Author: Elias Dsouza

With a large part of the American public facing foreclosure, a question that frequently arises is how the case gets resolved. Some cases go to trial, with the homeowner challenging the foreclosure as wrongful. Still yet, some cases are settled out of court through arbitration or mediation. There is always more than one way to get something done, and saving your home from foreclosure is no...

Is it a buyer’s market, or a seller’s market? This is an important question if you are in the market for a house, or are trying to sell your home. But, it may not matter, and the foreclosure upswing the country saw a few years ago may be getting ready to hit again. When the economy slowed, thousands of homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure, or opted to file bankruptcy to avoid a...

Predatory lending isn’t just for home loans, it is also typical when consumers visit the car lot. A common lending tactic among auto lenders is the “bait and switch”. What happens is that the lender lures in a potential buyer with a deal on a certain auto, then claims not to have finalized the financing and requires you to return to sign more papers. Most times this happens after you’ve...

With identify theft on the rise, and even recent breaches in security on the IRS’ website, it is important now more than ever to safeguard your financial data. Lenders are required to provide their privacy policies, and give you an opportunity to opt out of certain practices. One area you can advise your creditors to leave you out of is in the selling of your data to other entities. While the...

Everyone is out to make a profit, and this includes banks and other lenders. The way a lending institution makes money is by making loans. The interest received on loans that are not paid in full monthly adds up quickly, and is a major revenue source for creditors. This is why you receive “offers” in the mail for everything from car and home loans, to loans that will pay for your vacation. If...

Having debt is not limited to a certain age group. This is especially true in today’s economy, where it is becoming more likely that people work well beyond retirement age in order to continue paying their bills. The law does not discriminate between who is sued for a delinquent debt, and who is not, just because of their age. The unfortunate result is that a good number of the elderly are...

Bankruptcy is a popular way to avoid foreclosure, and allow you to get back on your feet and able to make your mortgage payments. There are two main types of consumer bankruptcy, a Chapter 7 and a Chapter 13. A Chapter 7 is like a liquidation, which means most of your debt (usually unsecured debt, like a credit card) is eliminated. For things you want to hang on to, in a Chapter 7 you will...

The purpose of filing bankruptcy is to give the honest, but unfortunate debtor a fresh financial start. The goal is discharge of debt, which means debts that were once due are no longer required to be paid after the bankruptcy case is over. When you file bankruptcy, your creditors are given notice and they are prohibited from contacting you to collect what is owed. This is also true after the...

The cost of college or post graduate programs is quickly skyrocketing. Many graduates are finding it difficult to make their student loan payments, and are even resorting to working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. A student loan is just like any other debt, and if it goes unpaid the lender will call to collect. If you are significantly behind on your student loan payments, collection...

Not all debt is taken out for personal use, businesses also incur debt in their daily operations. And, just like in the case of personal (or consumer) debt, when a business does not pay its debts, the lender will seek to collect. Commercial debt collections are similar to consumer actions, but there are some differences. For instance, the law presumes a business owner to be more savvy than...