Leadpile's Blog» Debt Settlement Leads

Banks Offering Personal Loans Again?

Natasha Aronov — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:51:20 +0000

The downturn of the economy has left many people with high credit card balances and not many options. Payday loans have been and will continue to be a great source of necessary and quickly needed funds for a large number of consumers however don’t always offer the larger amount loans or longer payment terms that personal loans once offered. Prior to the economy taking a downward turn and home-equity loans becoming the popular choice personal loans were the main option for many people.

Recently, as the demand to borrow money has become necessary for many, personal loans have been in demand and the supply is starting to make a comeback. Personal loans, can offer the longer terms and higher borrowing amounts than payday is typically able to and offers a much better option and interest rate than credit cards do.

Recently, according to CBS MoneyWatch, banks including Wells Fargo, Discover Financial, Citi and CapitalOne are all currently offering personal loans.

Wells Fargo – loaning $3,000 – $10,000 for lengths as long as five years
Citi – $300 – $7.500
Discover Financial – lending up to $25,000

Paying Off Debt…

Natasha Aronov — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:48:16 +0000

Are you avoiding paying off debt? Paying the minimums could hurt you.. Something as simple as removing a couple of monthly “splurges” such as limiting trips to starbucks could give you additional funds to put towards your debt and make a dent in amounts owed and keep things under control.

Debt to income ratio is helpful to look at when evaluating your finances. Bankrate.com recommends that people’s debt not be more than 20% of take home pay – including your car payment. They recommend that housing expenses not be more than 30% of your monthly income.

Now that every credit card bill comes with a breakdown on how long it will take the consumer to wipe out a debt making only the monthly payments it is a reality check for many people. If the minimum payment is all that is being made, the debt can keep increasing and it can take very long extended periods of time, even decades to pay off the total amount.

Some consumers benefit from credit counseling sessions, these can help identify the biggest areas of concern and help create a debt management plan often times having the creditors agree to lower interest or payments. Two last resort options for consumers in debt can be debt settlement or bankruptcy.

Emotional Stress From Debt May Hurt You Financially

Natasha Aronov — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:14:39 +0000

Paying off your debt can be one of the most rewarding and experiences and bring a feeling of relief. Often times if you have multiple sources of debt, there is one that bothers you more than the others do even if the payoff amount or interest not as high.

According to CreditCards.com not all debts carry the same psychological weight on people. Debt amounts that are linked with negative events such as divorce, fraud or medical can often times bring stress to a person. Even as this might bring emotional relief, it can be financially more beneficial to pay off the higher interest rate first.

Emotional attachment to debt does not always equal importance of repayment order. Looking at all of your debt amounts and weighing the cost of the interest and long term effects on your credit is a smart way to determine what should be priority in paying down first.

Debt settlement and debt consolidation are both options for consumers looking for debt relief options. Through Internet generation and live transfers LeadPile helps consumers in need of help find companies that are able to offer assistance in consolidating or lowering debt.

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Leadpile & Live Transfer Debt Leads

Mari Woods Holt — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:21:55 +0000

For many of you that work in the debt vertical, you probably struggle with it like we do with being able to convert the leads. Consumers have debt, and submit requests online to get the help, but for some reason after they submit the request for help, they do not answer their phone. Knowing this, Leadpile has teamed up with a company to provide live transfer debt leads to our buyers.
How it works:
Inbound call from the consumer – looking for a debt solution
We pre-qualify the consumer by asking them about their unsecured
debt amount, and state location
We take the calls and ask their name, unsecured debt amount & if
they would like to be transferred immediately to a debt specialist
Once the consumer has confirmed all of the information, they are
transfered to you

Note: Leads are all pre-qualified by US based call centers.

If this is something that you would be interested in, please let us know and we can begin testing immediately.

Positive Changes For Consumers In Debt!

