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Excerpt from the Los Angeles Times, Sunday, July 25, Author: Kenneth Harney...

Ignore the online and junk mail "credit repair" come-ons that promise miraculous FICO-score improvement overnight.  They are often rip-offs and may not even be legal in some instances.

However, an experienced mortgage broker or retail loan officer can get your credit file into a "rapid rescoring" program that just might get you the legitimate lift you need to qualify.  Rapid rescoring performed by independent credit reporting firms use procedures approved by the three major credit bureaus to make direct changes to the information contained in credit files.

If there are documented errors in the file or omissions that are dragging down your scores behind your back, the rescorers connect you, your creditors and the three national bureaus to get problems fixed.  In some cases, rescorers can even spot steps you can take, such as cutting your usage percentage on a particular account, that will boost your score immediately.

Most rescorings take three to five days and cost an average of $30 per "tradeline" or credit account per borrower.  A typical rescoring costs from $90 to $200.  Though extensive rescorings can push FICO scores up dramatically, the average increase is more like 25 to 32 points.

If you've been an irresponsible deadbeat rescoring your files won't help much or at all.

Considering the ongoing environment where otherwise honest and diligent bill-paying people have lost their jobs, or have been sucker-punched by abusive retail credit practices and are now nursing abysmal credit scores (roughly 43 million Americans), you have to wonder EXACTLY who or what is now a deadbeat?

Know what's included in your room rate.  ASK for the bottom line price--exactly what the hotel expects you to pay when you check out.  Look for occupancy taxes, early check-in or check-out fees, late check-out fees, amenity fees (for the use of towels, gym, etc.), resort fees, parking fees, and energy surcharges.  Some hotels add gratuities as well.  Additionally, some of those aforementioned "fees" are nothing more than part of the room rate meaning you should expect to pay that same occupancy tax on top of that add-on fee.  AND, be sure you know what you're getting when the hotel  is "all-inclusive."

Finally, make certain you understand cancellation policies, fees, costs for extra persons, as well as rollaway beds.

I can't stress enough how important it is to require the hotel, or the booking agent (such as Hotwire, Priceline, Expedia, etc.) to provide all of these specifics in writing.  However, beware of the generalization of written terms when booking somewhere other than the hotel's own web site--you won't get a lot of specifics, nor will you have much leverage when there is a problem, when booking through a third-party site.

OK.  So you don’t fly 100,000 miles every year, on the same route, on the same planes, week-in and week-out.  How would you know what’s a good seat?

You start with a little research.  Then you go to SeatGuru.com.

FIRST.  The equipment (type of aircraft) you’ll be flying we’ll be available when you pull-up your itinerary, on-line.  If you have problems figuring it out, you can always call the airline reservation number and ask.

SECOND.  At SeatGuru.com, you can easily navigate the site.  Click on the alphabetical airline box, click on the airline, chose your aircraft!  There will be a brief description of the plane, as it relates to the airline’s configuration and a straight-forward, easy-to-understand diagram of the plane cabin.

For each class of seats, you can learn the seat pitch, width, and the amenities (video, audio, etc.).  By using colors, the diagram shows you the good seats, seats to be aware of, and poor seats.  You can learn where power ports are located as well as lavatories (bathrooms), closets, galleys (kitchens), and exits.

This is all just very, very cool and I feel like a kid when I use this site.

BEWARE!  I suggest checking your reservation 48 hours to a week ahead of time.  You never know when and if the airline might change the originally scheduled equipment.  If the equipment does change, start over again and find a new seat.

SPECIAL NOTE:  Frequent flyers are the ones who usually get upgraded, as they check-in for the flight.  If you want a different seat, chances are the seat a frequent flyer just got upgraded from is better than the one on your boarding pass—check at the gate.

Have a great flight!

Not long ago, I gave a client a recommendation for replacement tires on his Toyota.  I did quite a bit of research, checking on-line customer reviews, periodicals, manufacturers web sites, and verifying the original Toyota specifications for the vehicle.  I also did the foot work and price-shopped for a tire dealer in his vicinity.  Although it was a national brand, the tire store had a great reputation and the client was very happy with his purchase as well as the improved performance of his Toyota.

Recently, one tire lost a chunk out of its' sidewall, and had to be replaced because of the potential safety issue.  The client took the car in and much to his surprise (and mine) this particular tire, a MAJOR BRAND, had no replacement warranty.  I was dumb-founded as I had never heard of a passenger car tire not having a warranty, of any kind.  I assumed, as did the client, there was a warranty on her every-day passenger car tires.  If I even thought it was possible the tires might not have a warranty, I would have recommended the second choice for tires to the client, from the start.

Lesson 1: Make certain the tire your buying comes with some kind of replacement warranty.

Lesson 2: A good vendor or retailer can bail you out, especially if you're perceived as a loyal customer.

Since the original purchase, the manufacturer has added a replacement warranty for these particular tires and, although the client was charged for the tire, the dealer added-on the replacement warranty for all four tires which was worth at least what the tire cost (about $15 per tire).  The dealer didn't charge for any mounting, stem or other ancillary charges on the tire as well.  Why?  Because the dealer was building the relationship and saw my client (their customer) as a long-term customer.

As much as I think I've learned over the years, there is always more to keep me on my toes!

Last year I wrote if I could bet that a major airline would go out of business I'd take the bet.  At that time crude oil speculation was out of control and, frankly, until our lawmakers get off their seats and reel in crude oil speculation (and as long as the middle east is in turmoil which I wouldn't count on changing anytime soon) we can count on prices going through dramatic swings with the potential for intense pressure on airlines profitability.
 
Any of us could be stuck with a worthless ticket or worthless frequent flier miles in a blink of an eye.  So, what about that travel insurance some airlines offer when you buy your ticket?  That will cover you, right?

As reported on AirFareWatchdog.com, most of these policies will not protect you if an airline goes out of business.  This exclusion can be found in the fine print of any airline-peddled insurance policy.  However, by purchasing from a travel insurance company, it is possible to be protected.  In other words, the same insurance company policy sold to you by the airline doesn't protect you as thoroughly as when you buy that policy directly from the insurance company itself.  Who knew?!  In this age of "anything goes" in the airline industry, the insurance might just be worth the investment.  Check out www.TravelGuard.com, an insurance company mentioned on AirFareWatchdog.com.

Remember, credit cards still offer a line of defense.  You can always dispute a charge within 60 days of it appearing on your statement.  Happy flying (if your flight gets off the ground with you in it)!

 

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