California Court Approves Class-Action Lawsuit Against Debt Collector Accused of Abusive Tactics
Here is a press release I received from Public Citizen. I am forwarding it to you in case you were a victim of ACCS. WASHINGTON, D.C ... and described ACCS’s practices as “debt collection rather than law enforcement.” Members of the class ... . - A California court has ruled that almost a million consumers who were victims of an overly [more...]
Date: 2008-12-04 23:16:45
Blog posts
(94)
|
Videos
(29)
Insider Tips About The Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Forms
consumer law Chapter 13 bankruptcy forms are available to Americans in need to offer a second chance. You may berate yourself and wonder how you got into such a predicament, but the truth is that over one million people ended up filing bankruptcy forms in 2008 and the numbers are climbing in 2009. No matter what your case may be, you don’t have to suffer wage garnishment, foreclosure, repossession, insurmountable debts or harassing creditors and collection callers. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-08 17:54:32
Minnesotans may sue if a debt collector levies funds in a joint account
Back in November, I won an important decision for Minnesota consumers against Messerli & Kramer, a law firm that seems to handle the bulk of debt collection lawsuits filed in Minnesota. Messerli & Kramer served a levy on my clients’ bank for funds in their’ joint bank account, even though [more...]
Date: 2009-01-07 16:00:01
Beating Collectors With Credit Repair
You may encounter a reasonable, mild mannered collector someday, but do not hold your breath. Collectors are trained to be emotionally effective. This means aggressive. They will keep you on the phone as long as they can in an attempt to bend your will to theirs. Their goal is to get money out of you, whatever it takes. Unfortunately, in their effort to dominate, they often step over the line of legality, and hence arises the need for credit repair techniques to neutralize their wayward conduct. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-25 15:17:42
How to Research Debt Collectors & Understand the Law
This is the first guest post in a special How to Fight Debt Collectors series on Bargaineering.com. So you’ve received a debt collection call or letter… In this day and age where you have rampant foreclosures, layoffs and job losses, it is simply inevitable that an individual may come across a debt collector, and frankly even without these external factors, it may just happen by a chance wrong number or even being related to someone going through a hard time financially. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-28 11:02:18
D. Other Publishers
A number of publications from non-Nolo publishers have a wealth of information beyond what is in this book. The Ultimate Credit Handbook, by Gerri Detweiler (Plume Books), covers everything you’d want to know about credit ratings, credit cards, completing credit applications, protecting your credit privacy and many other topics. Surviving Debt: A Guide for Consumers, by National Consumer Law Center. NCLC is a nonprofit organization that normally publishes books to assist lawyers. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-24 02:03:01
Robert Teitelman: Sheila Bair goes on the attack again
Wouldn't you want to be at Treasury Tuesday when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner reads The New York Times? There, at the top of the op-ed page, Sheila Bair , head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., continues to wage war against the Treasury's plan for a super-regulator (that's the Federal Reserve if you've been on vacation), despite Geithner's failed efforts to pummel her and a number of her regulatory minions into line. There's a lot to ponder and speculate about the underlying politics of all this. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-02 14:40:23
Money, Credit, and the Law – Know Your Rights
That’s the title of a valuable new video narrated by Professor Richard Alderman, director of the Center for Consumer Law at the University of Houston Law Center. The video, consisting of easily digestible short chapters, provides help managing personal finances, dealing with credit problems and debt collectors, responding when sued by a creditor, seeking credit counseling, or exploring the option of bankruptcy. The video can be viewed online or a DVD can be requested directly from Professor [more...]
Date: 2009-09-17 20:50:58
Victoria Strauss -- Airleaf: Coda
In May 2008, the Indiana Attorney General filed suit against vanity publisher Airleaf and its owner, Carl Lau for taking authors' money without providing services in return. Additionally, Lau was accused of violating Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, of using company assets to cover expenses not related to the business, and of continuing to solicit authors, promise services, and accept payment for months after Airleaf became insolvent. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-18 17:22:00
What Is A Third Party Collection Agency?
