Here are three videos I thought might be useful and or interesting
for subscribers to the secret information course (you can use
the form on the home page or to the right if you haven't yet
signed up). One covers how to sue someone, and another looks
at how to negotiate away most of your credit card debt. But the
first video has to do with how the government is tracking your
purchases and even movements more than ever...
FBI Tracks Your Transactions
The government is watching your purchases made with credit
cards and even with store loyalty cards. They no longer need
to get a warrant to do this thanks to more and more intrusive
laws being passed in the name of national security. Some people
argue that it doesn't really matter as long as you are not doing
anything illegal. Others, including myself, feel that mistakes
are often made by governments, and I prefer more privacy. This
video describes some of what federal agents are doing with their
new powers.
If you were paying attention, you will have noticed that by
way of your transactions your location can be tracked in real
time. Now, you can avoid this by paying cash, but if you do that
too much you might be investigated (see our page on Big Brother
for more about tracking of cash transactions - big-brother.html).
A mix of payment methods is probably best for privacy.
If you were paying attention, you will have noticed that by
way of your transactions your location can be tracked in real
time. Now, you can avoid this by paying cash, but if you do that
too much you might be investigated (see our page on Big Brother
for more about tracking of cash transactions - big-brother.html).
A mix of payment methods is probably best for privacy.
One simple step you can take for greater privacy is to at
least get your store loyalty cards out of the loop. Those are
the cards that get you discounts at the grocery store or drug
store. Go get a new one for each store you frequent, but put
the wrong address, phone number and email on them. I have done
this without a problem more than once. Use your real name (or
perhaps one that is very similar), so when the cashier sees your
identification or credit card they do not get suspicious.
Now, you might wonder why you would use a credit card if you
have gone to the trouble to use a fake store loyalty card. Their
are two answers to this. First, the card with the misleading
information means there is one less way to track you. The second
is that while credit card companies are not generally selling
your purchase information, there have been reports that some
stores have done so. Do you really want health insurance companies
and others to know what you buy?
How to Sue Someone
This video covers the basics of how you file a lawsuit against
someone, whether using small claims court by yourself or hiring
a lawyer. You might not have ever had to sue someone before,
but things happen...
One thing that the video gets wrong, in my opinion, is the
idea that you should only sue if you can win. In fact, a lawsuit,
if it has any merit at all, is often just a tool to get the other
party to settle with you. I once had to sue a man who sold me
products for a business I had, and as soon as I filed in small
claims court and paid the extra $15 to have the sheriff serve
him his papers, he called and agreed to refund my money as he
had promised. I may not have won the case (our agreement was
verbal), but he didn't want the trouble or the possibility of
paying more than he did.
Secrets of Getting Rid of Your Credit Card Debt
You might be aware that you can sometimes negotiate with your
credit card companies. But it isn't just the interest rate that
can be adjusted, or a late payment penalty that can waived. You
can sometimes have the balance itself negotiated down. In the
video here Kenny Golde explains how he negotiated with seven
credit card companies to get his credit card debt down from $212,000
to $30,000. He also explains how he happened to have that much
debt to begin with--it's a good example of how unexpected things
can happen and leave you with no alternatives but bankruptcy
or negotiation.
You might have noticed that credit card companies do not want
to negotiate if you are current on your account. You may have
to stop paying for a while. Yes, this will wreck your credit
score for years. But then, if you had $212,000 in debt and were
unable to pay, your credit score is probably no longer salvageable
in any case.
