The credit report folks, Experian have released data which surprised even me. There are whole camps of people out there, typically Dave Ramsey fans, who say they don’t need credit and don’t plan to ever use credit again. But according to Experian, 84% of people who purchase new vehicles actually do use credit. Credit avoiders can talk a big game ... Read More »

Following a review of 22 private collection agencies, the U.S. Department of Education announced today that it will wind down contracts with five private collection agencies that were providing inaccurate information to borrowers. The five companies are: Coast Professional, Enterprise Recovery Systems, National Recoveries, Pioneer Credit Recovery, and West Asset Management. The Department also announced that it will provide enhanced ... Read More »

A recent TransUnion study found that more than 23 million U.S. consumers would be classified as Super Prime, the highest-rated consumer credit risk group, when evaluated by TransUnion’s CreditVision® risk score. Compared to the use of a traditional risk score, the use of CreditVision would increase the percentage of consumers in the Super Prime risk category from 12% to 21%. ... Read More »

Enhanced protections for B.C. families, particularly those in financial distress, are at the heart of legislative changes introduced today by the B.C. government. The Province is taking action to regulate the debt settlement industry with amendments to the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA). If passed, these amendments will prohibit debt settlement companies from charging fees until both the ... Read More »

Q: What are my debt relief options if I am delinquent on both my federal student loans and my private student loans? A: Falling behind on your student loan payments is a problem far too common. I speak with people on a frequent basis facing delinquency in payment of their student loans. One of the problems I hear most often ... Read More »

Last week the CFPB and the FTC held a workshop to address what happens to unpaid debts at different stages of the debt collection cycle. The workshop brought together state and federal regulators, economists, major banks, debt collection agencies, debt buyers, consumer advocate attorneys, technology companies, members of the judiciary, credit reporting agencies, and more. The workshop was aptly titled ... Read More »

In the world of personal finance, credit concerns and debt issues, there is no single issue that is more misunderstood than bankruptcy. Recently the Federal Reserve Bank of New York came out with an exceptional report on the bankruptcy reform of 2005 — which made it tougher for people to file bankruptcy, and was the last time bankruptcy law was ... Read More »

A reader just posted a complaint about SLS Managers and in looking up the company address I came across the oddest comment by the BBB about this company. SLS Managers says they are located at 23172 Plaza Pointe #128, Laguna Hills, CA. – Source But the BBB says, “BBB received returned mail from “23172 Plaza Pointe Dr #138 Laguna Hills, ... Read More »

An amazing reader, Carol, sent in a new debt relief mailer through my I Buy Junk Mail program. What caught my eye at first was how the company sending out this mailer from Postal Permit 1297 is not identified on the envelope or the mailer. This clearly appears to be a lead generation mailer by some totally unknown company. Any ... Read More »

This report is republished from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and contains the authors analysis and finding about bankruptcy following the 2005 reform. Personal bankruptcy was introduced in the United States through the Bankruptcy Act of 1978. After passage of the act, bankruptcy rates rose steadily until 2005, when Congress passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection ... Read More »

An awesome series of videos about the realities of identity theft and an introduction to the worst identity thieves around. Find out what it’s not the stranger you need to worry about and why it’s so important to monitor your credit bureau reports for activity on your current accounts. Grab the perfect beverage and spend some time watching these videos. ... Read More »

According to The Gazette, World Law, the debt settlement company, has been hit with an injunction in Colorado. Allegedly, World law ran into trouble in Colorado for false advertising and violations of the Colorado Debt Management Services Act. It seems World Law did not win friends in Colorado after the company ignored a district court order to stop activities in ... Read More »

Multiple media outlets are reporting the debt settlement company Morgan Drexen has lost a Wisconsin appeals court ruling and is ordered to refund $4.2 million in settlement fees. A state appeals court says a hearing examiner properly ordered a debt settlement company to give up $4.2 million in fees and pay nearly $2 million in forfeitures because it was operating ... Read More »

An amazing reader sent in a new debt relief mailer through my I Buy Junk Mail program. The offer sent out by a company identified as Life Financial planning, 575 Menlo Drive #1, Rocklin, California 95765 seems to be misleading on so many levels. I would urge anyone who receives a similar offer to conduct their own due diligence. While ... Read More »

Money, credit, and debt issues filter through our lives in so many ways. In this look at money through Broadway tunes, we get a closer look at what casual society has to say about being rich, poor, broke, happy, sad, and the morality of money. This program runs about an hour but it’s worth setting aside the time to listen ... Read More »