?
• What was done to collect the balance owed?
• How long did it take for management to be informed of the issue?
• Were appropriate measures taken to prevent the problem initially, and to mitigate damage done to the creditor company once the problem came to light?

An objective review of the credit situation is imperative, and should be examined with the whole credit team. The reason behind this is not to embarrass any member in the team, but to encourage growth. This will in turn (in theory) reduce the chances of the company losing money because of a similar problem sometime down the road.

Marcadis Singer, PA

Florida Collection Attorney

5104 South Westshore Blvd.

Tampa, Florida 33611

info @ marcadislaw.com

(888) 547-1881

(813) 288-1881

New Clients 

Ext. 247 Gil Singer

Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis

Existing Client Client Liaison

Ext. 242

To Pay a Claim

Ext.  245