From Booklist
Public libraries have always been faced with patron demand for information on how to file for bankruptcy. Today's financially troubled patrons, however, are seeking more options. "Credit repair" has become a buzz-phrase of these economically difficult times. Hammond is a credit consultant and member of the Consumer Credit Commission, a consumer rights organization. He warns that many of the so-called credit repair services that have sprung up are out only to exploit the unwary, and he follows with his own tips on avoiding debt, obtaining credit, and restoring poor credit. He shows how to negotiate with creditors and explains how credit bureaus work. Sample letters are provided throughout, and more than 125 pages of appendixes list credit services, counselors, secured credit card providers, and government agencies. Reproduced are the texts of various consumer credit laws. Although he offers a disclaimer discouraging their use, Hammond also includes several highly questionable tactics such as falsifying Social Security numbers and using alternate names to create "new" credit histories. Let your selection policy be your guide. David Rouse

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The new Life After Debt Third Edition also provides completely updated addresses and phone numbers of consumer credit services, state banking authorities, and other resources to get you on your way to financial stability. Designed to meet the needs of people in every situation regardless of income, Life After Debt also includes special sections for women, minorities, divorced people, and military families.

Until Life After Debt, people with credit problems could only go to books that offered tedious budget plans or vague interpretations of federal consumer law. Books that assume we're laywers and accountants. Books that assume we can adhere to strict payment schedules or implement complex legal strategies. On the other hand, Life After Debt is a primer that teaches people to play the credit game-and win, regardless of their starting point.

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