Loan Modification-Even if you've missed just one payment on your mortgage, your lender can do anything from raise your interest rate to hit you with penalty fees depending on the terms of your home loan.  USFC can negotiate with your lender to restructure your mortgage to a payment that can fit within your budget.  Loan modifications are crucial in a time when U.S. homes are being seized by the hundreds of thousands due to foreclosure.  Even if you have kept up your mortgage payments until now, a loan modification could very well determine whether you will still have a home six months down the road.  Regardless of your credit score, or how many payments you've missed, you may still be eligible for a loan modification.  Don't wait for your finances to go sour to make paying your mortgage easier.
To date over one million homes in the U.S. have been foreclosed upon because their owners were unable to keep paying their lenders.  This is partly because awareness of loan modifications has not spread quickly enough, or perhaps had reached some former homeowners too late.  The massive wave of home foreclosure has caused many homes, most likely yours included, to drop in property value as the market becomes flooded with empty homes for sale.  If the amount of your mortgage was based on the value of your home at the time you signed the agreement and your home's value has lowered since then, shouldn't your lender lower the amount you owe on your mortgage?  USFC can negotiate a new agreement with your lender that can lower the amount of the loan to one that better reflects the new value of your home.  These challenging economic times have hit homeowners the hardest; last year about 4% of homeowners in the U.S. used their credit cards to keep up with their mortgage payments.  This year, that number has skyrocketed to about 23%, (almost one out of every four homeowners!) and next year that percentage could be even higher.  If you're not among the scores of homeowners who are that overwhelmed by their mortgage agreement this year, you might be next year.  Why wait 12 months down the road to be in such a horrible situation?
As news of home-saving loan modification spreads, there are some critics who insist homeowners can negotiate directly with their lenders and do their own loan modification.  In theory, this is true.  You could also try to repair your own car, prepare your own taxes, and represent yourself in court.  But if you don't have the education, training and experience to do any of these things well, you can be wasting your time and in some cases creating more problems for yourself.  Loan modification applications require a lot of paperwork and attention to state and federal laws as well as any recent changes which may have been made to these laws.  If you were a victim of a subprime mortgage by your lender, would you really expect the same company to offer you a modified agreement that would be any better than the mortgage you couldn't afford before?  The banks have a full legal team who will use their knowledge of the law and skills against you.  It's safe to assume they know the terms of your mortgage far better than you do, since they were the ones who wrote it.  As the courthouse saying goes, a person who represents himself has a fool for a client.   USFC is not just a third party who charges a modest fee, files papers and disappears; we are a defender of homes.  We will fight for you against your lender to get the best terms, rate and mortgage for you...and no one else.
Mortgages-If you're looking to buy a home, there is no better time than now.  Plummeting property values, interest rates at their lowest in 45 years and lenders hungry for new clients make mortgaging a buyer's market.  In addition, the federal government now offers an $8,000 tax credit to first-time home buyers. USFC can negotiate a home loan for you with the lowest rates of interest and the best terms on the market.

Debt Settlement-Traditionally, credit card companies only charged high fees to people with seriously delinquent payment histories.  But years of these companies extending too much credit as a scheme to maximize finance charges has backfired on them, resulting in $2.9 trillion in credit card debt nationally.  These same greedy lenders are cleaning up the mess they made by charging cruelly high fees to borrowers with even slightly delinquent payment histories.  In the eyes of the 21st Century credit card company executive, missing one credit card payment merits the same punishment as missing 10 payments.  They don't worry so much about getting back the original amount they lent you because the high fees they charge millions of Americans Credit have already gained them a 200 or 300% profit on the original amount they lend each borrower.  Just as a tarantula lays a trap for its prey by spinning an innocent-looking web so does the average credit card company by offering generous lines of credit.  Before you know it, you're trapped in the sticky web of consumer credit card debt.  The current economic crisis is leading to an increase in credit card debt.  Last year, for example, only 4% of homeowners relied on credit cards to make their mortgage payments.  This year that percentage of homeowners has leapt to about 23%.
For every $10,000 in credit card debt you may have, at an interest rate of 19.9% (that's if you don't miss a payment) and a minimum payment of $400 a month it may take you as long as 40 years to erase that debt.  Pay more than the minimum, and now you can't pay your other expenses.  It is this scheme conjured up by the credit card companies that trap millions of Americans into debt for decades.  Before you even think about bankruptcy which can devastate your credit rating, USFC can help you settle your old debts without creating more of it.  Our attorneys can negotiate with lenders and collections agencies to settle your debt for much less than the amount you currently owe.  Embarrassing phone calls, intimidating letters and even lawsuits from creditors can be swept away with our help.  Let USFC stomp out that tarantula.

Credit Repair-A bad credit score can keep you from renting an apartment, applying for credit and even getting a job.  Don't let your good name be condemned over a few minor credit discrepancies from the distant past.  There are many ways beyond debt settlement that can help repair your credit history and rating.  Every year the federal and state governments pass new regulations that can benefit consumers with less than perfect credit.  Let USFC's financial and legal experts find the ones that fit your individual situation that are within your budget.
Auto/Home Insurance-One of the many ways USFC can help lower your monthly expenses is by finding a home insurance and/or auto insurance provider that can offer you the lowest rates.  We will do the shopping for you so you don't have to.  Our team of legal experts can search through volumes of local, state and federal insurance regulation to find ways for you to save money on your insurance policies.

USFC and Ambit-Thanks to deregulation in New York State's energy service industry, some of our clients are no longer limited to local monopolies for obtain natural gas and electricity for their homes.  USFC has partnered with Ambit Energy, an energy provider new to Long Island and New York City, to offer USFC clients up to a 10% discount on their heating bill.  We expect to be able to accommodate more of our clients very soon as Ambit Energy expands to serve even more areas previously reserved for local monopolies.  It's just one more way that USFC finds ways to help you lower your expenses and balance your household budget.
 
Tax Preparation-Is your tax preparer finding the best ways to maximize your tax refund?  Every year the state and federal governments revise their tax codes to add or take away certain tax exemptions.  Most preparers don't always keep up on the latest changes, allowing you to miss out on various opportunities to lower your tax burden or even put you at serious risk for being charged with tax evasion and audited for years. Let USFC's attorneys and CPAs find ways for you to give less and get more back.

Investments-Once USFC helps you recover financially, we can also help you find the best way to make your excess cash work for you.  Many members of the USFC family are authorized investment brokers, allowing you to bypass third parties and saving money.  From stocks and bonds to treasury bills and beyond, USFC can help find the right investment for you and let you create more income to help you meet your expenses or even put some cash aside for a rainy day.

Estate Planning-In these uncertain times, it's a good idea to put some money aside for when you're no longer able to work and even to leave behind for your family and to cover your final expenses.  USFC's financial and legal experts can help you set up tax-free retirement accounts and enroll in life insurance policies.  We can even help you if you're already retired.