by Jonathan Summers The word collection agency is generally applied to third-party agencies, labeled as such due to the fact that they were not a party to the original contract. The creditor places accounts directly to such an agency on a contingency-fee basis, which ordinarily at first costs nothing to the creditor or merchant, except for the cost of communications. This anyhow is dependent on the individual service level agreement that exists between the creditor and the collection agency. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-23 18:41:54
Uncrunch – Snowflaking
The first think you head when you look into paying off debt is make more money. Most of us are already doing the best we can. You probably have also heard of snowballing. This is where you finish paying off one debt and apply the payment you were making towards that paid off debt to a new debt in addition to what you have already been paying. However, in these economic times, you may really need that $20. Over the past couple of years, I have done quite a lot of research into debt management. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-17 19:17:53
SMACKDOWN WEEK: I see a city in the clouds
MORE BEARISH: Municipals MORE BULLISH: Foreign ownership of Treasuries Municipals There are a number of problems with municipals today. First let's get to the least often discussed: munis aren't cheap. On an absolute yield basis: (10-year muni rates according to MMA): Now we know that general interest rates are low, but even on a percentage-of-Treasury basis, munis are at best fair value. From 2001-2007, the average 10-year muni/Treasury ratio was 86.9%. Currently its 90.2%. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-09 12:38:00
Operation Rollback
Posted by Review-a-Day, September 29th, 2009 3 CommentsFiled under:Review-a-Day. The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business by Nelson Lichtenstein Reviewed by Jefferson DeckerThe Nation In October 2003 employees at more than 800 chain supermarkets in California walked out of their jobs after management demanded pay cuts and a reduction in health insurance benefits. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-29 09:54:00
The Big Payback of Nonexistent Money
I admit that I was pretty sloshed when I started haranguing the other barfly trash sitting near me about how “It has been said that the big problem with the human brain is that it cannot understand parabolic curves, and it cannot comprehend the horrific folly of the Federal Reserve increasing money and credit parabolically, and the amount of money that the Congress is spending is parabolic, and the inflation in consumer prices will soon be parabolic, too, and which means to you barfly trash that [more...]
Date: 2009-08-28 16:30:39
Federal Trade Commission Accepting Public Comments on Debt Collection Litigation
On Tuesday, the FTC will hold a free roundtable in San Francisco, open to the public, on debt collection litigation and arbitration. The FTC is seeking public comments in advance of the event, and some of the existing public comments are, well, interesting. Debt buyers Midland Credit Management, Asset Acceptance, and Portfolio Recovery Associates whine that they are subjected to a higher standard in litigation. I thought their public comments very funny, and very misleading. [more...]
Date: 2009-08-28 02:42:08
Find Out What Debt Validation Means And Why It’s Important
Imagine getting a phone call or a knock on the door, and when you answer it, a person called Victor says that he been authorized by someone name Joe to collect a debt that you owe him, and it’s true that you do owe somebody called Joe some money. Even if you had the money, and knew that you owed it, would you pay this new person on the scene? I’m pretty sure that you wouldn’t even consider for a moment giving Victor any money, until you were 100% sure that he was really acting on Joe’s behalf. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-26 20:20:24
Definition Of A Third Party Collection Agency?
The word collection agency is generally applied to third-party agencies, labeled as such due to the fact that they were not a party to the original contract. The creditor places accounts directly to such an agency on a contingency-fee basis, which ordinarily at first costs nothing to the creditor or merchant, except for the cost of communications. This anyhow is dependent on the individual service level agreement that exists between the creditor and the collection agency. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-18 23:52:21
Vehicle Repossession: How To Pay The Deficiency Balance
Amazon.de Widgets When you finance or lease a vehicle, your creditor or lessor has important rights that end once you’ve paid off your loan or lease obligation. These rights are established by the contract you signed and the law of your state. For example, if you don’t make timely payments on the vehicle, your creditor may have the right to “repossess” — or take back your car without going to court or warning you in advance. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-22 04:20:47
Confessions of a 'Flationary Agnostic
I have no particular allegiance to either the hyperinflation or the deflationary camps. Both outcomes are possible, but not yet probable. Rather than being a benefit, occupying the middle ground too often just puts one in the middle, being able to see the merits in both arguments and possibilities, and being unwilling to ignore the flaws in each argument. But this is where reason takes me. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-21 17:27:00
Be the Consumer Credit Card Debt Collectors Do Not Want to Collect From
Most people would simply rather pay their credit card debts than deal with collection phone calls and collection attorney letters. But, what about those who cannot afford to make monthly minimum payments on their credit card debt? Many fall prey to the debt collection industry. Some, however, become educated consumers and use the law to force debt collectors to spend their time with other, less knowledgeable consumers. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-19 16:24:13
Prodigy Law Group Receives Congressional Recognition
Prodigy Law Group Receives Congressional Recognition IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Prodigy Law Group was recently presented with a special Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the office of U.S. Congressman John Campbell (California 48th District). The certificate was presented in recognition of the firm’s outstanding and invaluable service to the community and its efforts to provide legal assistance to consumers and small business owners. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-25 00:22:49
The Mogambo Guru, "The Big Payback of Nonexistent Money"
"The Big Payback of Nonexistent Money" By The Mogambo Guru "I admit that I was pretty sloshed when I started haranguing the other barfly trash sitting near me about how “It has been said that the big problem with the human brain is that it cannot understand parabolic curves, and it cannot comprehend the horrific folly of the Federal Reserve increasing money and credit parabolically, and the amount of money that the Congress is spending is parabolic, and the inflation in consumer prices will [more...]
