Gas prices rising, talk of a recession, mortgage crisis, layoffs, cut backs and americans in debt. Sounds bad doesn’t it, well it is worse than you think.

Recent statistics show that americans are carrying larger balances on their credit cards and even using credit cards to pay off large bills each month suchs as auto loans, mortgage loans, and even other credit cards. How can you stop the cycle and get back into a positive cash flow? First you need to have a stabile income that is 20-30% above your monthly obligations for the month. Do not even think about your credit card balances at the moment. Pay the minimum, but focus on a job or income that has you at a comfortable level.

Second look at your household budget. Besides the credit cards what fat can you cut away. Most americans are spending way too much money on things like food, clothes, entertainment, and more. Food being an expense that every household can cut back 20-30%. If you take a moment and add up every dollar you spend eating out you will end up with a larger total than you think. A snack here, a drink there, a pizza for dinner, going out to eat a few times a week, all this is major money spent.

Take a hard look at your cable, phone and internet bill. Would bundling your services with a local provider save you even $75 per month.

We also recommend that you breakdown your insurance bills. Mortgage insurance, home insurance, car insurance, and health insurance. Go back to your insurance agent and push for discounts, if you have the same agent for car and home insurance you may be able to find savings by talking to your agent.

Ok so, we locked in a stabile income and we cut some fat from your monthly budget. Now we can take a look at the credit cards.

There are two debt help options, debt consolidation or debt settlement.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation services have prearranged debt repayment plans with most credit card and collection companies. When you sign up with a debt consolidation company you are offered a lower overall monthly payment based on a lower interest rate they have arranged with the creditor.

This payment is lower than what the credit card companies offer you, saves you money every month and is often the best way to consolidate debt.

One benefit of a debt consolidation repayment plan is it will stop you from getting harassed by your creditors as long as you make the new, lower monthly payments.

The debt consolidation program benefits you if you have high interest rates or have higher credit card bills than you can manage. Some people like to make only one payment to one company for all of their debts.

Debt Negotiation

Debt negotiation is sometimes referred to as debt settlement. This is most often offered to people who can’t handle a debt consolidation program. If you can’t make the minimum payments of a debt consolidation repayment plan or haven’t made payments in the past 3 months, a debt negotiation program is the next step for solving debt and credit problems.

One benefit of a debt negotiation program is you stop making payments to your creditors. The debt negotiation company either takes monthly payments from you and keeps it in an account, or lets you keep the money in your own account.

While you are making these monthly payments to the debt negotiation company, they negotiate with your creditors for a lower payoff of around 40-50% of your total amount of debt. Once the negotiated settlement is agreed upon with your creditors, the debt negotiation company makes a one time payment to them.

Whatever you decide at this point you need to make a move and focus on getting rid of this credit card debt.

It is easy for anyone to fall into the never ending cycle of debt. There are many reasons why people find themselves accumulating debt, and women face specific challenges that cause them to be susceptible to the debt trap. Women are particularly vulnerable to the unstable economy, as women are historically paid less than men even in good economic times, and are often the first to be laid off, and spend the most time away from the workplace to raise children.

While a big reason for debt accumulation is employment problems, some women do spend too much and end up paying for a lifestyle they can’t afford. However, there is debt help for women that can help them pay off their bills and maintain an affordable lifestyle.

For women who are having a hard time affording their bills because of employment problems, and have accumulate debt trying to pay for daily living expenses, there is help. Employment assistance programs for women exist to help them find employment. There are also educational programs specifically for women to train them in a field of their choice so they can learn the skills they need to get steady employment or re-enter the workforce after being away raising children.

