Month: June 2013

As I have discussed in several posts throughout the year, new amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, (“FCRA”) require employers and credit reporting agencies to provide additional information to potential and current employees prior to accessing a credit file for employment purposes.  Employers are also required to provide additional disclosures after taking adverse action […]

As I have discussed before in a previous post about credit scores, your credit score is made up of numerous pieces of credit data from your credit report.  It considers both positive and negative information compiled on you and is the driving force behind what type of credit you are granted.  Consumers nationwide have a […]

Telemarketers are calling you non-stop.  You no longer answer the calls, but the phone continues to ring over and over again.  What should you do and what are your rights? What are telemarketing calls? These are calls that act as an advertisement. They are telephone solicitations. This does not include calls where you have given […]

Inheriting credit card debt when a spouse dies is a stressful and legitimate concern of partners at any age.  When a person dies, his or her credit card debt does not automatically disappear.  Whether the credit card company can recover the debt depends on three factors, whether or not the account had a co-signor, the […]

What is a debt collector? A debt collector is a company that regularly engages in the collection of debts for another.  That means that the original creditor is not a collector for purposes of this law.  If a new creditor buys the debt from your original creditor, that new creditor can be deemed a debt […]

As a consumer either gainfully employed, looking for new employment or entering the working world, you must be aware of the information contained in your credit report and other background reports about you because your current or potential employer can use it as part of your employment background check.  Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act […]

Unwanted calls can be disruptive and stressful.   There are laws that protect consumers against unwanted, automated sales calls on your cell phone.  Robo-calls on your cell phone that violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) will allow you to recover $500 per call. Under the TCPA, it is against the law to call a cell phone: […]

Unwanted calls can be disruptive and stressful.    There are laws that protect consumers against unwanted, automated sales calls and your landline. What are automated, robo-calls? Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the term “automatic telephone dialing system” means that it is equipment that stores or produces phone number to be called using a generator.   Basically, […]

Register your personal phone numbers on the Do-Not-Call Registry and see how it can help you. The Do-Not-Call List defined The National Do-Not-Call Registry was established in 2003 to help people stop getting unwanted sales calls. You can register your landline and your cell phone. The list includes only personal phone numbers, no business number or […]

One of the most damaging credit score killers are unpaid tax liens.  Unpaid tax liens can damage your score for years to come and will continue to cause damage even after they are “released” or paid.  An unpaid tax lien can remain on your credit file indefinitely per the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”).  A […]