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	<title>SettlementMax - Financial Freedom&#187; The Financial Journey of the Average American &#8211; SettlementMax &#8211; Financial Freedom</title>
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		<title>The Financial Journey of the Average American</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/financial-journey-average-american/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/financial-journey-average-american/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first payment-based debt for the average American gets incurred while still in high school. Interest rates on department store cards can be as staggering as 33%. Target is in the top 10 issuers of credit cards. Over 173 Million Americans own at least one credit card. The average rate for standard bank credit cards [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Story of Credit Card Hell – An American Perspective</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/story-credit-card-hell-american-perspective/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/story-credit-card-hell-american-perspective/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:30:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You pay your credit card off every month, but happened to miss an auto loan or an electric bill payment.  A single late payment on your credit report can trigger a rate increase.  It is called Universal Default.
0% APR is great, but ...]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://settlementmax.com/blog/story-credit-card-hell-american-perspective/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Living In Credit Card Hell</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/credit-card-hell/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/credit-card-hell/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:47:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>U.S. Debt &#8211; $65 Trillion</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/u-s-debt-65-trillion/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/u-s-debt-65-trillion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:29:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=93</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The total liabilities of the United States government, including future social security and medicare payments that the U.S. government is already committed to pay out, now exceed 65 trillion dollars, which is more than the entire GDP of the whole world.

]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Seniors &#8211; credit card debt</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/seniors-racking-credit-card-debt/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/seniors-racking-credit-card-debt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:42:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=87</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Seniors racking up credit card debt
Here's a statistic that should give us all pause: The average credit card debt of seniors grew by 26% between 2005 and 2008, CreditCards.com reports. For the rest of us, the increase was a comparatively modest 3%
]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Is your debt making you sick?</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/debt-making-sick/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/debt-making-sick/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:20:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tips]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=74</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the past year, Chad, a 38-year-old former president of a social media communications company, has gained 30 pounds, seen his hair turned gray, and admits that both his blood pressure and cholesterol have increased. The cause is none other than the economy. “The economic downturn hit us early last year when people stopped paying,” he says. “We had a mountain of uncollectible outstanding invoices.”]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://settlementmax.com/blog/debt-making-sick/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Debt Poll &#8211; What is your current debt load?</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/current-debt-load/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/current-debt-load/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:38:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=17</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Debt Poll - What is your current debt load?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Free Credit Report &#8211; Everyone can request a free yearly credit report</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/credit-report/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/credit-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:49:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Relevant Information]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=13</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you know you're entitled to a free yearly credit report for all three credit reporting agencies?   There is a free website you can visit to request this free credit report once a year. At SettlementMax, we strongly encourage our clients to take advantage of this free valuable service.  ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Understanding your finances is the first step you need to take to become financially independent</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/understanding-finances-first-step-become-financially-independant/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/understanding-finances-first-step-become-financially-independant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:31:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Quick Facts]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=8</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most people spend more time managing company finances than their own personal finances.  Why is this?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The average american has between $30,000 and $40,000 in outstanding credit card debt.  How about you?</title>
		<link>http://settlementmax.com/blog/average-american-between-30000-40000-outstanding-credit-card-debt/</link>
		<comments>http://settlementmax.com/blog/average-american-between-30000-40000-outstanding-credit-card-debt/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:33:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Power User</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://settlementmax.com/blog/?p=5</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You are not alone. Banks have been given the ability to charge excessive interest rates, late fees and this has fed their cash cow, us the consumers. Trying to put it in the back of your mind and ignore it is not the right solution. Take action and explore all your different options before you start your journey to financial freedom.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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