It has been a good summer for debt collectors. Profits have tripled for two of the largest companies in the industry, according to a report from Bloomberg. One of those companies is Encore Capital Group Inc., which took in $66 million more in revenue than anticipated....
When residents of Minnesota and Wisconsin look back on summer, it’s often with fond memories of sunny days, sparkling lakes and weekends at cabins up north. When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently looked back with its summer edition of...
It’s true in Minnesota and it’s true in Wisconsin. In fact, it’s true across the nation: your credit score is a crucial component of your financial life. Whether you are buying a house or purchasing a car, lenders look long and hard at your credit score to decide...
Though Minnesota’s news outlets report on developments in the coronavirus pandemic every day, few have paid attention to the recent introduction of the COVID-19 Medical Debt Collection Relief Act in the U.S. Congress. The measure is written “to prevent healthcare...
Bankruptcy eliminates an individual’s obligations to pay any debts the court discharges. After successfully filing for bankruptcy, you were likely looking forward to the relief that comes with living debt-free and getting your financial life back on track....
Frequent readers of our Minnesota Consumer Rights Blog know that one of our goals is to help people know their rights when they hear from a debt collector and to understand the types of information they are owed by the collector. In far too many cases, consumers are...
The recently released tenth annual credit score survey reveals that most Americans have gaps in their knowledge of credit scores. The survey of 1,001 Americans by the Consumer Federation of America and VantageScore Solutions shows that 20 percent of households with...
The extended tax filing deadline in 2020 has come to pass. Unfortunately, this also means an uptick in criminals trying to take advantage of consumers who filed their taxes. It is important to remember that the IRS never contacts taxpayers online, nor by calls, texts,...
Though hiring has slowed during the economic downturn of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses are gradually reopening in some places. More than ever, businesses and governments will rely on background checks as an important component of their hiring, promotion and...
A couple of days ago, the U.S. House of Representatives took a step to help consumers when it passed the Protecting Your Credit Score Act of 2019. The bill is designed to help people get easier access to their credit reports. If the measure is passed by the Senate and...