Ask Chuck: Not Falling for Affinity Fraud
Dear Chuck, My best friend’s mother was a victim of financial fraud. She lost most of her retirement savings. I’ve read about Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme but I’m concerned for the vulnerable people I know. What can I do to protect my family and those I love? Afraid of Fraud Dear Afraid of […]
Ask Chuck: Will Closing My Credit Cards Ruin My Credit Score?
Dear Chuck, My husband and I fell on rough times and as a result, ended up with a LOT of credit card debt. We have prayed, worked hard, and paid it down as much as we can but still have some left. Together we have approximately 15 credit card accounts but only two have balances […]
Ask Chuck: What To Do About the Equifax Breach?
Dear Chuck, This Equifax security breach has me really concerned. What does it mean if I am among the millions who had their information stolen? What should I do to keep my identity safe? Thanks, Looking for the Facts Dear Looking for the Facts, You have every right to be concerned! Equifax is one […]
4 Ways to Protect Yourself From Fraud
Have you, or a family member, ever been the victim of a scam? It can be a terrifying and frustrating event! Do you remember David’s words in Psalm 118? “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Though David wasn’t having to deal with professional thieves, this […]
Ask Chuck – Funeral Fraud
Dear Chuck, An acquaintance at work recently shared the trauma a close friend experienced planning a sudden funeral then discovering criminals had accessed his deceased family member’s bank accounts. How can we protect ourselves and prepare for the inevitable? Concerned Dear Concerned, It’s hard to believe, but there are scammers who prey on […]
What You Need to Know About Being Threatened by a Debt Collector
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently reported than 1 in 4 consumers felt threatened when contacted by debt collectors. They experience collectors calling too often, at odd hours, and warnings of jail time and other frightening threats. Some were being hounded for debts they did not even owe! Many complained that the collectors ignored requests […]
4 Tips for Buying a Car on Craigslist
Dear Chuck, Should I buy a car from Craigslist? There seems to be a lot of great deals from private sellers. And I would love to pay cash rather than have a car payment. But the process seems so daunting. Many of the posts look like scams, and most sellers say “cash only” but I […]
Watch Out For This Scam
Now this one has not happened to anyone in our family, but since I have a son in college, I was glad to learn about it so we can have our guard up. According to John Wasik who writes a blog for Forbes on financial scams, “This latest scam has crooks calling families or students […]
If You Are Buying A Car, Don’t Do This
British comedian John Oliver recently took aim at the rampant rip-off that currently takes place in the auto-lending sector with BUY HERE – PAY HERE loans. These are loans that make it easy to purchase a car on credit but with high interest rates and severe penalties for missing a payment or default. These are […]
NEVER Take Out This Kind of Loan
Originally posted at Christian Post August 26, 2016. Dear Chuck, What is your view of payday lending? It seems like Crown would have some insight on the perils of such loans and whether there are alternative ways to secure a “small-dollar loan” such as through church lending clubs, or some other means. Considering my options Dear Considering, Thanks for the great question. […]