Natasha Aronov — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:17 +0000

Changes to fees and terms may be positive for many consumers struggling to pay their bills! New rules obtaining to overdraft protection requires consumers to specifically request it, rather than being automatically enrolled in it. According to the Credit CARD Act, should the consumer enroll for overdraft protection, fees can only be applied once during a billing cycle and the card company must notify the consumer of the amount. These new overdraft rules only apply to debit cards, not checks or electronic transfers.
Consumers now are given 21 days to send credit card payments in, rather than only 14, and if changes are made to terms, 45 days notice must be given instead of 15. This change does not apply to reducing your credit limit, the credit card company can do this at any time without any warning!
One new change might be scary for many consumers to see, but after the initial shock sets in, the overall perspective will hopefully ultimately help consumers in the long run. Effective starting February 22, credit card bills must make it clear how long it will take the consumers to pay off the balance, and how much interest will be paid if the minimum amount is all that is paid each month.
While there is no current cap placed on increasing interest rates, credit card companies are required to give customers 45 days notice on changes and may not raise the current interest rate on customers existing debt unless payment is more than 60 days late on payment. Additional help to consumers trying to pay off debt, additional fees for paying over the phone, electronic transfer, or mail are no longer allowed and universal default for existing credit card balances may no longer be practiced. The Credit CARD Act has now made is more difficult for college students to obtain credit cards, someone under 21 may not be offered a credit card without a co-signer or proof of proper income.
LeadPile matches consumers in debt with Debt Consolidation, Debt Settlement and Bankruptcy companies daily. Debt is a huge source of stress for many people, hopefully the new Credit CARD Act will help get people back on track and become more aware of their own debt, and make plans to get things paid off!

Higher Interest Rates, Lower Lines Of Credit!

Natasha Aronov — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:27:50 +0000

As if consumers do not have enough financial stress to worry about, the credit card companies are decreasing credit limits and increasing annual percentage rates. Due to the high number of people without jobs and suffering financial hardship, the credit card companies have had billions of dollars worth of losses. To attempt to fill in the gap, the card companies are making changes effecting card holders who are behind in payments in addition to card holders who have always paid their bills on time and have a perfect history. Credit cards have in the past always been issued to people with an interest rate and credit limit based on their specific risk to default.
With the economy in the state that is has been and many people with additional debt, consumers have been forced to use their credit limits, now faced with paying off balances with interest rates that have doubled or tripled.
According to msnbc.com we are entering a new “era” for credit cards. Previously as many of us experienced, credit card offers would appear daily in your mailbox, each with enormous credit limits and interest rates that were so competitive that it made applying for the card hard to resist. Many people who “couldn’t resist” are now paying for it with the increase in interest.
Possible changes in the near future…The new Credit Card Bill of Rights. The American Bankers association has stated that the new law will limit the amount of credit that is available and it will come attached to a higher price tag. In theory, consumers will have a better idea of long term costs and terms with the new law and will allow them to make more educated decisions.
LeadPile currently helps match consumers with unsecured debt such as credit card debt with debt settlement and debt consolidation companies, but what will change in the future of credit card debt if there is a “credit card bill of rights” that gets passed? Will it really affect anything? Who will feel it the most?

Good News For The Arizona Economy

Natasha Aronov — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:42:42 +0000

House prices have not been on the rise for six straight months in a row. Fourteen out of twenty metro areas saw an increase in homes from the month before. As of November, 2009 was up 3.4 percent from its lowest back in May, 2009. Phoenix (Arizona) and San Francisco (California) have had the highest month over month increase in their housing markets. Both New York and Chicago had the largest declines in the nation. One of the largest reasons for the increase was the first time home buyer tax credit. With the original end date for the tax credit being in November of 2009, there was a rush to purchase a new home (the tax credit ended up being extended to the spring of 2010). The tax credit was a huge incentive to purchase a home, and with the home prices in Arizona being so low, it makes sense that Arizona saw one of the highest increases in their housing markets.
One of the big questions is if the trend is going to continue to increase? Some economists believe that there is going to be another dip in the housing market because of the the high rate of unemployment and foreclosures. It is expected that we will see these results in the beginning of this year. It goes without saying that now is the time to buy. Depending on the area, people are seeing move in ready houses for as low as $50,000. That is less than a college education!
If you find that you are one of the many who are having trouble keeping your home you may want to consider a loan modification or debt consolidation. Leadpile is trying to do it’s part by matching up the consumers with lenders on a daily basis! Heck, we want the economy to be better too!

