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You may have to kill old debts that resurrect and come back to life.  Zombie debt may include past debts that you owe, charged-off debt, debt included in bankruptcy, debt you may have never owed and even debts incurred due to identity theft. Zombie debt involves collection agencies purchasing debts for pennies on the dollar that original creditors have written off as bad debt and often times the statute of limitations has already run.

Debt buying has emerged into a multi-billion dollar industry in the past several years and from the looks of it, the industry will only continue to expand. Junk debt buyers can be small businesses to large, publicly traded Wallstreet companies and the characters involved in this lucrative business are banking on the consumer not knowing their rights. If you are contacted about an old debt or debt you are unaware of here are a few things you can do:

1. Do not acknowledge you owe the debt. Simply acknowledging the debt or agreeing to pay a portion of the debt can ruin your credit. Negative marks can stay on your credit for up to 7 years. By paying a portion of that debt you restart the 7 year clock. If you are nearing the 7 year mark it may be best to do nothing at all. Let it drop from your credit reports.

2. Ignore the phone calls completely.  Talking to them may open up a can of worms. Speaking with debt collectors may end up restarting or extending the statute of limitations on the debt in addition to restarting the time period a negative mark can stay on your credit.  Remember, if the statute of limitations has run on a debt you cannot be sued for that debt.

3. Stop the calls.  If the telephone calls continue, immediately write a letter, certified, return receipt, demanding the collection agency cease all telephonic contact with you. Make sure you clearly state in the letter that you do not agree you owe the debt nor are you acknowledging you owe the debt. Federal law dictates collection agencies must comply when you request they do not contact you via telephone.

4. Check your credit reports. Collection agencies will often stoop to low, illegal tactics to try to get you to pay a debt. Watch out for re-aging of the old debt on your credit reports. The collection agencies will report the old debt to the credit bureaus as a new debt and try to extend the seven-year reporting limit on negative items. Remember, negative items such as late payments and charge-offs can only be reported on your credit report for 7 years. Bankruptcies can be reported for 10 years unpaid tax liens can stay up to 15 years. 

5. Debt Validation. Request the collection agency validate the debt. Debt validation forces the debt collector to produce a copy of the original signed contract such as the credit card agreement and the account history of the debt. They cannot simply produce some printed copy of their bill or invoice, it must be from the original creditor. Also, request proof they are licensed in your State to perform debt collection. If the collection agency cannot produce proof you owe the debt, they are violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and can be sued. And, any negative entry they reported to the credit bureaus regarding this debt must be removed from your credit reports.

6. Negotiate cautiously. If you want to pay the debt, be very careful in your negotiations and get everything in writing. Remember the collection agencies purchased the debt for pennies on the dollar so anything you offer over that amount is all profit. You want to proceed with negation with intense caution because collection agencies are tricky. Debt collectors may settle for a smaller amount then turn around and sell the remaining debt to another collection agency or even worse, the collection agency could report the remainder of the debt to the IRS as “income”. 

7. False promises by the collection agency. Not surprisingly, some debt collectors use dirty, underhanded tactics to collect debt. Many simply lie to the consumer and promise to remove negative credit entries in exchange for payment. Know your rights and get everything in writing. Always negotiate a full deletion of any and all negative entries reported on your credit report of this debt. Cover your bases and make sure the debt collector is not going to sell the unpaid portion of the debt to another company.  For additional information on settling debts for pennies on the dollar visit: Debt Settlement

SEO packages are the way to go if you are looking for marketing techniques for an online company. Buying a package gives you maximum PR, various techniques, and can save you a lot of money. Packages include things like article writing, link building, blogging, keyword optimization, and more.

Some companies providing website optimization charge a lot of money when a business wants various techniques used. Each technique is charged separately and the bill can be outrageous. Purchasing SEO packages provide online business owners an affordable way to pay for various optimization techniques to market their business without breaking your wallet. It is smart to choose various techniques for marketing a business because it gives you exposure all over the web. Mixing marketing techniques is a smart plan for any business on the web.

Maximum PR is very important for any business trying to survive in the online marketplace today because there are over 50 million websites. When you choose SEO packages using many different techniques, your business will reach out to a larger audience. You want as many people as possible to read and have exposure to the marketing techniques used. These packages help reach out to a selected audience using the most effective techniques possible.

Saving money on the web is very important to many business owners. Running a business can be expensive. Marketing is often an expense companies cut out of their budget when funds are running low. SEO packages are cost effective and a very smart buy. Many businesses find they absorb the cost of the marketing quickly because of the maximum exposure.

If you are looking for ways to save money on marketing techniques for your online business, considering SEO packages is an excellent option. These types of packages mix various marketing techniques used around the web to give a business maximum exposure. These techniques help brand a business and generate inbound traffic. Maximum PR is very important for survival online because there are millions of websites today. Purchasing a package is the best option because it is cost effective and smart for business. If you aren’t sure which package will work best for your business, you can always ask a professional for assistance.

The most definitive way to discover why insurance is such a big deal is to be caught without it, arguably one of the most costly mistakes you might ever make in your life.

Household insurance an imperative, not a whim

Should your hearth and home, together with its expensive contents, be permanently damaged or even destroyed by fire or flood, could you rebuild it from scratch with your own hard-earned cash?

If your geyser bursts and most of your imported wooden floors are destroyed, can you afford to replace them without insurance? This is clearly why household insurance is an imperative and not a whim.

Your greatest asset and the place that offers untold security for you and yours is your primary residence, so why in the world would you take a chance by not insuring your home and contents?

Adequate risk management can save the business

Running a business can also be a risky occupation. As a business owner, you are not only responsible for yourself but for your staff and their dependents too.

Consider the reality of a contract falling through and your business not being able to meet a loan payment due, or even the ability to pay staff wages, rent on the business premises or those often large electricity and water bills.

Without adequate risk management, even the failure of a single contract could very well be the death knell of your business – prepared to take that chance?

Motor vehicle accidents prevalent

With the growing number of cars on the roads each year and the startling statistics of people driving without a licence or under the influence of alcohol, motor vehicle accidents appear to be rather more the rule than the exception.

If you happen to be behind the wheel of an uninsured vehicle and you are involved in a bad accident, are you able to waltz into the nearest car dealership and buy a new car? And do you have the means to pay for the replacement or repair of the other party’s wheels? How about the medical bills of the other driver and his passengers? Scary thoughts if you’ve opted not to have adequate car insurance or none at all.

Personal insurance can maintain a comfortable standard of living

Lastly, what happens if you’re injured and are unable to continue working for a prolonged period of time? Who picks up the monthly household accounts and medical bills, as well as maintaining the standard of living you and your family are familiar with? It is at times like these when personal insurance can save you from the poorhouse.

If you still have any reservations as to the efficacy of insurance, ponder hard on the above scenarios, make the right choice and get hold of a reputable insurance broker today – before your regret it ‘big time’.