Do you receive collection calls regarding credit card debt? Other debts? Such calls are almost always annoying, but when do they become creditor harassment? It seems as though more Americans are learning what it is and not taking harassment lightly. The Federal Trade...
Year: 2011
Foreclosures hit Florida’s wealthiest neighborhoods
Forbes reports that about 7.7 percent of all mortgage holders across the country are either seriously delinquent on their monthly payments or already struggling through the foreclosure process. This news isn't surprising to anyone who's followed the housing market...
Will collection agencies be able to call consumers’ cell phones?
If you haven't paid your credit card bill or auto loan, you might soon be receiving a call from a collection agency on your cell phone. That's because the collection and credit industries are pushing for a piece of federal legislation known as the Mobile Informational...
Last month saw spike in Florida foreclosures
As all of us in Florida are all too aware, our state has been hit particularly hard by the slump in housing market. In many neighborhoods in Central Florida the wave of foreclosures can feel like a plague, as one house and then another on the street is struck. There...
Credit card debt declines for now
With jobs scarce and unemployment high for the past two years, many Florida consumers have realized that accumulating high interest rate debt simply no longer makes sense. According to a recent report, consumers accumulated less credit card debt again for the third...
Florida homeowners need loan modification assistance
Florida's real estate market will probably remain bogged down for quite some time. A number of initiatives have been taken at the state and federal level, but each of these initiatives has its strengths and weaknesses. The Home Affordable Modification program,...
Florida homeowners facing foreclosure do have options
Though the headlines seem grim, there is more hope for Florida homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure than there was just a few years ago. Currently in Florida, before an actual foreclosure can occur, a state ordered mediation must first take place. The mediation...
Will Obama programs help students ease debt burdens?
College graduates struggling with student loan debt may soon have some relief, thanks to a pair of measures proposed by the Obama administration. According to a story by CNNMoney, starting this January a new White House measure will encourage graduates with two or...
Obama refinance plan hopes to help underwater homeowners
Homeowners who owe more on their mortgage loans than what their residences are worth might be able to refinance under a new plan announced by the Obama administration. But, as NPR points out in a recent story, homeowners must meet certain requirements to participate...
Study shows that foreclosure crisis literally makes people sick
There is no doubt that financial hardship is an extreme stress on a person's life. For many, it is hard to understand how our bodies actually work. Why would delinquency regarding mortgage payments mean that someone is more likely to be physically unhealthy? It's an...