During these trying times, many people have found themselves dealing with creditors and debt collection agencies. But don't fret -- there are strong consumers laws that protect you from overly aggressive collection tactics. Here is a list of what creditors and debt collection agencies MAY NOT DO: A...
By the time this blog publishes, I bet every store will have a policy in place for the pandemic. Most stores are shut down for the time being, though many still have employees working from home or warehouses handling online orders. It raises the question: what happens if you have returns...
If you, like the vast majority of Americans, are currently ordered to stay at home or shelter in place, you might be struggling to understand exactly how to comply. You might be confused about whether you can send your kids to daycare right now, or if your nanny or babysitter can still come over —...
Purchasing goods from the comfort of your own living room certainly is more convenient than actually driving to a store, while offering a virtually unlimited array of choices and the ability to compare prices. While online payment and security technology have come a long way, you still may...
Few things are as infuriating as a delayed flight, and canceled flights can be downright enraging, especially around the holidays. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the airline industry into a tailspin like never before with hundreds, if not thousands, of flights being canceled....
If you've seen the 2011 movie, "Contagion," you probably remember the character played by Jude Law. "Contagion" was a well-made thriller about a deadly pandemic involving a virus that ended up killing millions of people, and Law's character, Alan Krumwiede, was the despicable jerk who sought to...
You've been looking forward to that trip to visit your West Coast friends ever since you booked the flight last fall. But that was before anyone even knew of COVID-19's existence. As the virus has spread, so has your trepidation. And now there's a cluster of confirmed cases near your destination....
The message on your greenbacks would seem to be unequivocal: “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.” Well, not all debts, as it turns out. More and more restaurants and stores are going cashless, in effect telling their customers, “Your money is no good here.” These retailers...
When a concert is postponed or canceled, the news can hit hard. Sometimes the ticket holder doesn't have the luxury of abundant free time, and can't make the new date. Other times, the purchase price was a lot of money, and the ticket holder really needs that money refunded immediately rather than...
After you graduate from college, repaying your student loans is a great way to build and maintain a good credit score . Also, by repaying your student loans responsibly and regularly, you’re more likely to be able to qualify for an apartment, a car loan, or a mortgage in the future. In other words,...
Defaulting on your federal student loans is different than defaulting on another kind of debt you owe, like a credit card or a mortgage loan. With those types of debts, you’re in default if you miss just one payment. But federal student loans are another story. You go into default on most federal...
Negotiating with your creditors can be an excellent way to reduce the overall amount that you owe, increase the period over which you repay your debts, or lower your interest rates. But getting free or low-cost assistance can be tricky. It's often difficult to know where to start, and scammers...
Your credit report is a record of all open credit accounts you have, as well as your payment history with each of them. The three national credit reporting agencies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—keep these records, and federal law limits what they can do with the information they gather about...
If you’re experiencing a financial hardship due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak , you might be wondering how late or missed bill payments could impact your credit scores and what you can do to protect your credit history. Missing payments, charging credit cards close to—or over—their limit,...
Like millions of people across the globe, you probably use a computer or smartphone to access the Internet to handle most of your personal and business tasks. You might use email everyday, and often each day, to do your job, as well as communicate with family and friends. The volume of email you...
Criminals are very clever when it comes to defrauding people. More often than not, scammers use new technology along with old tricks to try to get your money or personal information. In this article, you'll learn about some of the most popular scams out there. By learning to recognize fraud, you...
Homeowners facing foreclosure sometimes reach out to anyone offering a lifeline that could save the family home. Unfortunately, there's almost no limit to the number of scam companies willing to defraud you. The scams vary widely, but usually seem too good to be true. They make inflated promises...
You learned it as a child: "Don't talk to strangers!" Many people would never dream of giving intimate details of their personal life to an unfamiliar person on the street. But people are somehow less inhibited when on a mobile device or the computer. And online scammers are very clever when it...
There's no shortage of people willing to take advantage of homeowners facing foreclosure . Two common scams are: refinancing scams and loan modification scams. The actual scams vary a bit, but pretty much result in the same thing—the scammer pockets your cash. How a Refinancing Scam Works In a...
