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…
2021 saw a 68% increase in data compromises in the United States; this indicates the highest level of data compromise in history. Another startling new development of identity theft involves children. Child identity theft affects one out of every fifty children in the US. No one is immune to the risk of identity theft, and…
Getting to court can be inconvenient, but can you imagine being summoned to appear in a different country? That is exactly what sometimes happens to consumers who have left the US. In recent months, several people have contacted us with the same problem: they’ve just found out that an old creditor sued them in Maryland…
Shopping for a pre-owned vehicle is something most Americans have experienced. The idea of an easy, online process is very appealing. Some new entries in the used car marketplace try to entice customers with a smooth, one-stop-shop approach to used car buying. However, it may not be as easy as it appears when shopping with…
Utilizing the efficiency, savings, and low carbon footprint of a solar energy system is a goal for many homeowners, but affording the switch can be expensive. It’s not uncommon for environmentally-conscious homeowners to look around for affordable options. In doing so, they are often exposed to scams, frauds, and unscrupulous business practices. It’s not always…
Business owners have access to and curate important/sensitive information, particularly concerning team members and consumers. When business owners must obtain a person’s social security number or personal identification number, they need to take every precaution to ensure that it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. The Federal Privacy Act The Privacy Act of 1974…