Give And Take


manager, or supervisor so be sure to mention that you want to deal with the person in charge.

Get everything in writing. The new interest rate on Frazier’s furniture loan was finalized, in writing, on his next bill. During your discussions, take diligent notes to protect your interests. Write down the date, time, person to whom you’re speaking, and talking points of the conversation. That way, you’ll have your own notes to refer to when necessary. Once the agreement is final, have the lender send you a letter in writing on its stationary stipulating the exact terms of the agreement. But remember, to maintain leverage with the lender, clients must keep their end of the deal by adhering to the new terms of the loan.

“The best advice I have for someone with a financial calamity is to be proactive,” Jackson says. “With mortgage interest rates at record lows, consumers with jobs now, or who are not in a severe crisis, should lower their interest rates as much as they can. This can possibly alleviate the need for renegotiations, should something major happen.”


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