The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread uncertainty among consumers, and many families were forced to make hard decisions about how to allocate their resources. Unfortunately, amidst these uncertainties, some lenders didn’t follow the provisional pandemic policies put into place to protect consumers. Learn how some loan providers took advantage of consumers during the pandemic and how…
Credit information is used in almost every financial transaction. Whether it’s renting an apartment, purchasing insurance, or buying a home, your credit score/integrity always comes into question. Because of this, your credit information must be reported accurately. False information and reporting regarding your credit can have life-altering consequences. This article will cover some helpful information…
A class action usually involves a very large “class” of people who all have the same claims against an individual defendant, such as a bank, credit bureau, mortgage company, debt collector, or auto finance company. The class action is a procedural device contained in the court rules and is designed to be more efficient than…
Identity theft is a deeply serious matter. This type of fraud can result in someone’s identity being used to create accounts and run up charges that they didn’t consent to. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created the identity theft affidavit in 2002 to address this problem and help victims recover from this fraud. As of…
Most of us do a fair amount of shopping online, to put it lightly. Most goods and services can be bought online. For some online purchases, such as the notoriously over-priced concert ticket, consumers can get charged convenience fees. These fees are usually tacked on at the very end of the transaction. You’re almost ready…
CONSUMER ADVISORY FROM THE MARYLAND COMMISSIONER OF FINANCIAL REGULATION: “lenders and servicers are prohibited from collecting fees on any form of loan payment (so-called “convenience fees”) if the fees are not specifically contained in your loan documents.” In recent years, junk fees have added a new challenge to consumers trying to stay on top of…
Identity theft is terrible; there’s no way around it. Few modern crimes are as prevalent, invasive, unsettling, and disruptive as identity theft. Perhaps the most troubling is that scammers can steal your identity in several ways. As we’ve covered various forms of identity theft in this blog, there’s an additional form that you should make…
Peter had the pleasure to sit down (virtually speaking) with Hatti Suvari on her podcast, “Get Legally Speaking with Hatti Suvari.” Hatti’s podcast is curated to help people understand legal concepts and get answers to legal FAQs without necessarily needing to consult with a lawyer face-to-face. Peter has spent most of his legal career helping…
Are credit repair companies legit with their business conduct? Generally, no. Some credit repair companies are outright scams that take your money and give you nothing in return. Others may first appear legitimate but also tend to generate a lot of unhappy customers because their service doesn’t live up to their marketing. If you’re considering…
Car repairs can be very expensive, even without hidden or unforeseen fees. Unfortunately, some car repair companies will use this understanding to try and scam customers into paying more than they need to. Although most U.S. states have a legal limit on loan interest amounts, a few exceptions can lead to predatory lending practices. Here’s…