First, what are these "shocking hidden messages?" Allegedly they are sexually explicit subliminal messages in many of the Disney movies like Aladdin, The Littlest Mermaid and The Lion King. Does the pollen in Lion King really spell out "SEX?" Maybe, I didn't see it when I viewed the videos. Does the priest get physically excited during the marriage ceremony of the Littlest Mermaid? Again, I have seen this movie over and over again and never noticed it. Can we believe everything we see on YouTube? Absolutely not.
But what could be even more damaging than the alleged sexual explicit subliminal messages encrypted in Disney children's movies is the damage that liking such a group could do to your computer.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos (a malware and antivirus company) stated in an interview with SC Magazine, "Urban myths about rude images hidden subliminally inside Disney films have been spreading for decades, and computer technology makes it easier than ever for anyone with a copy of Photoshop to 'augment' images to show something fruitier than you would ever expect to see on Disney Time.
As Facebook grows in strength, and more and more millions of people become active users, we can expect to see a dramatic increase in scams like this - in this case designed to gain as many members as possible so they can be spammed or updated in the future with a malicious link, or requested to enter personal information."
So what does the creator of this page get out of creating this page? First, they are able to obtain a great deal of information that can be sold or used again for spamming, phishing or malware schemes. Second, the opportunity to hopefully make lots of money with the completion of these surveys which they most probably have set up affiliate accounts to.
What do the Facebook fans get out of this? Nothing really, except the possibility of further scams or malware on their computer as well as losing some friends who may not want to be noticed by Disney's Shocking Secrets.
But this isn't the only hoax of this type on Facebook. Another recent one involved "Two free boxes of Cheerio's." Since many companies do make special offers of free products or samples when you fan their page, it's quite possible that you could get two free boxes. Seeing such a message with "like" posted by a number of friends I went to the page myself only to find that it too was another such fan page where you first like them, then share them, then have to do surveys. I admit when I got to share them, I cancelled my page and went back to post a comment to all my friends that it simply wasn't true. For Cheerio's lovers it was a big blow, but not as big as it could be if we were all to fall into the sheep mentality common on social networking sites and liking and sharing any interesting tidbit that comes our way.
Apparently Facebook has seen the experts' comments on this fan page and taken it down, because as of this writing I could no longer find it (however there are about 4 others with similar titles that have taken its place). The moral to this story is; if they won't show you theirs don't show them yours, no matter how intriguing the subject may be.
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What is a good credit score?
The first part of credit score 411 is to understand what credit scores mean. Let's look at two types of credit card scores.
FICO scores: Range from 300 to 850 and 760 or above is considered ideal.
VantageScore: The scale ranges from 501 to 990, the higher the better.
Once you understand credit score ranges now consumers need to understand how to build or maintain credit scores.
Credit score basics like not over applying for too many credit cards at a time and of course paying bills on time are still important practices. However in some ways the menu has changed and there's some new food for thought on protecting your credit score.
New Annual Fees or Inactivity Fees? Some credit card company's reaction to not being able to charge or overcharge some fees was to create new ones.
Do you pay the fees or cancel the card? What will happen to your credit if you cancel the card? Closing a credit card can work against your credit score so what are your options?
One options is to apply for another card that doesn't have these fees. While in the past, consumers have been warned off against applying for more cards, now experts say you may want to consider applying for a new one if you're planning to close one.
Even so, you still don't want to apply for more than one credit card within a six-month period so you'll have to manage switchovers gradually.
Credit utilization, or how much of your available credit are you using, makes up 30% of your credit score. So having and using no credit cards, actually works against your credit score. Here's another example of a practice for maintaining and building credit scores that seems backwards.
Balances on Closed Accounts?
Under the CARD Act, interest rate hikes can only be applied to forward balances. If you close account because you don't want to agree to an interest rate increase or new fee, consider this before paying off the account.
Even if you close an account, the credit limit is calculated into your credit score as long as you have a balance. It seems backwards but actually paying off the entire balance can lower your credit score.
So it is still always a good idea to pay bills on time and not over apply for credit cards, but credit scores can be as tricky as understanding taxes. What seems to be just good common sense, doesn't always work in your favor if you're trying to build or maintain a good credit score.
To review:
Consider keeping a small balance on closed accounts.
