Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby Trumpetmaster » Fri May 06, 2005 4:51 am

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:
Question. If you receive an unsolicited credit card in the mail and never sign any sort of a promise to repay the bank its money, are you legally obligated to repay them?

I get lots of "You Are PREAPPROVED!" solicitations, which go straight into the shredder, as well as "Use our Handy Checks to Pay Off Your Higher Credit Card Balances" offers from existing accounts (those checks are also shredder fodder) but I've never gotten an actual card I didn't sign something for.
Selma,
Even though it is "Preapproved" I believe there is a number you need to call to "Activate" the card. I think it is there where they get you.
TM
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby BigJon@Work » Fri May 06, 2005 10:34 am

Originally posted by freshstarz:
After reading this one, I had to reply. This is in response to those that are saying credit should be harder to obtain, in contrast with those saying responsibility should be with the consumer.

My question... who teaches the consumer this responsibility?
Me! I was so upset at the manipulation of the ignorant I saw going on around me that I started teaching adult financial literacy classes at my church. They are open to the community. I've had a lot of positive feedback from those I've taught.

What I find is some folks are unwilling or unable to do even the minimum effort to rise above their current illiteracy and will continue to wallow in their own sh**hole of a money situation. Others, I'm pleased to find, will work dilligently at learning and applying the lessons and rise above their current status. I suppose its like any other bad habit, you gotta be motivated to break it.

Remember my post on disorganized lives? You should see their finances.

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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby NateBrei » Fri May 06, 2005 4:05 pm

Originally posted by piqaboo:
from NateBrei[b] "Only if they are above our minimums (which are currently above our balance weighted FICO average) "
If I read this correctly, you are saying the bank calculates the average FICO scores for all its card holders, then accepts only those above the average? And in a later statement you note that the bank is recalculating scores for current card-holders, in order to drop them if necessary. By that standard, the card-holder acceptance cutoff should rise slowly and steadily, because each new customer is better than the average existing customer, and the existing customers are culled to get rid of those with the lowest scores, which have the greatest effect on lowering the average. The rising CO (cutoff) should correlate with risk, payback rates, etc, if FICO scores are indicative (if they are in fact a useful measure of credit-worthiness).

So why has the CO dropped to the point that your bank is writing off such vast sums of debt each day? [/b]
The general process is basically true. Our balanced weighted FICO is SLOWLY rising. A couple of things to keep in mind...First, we are not wholesale closing accounts simply because they have low FICO's. We have other scores we use in combination with that one. Second, we are closing accounts earlier than we used to (i.e. 2 months delinquent or 3 months in a row overlimit). Third, we are lower some of the more risky credit lines at the first indication of negative behavior. Fourth, there is a fine line in balancing between profitable low FICO scores & "bad" accounts that will charge off (and many of them have FICO scores when they charge-off higher than the "good" ones who perform well. Fifth, any score is a mathematical indicator of charge-off/bankruptcy risk . It does not, nor could it, predict behavior for an individual account. As a result of all these actions, the number of accounts (and balances) of accounts in our portfolio, in collections, and that eventually charge-off is declining. Unfortunately, so is our revenue. And, if you follow the news, many credit card companies (banks) are experiencing the same issues and are cutting costs and laying off employees. So, help me keep my job. Charge BIG and charge OFTEN. ;)

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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby piqaboo » Mon May 09, 2005 1:39 pm

But what shall I charge *ig for? :D
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby bignaf » Mon May 09, 2005 9:50 pm

OK, Nate, you gotta pay for using my trademark. :)
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby YouHaveHistory » Wed Jul 13, 2005 3:22 pm

I have to reply to this one..

I find it quite interesting that you blame your bad credit on your parents. Especially since your only reason for moving to Montreal from Seattle, freshstarz, was to attempt avoid paying back all the people you owed.

I can understand youth getting into credit problems. But you are 29 years old, had been bailed out of your past credit problems numerous times, even had your own bankruptcy paid for. You should have learned from that experience.

Instead, people were forced to drag you into court. Your answer was to hide out in Montreal. The problem with that is that the US and Canadian court systems are reciprical. Those court orders attaching your vehicle, the piano you took that didn't belong to you, any future wages, etc, are enforcable.

You don't have money problems because of your parents. You have money problems because you saw $$$$ and decided they were yours to spend. Not paying your bills (your apt rent, your music school's rent, your suppliers, etc) are what put you where you are.

And for you to think that by hiding in Canada that will all go away is a falsehood. You think you can re-establish credit there. But even if you could, you are so habitual, it will only turn into more court cases, more money you've spent that doesn't belong to you, ect.

Quit blaming others for you tales of whoa. You only have yourself to blame. And when they arrest you for the embezzelment, the tax evasion, wire fraud, and the other numerous charges against you, no one will listen to your "It's my mommy's fault"

Originally posted by freshstarz:
After reading this one, I had to reply. This is in response to those that are saying credit should be harder to obtain, in contrast with those saying responsibility should be with the consumer.

My question... who teaches the consumer this responsibility? It's automatically assumed that millions of people are getting some financially fiscal idea of how to run their lives from their parents... because you're sure as hell not going to receive normal day-to-day living lessons from school.

The lower class is naturally subjugated as it is... and you expect these people, who usually have spent generations being poor, to know fiscal responsibility when they are the first generation to attend college and are inundated with credit card offers.... that which their parents were never made privy of? It's basically blaming people for not "knowing" something that you consider common place and logical, when in fact, it is a product of your upbringing and environment.

I come from a decently affluent family, however my parents were both raised very poor... therefore, despite making a load of money, they did not save, spent foolishly and filed bankruptcy themselves twice. By the time most of us got to college (12 children altogether), none of us were prepared for financial responsibility. I'd say our family is 50/50 in its success... 1/2 of us have become fiscally responsible, 1/2 remain clueless... hopefully our next generation will learn more.

Anyway - that was a long response - but I hope it causes some thougth.
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby Shapley » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:07 am

Hi History,

Welcome to the B.com BB!

V/R
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby OperaTenor » Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:00 am

Methinks someone's in dire need of an FRS.....

:eek:
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby Shapley » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:31 pm

I take it those two know each other.
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby mmichaelson » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:23 pm

My solution to these problems: teach your kids about the importance of credit and money management early on to instill good skills and good SENSE into them.

My parents always taught me to not buy anything I couldn't pay for unless it was an emergency (and NO that doesn't count a sale on Cole Hahn or Gianni Bini shoes) and I didn't get my first credit card until I was 20 and married. Luckily, my husband's parents instill similar values and we keep a zero balance on our credit card(we only have one, and it has a 10K limit) and were able to buy our first house at 22 years of age.

I know we're not the norm, but it IS possible to teach your kids good things.

I have a friend who graduated from college and took about 9 months to find a job. She had NO job and just lived off her credit cards, and worked up about 10K in debt that she's still working to pay off. Thank goodness she got a high-paying job and a spouse with good money. She keeps her credit low now (thankfully).

Money management is so important - why don't more parents teach their kids about it?
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby BigJon@Work » Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:10 pm

Because the parents were never taught it either. The people I have in my class often bring their kids so I can teach them too.
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Re: Bankruptcy for Fun and Profit

Postby Shapley » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:18 pm

Quod scripsi, scripsi.
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