How Can I Get A Better Credit Score?

The following are some facts that you should know before you consider using a credit repair company. Of course you have seen those ads that say they can fix your credit for a low monthly fee. So, you probably are wondering whether it is wise to hire one of these companies. This is a hard question to answer. What I will try to do is provide some information so that you can make an informed decision.

The Federal Trade Commission states quite clearly that anything that a credit repair company does for you in a legal manner can be done by yourself for very little cost. In theory what the FTC says is true. The reality is that many of us do not have the time, patience or knowledge to do this work for themselves. It is no wonder that a credit repair company would be very appealing to us.

What it comes down to is that this is something that you have to decide for yourself. It is important to understand the positives and negatives of dealing with a credit repair company to improve your credit score.

The first thing to look for is references. Any reliable company, or individual for that matter, should be able to provide you with some solid references. This is important: when you have these references in hand you should call them. Without a doubt this is the number one consideration when hiring a professional.

As with anything in life, the best contacts are found by personal referrals. With this in mind, the first step is to ask friends, family or people at work if they know someone.

Something else to remember is that it important to have a contract. Your credit problems did not occur overnight. Because of this they will no go away overnight either. In this case a contract will protect you. It should be easy to understand. It should also spell out the actual services provided by the credit repair company.

You have to understand how these companies operate. They have upfront fees ranging from $49 to $99. After that you will probably pay monthly fees from $39 to $49. This time of arrangement has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that it affordable. One disadvantage is that there is no incentive to move quickly to correct your problem. You can easily see that the opposite is true. The longer they take to work on your problem the longer they get to collect their fees.

Sign up for two free gifts: A free ebook, "The Credit Secrets Mini-Book" and a free ecourse, "7 Things You Must Know About Your Credit" @ http://www.internet-marketing-dot-com.com/credit_repair/credit_repair_ecourse.html

George Burns is the co-publisher of Fixing Credit Score which be found at http://fixing-credit-score.blogspot.com/ a popular website that provides tips, advice and resources that include How To Fix Your Credit Score.

Contactless Payments Could Drive Mobile Device Market

Carriers and device manufacturers search longingly for killer apps, and it seems that one is just about upon us. One of the next big things may be contactless payments, the ability to use a cell phone or similar handheld device to pay for products and services without actually having to break stride, stop and authorize the purchase.

In late June, according to a piece at Ars Technica, the Federal Reserve said a purchase of $15 doesn't even require a receipt. The piece, which for the most part is a discussion of the considerable security ramifications of contactless payments, suggests that the category will get a big boost by the new, lower limit.

Contactless payments (or electronic wallets) will have a big impact on mobile device vendors. Of course, there is no shortage of drivers of cell and smartphones. The ability to use a phone to buy a CD or some groceries without stopping could make the mobile device category even hotter than it is today. In a press release that hypes a recently released report, Javelin Strategy & Research suggests that chips in mobile devices will spur 30 million additional users during the next half-decade.

If that's so, it seems that contactless payments could become a major feature - perhaps the major non-voice feature - of mobile devices, not a handy add-on that some envision today. Moreover, in a mobile device environment characterized by its fragmentation - there are dozens of features aimed at relatively small pockets of consumers and corporate users - its seems that electronic payment capabilities could be a core function available in a high percentage of devices. It could be a valuable horizontal, not vertical, feature.

The compelling nature of contactless payments is a subtext of this feature on Nokia, which is actively researching the topic. The company recently participated in a trial with Visa, Mastercard and AT&T in New York City and near-field communications - a key underlying technology for contactless payments - is being widely tested. Indeed, this piece, which comments on a white paper from Atos Origin, suggests that contactless payments are an increasingly big deal in Europe.

Contactless payments - the antecedents of which, by the way, are already widely used in EZPass and other "closed" systems - could be a big deal because of their ubiquity. Unlike downloading music or video, using a cell or smartphone to pay for small purchases is something that will appeal to a huge number of people. Device makers know this, and certainly are working on the logistics and, of course, all-important security safeguards.

Contactless payment is gaining traction in the United States and despite assurances from credit card providers, some fear the technology is not secure enough for widespread adoption. Read this summary and article from Ars Technica: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=30727