Don't apply for more than one new credit card within a six-month period.
Continue to pay all bills on time.
Stay "tuned" for our next article on tips for improving your credit score.
]]>Some debtor's don't even know they are being sued. Servers have been shown to skip the process and fudge the paperwork. Even when they do know, most consumers are overwhelmed and intimated and can rarely afford a lawyer.
The best advice: Show up anyway. If not, you may find a fourth of your paycheck missing like Leann Weaver. Capital One Bank sued her and started garnishing over $200.00 from her retail store paychecks. She learned about the wage garnishments when her debit card was decline at the grocery store.
Capital One won't speak about this case but Tatiana Stead has sent an e-mail message saying, "We encourage anyone facing difficulties meeting their financial obligations to contact us right away."
Weaver who says, "I cant' even look at my paychecks anymore," claims she repeatedly asked for more time to pay the $2, 470 credit card debt. She didn't go to court to defend herself though and the judgment added another $1,800.00 in lawyer's fees and interests.
Many consumers like Weaver are too overwhelmed to show up and offer a defense. Creditors easily win without having to offer much in the way proof and the lawyer's fees and interest are tacked on. After a suit is won the creditor can get a court order to garnish wages.
Since many debts are bought from banks for pennies on the dollar, the creditors aren't always the original bank and often lack the proof needed. That's why it is worth the time to show up.
A judge threw out a suit against Ruth Owens after reviewing her payment history and reading her handwritten note.
"After paying my monthly utilities, there is no money left except a little food money and sometimes it isn't enough," Owens wrote.
Owens had paid nearly $3,500 on original charges of about $1,900. She was being sued for over $5,500, which included lots of late fees, interest and penalties.
On the other hand, Sidney Jones of Virginia didn't go to court to defend himself. He believed that the creditor could only take what he owed, a little over $4,000.00. They added $900.00 in lawyer's fees and started tacking on 27.55% interest.
After six years, Jones' wages had been garnished for over $10,000 and yet his balance was still $3, 965.
Dale Pittman, a consumer law lawyer took Mr. Jones's case without a fee, says "It's a perfectly legal result under Virginia law." Thankfully the wage garnishments have now ceased.
"If the consumers were armed with more education about how to defend against these debts, they'd be successful," said Jeffrey Lipman, a civil magistrate from Iowa.]]>
Before you take advantage of no interest deals from retailers or get lulled into thinking that credit cards are now your friends, check out these credit myths.
"If I Make Every Payment on Time, Credit Cards Won't Raise My Rate"
It's true that credit card companies can't raise your rate for no reason without 45 days notice and that now they can only raise your rate on future charges, not existing balances theirs is one catch. If you make a late payment elsewhere and your credit card company runs a credit check, they can still use this information to increase your interest rate.
So beware that any late payments can affect your credit and ultimately your interest rates even if you're making payments on that credit card on time. Ideally you should make all payments on time to avoid being penalized.
"No Interest for a Year Means I Don't Have to Make a Payment for a Year."
These offers from retailers are often made for big purchases whether jewelry of furniture or appliances. It's true that you don't have to make a payment for a year BUT in most cases if you don't pay off the entire balance during that time then not only will the interest rate be high, it will often also be retroactive. In the end, you will be not only paying interest but paying a lot of it.
Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center says, "Even if consumers understand the pitfalls, such a tactic relies on consumer optimism or failure to think of the worst." The worst of course being that an illness or job loss would prevent the purchaser from making payments on time.
These "deals" are really only deals if you can pay off the entire balance within the no interest period and that's the only way you will really avoid paying interest.
"My Credit Cards are Accepted Around the World. Who Needs Traveler's Checks?"
Sure you can shop the globe on line or jet set around the world and find many places that will accept most of your credit cards BUT beware of the currency conversion fees. For example, both Master Card and Visa charge 1% conversion fees but what's worse is that many banks, like Bank of America, charge additional 2% so you could be adding a 3% fee to every purchase while you travel.
Maybe the convenience is worth it to you but be advised and do the math to avoid surprising bites from budget.
Sure it's all there in the fine print but retailers and credit card companies spend a lot of time marketing just the messages that they want you to see. They're hoping you'll overlook the fine print and that you won't miss the extra money going down the drain either. ]]>
"Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there's enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month," said Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a press release. "These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs."
