Can Debt Collectors Put Me In Jail

Looking for a Credit Card for Christmas Shopping? Before you submit a credit card application, first review the main points which will help you choose the right credit card for your needs.

What Charges You'll Make - If you're going to use the credit card mainly for booking airline reservations and hotels, it might be best for you to get a travel credit card that offers sky miles and hotel points or cashback. If this will be an emergency credit card only, then your main concern may be for a low interest rate credit card with low fees.

When You'll Repay Charges - Will you pay off credit card charges in full every month, or will you carry a balance month to month? If you're going to carry a balance, you want the lowest possible interest rate as well as a low introductory rate. But if you'll payoff balances in full every month, then interest rate really doesn't matter so no annual fee and/or a long grace period would be a bigger concern. If you're going to carry a balance, be concerned about how the finance charge is calculated. The most common method is the Average Daily Balance, which means that the daily balances are added together and then divided by the number of days in the billing cycle. Stay away from credit cards that compute the balance using two billing cycles, as this method costs more money in financing fees.

What Amount You'll Charge - If you're going to use the credit card for all your monthly expenses, then you need a card that has a high credit limit and a high cashback percentage.

More info about Interest Rates, Credit Limits, Incentives, Fees and Penalties

Interest Rates - The interest rate (Annual Percentage Rate) APR can either be a fixed rate or a variable rate that is tied to another financial indicator, most commonly the prime rate. With a fixed rate credit card you know what the interest rate will be every month, whereas a card with a variable rate can fluctuate. Of course, even the interest of a fixed rate card can change based on certain events, such as paying your credit card bill late, exceeding your limit, or simply because the credit card issuer decides to change it after providing you ample advance notice.

Credit Limit - This is the amount of money the credit card company will let you charge to the card. This amount varies depending upon the card offer and your credit history. Be sure to get a credit card with an ample limit, because getting close to your max can hurt your credit score. Just remember that you don't have to max out your limit just because it's available.

Incentives - To compete for and to gain customers, many credit card companies offer rewards. Even if you normally use cash, why not use your credit card and then use the cash to make the payment during the grace period? You still won't pay interest and meanwhile you'll rack-up rewards. A credit card with 5% cashback will earn you $5 for every $100 charged. If your total bills come to $2,000 per month, you'll earn a free $100 every month. Look for a rewards program that you'll use and which offers flexibility, such as cashback or travel.

Fees and Penalties - Compare common charges such as late fees, overlimit fees, balance transfers, cash advances, and for making payments by telephone. Regarding balance transfers, look for credit card offers with no transaction fees and zero percent interest for at least 12 months.

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Can Debt Collectors Put Me In Jail

By Credit Federal | Published 10/9/2008

One question often received is: Can debt collectors put me in jail for not paying my bill?

If you need help, consider credit counseling, professional debt negotiation or do-it-yourself free debt settlement.

Truth: Debt collectors cannot put you in jail for not paying your bill. But that doesn't stop debt collectors from trying all sorts of underhanded tactics to get you to pay.

There are no 'debtor prisons', and being in debt is not a crime. You cannot go to jail just because you didn't repay a bank loan or a hospital bill. Any debt collector that tells you otherwise is lying and is violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law that governs debt collectors.

If a debt collector threatens to put you in jail, report them to the Federal Trade Commission and your state's attorney general. You can also sue the collector in federal or state court for damages, plus up to $1,000.00 and court costs.

What debt actions can you get put in jail for?

Purposely not paying your taxes
Commiting fraud, including taking out loans you never intend to repay
Violating a court order, such as failing to pay court ordered child support
Trying to hide assets to avoid paying a judgment

More helpful information:
Unknown Debt Collection Agency
Statute of Limitations Debt Collection Act
Collection Agency Harassment
Debt Collection Agency Negotiation
Bill Collector Bad Debt Collection
Collection Agency Rules and How to Respond to Harassment

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Can Debt Collectors Put Me In Jail - by <a href=http://creditfederal.com>CreditFederal.com</a> <div style="text-align: left; font-family: Verdana;">One question often received is: Can debt collectors put me in jail for not paying my bill? If you need help, consider <a target='_top' href="http://creditfederal.com/credit-counseling.html">credit counseling</a>, professional <a target='_top' href="http://creditfederal.com/debt-negotiation.html">debt negotiation</a> or do-it-yourself <a target='_top' href="http://creditfederal.com/free-debt-settlement.html">free debt settlement</a>. Truth: Debt collectors cannot put you in jail for not paying your bill. But that doesn't stop debt collectors from trying all sorts of underhanded tactics to get you to pay. There are no 'debtor prisons', and being in debt is not a crime. You cannot go to jail just because you didn't repay a bank loan or a hospital bill. Any debt collector that tells you otherwise is lying and is violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law that governs debt collectors. If a debt collector threatens to put you in jail, report them to the Federal Trade Commission and your state's attorney general. You can also sue the collector in federal or state court for damages, plus up to $1,000.00 and court costs. What debt actions can you get put in jail for? <ul><li>Purposely not paying your taxes</li><li>Commiting fraud, including taking out loans you never intend to repay</li><li>Violating a court order, such as failing to pay court ordered child support</li><li>Trying to hide assets to avoid paying a judgment</li></ul> More helpful information: <a target='_top' style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://creditfederal.com/article/articles/287/1/Unknown-Debt-Collection-Agency">Unknown Debt Collection Agency</a> <a target='_top' style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://creditfederal.com/article/articles/508/1/Statute-of-Limitations-Debt-Collection-Act">Statute of Limitations Debt Collection Act</a> <a target='_top' style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://creditfederal.com/article/articles/5/1/Collection-Agency-Harassment">Collection Agency Harassment</a> <a target='_top' style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://creditfederal.com/article/articles/553/1/Debt-Collection-Agency-Negotiation">Debt Collection Agency Negotiation</a> <a target='_top' style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://creditfederal.com/article/blogs/195/Bill-Collector-Bad-Debt-Collection">Bill Collector Bad Debt Collection</a> <a target='_top' style="font-family: Verdana;" href="http://creditfederal.com/article/blogs/1/Collection-Agency-Rules-and-How-to-Respond-to-Harassment">Collection Agency Rules and How to Respond to Harassment</a> </div> This article provided courtesy of <a href=http://creditfederal.com target=_new>www.CreditFederal.com</a>, a personal credit resource of good or bad credit credit cards and loans.

Credit Tip: Need a high limit for Christmas credit card charges? If you have bad credit, consider a personal loan by refinancing your mortgage. Even if you have cash to buy Christmas presents, we recommend using a prepaid card to make purchases because it's safer than carrying cash.