Date: 2009-09-04 03:58:00
Writing Your Debt Collection Dispute Letter
This is the second guest post in a special How to Fight Debt Collectors series on Bargaineering.com. Writing a debt collection dispute letter is the first line of defense against a debt collector. Make them prove that the debt is legitimate before you do anything. Just because they have your name doesn’t mean the debt is legitimate. If you don’t remember it or you remember paying it off, a dispute letter can help you resolve it quickly. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-29 11:01:53
The Poverty Business
Sorry if this appears to be an older article, and not latest headlines, just thought it was interesting - loki The Poverty Business Inside U.S ... into Byrider, Tsosie drove off, jubilant, in a 1999 Saturn subcompact she bought entirely on credit ... access to credit has put cars, computers, credit cards, and even homes within reach for many [more...]
Date: 2009-01-15 00:45:24
E-Commerce For Entrepreneurs - Internet User’s Guide to E-Commerce Policies
A few days ago, I wrote about the different types of internet businesses that one can put up. That article prompted a lot of inquiries from my readers which sent to my inbox a number of requests for assistance on several aspects of e-commerce and other online ventures. Some of the questions I received such as “How do I put up a website? [more...]
Date: 2008-12-15 06:16:19
Guest Commentary: Response to Davis Enterprise on Senior Housing
Special to The People’s Vanguard of DavisBy Elaine Roberts Musser____________It was with some disquiet that I read Claire St. John’s Jan. 2, 2009 article in the Davis Enterprise, entitled “Senior Living”. I immediately fired off a clarification of my position to the Enterprise that same day. I wanted to make clear the reader understood 1) [more...]
Date: 2009-01-12 12:41:00
Mr. Fire meets up with true dough
Note to all: I've expanded this post a bit since I first published it on December 4 ... and other moneymaking schemes to Joe's car collection (I know, big surprise on the latter ... get healthy and get out of debt. He's been to sixty countries in search of health cures that truly [more...]
Date: 2009-01-04 21:35:00
Beating Credit Card Debt Collectors at Their Own Game
Beating Credit Card Debt Collectors at Their Own Game by Matthew HighlanderConsumer debt collectors! Credit Card debt collectors! There ought to be a law against them! Fortunately, there is a law, and educated consumers have learned how to use it to fend off these debt collectors by making their job difficult.Time is money for a credit card debt collector, who is in the business of collecting unsecured consumer debt, most of which happens to be credit card debt. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-22 14:31:57
Questions About Collections? Ask Melissa
Dear Melissa, My daughter is in the midst of a career move and has had a bill sent to a collection agency in the state she previously resided in ... to offer advice and answer questions pertaining to debt collection. With running her own successful collection agency, she seeks to keep debt collectors accountable for their actions and in line [more...]
Date: 2009-01-14 13:00:17
Hamilton’s Counterfeit Capitalism
Daily Article by George F. Smith | As we await Bush’s replacement to straighten our wayward lives, it’s crucial to understand how we got here and why policy makers are so determined to do the wrong thing. Austrian economics explains why their policies are flawed, but no one with a voice seems to care [more...]
