When dealing with collection agencies, you have to realize, as you’ve said, that they will be satisfied with you paying just a part of your debt and they are more willing to settle to a deal than the initial creditor, wanting to have their commission. That’s why is vital to be informed who you’re talking to. The collection agencies are less inclined to sue you, even if they menace you with suing.
It’s also important to keep in mind that in some provinces you have the right to ask them to stop bothering you, especially if they begin to call at your workplace. They have the right to remind you about your debts, but they cannot just call you forever.
It’s certainly better to repair your credit rating, because unpaid credit might complicate your financial existence a lot, getting the R9 on your report. A debt settlement would definitely raise your credit score and will erase the debt.

Fox News is a popular news network http://www.financialcrisisblog.org/ , which doesn't prove nothing more that they are a respectable business, knowing the average American opinion and feeding him with everything that suits this opinion. This doesn't mean that they are practicing a more objective journalism than they opponents.

Speaking about the taxes, I would advocate for the idea of lowering them. Ronald Regan coined in the 80's the phrase "voodoo economics", a concept related to economic growth's stimulation by low taxes . The concept is as simple as it can be...if consumers have more money they will spend it. Spending more money creates economic growth. So by LOWERING taxes we get more people hired and create more jobs. This is called voodoo economics and it works.

A friend of mine said it's time we stocked up on some provisions since food prices and everything else will rise. It is not longer only a matter of product availability, it seems to be a matter of control. I remember the gas lines of the 70′s and the way some people acted.
China is a sleeping dragon that has awaken and it will buy oil and it possesses the cash to take what she wants. She has enough money to lend money for America and to buy the most vital natural resources.

I would add something in order to see the biggest picture. Unsurprisingly, oil and gas prices are affected by the almighty laws supply and demand. But oil and gas prices are also affected by oil price futures, which are traded on the commodities futures exchange. The fluctuation of these prices is changed daily, depending on the price the investors bid on oil. When traders believe oil will be high, they bid it up even higher. This soon causes high gas prices..

For many far-left MSNBC fans, one conservative on the cable network is one too many. Combine a tired tirade against Joe Scarborough of "Morning Joe" with the inanity of a Hollywood leftist's lame attempt at media commentary, and you have one entertaining Huffington Post column.

SEIU is the organization that is going to solve America’s problems with taxpayer money.

The Afgans have old world traditions which should be respected, however their ways of dealing with each other needs to be addressed. They need to have laws that restrict abuse of people, in particular women and children, and they need to have tribal councils like we do here in the US with American Indians. Just some non-profit organizations could help them to some degree: http://www.financialcrisistoday.org/forum/Small-B...
They run their own communities with respect for other tribes. We need to stop thinking we can change the world, we will never change traditions that people want to hold onto. If someone tries to force change, then resent, anger, and frustration that another country is telling them how to live happens. We wouldn't take it, why should we force our beliefs on them? We need to finally respect each religion in the world, it makes for a beautiful world. The more we try to say Christ is the way, the more they say Muhammed is the way. Stupid childhood behavior. Respect of each other is the ONLY way.

When to start investing in wine, anytime is generally a good time to start, however now we have run into potentially the world's worse recession, surely this is not the time to start? Actually this is a great time to start, the top wines of 2005 Bordeaux saw massive uplifts over one year, often more than 100% on the opening price, and in certain instances like Ausone 150%, Carruades de Lafite 170% (the second wine of Chateau Lafite) and the most impressive of all, La Mission Haut Brion a massive 220% uplift in less than one year. These prices have to soften given the economic climate as people try to unload some of these stocks raising desperately needed capital, we believe the bottom of the market will come in early 2010 and these wines will hopefully come off by 20% or more by then. This will be a good time to grab hold of these wines, in the interim, opening prices of great wines from other regions produced in 2007 will be coming to the markets during 2009. For example, great wines have been made in 2007 from the Rhone, both Tuscany and Spain had superb conditions and with lower demand for these this year, opportunities will present themselves for individuals to snap up what potentially could become the finest wines made on the planet during this vintage. The recession will not last, sometime we will come out of it and prices will rise again, and if you're lucky enough to have bagged some of these greatest wines made, then returns will again be stellar over the medium/long term.

Some say (and I agree with them) that giving money to bailout the auto industry is like giving money to the railroads during the last depression. Americans should invest in the future not the past. The individual car is a dead dinosaur that the greedy American public will notbe allowed to ride any longer.