Ft. Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) September 29, 2011
President Barack Obama unveiled the new deficit-reduction plan last week in an effort to cover the costs of his jobs bill, but Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc. experts want to warn Americans of new details regarding the way debt collection agencies can contact debtors. According to page 26 of the deficit-reduction plan, debt collectors pursuing government-backed debt (i.e. mortgage loans, unpaid taxes and federal student loans) will have the authority to contact debtors via their cell phones.
RemodelPros.com Guides Homeowners in Claiming Roofing Tax Credit
Tacoma, Washington (PRWEB) September 28, 2011
The Internal Revenue Service allows homeowners to apply for a tax credit after making energy-efficient home improvements. Roof replacement, in some cases, can enhance the energy efficiency of a home and may qualify for a tax credit, explained Steve Keirstead, co-owner of RemodelPros.com parent company West Coast Vinyl, Inc.
Claiming the tax credit requires filing IRS Form 5695 with the homeowner's annual tax return. An extra form may seem like an unwelcome tax-time complication, but RemodelPros.com has stepped in to outline the process for homeowners:
Roof replacement must be completed on the homeowners...
With an idling economic recovery the political focus has been on two prominent agendas: the jobs bill and the tax increases included in the deficit-reduction plan. Little spotlight has been given to an alteration to the Communications Act of 1934 which would allow government backed debt collectors to contact debtors via their cell phone. There are pros and cons to this change that Americans need to be aware of ? on one hand, debt collectors will most likely be able to generate more money and possibly stimulate our sluggish economy. On the other hand, many Americans may incur additional phone expenses if debt collectors call several times a day causing consumers to go over-the-limit on their minutes and the debt collectors may cause disruption to people while at their work place, said Howard Dvorkin, CPAand founder of ConsolidatedCredit.org, a national credit counseling agency and financial literacy provider.
There are other factors that Consolidated Credit wants consumers to be aware of concerning this new piece of legislation. If we enable government financial entities more leeway to collect debts, it is only a matter of time before all collection agencies demand the same access to consumers who owe money on outstanding debts. Its unrealistic to give government debt agencies the privilege of contacting debtors via cell phones but not private creditors, Dvorkin, continued.
Consolidated Credit cautions Americans that if the bill does become law, debt collectors may become more aggressive in their methods of communication and may take advantage of their new found authorization. Some debt collectors have poor reputations and in many cases, it is well deserved. The Federal Trade Commission assembles an annual list of consumer complaints and nearly every year, debt collectors come in at No. 2. Last year alone, the FTC received 119,549 complaints about debt collector practices, Dvorkin stated.
To learn more about the rights citizens have when it comes to dealing with debt collectors, visit the Federal Trade Commissionswebsite to learn about The Fair Credit Reporting Act.
About: Founded in 1993, Consolidated Credit has helped more than 5 million families out of debt. Consolidated Credit provides personal finance educational assistance, financial wellness programs, budgeting assistance and debt management plans throughout the United States. Consolidated Credit is a member of the Association of Credit Counseling Professionals, a member of the Better Business Bureau and is ISO 9001 registered and accepted worldwide.
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