Consumer Law

Receiving a notice that you are being sued by one of your creditors causes most people a great deal of anxiety. Luckily, being sued by a creditor can be defended against even without contracting...

Debt can be a harsh mistress. If you find yourself with more credit card debt than you can handle, what are your rights under U.S. law? What limits are placed on debt collectors?

Facing a debt collection company in court is a challenging and oftentimes frustrating experience for many debtors. If you are the defendant in a suit filed by a debt collection company, you need...

Information in a credit report can determine whether or not someone gets housing, a loan, insurance or even a job. Negative information about an unpaid debt or collection account typically remains...

Credit card debt validation is part of your right as a consumer under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to request proof of a debt that a collection agency may claim against you. A...

Failure to answer a summons for credit card debt will result in the collection agency's court victory over you due to a default judgment. This means you forfeited the trial by not appearing to...

The United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPPA, protects the privacy of a patient's medical information, such as care a patient sought and medical bills....

Receiving phone calls from collection agencies can be tremendously frustrating. The phone may ring at all hours of the day and night. Collectors may call your place of employment, putting your job...

Bankruptcy may seem the only solution in the face of mounting debt and serious circumstances. But you should consider a few things before taking that final step.

Dealing with a debt collector is a degrading experience many people endure on a daily basis. Credit card debt collectors often cause stress and anguish, sometimes manipulating the law in the...

Civil records, unlike criminal records, have no quick fix to hide undesirable information. Expungements, or having your records sealed or removed, are not available in civil courts. However,...

Judgments are claims that could remain on your credit report for 20 years or more, depending on your state's statute of limitations. Judgments can be a challenge to remove and can get in the way...

There is no quick cure for debt and individuals who expect one usually find themselves further in debt. Should the government protect consumers from dangerous consolidation loans? Perhaps--and...

If you jointly own property--real estate, a bank account, a business--with another individual, you need to understand your exposure when it comes to joint property being taken to pay debt....

Debt Collectors: 3 Ways to Stop HARASSMENT Today

Facing a court date arising out of a collection matter can be frustrating. You probably have a variety of concerns about having to attend court, including the prospect of having a judgment entered...

An unsecured credit card is the kind most people have (with a secured credit card, the cardholder deposits money with the financial institution that issues the card; this money is collateral for...

Collection agencies are subject to the Federal Trade Commission's Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The act prevents debt collectors from "using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices" to...

Congress has enacted two debt reduction acts. The first was in 2000 and was geared to reduce the nation's debt. The second act occurred in 2007 and was devised to reduced the loan amounts on some...

Some collections agencies employ less than ethical tactics and threaten to get the police involved if a debt is not paid in full. Some even claim that you can go to jail if you don't begin paying...

Mandatory arbitration is a way in which lenders avoid costly court trials with individual consumers. The arbitration agreement is normally buried in the small-font legalese of the credit...

When a collection agency calls you to collect on a debt, you have the right to ask for validation that they have the necessary documents pertaining to your account. Some debt collectors do not...

Whether trying to reduce mortgage payments or credit card debt, there are some basic things to keep in mind while writing a letter. Debt payment reduction letters should convey an acceptance of...

Check garnishment laws vary depending on an individual state's laws governing methods private creditors, such as credit card companies, may employ to collect a legally-owed debt. However, federal...

The U.S. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, enacted in 1978, seeks to eradicate abusive and harassing practices of debt collectors and collection agencies and protect the rights of the...

The Consumer Credit Act came to be in 1974 in the United Kingdom. It received an update again in 2006 and was fully implemented in October of 2008. The UK law establishes the grounds by which any...

Collection agencies collect debt that is owed to them or to someone else they are in the employ of. Financial institutions and other types of businesses and organizations hire collectors to obtain...

Do you realize you can chase those annoying debt collectors and get paid by them for your pain and sufferings? The answer is Yes, you can! Debt is not the question here, it's the tactics that...

Collections are a part of a process in the "accounts receivable" or billing department. It means that, at some point in time, a company extended to another company or an individual credit terms...

You've seen the TV ad's....Credit Card Counseling places telling you they'll solve all your debt problems so you can stop taking aspirin. Bull Crap! It's your money they want and it's a pretty big...

Before working with a collection agency or settling a debt, know the state laws on credit card debt. Learn about personal rights as a debtor and how to prevent abusive calls from collection agencies.

A promissory note is a legally binding written promise to repay a debt. It usually includes specific terms of repayment, such as when the note is payable on demand and whether payment is due by a...

In these economic times of layoffs and high consumer debt, more people are being sued by their creditors for unpaid bills. This is an explanation of some of the steps you can take when faced you...

Being sued for credit card debt is a very serious financial event. It is the last resort for a creditor to try to collect its money, and if the company wins the lawsuit, there are a number of...

A lien is a type of attachment that provides you an interest in someone else's property if that person fails to repay a debt that is owed to you. In other words, if you have a lien on someone's...

A payday loan works like any other debt: on a written promise to repay. Such debts are usually secured by a postdated check. If the check bounces, the payday lender will try to collect the debt...

Dealing with collection agencies is often an unpleasant experience. Some unscrupulous representatives of these firms can make threats against consumers, assuming they will be frightened into...

Good credit is essential in obtaining personal loans, mortgages and car loans. Our credit reports are the determining factor of whether we will gain a creditor's trust. Collections can destroy...

Being sued for debt can be a very frightening experience, especially when it feels impossible to pay the bill before court. However, despite the state of your finances there are steps you can take...

Creditors frequently use the judicial system to collect overdue debts. You can be sued in small claims court or federal court, and each has its own monetary limitations. While a lawsuit is serious...

Debt collectors may be trying to use the economic situation against consumers. After all, good credit scores and reports are becoming more and more important. However, some of them are crossing...

For several months, I have been battling with a company that is trying to collect on a debt that I do not owe. After researching the company, I learned there are many people in my shoes, so I...

You received a letter from a debt collector saying you owe for a phone bill you had 12 years ago in college. Is this legal? Is it even your bill? It likely doesn't matter. You must find the...

If you are in debt and collection agencies are calling you and sending you letters advising you to pay up, there is a possibility that they may file a lawsuit against you in an attempt to collect...

Have you ever had an annoying debt collection call? Do you get collection letters in the mail? Here is a way to stop those annoying calls and letters. The Fair Debt Collections Practise Act(FDCPA...

In a day and age when consumer debt is on the rise, consumer default on that debt rises, too. And, as unfortunate as it is, when someone defaults on self-assumed debt and refuses to pay, there are...

It’s unfortunate, but when couples break up there is often an animosity between them that rages with hostility towards each other, leaving them vulnerable to being sued by each other. However,...

Are you having problems collecting on a debt and now you have no choice but to sue? Do you know how much to sue for or how much you will be allowed to sue for in court? Or, are you being sued for...

Have you ever loaned someone money and they never paid it back as promised, and now they are avoiding you? Have you ever co-signed for someone who didn’t pay their debt and now you are responsible...

You never know when a problem might surface. And when it does, you can rest easy knowing that consumer protection laws are on your side. These laws are on the books in every state and they're...