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Dealing with Credit Card Charge Off: How Can I Remove It?

what is a charge off

With credit card comes great responsibility. Being trusted by a creditor is a big deal which you should be careful in dealing with. Basically, as long as you make payments on time and you know your limits, you won’t have any problem.

Unfortunately, many credit card holders are too laid back, carefree or even care less to the point where they take things for granted. They start delaying payments or they start not paying at all; and sometimes, it’s not just for a month or two, it may even reach more than half of a year. By this time, they will probably receive a “charge-off” on their credit report. And if you do not understand what this implies, it may be best for you to take some time to read what a charge-off is.

What is a charge-off?

A common misconception of the term “charge-off” is the idea that when creditors have charged-off your card, your debt has been cancelled. Mind you, this is a very wrong way of putting it. A charge-off actually refers to the situation where your creditor has declared your debt as a loss for their company. That is declaring that your debts are unlikely to be collected.

One of the worst marks you may receive on your credit report is a charge-off. But why is that so? Well, this is mainly because a charge-off dramatically affects your credit score and to top it off, this record will reflect on your credit report for seven years.

How does a charge-off happen?

You ought to know that in your credit agreement, you are obliged to make minimum payments on specific due dates for each month. In order for you to avoid any late payment notice to reflect on your credit report, you can still make the payment between the due date and 29 days past it. However, for situations wherein you fail to make the payment until the next due date, a late payment notice will be filed on your report. If this goes on and on until you reach 180 days late, which also six months, your account will receive a charge-off mark.

In other situations, your account can also be charged-off if you keep sending payments that are less than the minimum due. To avoid being charged-off, you must, therefore, pay the full minimum.

credit card problems

Why and how should I clear a charge-off?

Whenever a creditor declares your debt as a loss for their company, they won’t let you get away for free. They will continue to demand you to pay your debt. You should do your best to clear your debt since the past due balance is actually legally forceable; in other words, the creditor can sue you for it and you might end up needing to get a lawyer to defend you. Aside from this, a charge-off is a disaster for your credit report and it may negatively affect all other future loans and deals you wish to make.

As previously mentioned, the charge-off will stay on your credit report for seven long years. Even a full-payment of the charge-off won’t help remove what was on your credit report; it will only reflect the terms “charge-off paid”. Seemingly, you have no other choice but to wait for the seven years to pass.

Luckily, there is a way to remove the charge-off sooner and this is by sincerely negotiating with your creditor. Although quite challenging, some creditors will have it your way as long as you make sure the right people will handle your case.

Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to Defend Me?

fees of a lawyer

Perhaps, you’ve gotten into an automobile accident or perhaps, you know someone who was a victim of this type of accident; well, one of the greatest decisions to make is whether or not a car accident lawyer is essential for your situation. Rest easy because this article will help you come up with the right answers. Without any more delay, let’s discuss on the basics.

When do I need to hire an accident lawyer?

If you find yourself in a situation facing any of the situations below, that may be a sign that you need a legal professional to represent you.

  • Severe Injuries

If the victim is severely injured or if the victim faces a long-term injury or permanent injury that will surely affect his/her quality of life, a legal professional might just be needed for the complicated court processes.

  • Willingness to Pay

If the party at fault or the one responsible for the injuries and the accident refuses to pay the right amount or any amount to compensate the victim; calling for an attorney will be necessary to fight for the victim’s rights.

  • Insurance company disputes liability

Sometimes, insurance companies will deny their liability. They might dispute the liability if they think their client was not at fault; thus, you will need an attorney to prove them wrong.

best injury lawyer

Why should I hire an accident lawyer?

Regardless if it’s an offshore injury or an incident that happened on air or land, hiring a personal injury or accident lawyer gives you a better chance of winning your case. Some people might prefer to deal with the cases all by themselves or with the help of family members who have no legal experience, however, this might be difficult especially since a lot of work has to be done. A legal professional will make it easier as he/she will do the work. With their knowledge of the legal procedures, they will also be able to advise and assist you with every step you take in order to ensure that you are compensated properly. Simply put, lawyers will make sure that you get the justice you deserve.

What should I look for in an accident lawyer?

  • Experience

A lawyer with adequate experience in cases similar to yours is definitely a promising choice. You may check out his/her records with the past cases in order to determine how he handled them. Indeed, there is no better qualification than first-hand experience that resulted to success.

  • Reasonable Price

Hiring a lawyer might be a bit costly; this is why you should look for a lawyer that has a reasonable price that is within your budget. You don’t have to go for the most expensive legal professional unless your case involves millions and billions of dollars. And so, you must try your best to avoid legal professionals who take advantage of you financially.

  • Easy Communication

Find a lawyer whom you can easily talk to. As the victim or the family of the victim, you must be able to easily express your sentiments and opinions; thus, you need an attorney whom you effectively communicate with.

  • Right Personality

As much as possible, your lawyer’s personality must mesh with yours as well. It will be hard to work with a lawyer whose personality is extremely opposite as yours; this might just spark disagreements and tension in the room.

 

Learning the Piano

where to find piano teachersThe piano is a magical music instrument. With its magic, comes the difficulty in playing it perfectly. In most Asian countries, especially in Korea and China, children as early as 3 years old are already trained to play this instrument. Learning how to play the piano at an early age ensures more success in playing it virtuoso way; however, teenagers and adults who start learning it may also reach a master level in this instrument. Basically, it really just depends on the student and the piano teacher.

People may freely learn the piano by themselves through tutorials on the web; however, hiring a professional piano teacher is the best option possible. This is mainly because piano teachers will thoroughly teach you bits and pieces of reading notes, hand positions and understanding musical symbols in order to incorporate it your performance.

Unfortunately, not all piano teachers are so great. Some may even cause more stress and intimidation on their students. This is why a checklist of qualities should be present when choosing which piano teacher to hire. Remember, this piano teacher will be with you for quite some time so you better choose wisely.

A popular website when searching for trusted piano teachers is Bidvine, piano teachers near you are listed in Bidvine’s directory—this may make it easier for you to contact one.

best piano teachers near me

What are the qualities to look for in a piano teacher?

  1. Ability to Communicate

When trying to learn the piano, it is important for both student and the teacher to communicate with each other effectively. The teacher should be able to say what he or she needs to inform the student—for instance, if the hand position is wrong, the teacher should be able to instruct the student on the proper way to do it. Without communication, an effective lesson is difficult to achieve.

  1. Patience

Piano may be confusing especially to the beginners. With so many keys that look alike, students may take a lot of time to really digest which keys are which and which fingers are best for each keys. A great piano teacher would allow their student to take their time. A teacher who is fond of yelling or complaining at the student for not learning fast should never be tolerated.

  1. Experience

Of course, a good piano teacher is also one who has had several musical success stories. It may be simple stories such as having been able to teach a little girl 15 songs or successfully teaching a student to read notes fast. Good experiences are important when it comes to piano teaching. Bad experiences, as well, are useful since the teacher can improve from these experiences.

  1. Assignments

In order to monitor the student’s learning curve, a good piano teacher will assign homeworks to the student. It could be little assignments such as learning a short song. Furthermore, the teacher can also give surprise tests to see if the student has really learned something especially when it comes to reading notes.