For women who have a problem budgeting and controlling spending, debt consolidation can help them reduce their payments and pay off their debt more quickly. Combined with credit counseling and proper budget planning, anyone can learn to stay out of debt for good. Sound financial planning is the key to staying out of debt and there is plenty of good information and advice for women to help them plan a budget

The key to getting out of debt is having enough income to cover basic living expenses as well as enough extra to make debt payments. Setting and sticking to a budget is crucial, as well as having a dependable job that pays well enough to cover living expenses and debt payments. Many women find themselves in debt, but fortunately there are many programs available to help women find employment and learn sound financial planning. Debt help for women is available at www.WomenDebtFree.com

Most people will need the assistance of an attorney at some point during their lives, to help them with a legal issue. Buying a home, seeking compensation after an accident or injury, defending yourself after an arrest, setting up a will, or adopting a child are some of the many reasons people need to find an attorney. Finding an attorney seems like an easy thing to do, after all you just have to open the yellow pages to see a comprehensive list pf all the attorneys in your area. However, picking an attorney at random is not always the best way to find one.

Perhaps the best way of finding an attorney is to ask for suggestions from friends and family. Asking people you know which attorney they would recommend is a good way to get an honest and reliable recommendation, or advice to steer clear of a particular attorney. Because most people have to use an attorney at some point, many of the people you know will have experience working with at least one attorney in your area. See what your friends and family think about the attorneys in your area before choosing one, that way you can be assured that you will have a good experience with the attorney you choose.

If you don’t have many personal references to go off of when finding an attorney, you can use the internet to get plenty of references and suggestions. There are many resources online that you can use to search for local attorneys that specialize in the area which you need assistance. Once you have found local attorney listings, you can look at reviews of the practice as well as ratings, giving you an idea of the experience past clients have had with them.

If you need an attorney it is always a good idea to get references form trusted sources and look up the possible attorneys online to see what other people are saying about them. That way you can get unbiased opinions about their service and ensure that you will find an attorney that will do a good job for you.

A person’s credit history is important, because it affects their ability to get a mortgage, car loan, personal loan, insurance, and sometimes even a job. Qualifying for any type of financing requires information from credit reports, and any negative information can cause interest rates to rise, or even disqualify an applicant from getting needed funds.

Knowing what is included on your credit report is important, not only so that you know what information potential lenders will see, but because monitoring your credit information will alert you to possible credit fraud or incorrect information. There are many companies online that claim to give away free credit reports to anyone who wants to see their credit information, but in reality, these credit reports are not actually free.

Even companies well-known for providing free credit reports do so at a cost. Technically the credit report is free, but users have to sign up for the company’s credit monitoring or other credit related service to view their “free” credit report. It is normal to need to provide a credit card number on some sites to prove your identity prior to receiving a free credit report. It is important that after you receive your free credit report that you simply monitor your credit card statement for any additional charges.

For most people reviewing a copy of their credit report once a year to check for possible fraud or inaccuracies is enough to safeguard their credit, However, there are circumstances when it is important to get updated credit information more frequently.

People, who have lost financial documents, credit cards, or other personally identifying information, are at an increased risk of credit fraud. This can also lead to identity theft an increasing crime in the US. Consumers who are planning a major purchase such as a home or car may also benefit from more frequent monitoring in the months before their purchase.

If you are looking for a truly Free Credit Report please visit www.CredMax.com and visit the Free Credit Report Section. CredMax.com also provides articles, news and how to guides for increasing credit scores.

Associated Press |Sept. 3, 2009, 2:52PM

DALLAS — Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eugene Lockhart was arrested Thursday after he was indicted with eight others in an alleged mortgage fraud scheme that swindled more than $20 million from several home lenders, federal officials said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Lockhart and the others made 54 fraudulent loan closings for single-family homes in the Dallas area that totaled about $20.5 million. The scheme started in February 2001 and involved obtaining loans to buy distressed or pre-forclosure properties sold at inflated prices. The defendants kept the surplus loan proceeds, according to the federal indictment.

Authorities allege the group recruited “straw” buyers and purchasers and doctored financial statements so the lender would approve the loans.

“The people involved are escrow officers, appraisers, title companies … the gamut of real estate,” said FBI spokesman Mark White. “That’s usually how these things work. It takes somebody in every single area to get this thing to work.”

The indictment charges Lockhart, 48, of Carrollton, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.

Lockhart was involved with several real estate businesses, including America’s Team Mortgage, America’s Team Realty, Cowboys Realty and KLT Properties, according to the indictment. He’s accused of collaborating with the eight others to devise the scheme and helping obtain inflated appraisals.

