Meet Joe Orsak, Director of Marketing with Improve My Credit USA

Joe Orsak is Director of Marketing with Improve My Credit USA, the consumer-voted number one credit repair company in America, the consumer-voted number one credit repair company in Texas for four years running, and winner of the Houston award for excellence in customer service and marketing for three years running.

Joe provided answers to my interview questions in the form of a YouTube video, and you can also see the answers transcribed below.

1. What are a few reasons why someone would need to repair their credit?

Ya know, most often people discover that they need credit repair because they have been told "no" by somebody--because of a home loan, car loan, or maybe even a job promotion--and people find themselves in that situation of numerous reasons. Identity theft is huge: at least one in eight Americans will experience it. And sometimes it's just because of a financial strain of a situation--medical, divorce, that type of thing. In all of those situations, we always recommend speaking to a credit expert.

2. What are the major benefits of working with a credit repair company rather than doing it on your own?

Ya know, that's a good question. We often are asked that. And in fact, you can work on your own credit. We even have a great ebook on our website (ImproveMyCreditUSA.com), for free, that tells you how to do it. But, there's an old saying that goes, "You don't know what you don't know." Ya see, there's a little over three hundred laws that govern how the credit bureaus and creditors are required to report information on your credit. And if you're not familiar with those rules, then you just don't know what questions to ask when you're asking them to verify information as accurate on your credit report. So it makes it really challenging to move forward. Always work with a credit expert.

3. What are some of the misconceptions that people tend to have when it comes to credit?

Common misconceptions--wow, yes, all the time! In fact, there's a lot about credit that is counterintuitive. You do something that you think is what is going to help your credit, but in fact you could hurt your credit. For instance, dealing with collections. Older collections: when somebody decides that they want to deal with an older collections, and improve their score and they pay that collection, in fact it could cause a great deal of damage to your credit. There's tons of examples, and we just don't have enough video time of give them all, but yes, there's a lot that is counterintuitive that doesn't makes sense about how credit repair works.

4. Your company is based in Houston, but you help people all over the US. What is your most effective way to do this?

Ya know, we have a great office, and you can come visit us any time you want; we'd be happy to see you! But 99% of our business is done over the phone and through email. Once you become a client, we also have an online portal for you where you can monitor your progress 24/7. And if you ever have a question, you can go to our website and engage us through the chat support, or just pick up the phone; we'd be happy to talk to you.

5. Can you share some everyday tips that people can use to avoid running into difficulties with credit in the first place?

Credit tips--absolutely. In fact, we have a website called BetterCreditTips.com where I record all kind of videos and answer questions on the subject, but let me give you one right now. How you use your credit cards is critical in maintaining positive credit. So never carry a balance over 30%. You'll always wanna keep that balance low because it makes up 30% of your credit score. Thirty and thirty, easy to remember.

So we hope you found those answers helpful. And if you think you might have some credit issues, simply fill out the form on this page and we will give you a shout. We look forward to taking care of you.

Improve My Credit USA
(866)802-3470
info@ImproveMyCreditUSA.com
ImproveMyCreditUSA.com

Thanks, Joe!

Meet Corey P Smith, Author of Conspiracy of Credit

Corey P. Smith is an American author and lecturer on credit awareness. He is bold and outspoken and seeks to entice his audience to think and question traditional information and beliefs as they relate to credit. He has conducted seminars for underwriters, attorneys, realtors, and the general public.

1. How did you first become interested in studying and sharing information about credit?

I realized one day that I was a college graduate, going to work every day, but living my life from paycheck to paycheck. I was BROKE!

2. How long did it take you to write your book, Conspiracy of Credit? I imagine it took a lot of time to research as well as to write.

It took me a year and a half to write the book.

3. Is it possible for people to completely avoid credit, or is it more that people need to learn to use it more sparingly?

Yes, if they're RICH, but honestly no. No one can avoid escaping the credit trap, and this is not by accident. I always say, "Credit is for Poor People," because life is more expensive when you're poor. Credit is not a good thing for people who don't understand the value of borrowing money for the purpose of making more money. Most people get credit for the purpose of going into more debt.

4. Why do companies--from grocery stores to drugstore to pet stores--use loyalty cards?

People must recognize the loyalty/discount card trend. Every retailer from Walgreens to Kroger has discount/loyalty cards. The information consumers provide such as name, address, and phone number is a source of income for these companies. Consumers' privacy is exploited more when these companies sell their information, due to re-identification software. This software makes it easier for someone to be identified. For example, zip codes include many individuals, but they do not directly identify who they are, but when zip codes are cross-matched with information from other databases, such as driver vehicle information and warranty and grocery discount cards, the number of individuals becomes smaller. Further cross-matching with voter registration files will decrease the number even more, until a particular individual is identified.

