Legal News

Action by FTC and Pennsylvania Leads to Permanent Ban For Debt Collectors That Targeted Businesses, Non-Profits, First Responders

As a result of actionby the Federal Trade Commission and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, debt collection company International Credit Recovery, Inc. (ICR), officer Richard Diorio, Jr., and manager Cynthia Powell, have agreed to a permanent banfrom the debt collection industry after being…

Can debt collectors collect a debt that’s several years old?

A debt doesn’t generally expire or disappear until its paid, but in many states, there may be a time limit on how long creditors or debt collectors can use legal action to collect a debt. In many states, statues of…

As outstanding credit card debt hits new high, the CFPB is focusing on ways to increase competition and reduce costs

Credit cards are one of the most common financial products in our country, providing the bulk of short-term credit for families. Interest rates on credit cards have risen substantially, with average interest rates going over 20% . Given the trends for the…

Mortgage rates tumble in the wake of bank failures

The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 6.57% on Monday, according to Mortgage News Daily. That’s down from a rate of 6.76% on Friday and a recent high of 7.05% last Wednesday. Mortgage rates loosely follow the…

Mortgage demand from homebuyers drops to a 28-year low

Mortgage rates moved higher again last week, pushing buyers back to the sidelines just as the spring housing market is supposed to be heating up. Mortgage applications to purchase a home dropped 6% last week compared with the previous week,…

What to Know About the CFPB’s Plan to Slash Credit Card Late Fees

At a time when everything seems to cost more, finding out you owe a fee on top of a base purchase price is rage-inducing. Even the federal government is getting annoyed. Fees got a mention in the 2023 State of…

U.S. credit card debt jumps 18.5% and hits a record $930.6 billion

For most Americans, inflation and rising interest rates are a one-two punch. On the heels of another rate hike this week by the Federal Reserve, credit card annual percentage rates are already near 20%, on average, and set to climb even higher. At the same time, more consumers…

What happens now the US has hit the debt ceiling?

The US has hit its debt limit, with the Treasury Department now taking measures to prevent a potentially devastating default. Reaching the debt ceiling means the government is not allowed to borrow any more money – unless Congress agrees to…

Mortgage interest rates expected to drop in 2023—here’s by how much

After home financing costs nearly doubled in 2022, some relief is in sight for potential homebuyers in 2023. The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the U.S. is expected to drop to 5.25% by the end of this…

December’s consumer prices are likely to be hot, but the peak could come soon

A key measure of consumer prices is expected to show that inflation at the consumer level spiked in December, the hottest increase in prices since the early 1980s. Economists expect the consumer price rose 0.4% in December, and 7% on…