I am often asked how debt collectors get a hold of your cell phone or mobile phone number when you have not given it to them. It is actually very easy to do and best yet, you give it to them. Never call a debt collector on a toll-free number or a direct number if …
Dateline NBC did a great show about the issues surrounding consumer debt in America with my friend Elizabeth Warren was in it. She is a brilliant lawyer, consumer debt author and an overall good person. It’s worth taking some time to watch all the videos below. The information presented is eyeopening and will be disturbing …
“Dear Steve, Unemployed, pregnant, and cant afford the payments demanded by the debt collectors. I am trying to make the demanded payments by the debt collectors, with out defaulting on my car payment, insurance, and medical bills. Do I have to send the collection agency the payment they are demanding, or can I send what …
New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his office has reached an agreement with three New York debt collection companies that failed to adequately supervise employees who engaged in deceptive and fraudulent methods to collect debts. The three companies, Creditors Interchange Receivable Management, LLC, Capital Management Services, LP and Tri-Financial, LLC, have …
There are plenty of respectable and good debt collectors that run their business in compliance with local and federal laws. And then there are the collection companies that engage in abusive practices and behavior. For those of us that regularly work with people in debt it is hard to not become distrustful or develop a …
The Federal Trade Commission issued a report today recommending that the debt collection legal system be reformed and modernized to reflect changes in consumer debt, the debt collection industry, and technology. The report describes the changes the FTC believes will provide better consumer protection without unduly burdening the debt collection industry. The Commission also issued …
So you’re a debtor and this is your first time in financial trouble. It is scary, frightening and you are completely stressed out. Some people even kill themselves over the debt. The last thing you want to see are late notices or get calls from the debt collector. You’re just not that experienced playing the …
“Dear Steve, Early in 2008, I had a sudden turn of events. I had to quit my job due to health problems and lost half of my household income when my ex and I split up. I had just bought a new car and signed on to what would have been smart loans to transition …
“Dear Steve, I own a home based business (S corporate in CA). Since the begining of the year, I’ve been make less than previous year. Hoping it would change, I used my AMEX to make up for the difference….You can figure out the rest. My bill of 40K+ is due in a couple of days …
I didn’t tell Gerri Detweiler that I was going to purchase her book and secretly read it. I knew she would have sent me a free copy if I had asked but I didn’t want our friendship to cloud my review of her new book “Stop Debt Collectors: How to Protect Your Rights and Resolve …