5. What are some ideas you suggest to people who are looking to gain more control over their personal finances?

People must learn to leverage debt. What I mean by this is they must pick and choose the credit that will benefit them the most. Such as personal lines of credit, major credit cards that can be utilized anywhere for the purpose of starting a business or liquidating the credit card availability into cash. People should also look for investment groups that help them become entrepreneurs. They should stay away from department store and gas credit cards, because these types of cards serve no purpose and have no benefit.

Thanks, Corey!

Introducing PDQ.name, A Card Machine Provider in the UK

PDQ.name is the website for Seymour Direct, a company which specializes in the rental of credit card machines for small and medium-size businesses in the United Kingdom. These machines are sometimes known as "PDQ Machines," hence the name of their website.

There are three main types of machines that businesses can use to allow their customers to pay with credit and debit cards.

First off, countertop machines are machines which have a specific, static location--generally on the counter at the checkout area of a store. It needs a continual power supply, and it transmits information through a phone line or internet connection.

Second, there are mobile machines; these can be used anywhere, similar to a mobile phone. They use a SIM card to transmit transaction information through a network provider. These machines are popular among people whose jobs take them out into the field, such as plumbers, electricians, caterers, and taxi drivers.

The last type of machine is a Bluetooth portable; it works like the mobile unit except that it must stay within ranges of its charging cradle in order to work. The cradle is then connected to the internet or a telephone line. This type of machine can be useful in environments like restaurants or retail stores where customers prefer to complete their transaction away from a central checkout counter.

At PDQ.name, you can find all three of these varieties of credit card machines, with detailed information about each and a useful comparison chart which helps business owners make a decision about which type of machine will best suit their business needs.

In addition to supplying businesses with a range of fixed, mobile, and Bluetooth card terminals, Seymour Direct also partners with three of the UK's top acquiring banks to get the business owner approved for a special merchant account. The merchant account is a secure account which also allows the business owner to withdraw their funds on a scheduled basis regardless of clearance times, which makes it the most convenient way to process transactions. The company also offers other merchant services including the latest "Contactless Payments" and online transactions.

For more information, visit http://www.pdq.name.

Meet Nasir Shakouri of Encore Payments

Nasir Shakouri is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Encore Payments. With a background in finance combined with over 10 years in the merchant acquiring industry, Nasir Shakouri started Encore Payments to focus on customer satisfaction and fraud prevention.

1. When did you decide to start Encore Payments?

I decided to launch Encore in May 2012.

2. What are some of the benefits of Encore Payments for your merchants and agents?

The payment processing industry is quite competitive. Every processor or merchant acquirer will tell you that they can provide high quality and reliable service, that they offer the best technological capability, and that they are the lowest cost provider.

Those are all key points that cannot be ignored and we at Encore continuously strive to achieve and improve on them. However, we also feel that the only way our staff could provide that type of premier service is through proper training. All Encore employees are required to complete a rigorous training program before we allow them to interact with our agents or our merchants. Our methodology is that in order to properly service our customers (from our call center), the customer service representatives need to interact (face to face) with our merchants. The best way to have proper interaction with a merchant or an agent is to become one. In other words, as part of our training process, we send our customer service representatives out in the field, with supervision, so that the representatives learn how to properly interact with a merchant, on site. We feel that this process is a integral part of providing the type of premier service that we are striving to achieve at Encore, because it allows our representatives to see first-hand how much work and effort an agent exerts in order to sign a single merchant account. From a merchant's standpoint, the representatives also learn first-hand the key points that a merchant expects from its payment processing provider.

3. Could you give some examples of the kinds of businesses that are using your product?

Any business that accepts credit or debit cards as a form of accepting payments is a prospective customer of ours. From Joe's Coffee Shop that may have 5 employees, to a more established merchant with hundreds or even thousands of employees. There is no limit.

4. What distinguishes your company from other options for merchants?

At Encore, our philosophy is to make our merchants feel that they are forming a partnership with us. Not only do we want to assist them in accepting credit cards as a form of payment, but with our extensive suite of products, we can assist our merchants with their business growth strategies. Whether a merchant needs a loan for working capital expansion, online marketing services (SEO) in order to increase traffic to their store(s), designing a website or any other graphic design work, discounted office supplies, etc, our suite of products assure that our merchants do not need to turn elsewhere for any of their business needs.

5. As an entrepreneur yourself and someone with a strong background in finance, what recommendations do you have for people who want to expand their businesses and see them become more profitable?

In my opinion, the key point is finding the balance between a disciplined financial approach and understanding the needs and trends in the industry (the intangibles). Some organizations attempt to run their companies while only considering the outputs of their Financial Models, and they tend to forget the many other intangibles that need to be considered when evaluating an opportunity. It is critical that the decision makers at an organization understand the impact of their decisions on their assets, such as their agents, their merchants and just as important, their employees. This does not mean that financial decisions should be made without the proper analysis and proper "stress tests" that are required when analyzing a financial model, however, that financial emphasis and discipline needs to be balanced with the other intangible factors that exist in any business, especially in ours. Thanks, Nasir!