Month: February 2014

If you are one of millions of consumers and have at least one or more debts in default, you have probably been contacted by a debt collector demanding payment.  In an effort to protect your rights, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) was enacted to shield you from abusive collection tactics, however the law […]

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the plaintiff in Robins v. Spokeo, Inc., did not need to allege actual injury to prove the existence of a willful violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”).   On appeal, the Appellate Court reversed the lower court’s dismissal of the plainitff’s […]

Most lenders looking at your credit report are looking at how much debt your carry.  A typical lender does not care what type of debt you have, but places more value on how much debt you have.  Medical debt may still be different from other types of debt, because it is more often than not […]

The Fourth Circuit officially allows consumers to orally dispute the validity of a debt.  In Clark v. Absolute Collection Services, Inc., (“Clark”) the Fourth Circuit recently held that the section 1692g(a)(3) does not require a consumer’s dispute be in writing.  Under Section 1692g(a)(3) of the FDCPA, the statute requires that collection agencies send written notice […]

It is that time of year again.  Time to organize your taxes and get ready to pay your 2013 tax bill on April 15, 2014.  While most consumers spend the majority of their time gathering and assessing what is owed, consumers don’t take nearly the same care to consider their financial well-being.  Taking an assessment […]

With the start of the new year just about one month behind you, making the decision to address your credit report in 2014 is as easy as requesting a copy of your own.  Visit AnnualCreditReport.com for a free copy of your report and keep reading to learn how to understand what is on your report.  […]

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), consumers applying for credit are required to receive notice after being denied.  What is an adverse action notice? This notice is to include the reasons adverse action was taken against the consumer as well as the name of the credit reporting agency used to make this decision and […]

Over the past several months I have shared more than a few posts on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (“CFPB”) proposed rule-making efforts for the 2014 calendar year in addition to sharing information on the trend toward consumers filing fewer Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) cases and bringing more Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) […]