Search Result for: — 531 articles

Are you overwhelmed with seemingly endless debt? You’re not alone. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, year-over-year bankruptcy filings are on the rise across the U.S. If you owe money you can’t afford to pay back, it may be in your best interest to consider different debt relief options, like a credit counseling course, debt consolidation, debt repayment plan, debt settlement, or even initiating bankruptcy proceedings. This article will focus on everything you need to know about eligibility for declaring bankruptcy. Continue reading to learn: What is Bankruptcy? What Are the Most Common Types of Bankruptcy What is Chapter 7… Read More

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), recent increases in criminal identity theft and identity fraud have resulted in more identities stolen than ever before. The financial consequences of identity theft can be devastating, but they aren’t the only dangers to worry about.  When an identity thief secures your personally identifiable information, it could result in significant harm to your bank and investment accounts and so much more. That includes damage to your career, reputation, credit reports, and even criminal charges.  This article contains valuable tips, information, and steps to prevent, identify, and handle personal data breaches. Continue reading to… Read More

When consumers file bankruptcy, they often wonder whether a debt collector can still collect on a debt discharged in bankruptcy. The answer: No. Creditors must cease trying to collect discharged debt from bankruptcy filers. Why Can’t Creditors Collect a Debt From Me After Filing Bankruptcy? Generally, the moment you file a petition for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, the bankruptcy court issues an automatic stay on dischargeable debts. This is an automatic court order issued upon the bankruptcy filing. During this time, a creditor can’t collect a “consumer debt” and must stop collection efforts. If collectors are in violation of… Read More

Did you know that every year, 1 in 20 Americans are victims of offline and online identity theft? That accounts for billions of stolen money and countless ruined credit reports. Generally, the most common types of identity theft include, but are not limited to: Unauthorized use of debit or credit cards Criminals opening new credit accounts in your name Account takeovers of Government, identification, job, or tax fraud Whether you’ve just received an initial fraud alert or you’ve noticed fraudulent activity on your credit report, the result of identity theft (that’s not handled correctly) can be complete financial devastation. That… Read More

Millions of workplace accidents happen every year from the office to the construction site. If you’ve suffered a work-related injury, it’s in your best interest to know your state’s (in this case, Florida) workers’ compensation process, requirements, and the benefits to which injured workers are entitled. Depending on the facts of your case, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits available to injured employees. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about workplace injuries and workers comp claims. What is a Workers’ Compensation Claim? A successful workers’ compensation claim provides injured workers with compensation (i.e., workers’ compensation… Read More

An estimated 41% of Americans have some form of unpaid medical debt. Further, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reported there was $88 billion in medical debt on the credit records of consumers. However, a recent study from Stanford University suggests that it might be much worse (at least $140 billion). With that in mind, millions of U.S. citizens face medical collections activities and negative information on their credit reports due to an inability to pay medical bills. At Ziegler Diamond Law, our debt relief lawyers understand the devastating financial impact a medical bill could have on your credit score,… Read More

If you are considering filing for bankruptcy and are receiving disability benefits, no doubt one of your biggest questions is whether or not your disability payments will be protected. Normally, you will be able to keep them. They will be protected from the bankruptcy trustee, but all are not treated the same. There are basically three types of disability benefits: Social Security Veterans Private The Three Categories In a Chapter 7 dissolution bankruptcy, assets that are not exempt may be sold by the bankruptcy trustee for the sake of creditors. In a Chapter 13 reorganization bankruptcy, the trustee cannot sell… Read More

Have you been getting debt collection letters and phone calls from an organization you don’t recognize? Chances are your debt may have been sold to a junk debt buyer. There was a time when a company might just give up on collecting debts, particularly small ones, if they couldn’t collect them easily. These days, if a company cannot collect a debt, they often just sell it to a junk debt buyer for pennies on the dollar. At some point, many companies today would like to get a little money rather than expend resources pursuing a hard-to-collect debt. As an added… Read More

Debt collection laws don’t usually get a whole lot of buzz, but as I’m sure you’ve seen on social media and through your local news outlets there’s a new debt collection law called Regulation F that went into effect on November 30th, 2021 that’s really caused a buzz. Now yes it’s true, Regulation F did expand some ways that debt collectors can communicate with you, but it’s important to remember two things: Collectors always have to abide by consumer protection laws. Regulation F also expanded some consumer protections. So bad news first! Let’s review the ways that Regulation F broadened… Read More

If you are thinking of filing for a consumer Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you probably have a lot of questions. One of the most important for many people is whether or not they will be able to rent an apartment after filing for bankruptcy. The reality is that it is often (though not always) more difficult to rent after bankruptcy. After all, the bankruptcy may stay on your credit report for seven to 10 years. But it is certainly not impossible and in some cases may even be easier than it would have been before your bankruptcy. This is because you… Read More