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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1. What credit is- Where it comes from? Page 1
What is credit? Page1
Where does credit come from? 2
Why everyone wants to give us credit 3
How to apply for credit 4
How to get credit when you have nothing to offer 6
Who are the credit grantors? 7
What are credit bureaus, or who do they call to check up on your credit? 8
Does a good job equal good credit? 9
6 easy ways to establish credit 11
Should you deal with credit repair companies? 12
Filing out a credit application form 13
How much should your credit cost? 14
3 of the cheapest sources of credit? 15
How you can get a copy of your credit record 16
How to read your credit record 18

CHAPTER 2. How to use credit and stay out trouble 20
Paying off your balance each month 20
Limiting credit to buying cars and homes 21
How much of your income should go for payments? 22
Is a line of credit on your home a good idea? 24
Should you use credit for vacations? 24
10 good emergency uses for credit 26
Using credit to pay for college 28
10 bad emergency uses for credit 28

CHAPTER 3. How we get our credit in trouble 33
Can you be plunged into a credit mess? 34
Do you have too many credit cards? 35
Did you lose your job? 38
Divorce problems 39
Can you buy too much house or car on credit? 41
What are the ten warning signs of credit problems? 43

CHAPTER 4. Credit problems? What to expect 47
What to do about nasty letters in the mail 47
Can creditors get you fired from your job? 48
Can creditors take part of your income? 49
How will creditors let you know you're in trouble? 49

CHAPTER 5. Paths to fixing credit problems 52
Credit repair companies -- you can do as well or better without them? 53
If you still feel you must use a credit repair company.. 55
Start by contacting your creditors 57
Get your credit record 58
Improving credit histories 58
A 5 step plan to resolving mistakes in your credit record 58
Cleaning up credit problems you have caused 66
Retail store credit 67
Mortgage lenders and banks 70
Credit cards 71
Auto loans 73
Student loans 75
Medical bills 77
Debt collection agencies 78
Does bad credit ever die? How to tell, and what to do about it 81
Cleaning up your public record 82
Is bankruptcy the right path for you? 85
A 12 step plan for filing for bankruptcy 87
1. Preparation 87
2. Finding a bankruptcy court 89
3. What forms you will need 89
4. Filling the forms 92
5. The court schedules a meeting of your creditors 93
6. The creditors meeting 94
7. Working with exempt and non-exempt property to get the best deal 94 8. The discharge hearing 95
9. Filing an amendment 96
10. After bankruptcy problems 96
11. Re-opening your bankruptcy case 97
12. Can they revoke your discharge? 98
How to work out payment plans 99
Can you get creditors to cancel part of your debt? 100
Should you pay everyone off? 101
Tear up my credit cards? Are you mad? 103
How long should it take to fix credit? 104
Should you use credit to fix credit? 105
When all else fails, play the lottery 107

CHAPTER 6. The benefits of bankruptcy 108
The proceedings 109
How to figure out your Chapter 13 budget 109
An example of a Chapter 13 budget 110
What happens after you file 111
What the court will do 111
Limits and laws governing Chapter 13 111
Which debts cannot be paid off with Chapter 13 113
Can my creditors veto my repayment plan? 113
Will a Chapter 13 filing show up on my credit report? 113
Do I need to hire a lawyer to file a Chapter 13? 114
What would a lawyer cost? 114
How can I find a lawyer who will do a good job? 114

CHAPTER 7. Staying out of trouble 116
Watch the balance of income and credit payments 116
Saving up for big purchases 118
Limiting your credit loses 119
Stay away from the loan sharks 120
Don't get suckered in by easy credit 121
Become a cash buyer of most everything 123

CHAPTER 8. Surviving credit boondoggles 126
What to do when you can't fix it 127
Surviving bankruptcy 128
Buying with bad credit 129
Looking for private sources of credit 130
Should you just change your name and run away 130

CHAPTER 9. Credit advice for women only 132
The special problems women face in getting credit 132
Do creditors give women a hard time? 133
Why you should have credit in your own name 134
How you should manage your money for a good credit report 135
Tips on building your own credit history 138
What to do if you already have good credit and getting married 140
How your husband's bankruptcy affects your credit 141
How does divorce affect your credit 142
How you can plan for a divorce 143
What happens to your credit when you become a widow 145

CHAPTER 10. How to slash your interest rate 149
Slash your payment in half 150

CHAPTER 11. How to buy a home with no money down 152
The government 152
Don't forget the VA 154

CHAPTER 12. Ways to create, make and raise your own credit 157
1. Form your own corporation 158
2. Seek personal loans 158
3. Borrow from Uncle Sam 159
4. Seek venture capital 160
Startup funding 160
First round funding 161
Second round funding 161
Later stage funding 161
Equity loan 161
Mezzanine funding 161
Merger and acquisition 161
What's the best approach 161
5. Money from your house 163
The best investment yourself 163
Real estate 164
Investing in discounted mortgages 164
Beat the DOW with this investment strategy 165
Franchising 165
Making money with credit cards 166

CHAPTER 13. Mortgage interest reducing 170
Trim a little, trim a lot 170

CHAPTER 14. Non-bank sources of credit 172
1. The government 172
The Small Business Administration 173
Farmers Home Administration 173
The Minority Business Development Agency 174
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation 174
Export-Import Bank of the United States 174
The Small Business Investment Company 175
2. Venture capital 175
3. Start your own investment club 176
4. A silent partner 176
5. Borrow from professional people 177

CHAPTER 15. Getting bankers to beg for your business 178
They need you 179
What about banker losses? 180
The application form 180
The three Cs: Capacity-character-collateral 181
The score 182
Get creative 185
What if you are self employed? 185
What if you lie? 186
More credit application form tips 187
A final warning 188

CHAPTER 16. 17 businesses to start without money or credit 189
Bill auditing service 192
Business broker 195
Grant writing 197
How do you write a grant? 198
How much should you charge? 200
Publish your own newsletter 201
Printing broker 204
Resume writer 206
Business plan writer 207
Credit card marketing to college students 210
Loan marketing to health care professionals 211
Indoor environmental tester 212
Information broker 214
Medical billing service 217
Medical claims processing service 218
Medical transcript service 220
Professional organizer 222
Professional practice consultant 224
New luxury car free 225
You can have it all 226
Different states, different laws 227
Naming your corporation 228
Contact the car dealer 228
Get a client list 228
How do you buy the cars? 230

CHAPTER 17. Five sources of private credit -- and five you avoid 231
1. Unclaimed property 231
Commerce Department announces over $5 million in unclaimed property 232
2. People who give money away 233
3. Computers can sniff out credit for you 238
4. Another great source of funds 238
5. Seek out joint government-private sources 239
6. Check your own non-liquid assets and how $100 can get you $10,000 239
Five credit sources you must avoid 241
1. Illegal sources of money 241
2. High interest credit cards 242
3. Rent-to-own 242
4. Pawn shops 242
5. Mail order credit companies 243

CHAPTER 18. How to get a lower interest rate 244
Shop around 244
1. Truth in lending 245
2. Consumer leasing 245
Cost of open end credit 246
Getting interest to work for you 248
File variation 249

Glossary of credit and other financial terms 251

Special Bonus Sections
Bonus #1 - The Credit Game 266
Bonus #2 - How To Buy A Car For The Lowest Possible Price 278
Bonus #3 - Businesses You Can Start With $500 or Less- And Make Money 306
Bonus #4 - How To Get A Part Of Billions Of Dollars That The Government Is Holding 339