You have to be ever so careful now - there are so many more scams bombarding us than ever before - this economy has people being desperate, and so some scams are easier to pull off with people hoping for the best, and there are more scammers who are desperate to make a buck. Check everything out carefully. Go to trusted websites, or physical stores - never click on a link in an ad. Don't respond to requests from bogus "banks" or the bogus IRS or the bogus car warranty companies, or the bogus lower your credit rate scams, and much more. Don't give any of your credit or personal information to anyone!Speak directly to your bank or credit company, etc. They are usually more than willing to try to work with you in these tough times.

It's a tough time in this economy - if you lose your job, have an accident or unexpected bill, etc. Try to think of what your skills are that can relate to this economy. Sell your things on eBay or Craig's list. Go to work for a construction company (the ones getting funded by the infrastructure budget have a lot of work ahead). The staples of the world - food, clothing, electricity, water, health, etc. - they still need people to work for and with them. There is need for people to repair, do-it-yourself, re-use, reduce and recycle - how can you fit into this niche? The luxuries, not so much anymore unless you are in a very upscale area that can still afford such. Try to find out what people want, need and are interested in. There is still hiring going on - but yes, it's more difficult to find out where. Look on the Internet, at signs posted in stores, word of mouth, etc. Drop your wage requirements to be more realistic in these times - you can look for the better job later when the economy starts to recover.

The FDIC is not emailing you for ANY reason - it is a scam that is phishing for your personal information and money. Don't reply to it, email, call or click on anything in that email. It is not for real!

The same goes for email "from" the IRS, your bank, your credit company, or any other entity asking you to log in and verify account information. If you think something is real about it - call or email from the contact information directly on the original site or in phone book - NEVER contact the place from information on the email.

These scams are also working by way of US postal mail, the phone (have you been getting the bogus auto warranty calls, or the calls about your last chance to be eligible to lower your credit rate, etc. - all bogus!), and any other way they can get to you. Let them be, and give them NOTHING! NO account info, no passwords, no money, NOTHING.

Sometimes assessing an up-front fee is a way to save money at the back end, bringing the total cost down for you. If this is the case, it may be in your best interest to pay out some fees at the front end. Ask for a comparison of both options so that you will be able to see which option works best for you - if you are struggling for money, however, you will likely have to opt to pay no up-front fees.

There may be laws that prohibit collecting certain up-front fees, especially at time of making the application. Check this so you will be informed when doing business.

Insurance companies have the right to wait up to 6 months to pay you an insurance settlement. Right when you thought you could pay off your mounting bills since you were not at fault, you find out your insurance payment is dragging out.

What would you do? Perhaps you are unable to work, or you get paid once monthly, and cannot wait until your next pay check to pay the bills, or to go to the doctor.

If you are able to work, you could try a payday loan to front you some cash to get by (only up to $500, but make sure you fully understand the terms before you agree to this - it may be a bad deal). You could approach family member for a loan - but borrowing from family could strain relationships, especially if the money isn't repaid as agreed. You could refinance your home, but that might also take awhile, or be a problem if your credit isn't good.

Another option you might not realize there is, is that you can get an advance on your insurance payment. Your credit isn't an issue (unless you are in bankruptcy), and you can get an advance in as little as 24 hours. The red tape isn't nearly as intensive as applying for a bank loan, and the repayment is secured only by the insurance settlement that is to be paid to you. You have no risk - it's non-recourse funding, so if your insurance doesn't pay, you don't have to pay anything back. Real injuries (not soft-tissue) have the best chance of receiving the funding.

Now you see you have some options - don't get more stressed out than the accident has already caused you to be. See what option works out best for you and take care of your financial issues.

You need to make sure that the check number on the top right matches the last of the routing numbers on the bottom of the check. If it doesn't, the payment again won't go through on a physical check you turn in somewhere.

Check your balances carefully with each payment you make. If payment was made through a website, or given over the phone, the person who keys in the check payments may get the numbers wrong by mistake. This happened to me on a $99 check that was actually cashed for $990.20 - and my account was overdrawn! There was a lot of hassling to correct the mistake, and get funds wired back in to cover the costs of the other incoming checks I had outstanding, coming in. Be certain that most institutions will not work this fast, and will not wire the funds back so quickly - it is likely an investigation will take longer and will take longer to reconcile a refund to your account.

Make sure that anyone who has regularly cashed your check payments, whether on a monthly basis or on a single transaction, has the correct routing number and amount. Check your accounts to make sure the checks are cashed in the amounts you authorize, and make sure that it is cashed within days of your expectation of it cashing - to make sure the payment has gone through as expected.

You can have an auction company come in and run an auction, at the site or at their auction grounds (better since you'll have more people coming in to a central place, knowing they've purchased there before). However, make sure you list bottom line prices on things that matter.

