Six of the 10 cities where wages have fallen the fastest this year are in New York.  Average wages fell dramatically in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, New York, Poughkeepsie and Buffalo – and the decline has been devastating on New York State’s finances, according to a study released last week from the Brookings Institution.
It is unusual, [...]

Congress is considering proposals that would reform the health care system.  Some, like Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont are citing massive fraud by the health care industry and calling on “real health care reform to prevent major insurance companies, drug companies and hospital chains from perpetrating fraud and abuse on government health care programs and individuals.”  Sanders [...]

You don’t have to put up with harassing phone calls from bill collectors.  In 2008 alone, over 78,000 consumers filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (”FDCPA”) sets restrictions on how creditors can attempt to collect debts.  The Federal Trade Commission enforces the FDCPA, and has stated that debt collectors [...]

Although filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy usually wipes the slate clean as far as most of your debts are concerned, there are some debts that may not be discharged. 
Certain debts, such as most taxes, child or spousal support, and student loans usually survive the Chapter 7 discharge.  Debts incurred through fraud, may also survive the discharge.  And in [...]

Your Credit Score can be an important asset.  It determines your ability to get credit, and the cost.  It could be a factor in your getting a job, renting an apartment, and purchasing a house or a car.  When you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your credit score will be affected.  In some cases, however, it’s [...]

Dairy farmers in Upstate New York are facing a crisis.  While the cost of milk at the grocery store continues to climb, the price dairy farmers receive has not.  Farmers are currently receiving $13.33 per hundredweight.  This is $4.25 below the cost of production in New York, even in the most efficient dairy farms.  Even the safety [...]

Too many of my bankruptcy clients tried to avoid bankruptcy by working with a “Debt Settlement Company”.  Only after they paid out thousands of dollars, saw their credit scores plummet, and got served with lawsuits, did they come to see me about bankruptcy.  Much has been written about the dangers of working with Debt Settlement companies, [...]

Your homestead exemption is one of the most important benefits you get when you file for bankruptcy.  It protects your residence.  In New York, you can protect up to $50,000 of equity in your home, $100,000 if you file together with your spouse.
You usually get to take the homestead exemption if the property is [...]

If 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor gets to sit on the US Supreme Court, she will likely give all parties a fair opportunity to be heard, and ensure that the rights of all parties, debtors and creditors alike, will be respected.  This is the prediction from the Alliance for Justice “Report on Supreme Court Nominee [...]

You might think that bill collectors are good for nothing.  After all, they drive many of us crazy with their harassing phone calls and letters.  But bill collectors are not all bad all of the time.
At least not yesterday, when a bill collector saved a Victorville, California woman who was being held hostage in her home by an [...]