Cowboys Mortgage owner Lendell Beacham, 54, of DeSoto, also was arrested. He faces one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.

Lockhart and Beacham were expected to make an initial appearance later Thursday. They did not yet have attorneys, White said. A telephone number for Lockhart’s home also could not immediately be found.

The others are expected to surrender to the FBI by Friday, expect for one who is currently serving a federal sentence, federal officials said.

Lockhart played for the Cowboys from 1984 through 1990 and for New England in 1991-92. He recorded 16 career quarterback sacks and made six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

The auto industry has been hit hard and new car deals can save you thousands of dollars. Issue is that even if a car is reduced $10,000 it is still not affordable for over half of the US population. The cash for clunkers program seemed to help some new car buyers but the true affect that had on sales is still being debated. Ford and Honda reported a boost in sales but GM and Chrysler lost out due to their lack of smaller fuel efficient vehicles. Kind of makes it obvious why Ford and Honda both did not need bailout money to avoid bankruptcy.

The state of the auto industry is still being decided. Of course there will be new car buyers now and in the future, but there will be millions less than there were prior to the recession. The good news is that the used car dealers should see an increase in sales over the next 3 to 5 years. As the economy rebounds we will still see high unemployment numbers and many US families faced with lower household incomes. Unemployment rates do not tell the entire story due to the fact that many Americans are forced to take part-time positions, pay cuts or forced into early retirement. Each one of these factors creates a lower household income but does not reflect in unemployment numbers.

This drop in household income is going to turn new car buyers into used car buyers. In the end there is nothing wrong with a good used car. Used car dealers better be ready to capitalize on this expected trend, it may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Consumers shopping for a good used car may be able to find great deals on trade ins at your local new car dealership or search online. Finding a good used car online is very easy. Auto loan rates on a used car are not as low as new car loan rates but if you have a good credit score then financing should not be that big of a hurdle. If you have bad credit and need bad credit repair it is recommended you try and improve your credit scores prior to any major purchase like a car.

The last 2 years for finance and credit companies has been nothing short of a disaster. Is it over? Depends on who you ask. This uncertainty has lead many big players in the finance sector to adjust, add products and tighten their belts while the economy settles. What will come out of these troubling times is unknown. One thing for sure is those that survive are going to be companies with deep pockets or innovative thinkers at the top of their team.

A new product that evolved from this disaster is loan modification. Well loan modification has been around for many years, but let’s face it this service has over shadowed mortgage lending for the last 2 years. You can Google the term “loan modification” and find results ranging from loan modification scams, criminal convictions and government loan modification programs that have till this point seemed to have little affect on foreclosure numbers. Government programs have come up short where private loan modification companies have helped and profited from this disaster. Where is the loan modification industry headed and how long does it have left?

The reality is that foreclosures are not going anywhere for 3 to 5 more years. The first wave of nationwide foreclosures hit hard due to 2 and 3 year ARM mortgage loans that were sold to sub prime borrowers at a furious pace. Now job loss seems to be the main factor for foreclosures across the nation. Foreclosures are expected to continue at a steady pace as 5 year ARM, 7 year ARM and Alt-A mortgage loans begin to adjust. A large amount of these mortgage loans were given based on stated income to self employed borrowers that are now out of work or affected by serious income losses.

These homeowners are going to need help saving their home from foreclosure. Loan modification companies are going to still be a viable option for desperate homeowners. The loan modification companies that are able to deal with peaks and valleys in demand and add other services to their portfolio are going to be able to ride the foreclosure train until the end. Currently loan modification companies are getting back to providing mortgage loans and adding on services such as debt settlement or credit repair.

If you are a loan modification, debt settlement, mortgage or credit repair company then your survival is based on adapting to what opportunities the economy provides. A solid marketing plan, quality debt leads, loan modification leads, mortgage leads and credit repair leads will also play a big role in your outcome.

Stay focused, become diverse and you will be on top when the economy is back to “normal”. We all hope that happens soon.