The Dreaded Holiday Credit Card Bill

Natasha Aronov — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:45:47 +0000

With the holidays finally over and a week into January, it is about time that we get that one last present from the credit card company. What might that present be you ask? A nice fat bill. Whether you did your holiday shopping in the stores or at the comfort of your home online, so many of us just go swipe, swipe, swipe all season long. It really is the the fastest and most convenient way to make a purchase. Sometimes you do not even realize how much you have racked up until it is all down on paper. More times then not, individuals will not be able to pay off the whole bill in one lump sum by the time that the bill is due.
Below are some helpful suggestion for when you realize you have bit off more than you can chew:

1. Use credit cards that offer cash back for purchases – You can put the money you get back towards your credit card bill.
2. Know your interest rate and try to use the card with the lowest interest rate.
3. Do not just pay the minimum balance due – Often that minimum payment will only cover the interest that was charged that month.
4. Get a balance transfer – transfer to a card that offers you a lower interest rate/reward programs.
5. Create a feasible payment plan and stick to it.

In some instances where you find that you are getting into too much debt, try to not feel overwhelmed and that there is no way of getting out of it. There are several options out there to get you back on your feet. For example, debt consolidation or debt settlement might be the perfect solution. Everyday at LeadPile we are matching consumers to debt professionals who are there to help you get the professional advice that you may need. Maybe consider getting help if none of the above options really worked out for you.

Paying To Not Use Your Credit Card?

Natasha Aronov — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:59:07 +0000

This past June many card companies such as First Third Bank decided they are now charging their customers $19.00 for not using their credit card. They added this fee to help increase their revenue, and a way to “encourage” their customers to use and manage their credit card accounts. With the amount of credit card debt and late payments, is this the only option of increasing revenue? Probably not. A lot of credit card companies such as Amex and Discover will simply send you a notice that your account will be closed if you do not start using the card. This seems much more reasonable than charging your customers for inactivity.
Climbing your way out of debt is hard enough, but fixing your credit score can be even more challenging. When an individual finally pays off their credit card, the first reaction might be to close the card so you do not get yourself into that situation again. However, depending on your debt to credit ratio it can actually lower your credit even more. So what is the best to do? Close your account and potentially lower your credit or leave the account open but get a fee for non use? This really puts people in a pickle.
One option for the consumer is to charge only one or two small items on the card a month. This will keep the card active without getting a fee or affecting your credit in a negative way. If you are one of the many that are in debt, debt consolidation/settlement maybe something worth looking into. Everyday at LeadPile, we match lenders with consumers to try and help with their debt needs, but each person needs to know the basics about their own credit/creditors. Knowledge is power!

New Credit Card Laws Taking Effect

Mari Woods Holt — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:59:09 +0000

Some recent laws passed regarding our credit cards are taking effect this Thursday. Currently credit card issuers have an ability to change interest rates on existing balances without any sort of notice. Part of the new law taking effect Thursday will put a restriction on the credit card companies from doing this without a 45 day notice. They can still charge you penalty fees for late payments and over-limit charges, however being able to freely increase the percentage rate (fixed rate percentage) on an already existing balance, will be going away. Any change to our interest rate, late payment fees, over-limit fees or finance charges can still increase, but they have to now give us a 45 day notice. It seems that a lot of credit issuers have recently become very aggressive in even shutting down card holders cards if there was no activity. There is a potential “risk” involved to the credit card issuers, and they are scrambling to get rid of those sorts of consumers. The other thing that we are all witnessing is the credit card issuers reducing balances on our credit cards if they are not being utilized. Once again, this is the credit card issuers reducing their “risk” or potential exposure, however it is very much an inconvenience for many people that want to then utilize their credit cards for a larger purchase.
Reading over anything that comes in the mail from your credit card company is probably the safest thing to do to keep up to date on what is going on with your account. Maybe even utilizing your credit card randomly might even be a good idea if you want to maintain the credit card availability. That sounds a little odd, because the “right” thing to do is really maintain a debt free life and live within your means. The credit card companies are almost indirectly pushing Americans to use their cards… or LOOSE them.