Legal News

Medical emergencies can lead to debt and bankruptcy — even for insured Americans

Even Americans who are covered by health insurance can emerge from medical emergencies with long-lasting financial scars. In a study published this month in the journal Health Affairs, researchers found that 18 months after being hospitalized for a traumatic injury — such as a…

Average US Long-Term Mortgage Rate Falls to 6.48%, Retreating From Its Highest Level in 9 Months

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased this week from its highest level in nine months, welcome relief for prospective homebuyers. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.48% from 6.53% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said…

Nearly Fifty Debt Collector Calls in Two Weeks a Legitimate FDCPA Practice

A debt collector seeking to collect on a GAP credit card debt placed 49 telephone calls over the course of 18 days. The cardholder filed suit, arguing the calls constituted harassment under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Specifically,…

Rising mortgage rates cause surge in demand for riskier loans

Mortgage rates continued to climb higher last week, dampening demand for loans from both current homeowners and potential homebuyers. They also pushed consumers to riskier loans that offer lower rates. Total mortgage application volume dropped 2.3% from the previous week,…

Credit card debt dips to $1.25 trillion — but maintains ‘K-shaped’ pattern, New York Fed research shows

Credit card balances fell in the first quarter of 2026, decreasing by $25 billion, to $1.25 trillion, according to a new report on household debt by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Tuesday. Still, that’s a 5.9% jump from a year…

White House, UAE financial deal talk: Damage done by war to Mideast economy extends well beyond energy

The U.S. government’s weighing of a financial lifeline for the United Arab Emirates posts bigger questions about what is in store for the booming Mideast economy post-war. The UAE has spent decades engineering one of the world’s most resilient tourism economies, built on global…

Americans owe $1.3 trillion in credit card debt as balances pile up

(InvestigateTV) — Americans collectively owe $1.3 trillion in credit card debt, with the average household carrying more than $11,000 in balances. John Kiernan, managing editor at WalletHub, said people are struggling with credit card debt. A new WalletHub survey found about 2 in…

Massive debt makes the U.S. one of the world’s most vulnerable countries in the energy crisis, market veteran warns

The world has never faced a crisis while loaded with so much debt, making the U.S. especially vulnerable despite being the world’s biggest oil producer, according to Ruchir Sharma, chair of Rockefeller International, the global investment strategy arm of Rockefeller…

Credit card APRs have an ‘economically meaningful’ impact on consumer spending, Boston Fed finds

Because of the extremely high interest rates, credit cards are one of the most expensive ways to borrow money. Even so, at least one-third of credit card users carry a balance from one month to the next, according to the Federal Reserve Bank…

9% of ACA health-care plan enrollees go uninsured after enhanced subsidies expire, poll finds

Many Americans are feeling the financial pain following the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance. About 1 in 10 people — 9% — who were enrolled in an ACA marketplace health plan last year are now uninsured following…