For furniture, or jewelry, for example, don't let it sell for less than a fiar value amount - or it can sell for pennies at auction. The auction wants to clean the stock, and will take bottom line prices to sell. You can agree to take back items that don't sell, if you feel they are worthy. If there is a wood & glass china cabinet, purchased only 1 year ago, in a nice style, for example, and it cost $100, don't let the auction house sell it for $7 just to move it. Put realistic restrictions on valuable items so no one loses out. You can be sickened by a total proceed from an auction that gives you $1200 for the entire estate, which you know was worth $40,000 - you may be ok with that, just to get rid of the items fast, but if not, make the terms absolutely understood in lowest pricing.

Make certain that you specify items that you do NOT want sold, whether in the attic, or a crawl space, or whereever. The auction movers scour the entire house to load up everything that is loose (or may even take things that are screwed in, off the walls). Specify no appliances or they may be taken. Be ultra picky and ultra careful before you sign the papers for an estate auction sale.

Need more funding after a prior advance, or a lower interest rate on a prior advance? We'll try to buy out your prior advance and work out a new advance, giving you more if you wish, and trying to lower your interest rste.

Need surgery from your accident? We look after your needs to try to help you - get your needed surgery or medical attention, and thereby strengthening your case. Once your case is made stronger, you can get a bigger advance if you need it.

Lawsuit settlement funding may be a good option for you, if you are strapped for cash and need money now. Lawsuit settlement funding can bring you needed cash almost immediately, and costing you nothing up front. It is faster than getting a conventional bank loan, and the process is easy, with little or no red tape involved.

Lawsuit settlement funding is non-recourse, so that if your lawsuit doesn’t settle, you need not pay back the advance. Your case is scrutinized to be strong and likely to win before it can be funded.

Lawsuit settlement funding is paid back when the case settles, not taking anything from you up front. Your fees and the payment of the advance (this is not like a bank loan – though similar to one) are paid directly from your settlement, so there are no monthly payments.

If you are in need of lawsuit settlement funding, find out more information, so you will know if it is your best option. Lawsuit Settlement Funding can be good option if you have no other resources, or if you have exhausted all your other options, to turn to when you need cash immediately.

You might consider using your credit cards. This isn’t a recommended resource, but people do it all the time. Your business might not bring in money immediately, and this makes it hard to pay back the credit debt – this is never a good idea unless there is full assurance of a good return on your investment. The bad thing is - you won’t know until after you go this route, and perhaps ring up quite a large amount of debt.

Avoid using a credit card if you can - try to find another resource, or you might find yourself in a bigger hole if the business doesn't take off.

Now anyone who qualifies can get an advance from funders - making it less personal, causing less stress on relationships, and allowing those without the option of friends or family to get the monetary help they need. This type of advance has only been available since the 90's - once court constraints were figured out in how to handle an advance.

Unlike a bank loan, advance funding is at no risk to the client. As an added benefit - if for some reason the lawsuit or insurance case doesn't win (and each case is scrutinized to make certain it is strong before being funded), you need not pay back the advance - this is called non recourse funding (all the risk is on the funder).

No more asking relatives for money (to pay off credit bills, make house payments, etc.) to get you through bad financial times. If you need an advance on your pending (or settled) lawsuit or insurance case, be sure to look into getting funded for your settlement. It can make a difference between your financial health and your relationship with family and friends.

There maybe options available to you, however, if you have certain situations that can be worked with. There are cost- cutting measures, as well, in which you need not spend do much money this season.

Alternatives for holiday gift giving – make gifts yourself – a gift basket with baked goodies, a wood carving, a sewn item, or something that you are good at. Give stamps and stationery. Or alternate family members you will give gifts to – and not give to everyone.

Other possibilities you can explore is the sale of some of your assets and property – do you have things you really do not need and are like new? Do you have things you can take to consignment stores? Do you have a legal or insurance settlement that is paying soon or paying in installments (you can sell those off to get the cash now)? Do you carry a note on a mortgage or have an annuity you would like to cash in – in whole or on part? Can you sell an extra car? Do you have a pension you would like to get cash from? Do you have excess inventory you want to get rid of?

Have you called your credit card companies to try to make a payment arrangement with them? Many are sympathetic if you try to cooperate with them, and can often hold out a payment, perhaps a month from now. There are debt consolidation services which can do this for you, giving you one monthly payment at a reduced rate. You can also negotiate a credit card settlement – pay it off in an agreement, at a potentially huge reduction (you may have to pay taxes on the portion you are forgiven, so be prepared in April 2003).

You can also get an advance on your paycheck that you know is coming but not here yet when you are needing the money. There are places you can get to loan you cash for that check – it will cost you, but any of the options above will cost you – weigh out if it's worth it to you.