Date: 2009-01-15 21:36:00
The Importance of Repairing Your Credit Report - Yourself!
It seems to be common knowledge today that we are living in a society overwhelmed with debt ... ! Typically it does nothing more then raise red flags at the collection agency’s and can even make it nearly impossible in the future for you to try to re-dispute an item on your own. Collection Agency’ [more...]
Date: 2009-01-15 01:44:04
NAAG: Top 10 Consumer Complaints for 2008
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has released its top 10 types of consumer complaints received in 2008. With the state of the economy over the last year, it's not too surprising that debt collection complaints top the list of most common consumer complaints to state Attorneys General across the country.Part of the duty of each state's Attorney General (AG) is to protect the state's consumers against illegal commercial activities. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-01 19:22:34
Whole-business Securitization Lands in Europe: Ten Lessons to Remember
Dr. Dennis Vink asked: Introduction The asset-backed market has grown to become one of the largest capital markets in the world in terms of size and volume. Since 1998, companies have increasingly often used whole–business securitization to refinance whole lines of businesses that frequently form a substantial portion of the assets [more...]
Date: 2008-12-08 08:47:37
Can a Creditor Collect on Discharged Debt?
Original creditors and collection agencies will often collect on discharged debt, debt absolved by bankruptcy, and even debt that’s been settled. This is debt that can’t legally be collected on via a civil court judgment. However, collection agencies won’t let a little thing like your legal rights stand in the way of their profits. See also [more...]
Date: 2009-01-03 02:57:25
Credit Repair For A Better Life
by Mike Carbeck Repairing your credit is never an easy thing. But, there are several things you can do to get yourself out of debt ... . If you find yourself in need of help, there are ways to pay your bills and get out of debt. The ever ... agency will be forced to remove it from your record. If you notice any errors or inconsistencies [more...]
Date: 2009-01-06 09:37:28
Restrictions on Wage Garnishment for Debt Collection
Many debtors that have defaulted on their credit card debt or other unsecured loans are concerned about their wages being garnished. Often collection agencies will threaten to turn your debt over to their ‘legal department’ ... for you… at no charge. The U.S. Department of Labor has developed The Federal Wage Garnishment Law [more...]
Date: 2008-11-30 16:13:23
FTC Helps With Your New Years Resolution to Manage Debt
Information from the Federal Trade Commission to Help You Manage Debt: Knee Deep in Debt Having trouble paying your bills? ... , consider these options: realistic budgeting, credit counseling from a reputable organization, debt consolidation, or bankruptcy. Debt negotiation is yet another option. How do you know which [more...]
Date: 2008-12-30 17:45:34
What Is A Third Party Collection Agency?
What Is A Third Party Collection Agency? The word collection agency is generally applied to third-party agencies, labeled as such due to the fact that they were not a party to the original contract. The creditor places accounts directly to such an agency on a contingency-fee basis, which ordinarily at first costs nothing to the creditor or merchant, except for the cost of communications. [more...]
Date: 2009-09-18 23:52:55
Reunion.com Revisited
Following in the expected path of her earlier ruling, District Judge Maxine Chesney again dismissed an anti-spam lawsuit against Reunion.com. This time, the Judge also threw in a tenuous constitutional holding for good measure. Count this ruling as yet another one muddying the distinction between fraud lawsuits and anti-spam lawsuits and [more...]
Date: 2009-01-10 02:39:51
Philippine Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Learning about the U.S. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act from playing the Bad Credit Hotel online game made me wonder if such laws also exist in ... Santiago introduced Senate Bill Number 1277 entitled “An Act Providing For Fair Debt Collection Practices ... : There is abundant evidence of the widespread use of abusinve, deceptive, and unfair debt colle [more...]
Date: 2008-11-26 22:43:50
Excellent Article Summarizing Many Areas of Foreclosure Litigation
Current Trends in Residential Mortgage Litigation BYLINE: Daniel A. Edelman*; *DANIEL A. EDELMAN is the founding partner of Edelman & Combs, of Chicago, Illinois, a firm that represents injured consumers in actions against banks, mortgage companies, finance companies, insurance companies, and automobile dealers. Mr [more...]
