Phishing is a criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information including passwords, credit card numbers, and the like. It typically occurs when you receive an email that appears to be from your bank or an online service (think PayPal or eBay) instructing you to click on a link to provide information to verify [...]
June 2008
Section 523(a)(16) of the bankruptcy law, as amended by the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Act, makes homeowners or condominium association fees nondischargeable, but only if the association fees arose after the date the bankruptcy was filed, and only for so long as the debtor has an ownership interest, or some other equitable interest, in the property. [...]
Yes, Virginia, even the federal government must comply with your bankruptcy protections. Congress waived sovereign immunity for the federal government – including our good friends at the Internal Revenue Service !! – in Section 106 of the Bankruptcy Code. Well, not entirely. One can sue for actual damages but not punitive damages. In the First [...]
Ever get mail that you don’t recognize and immediately “file” it by tossing it in the trash? If it’s a notice from the bankruptcy court, that could be a costly mistake. As a case in point, I offer you the story of Michelle Brown (not her real name). Michelle filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in [...]
Anyone who had a credit card, student loan, car loan or mortgage between 1987 and May 28, 2008 can get six to nine months of access to their credit report and credit score from TransUnion, one of the big three credit reporting agencies. This access flows from settlement of multiple class action suits against TransUnion [...]
I have never checked my credit score. I have always used credit sparingly, and I’ve never been denied a loan. So, I’ve never really worried about my score until now. No, I’m not overextended, but I utilize a home equity line on occasion to float larger purchases like a car. In the wake of massive [...]
