Bankruptcy Information

As anyone recovering from bankruptcy, trying to eliminate debt or otherwise reshaping their finances knows, shopping and buying new things can be a source of stress – after all, we all need stuff now and then (whether it’s a new part for a car, a new refrigerator or new shoes for our kids). But we shouldn’t have to worry that our purchase will turn into a nightmare if something goes wrong.

A recent post from WalletPop.com outlines what it calls a “Customer Bill of Rights,” which offers suggestions for what ordinary consumers should look for in their purchasing to make sure they won’t be scammed or led into a labyrinth of red tape should something malfunction.

Know What to Look for in a Company

Here’s a summary of how to better navigate your spending and buying experiences.

• Look for contact information. If a company doesn’t readily display contact information (with email addresses or phone numbers on a web site and actual representatives in a store), you may not want to shop there. After all, if

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Internet Security 2010 computer malware attacks my two “protected” computers, leading me to abandon the computer protection software I’ve defended for years!

IT’S A HORRIBLE SCAM!

This last weekend was a computer disaster!

Norton let me down…and now I have walked away from Norton.

Without warning, computer demons took over my two computers, shooting “high risk” warning messages all over my computer and preventing me from launching “help” programs or rebooting into safe mode.

I was freaking out, believing I was headed toward another meltdown.

Trying to fix the problem, I discovered the alleged fix to be the scam!

INTERNET SECURITY 2010 IS BAD ASS!

I’ve not faced a computer intruder as bad as Internet Security 2010 malware.

Apparently, this demon appeared in early December 2009 and has swept through computers, wreaking havoc all the way on computer users not able to troubleshoot on their own.

“It killed my computer! I think i got it bad,

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Tags: Computer, Internet Security 2010, Security 2010, “protected” Computers

The folks over at Public Counsel Law Center are always providing valuable information to consumers.  Public Counsel Law Center is the nation’s leading Pro Bono Law Firm and they do a great job in bankruptcy practice with their reaffirmation clinics and the new help desks at the clerk intake counter. Here are their

5 tips to avoid loan modification scams:

1.  Don’t Pay Up Front Fees;

2. Don’t Transfer Title or Sell Your House to a “foreclosure rescuer;”

3. Don’t Pay your Mortgage Payments to Anyone Other Than Your Lender or Loan Servicer;”

4. Never Sign Any Documents Under Pressure or Without an Opportunity to Review Them.

5. Don’t Ignore Letters From Your Lender or Loan Servicer.  Responding is the Best Bet For Saving Your House.

If someone demands an up-front fee, Public Counsel adivses that you can report them to the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-952-5225; or file a complaint online. Rem

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One of my clients files Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The client is an accounts manager for a one doctor medical practice. The doctor gave the client signature authority on the office account at Wells Fargo Bank so the client could easily pay the office bills. The account is titled in the name of the boss’s medical corporation. All the money in the account is from the medical practice receipts; the debtor deposits none of her personal money in the account. The account is set up under the business’s tax ID number.

After the client filed personal bankruptcy Wells Fargo froze the account because the debtor had signature authority. The doctor cannot pay his business bills with his own money. My office called a manager at Wells Fargo Bank and wrote emails to Wells Fargo demanding they release the account freeze, but the bank ignored our calls and letters. Next, we wrote an email to the Chapter 7 trustee in the hope that he would contact Wells Fargo and get them to correct their error. The Chapter 7 trustee has done nothing. Per

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Tags: Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Debtors

If you’re counting on a tax refund this year, you may have heard of refund anticipation loans (or RALs), which some tax-preparation services offer to people as part of tax preparation services. But these loans, as most consumer advocates will agree, are not a good deal for you the consumer.

Here’s a look at why tax refund anticipation loans (sometimes called a refund anticipation check) may not be all that they’re promised, and what the federal government is doing to help you avoid them.

Why RALs Are a Bad Financial Move

So what is a refund anticipation loan? Basically:

• It’s a cash advance loan that charges you a high interest rate to get some of your tax return dollars earlier than you would have otherwise gotten them.
• Some tax preparation services offer them to customers who are expecting a tax return that year. Generally, a customer can receive the money for a “fee” of some kind – just like a payday loan. In fact, RA

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Tags: Anticipation Loans, Refund Anticipation, Refund Anticipation Loans, Tax