Information and Resources on Online Credit

The information was on a backup computer tape that was discovered missing last October. It was being stored at a warehouse run by Iron Mountain Inc., a data storage company, and was never checked out but can't be found either, said Richard C. Jones, a spokesman for GE Money, part of General Electric Capital Corp.

Jones said there was "no indication of theft or anything of that sort," and no evidence of fraudulent activity on the accounts involved. More>>

PAY MORE THAN MINIMUM: Most credit cards require a minimum payment of three per cent of the outstanding balance. If you carry a $1,000 balance on your credit card at 28.8-per-cent interest, your minimum payment is $30 per month. At that rate, it would take you 68 months to pay off that $1,000 balance and you would pay about $1,040 of interest on a $1,000 debt. That's crazy! If you double up the minimum payment to $60 per month, you will have the debt paid off in only 22 months and your total interest would be less than $300. Pay down your credit-card debt as much as possible or, best yet, pay it off every month. More>>

* The government should itself periodically initiate and/or undertake evaluations of the Guatemalan juvenile justice system, including juvenile detention facilities.

Recommendations regarding abuses against street children:

* The Public Ministry and the National Police should thoroughly and impartially investigate all allegations of crimes committed against street children. The current practice of investigating only those cases on which outside pressure is brought to bear must end immediately.

* Complaints regarding police mistreatment of children should be investigated promptly and thoroughly. Where appropriate, disciplinary measures and criminal proceedings should be ordered. More>>