The Cash for Appliances program is different from the somewhat clunky Cash for Clunkers rebate plan. The Cash for Appliances rebate programs are manages by individual states. States proposed plans last year and filed applications for funds. While the overall program design shares commonalities from state to state, consumers should be sure to check the specifics for their state and we'll tell you how.
Are you in the market for a new dishwasher? Are your old washer and dryer on their last pants leg? Ready to upgrade your heat pump or your air conditioner? Now may be the time.
Features of the Cash for Appliances Rebate Program:
You don't have to bring your old appliances to an appliance store but buyers are encouraged to recycle their old appliances and in some states consumers are required to provide proof that an old appliance was recycled.
Rebates vary but will generally be between $50.00 to $200.00. For example in some states there's a $100.00 rebate on Energy Star clothes washers or a $75.00 rebate on Energy Star refrigerators.
Start dates vary. Many states began in March and many others are beginning the rebate program this month.
Again check your state's rules but these appliances are generally the focus of the rebate programs:
Central air conditioners
Water heaters
Heat pumps
Boilers
Furnaces
Freezers
Refrigerators
Clothes washers
Dishwashers
Don't forget that some states and local governments already offer a rebate for energy efficient appliances so check to see if you qualify for those as well.
Important note: The Cash for Appliances rebate program has been closed in four states.
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Minnesota
* Rhode Island
Will the Cash for Appliances Program Have a Green Impact?
According to the Department of Energy, the program could potentially save:
-$1,006,607 in energy cost annually
-355 gallons of water annually
-8042 tons of CO2 prevention annually
To find out the specific facts of the Cash for Appliances rebate program for your state, visit the DOE web site at energysavers.gov and click on the link to your state. The Department of Energy warns that energysavers.gov is the only official DOE website and consumers should be on the look out for fake websites. ]]>
It's important for consumers to keep in mind that the economic downturn will be affecting the operations of the credit industry in addition to the new restrictions from the CARD Act. The impact of the new credit card industry rules may vary depending on your credit scores and the types of credit cards that you are looking for. The Act doesn't affect business credits cards, only personal ones. Here are a few expected trends in the credit card industry:
High Fee Cards: What goes up when fees go down?
"Fee Harvesting" credit cards, those that charge high upfront fees with low credit limits, will probably not survive the crackdown so people with bad credit that were attracted to these cards will have to look for other credit avenues.
One alternative is likely going to be high interest credit cards. This was one of the credit cards industries predictions that interest rates would rise. First Premier has replaced one of their high fee cards with a high interest rate card.
Balance Transfer Cards: Will teaser rates be as tempting?
Credit card companies have "teased" in many customers by offering 2, 1 or even 0 percent interest for up to a year in some offers.
"Teaser rates aren't going to go away, but they're probably not going to be as lucrative for the consumer as they were -- you're going to see a higher rate and a shorter introductory term," says Jerry Straessle, president and CEO of JLS Associates, a consulting firm specializing in the credit and debit card industry.
Just how high will the teaser rates for balance transfers rise? Industry analysts say to expect those rates to rise as high as 7 to 9 percent.
One exception right now seems to be Citi bank that just extended one of their 0 percent from 12 months to 15 months.
Debit Cards: Will annual fees replace overdraft fees?
Overdraft fees have been the crux of profit on debit cards but the crackdown in the new credit card rules on overdraft fees will mean that some banks will not automatically cover overdrafts unless cutomers opt in ahead of time. Some credit industry experts predict that banks may start charging an annual fee on debit cards of $20.00 to $30.00.
Other predictions as The Card Act rules go into effect:
*Gas card discounts may drop to one or two pennies.
*Low interest credit card rates will likely go up several points.
*Marketing restrictions and rules may eliminate the student credit card.
*It may be much harder to earn "rewards" for rewards cards.
Denis Moroney, research director for a financial services consulting firm, TowerGroup, predicts that, "we'll see a reverting back to the model of the 1980s -- annual fees and higher interest rates. But in those days, everything was pretty plain vanilla -- there will be much more creativity now."
Are you seeing any examples in "creativity" in the credit card industry? How has the CARD Act affected you?
For more articles on credit cards, identity theft, and protecting consumers from credit card abuse visit our News about Credit Cards.
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