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Part of my job is to deal with people who can’t or won’t pay their debts. I hear plenty of genuine hard-luck stories from the former, and I get plenty of green ink from the latter.

A year or so ago I started receiving letters that were odder than usual. The writer would be happy to pay “any lawful debt”, but only if I provide “validation of the debt: the actual accounting” and “a hand-signed invoice in accordance with the Bills of Exchange Act (1882)”. I replied to each, answering the questions as best I could. My replies resulted in further letters claiming that, because I had not provided the requested information, I had entered into a “tacit contract” that required me to pay £1,000 for each further letter that I sent to the writer.

Once you receive a few letters in identical terms, you suspect an internet campaign.

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Tags: Debt, Magic Bullet

When you are in the middle of a divorce, your future credit rating is probably way down on your list of worries. However, before the divorce is final, there are several steps you can take to protect your credit rating.

Determine Your Liabilities

You’ll need to know everything that has your name on it, such as bank loans and accounts, credit cards, and mortgages. In some cases, the two people have already decided who gets what. You need to make sure your name is not part of your spouse’s share of the debts and assets.

Document, Dissolve, and Divvy Up

Before the divorce is final, make sure that all of your debts and accounts have been divvied up. Put

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Tags: Credit

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week, which means it’s nearly Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Then we really won’t be able to avoid the holiday commercials and music everywhere we go.??

Companies with existing gift cards are already pushing them hard. Groupon recently launched its own gift card, allowing recipients to use it toward any deal on the site. I went to Jamba Juice earlier this week and at checkout, they asked me if I wanted to buy a gift card in exchange for a free smoothie . A local Austin company that sells prepared food, My Fit Foods, sent out a newsletter today that announced its new gift cards.

Gift cards are extremely convenient, especially since so many can be sent by email. But the thing that kills me is that the recipient knows the exact value you spent on the gift.

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