Date: 2008-11-29 23:50:20
FTC Website Provides Useful Tips for Recognizing Telephone and Telemarketing Fraud -- Our Chicago Area Consumer Lawyers and Telemarketing Fraud Attorneys Can File Private Lawsuits if You are the Victim of Telephone or Telemarketing Fraud
[ Chicago%20Consumer%20Attorneys%2C%20Chicago%20Telemarketing%20Fraud%20Lawyers%2C%20Chicago%20Class%20Action%20Lawyers%2C%20Chicago%20Consumer%20Law ... . What time is it? The law allows telemarketers to call only between 8 am and 9 pm. A seller calling earlier or later is flouting the law. Do I want more calls like this one? If you don’t want [more...]
Date: 2009-01-04 22:23:51
LA ERA BUSH: THE WRECKLESS W.
W. and the damage donePresident Bush inherited a peaceful, prosperous America. As he exits, Salon consults experts in seven fields to try to assess the devastation.By Vincent Rossmeier and Gabriel WinantJan. 08, 2009 After a couple of presidential terms, mismanagement in every area of policy -- foreign, domestic, [more...]
Date: 2009-01-08 07:06:00
Debt Validation And Dealing With Debt Collectors
The Federal Debt Collection Practices Act has an important section regarding debt validation. In order to protect consumers who are in dispute with debt collectors, the consumers are given the right by the federal government, to challenge the validity of any debt claimed by a collection agency. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act The topic can be found in The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 USC 1692g Sec. 809, in which it is stated that: a. [more...]
Date: 2009-08-31 12:29:00
RJ: LuvGuv seeks state worker pay cuts
Posted by Tazzie 9 Jan 2009Available at:http://www.lvrj.com/news/37325544.html?numComments=184(185 reader comments so far pasted below)Jan ... to include a 6 percent cut in pay for state employees, including teachers, in his proposed budget, a source ... to drive teachers away, wreck the education system totally, demolish it -- take 6 percent away and see [more...]
Date: 2009-01-10 01:32:00
What Every Consumer Needs to Know
What Every Consumer Needs to Know Building good credit history is extremely important to one’s life ... that control credit. These rights have been stated as provisions on Fair Debt Collection Practices ... so as to bear witness on whatever maltreatments or unduly practices of debt collectors and lenders. Fair Debt [more...]
Date: 2009-01-07 12:47:09
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 13, 2009
THIS SITE SUPPORTS ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, EMS CREWS, IN ADDITION TO ALL SERVING IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, NO MATTER WHERE YOU MAY BE Police officer saluted for saving drowning girlNEW BRUNSWICK HIGHWAY HIGH RISK MOOSE & DEER LOCATIONSNEW BRUNSWICK HIGHWAY VIDEO CAMERASNew Brunswick Weather: [more...]
Date: 2009-01-14 00:21:00
A Brief Guide to Terms Used in Bankruptcy
Most debtors who file a bankruptcy petition, and many of their creditors, know very little about the bankruptcy process ... , garnishments, and all collection activity against the debtor the moment a bankruptcy petition is filed. Bankruptcy and Foreclosure B bankruptcy A legal procedure for dealing with debt problems [more...]
Date: 2008-11-27 06:26:00
Guest Post: A Bankrupt Policy
By Deanne Loonin As most readers of Higher Ed Watch know, current bankruptcy law treats students who face financial distress the same severe way as people ... , a law professor at the University of Michigan, lays out a number of plausible theories for why student [more...]
Date: 2008-12-03 21:45:00
Best Web Sites to Learn About Consumer Law Issues -- Our Chicago Consumer Attorneys Can Assist You in Your Internet Fraud, Lemon Law, Auto and RV Fraud, Unfair Debt Collection, Unfair Wage Practices Claims and Other Consumer Rights Lawsuits
[ Chicago%20Internet%20Fraud%20Lawyers%2C%20Chicago%20Consumer%20Attorneys%2C%20Chicago%20Consumer%20Lawyers%2C%20Oak%20Brook%20Attorneys%2C%20Chicag ... . DiTommaso-Lubin is a private consumer rights law firm who associates with other law firms around ... , the National Consumer Law Center, and local law school consumer programs. DiTommaso-Lubin is proud [more...]
Date: 2009-01-06 01:00:19
