Search Result for: — 531 articles

If you are struggling with debt, you will want to know about the latest debt collection limitations rules released  on December 18, 2020, that cover Information debt collectors must reveal to you about your debt When debt collectors can add information to consumer credit reports Limits on actions regarding debts that are past the statute of limitations for litigation Last month we told you that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), after seven years of preparation, was releasing the Final Rule of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The Final Rule was released in three parts, and last month… Read More

January 22, 2021 – Clearwater, FL– The Law Office of Michael A. Ziegler: Debt Fighters, a Florida law firm that helps consumers overcome debt problems, announced today the appointment of partner Kaelyn Steinkraus Diamond to shareholder partner. The firm will now be known as Ziegler Diamond Law: Debt Fighters. “Kaelyn’s passion and expertise for protecting our clients from illegal debt collecting activities have made her a tremendous asset to the firm,” said Managing Partner Michael Ziegler. “I am proud to have her name appear next to mine.” Mrs. Diamond first began working at the firm as a law clerk in… Read More

Last month, we advised you to check your credit report throughout the year. But you are not only checking for errors. One of the things you are looking for is whether you may be a victim of debt parking, sometimes referred to as passive debt collection. When you check your credit report, you may find it contains mistakes that indicate delinquent debts that you already paid or never owed at all. Those faulty debts are not always caused by mistakes. Unethical debt collection companies have been placing fake debts on consumer credit reports for the sole purpose of coercing payment… Read More

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce out 2nd scholarship winner.  The Debt Fighters support an academic scholarship contest for students who share a time in their life where they learn the importance of financial planning and discuss their financial plan going into the future. Peyton Myles, a student based in California, started her own dance company at 17 years old, and has taken much of the profit from her business and dedicated it to charity.  In the meantime, she works at the local hospital and is interning at a law firm.  Her essay shows incredible attention to financial… Read More

The law governing consumer debt collection is changing. For starters, third-party debt collectors will soon be able to contact you on social media. Just what we all wanted, debt collectors friending us on Facebook. But there’s a whole lot more. For seven years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been working on the Final Rule to apply the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  Whether you know it or not, if you are one of the 68 million American adults in debt collection, this will have a big impact on you. The National Law Review calls these updates “the most significant… Read More

You are probably tired of hearing about the importance of checking your credit score regularly. But an ostrich with their head in the sand is an easy target for lions, and if you are not regularly checking your credit reports, you may fall prey to increasingly worse financial difficulties. What Is a Credit Score? A credit score is a number used to convey how likely you are to repay lenders or become delinquent. Usually people are talking about a FICO score (developed by Fair Isaac Corporation), but there are other measurements. The big three credit agencies all use FICO scores… Read More

We are near the end of the financial year for individuals, and it’s time to bite the bullet and review your personal finances. You should be checking and organizing your finances on a monthly basis, and your year-end financial review should be based on these monthly check-ins. But there are certain aspects you want to carefully review before the year-ends to see the big picture:  where you are, where you want to be and what changes you need to make. Let’s face it, not everyone carefully takes stock of their finances every month. If you are in debt, you may… Read More

In Kelly Ann Smith’s Article, How to Untangle Joint Credit Card Debt in Divorce, she does a great job of identifying the fundamentals of how debt is divided in a divorce.  In a nutshell, the divorce judge will assign who is responsible to pay for which balances.  The tough part is that the way that the divorce judge carves up the pie does not change who is signed to the loans.  So if the divorce judge says, for example, that former husband is supposed to pay former wife’s Amex card, but that doesn’t happen, then Amex could still sue and… Read More

The pandemic has forced companies to change the way they operate. Because of the lockdown, they have had to lean on remote workers to survive. As a result, many workers have lost their jobs and faced difficulties. Due to the high demand for tech professionals, gaining these skills could help you in the future. To remain competitive, many people have begun to learn tech skills. However, moving in the right direction might be hard if you don’t know where to start. If you’re jobless and struggling to find work, these tips will help you tackle unemployment amid Covid-19. You’ll get… Read More

I’m going to let you in a little secret.  Not everyone who is trying to tame their debt needs bankruptcy.  In some instances, taking out a debt consolidation loan to refinance your debt is the best option. There, I said it.  Now every other bankruptcy attorney in town wants to throw a rock at me! In all seriousness, debt problem-solving is largely about proportionality.  What I mean by that is if someone has $50k in debt, but they make $200k per year, their debt is probably manageable.  Whereas if someone has $50k in debt, but they make $30k per year,… Read More