Suit Results in Free Credit Service (SDUT, June 2008)
Huge lawsuit against one of the main credit bureaus TransUnion. The litigation dates back to 1998 where they were charged for selling consumers personal data to marketers in violation of federal law. TransUnion has denied any wrong doing but has agreed to create a $75 million fund to compensate affected parties.
Who's eligible? Pretty much everyone because as long as you've had some form of open credit i.e. credit card, car loan, or student loan between Jan. 1, 1987 and this past May 28th... you're in.
How it works: Visit https://www.listclassaction.com/ and you can choose from either 9months of free credit monitoring (if you agree not to file an individual law suit) where they will alert you by email within 24hours of any significant change to your credit and give you the option of locking you entire file so that no one can obtain your TransUnion report without permission. Or 6months of the same, credit monitoring and locking privileges if you choose to file an individual law suit. To register a claim you can call 866-416-3470.
So if you're thinking of buying a home or refinancing you definitely want to take advantage of this free service. With the recent lending crisis banks are demanding higher credit scores and turning away borrowers with bad credit. For any buyer putting less than 20% down, Mortgage insurers require even higher credit scores. The days of Bad Credit? No Credit? No Problem, are over! Everyone should take care of their credit because it will determine what interest rate you get on credit cards, car loans, and most importantly any future home mortgage.
Looking to buy a home in the near future? Whether you have questions about how much you'll need to put down, first-time home buyer programs, or Short Sales and Foreclosures... We're here to help! Send your questions to nathan-crudogroup@ascentrealestate.net or
Search the entire MLS for available homes at: http://www.nathancrudogroup.com/index.asp
I hope you find this useful... I know I did!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Put the Phone Down!!!
July 1st, 2008 marks the enforcement of new legislation http://tinyurl.com/26wq3a where California drivers are not allowed to use handheld cell phones while driving. If you're caught talking on the phone while driving, drivers will face fines of anywhere from $20 for your first offense to $50 for subsequent offenses.
In my opinion this law is a starting point. Although the actual talking on the phone doesn't create as much of a distraction as dialing or texting does, its better than nothing. If we all can trace back to our first driving lessons where we were taught that both hands need to be on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times... imagine that. I can only speak for myself when admitting that I've done things such as reviewing paper work and re-applying make-up to texting and rummaging through my ipod to find a song. In our busy-busy society, we've learned to fill every waking minute with tasks, errands, follow up calls, etc. But at what expense?
For Published State Statistics Regarding Cell Phone Involvement in Crashes visit the National Conference of State legislature at: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/cellphoneupdate1203
Although cell phone usage accounts for only 1% of crashes, imagine if your son or father was in that 1%. How impactful would that 1% be to you then? If this new law can save one life it would have served its purpose in my opinion.
If we see a measurable decrease in the amount of fatalities in the next couple months/years, the next step should be to enforce a no texting and dialing while driving law. The amount of attention the law is getting has definitely made me more conscious of what I do while driving. Although I can't say I'll never be distracted by playing with my ipod or texting ever again, it has already lessened the amount that I do and has limited the calls I make while driving.
As long as unnecessary deaths are being prevented, this new law is a step in the right direction.
In my opinion this law is a starting point. Although the actual talking on the phone doesn't create as much of a distraction as dialing or texting does, its better than nothing. If we all can trace back to our first driving lessons where we were taught that both hands need to be on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times... imagine that. I can only speak for myself when admitting that I've done things such as reviewing paper work and re-applying make-up to texting and rummaging through my ipod to find a song. In our busy-busy society, we've learned to fill every waking minute with tasks, errands, follow up calls, etc. But at what expense?
For Published State Statistics Regarding Cell Phone Involvement in Crashes visit the National Conference of State legislature at: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/cellphoneupdate1203
Although cell phone usage accounts for only 1% of crashes, imagine if your son or father was in that 1%. How impactful would that 1% be to you then? If this new law can save one life it would have served its purpose in my opinion.
If we see a measurable decrease in the amount of fatalities in the next couple months/years, the next step should be to enforce a no texting and dialing while driving law. The amount of attention the law is getting has definitely made me more conscious of what I do while driving. Although I can't say I'll never be distracted by playing with my ipod or texting ever again, it has already lessened the amount that I do and has limited the calls I make while driving.
As long as unnecessary deaths are being prevented, this new law is a step in the right direction.
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