ON Friday we learned that the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent last month and that the economy lost 263,000 jobs. I have been unemployed since February. I have also been incredibly busy. My last job lasted one afternoon. I showed up at a large parking lot in a semi-remote area with a group of […]
Hurry Up and Credit My Account
What is it with these banks that are so quick to hit you with a fee for spending more than you have in your checking account but take their own sweet time in crediting deposits? My colleague Andrew Martin and I heard that complaint repeatedly from readers after we wrote about overdraft fees earlier this month. The angry questions happened […]
Credit Scores: What You Need to Know Now
New Jersey bankruptcy Article Article printed in the Wall Street Journal, September 8, 2009 By KAREN BLUMENTHAL Are you keeping score? Credit scores have been getting a lot of attention lately, as lenders tighten credit standards and contend with new legislation that has, among other things, reined in how credit-card issuers can raise rates. Meanwhile, […]
The ABCs of Teaching Money Management to your Kids
Teaching people money management skills cannot begin too early. Learning to manage your money at a younger age can often help people avoid financial trouble as they get older. Today, children are exposed to money, whether its credit cards or checks, at a much earlier age. That’s why it’s so important to start teaching your […]
Your Rights and the Responsibilities of the Mortgage Servicer
When you apply for a home mortgage, you may think that the lender, or loan originator, will service the loan until it is paid off or your house is sold. However, in today’s market mortgage servicing rights often are bought and sold. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection statute. Sections […]
Article published in The New Jersey Lawyer
Click to read the article “Please Turn to Chapter 7: Still? Still.“ By: Lee M. Perlman
Insured, but Bankrupted by Health Crises
New Jersey bankruptcy Article By REED ABELSON New York Times Article Published: June 30, 2009 Health insurance is supposed to offer protection — both medically and financially. But as it turns out, an estimated three-quarters of people who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were […]
News Release, The Role of Medical Debt in Bankruptcy
Harvard study finds 50 percent increase from 2001, most of those bankrupted by illness were middle class and had insurance EMBARGOED until: June 4, 2009, 12:01 a.m. EDT Contacts: David Himmelstein, M.D. Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H. Elizabeth Warren, J.D. Deborah Thorne, Ph.D. Mark Almberg, (312) 782-6006, cell: (312) 622-0996, mark@pnhp.org Medical problems contributed to nearly […]
My Personal Credit Crisis
New Jersey bankruptcy Article By EDMUND L. ANDREWS Published: May 14, 2009 If there was anybody who should have avoided the mortgage catastrophe, it was I. As an economics reporter for The New York Times, I have been the paper’s chief eyes and ears on the Federal Reserve for the past six years. I watched […]
Students’ First Lesson: Beware Loans’ Fine Print
New Jersey Bankruptcy Article By GRETCHEN MORGENSON Published: May 2, 2009 HIGH school seniors, thrilled at receiving fat envelopes from the colleges of their choice last month, must now figure out how to pay for the privilege of attending these institutions. For many, this will mean a journey into private student loan land, where financial […]
