PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal jury in Oregon awarded $18.6 million to a woman who spent two years unsuccessfully trying to get Equifax Information Services to fix major mistakes on her credit report. Julie Miller of Marion County was awarded $18.4 million in punitive damages and $180,000 in compensatory damages, though Friday’s award against […]
Mortgage Payments and Credit Reporting After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
After bankruptcy, you can use all the help you can get when it comes to maximizing your chances for a new loan. Don’t let your old mortgage get in the way of refinancing or getting a new loan. When you file for bankruptcy and get a discharge of your debts, you’re no longer personally liable […]
Banks Seen as Aid in Fraud Against Older Consumers
Laura Pedrick for The New York Times Bradly D. Swartz, of Meshoppen, Pa., said his credit was ruined by telemarketers who emptied his checking account. The pitch arrived, as so many do, with a friendly cold call. A Vulnerable Age Articles in this series are examining financial challenges and pitfalls faced by older Americans in […]
5 Money Talks to Have Before You Get Married
You finally found your soul mate — someone who is sympathetic, nurturing, loving and caring. You’re ready to tie the knot. But before you say, “I do,” can you honestly say, “We did?” No, I’m not talking about that. I am talking about the talk. Not the one about sex and family but rather the […]
The Long Shadow of Bad Credit in a Job Search
By GARY RIVLIN Published: May 11, 2013 THE first couple of times Alfred J. Carpenter was turned down for a job, he didn’t know what to think. He been laid off early in the recession and then had the bad fortune of tearing tendons in his knee just when he didn’t have health insurance. […]
Credit Card Debt and Death
My Dad Passed Away — Does My Mom Have to Pay His Credit Card Debt? “Dear Steve, Dad recently passed away. He had one credit card in his name, with mom as an authorized user. Balance on the card is approx 10K. All assets were put in mom’s name months ago in case she passed […]
Financial Opposites Try to Tackle Finances Together
Jennifer and Scott Bartone set aside a full day to fine-tune finances and make headway on the money-related tasks that never seem to get done. By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD Published: April 26, 2013 Jennifer and Scott Bartone were married in October after a seven-year courtship. But they did not have a serious conversation about money […]
When a House Is Just a House, and Family Means Home
Joe Raedle/Getty Images Many Florida residents are still struggling to recover from the wave of foreclosures. By NEIL REISNER Published: April 15, 2013 in the New York Times The man who delivered the foreclosure papers was all business. He met my wife, Ruth, in the driveway as she was bringing the kids home and gave […]
A Student Debt Repayment Option for Some Parents
Parents who take out federal Parent Plus loans to help pay for their children’s college education typically don’t qualify for some breaks available to student borrowers themselves, like repayment options that take their income into account. But Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert, says there is a workaround available that may help some parents, especially […]
Mortgages: The Benefits of Counseling
Published: March 28, 2013 Is prepurchase counseling an effective way to prevent buyers from taking on more house than they can afford? A new study from NeighborWorks America, a community development agency, links buyer counseling to significantly lower default rates. In an evaluation of 75,000 mortgages originated from 2007 to 2009, NeighborWorks determined that borrowers […]
