Not my usual blog but if it can save you some money…… Just a quick note to let you know of a great deal by Jet Blue. They are offering an unlimited travel ticket for 30 days starting September 6th.
Go here for info http://jetblue.com/aycj/#details
I am writing this today because several current clients were once the victim of this scam before finding our firm. This scam is costing consumers millions and leaving them worse off than when they started. If you received this email, you are in good hands, but you may know someone who needs help and doesn’t know where to turn or how to fix their situation. Victims of the Obama Debt Relief Plan either received a call, mail, or email stating the Obama plan would help them out of debt. There is NO OBAMA DEBT PLAN, as least not for us, the consumers. Sadly, there are debt settlement companies out there trying to appear as legitimate law firms to steal consumers money. They say everything you want to hear, and then when you need them most, they tell you to hire an attorney.
How to know it you are with the right debt program:
Give us a call today if you or someone you care about needs help, 877-343-3289
Transunion Credit Bureau violated the privacy rights of millions of Americans by selling their information illegally to telemarketers and junk mailers. They were forced to set aside $75 million to compensate consumers for their actions. If you are one of those consumers you may be awarded a settlement.
To potentially qualify, you must:
We at Debt Relief Law Group wanted you to know how you can become involved and possibly get paid. Go to
http://www.transunionsettlement.com/file-a-claim/
to apply for a settlement opportunity. There is no cost for this service, all fees get paid through the settlement, so go ahead and see if you qualify. At best you get paid, at worst you don’t.
Major financial institutions are willing to settle. Here is a list of some recent debt settlements for our clients. If you are not already a client, feel free to call us if you would like to see if we can help your situation, 877-343-3289. Have a great day!
| Original Balance | % Paid | Amount Paid | Creditor |
| $908.96 | 28% | $250.00 | Phillips Cohen |
| $29,946.90 | 25% | $7,769.86 | FIA Cards |
| $1,289.00 | 42% | $550.00 | GEMP |
| $1,746.15 | 37% | $660.00 | ARSI Amex |
| $18,858.51 | 22% | $4,225.00 | Citi/Moore Law Group |
| $23,700.00 | 28% | $6,715.80 | Chase National |
| $2,181.73 | 33% | $720.00 | Creditors Interchange |
| $14,753.06 | 33% | $5,000.00 | Bank of America |
| $1,999.00 | 40% | $800.00 | Bank of America |
| $1,769.52 | 35% | $710.00 | Bank of America |
| $2,576.22 | 32% | $825.00 | BofA |
| $36,712.00 | 21% | $8,000.00 | BofA |
| $21,624.00 | 24% | $5,381.17 | City Card |
| $3,251.00 | 36% | $1,200.00 | Advanta |
| $1,892.43 | 42% | $800.00 | Target |
You can put a 100-word letter of explanation in your file for lenders to see
Want to buy a house? Score a decent car loan? When it comes to telling your financial story, your credit report — and the credit score determined by it — always seems to have the last word. But you can write 100 of those words yourself.
A provision of the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to add a 100-word letter to your credit report that can cover “any number of items or topics they wish,” according to Steven Katz, a spokesman for credit bureau TransUnion. Whether you use it to explain a dispute, a mistake or your own personal money apocalypse, the statement theoretically gives you more of a voice in your financial future.
There’s a lot of flexibility in the Act. For example, it allows, but doesn’t require, credit bureaus to limit the consumer statement to just 100 words, and the Big Three — Experian, TransUnion and Equifax — do just that. It also doesn’t specify how many statements an individual can add to their report, and the credit bureaus differ on this. Experian allows multiple statements — one general statement that applies to the report as a whole, and then one specific statement per item on your credit report — while TransUnion and Equifax allow only one statement on your credit report at a time, period.
Still, regardless of how much you’re able to write, a larger question remains: Do the 100-word letters actually work to a consumer’s advantage?
Know when to speak up
As a credit counselor and representative of Clearpoint Financial Services, in Richmond, Va., Bruce McClary knew all the right moves to make when he noticed a fraudulent cell phone account on his credit report — the result of identity theft. He immediately contacted the cell phone company’s fraud department, filed an affidavit with local authorities and sent copies of the documentation to the three major credit reporting agencies.
Despite his precautions, McClary knew that on his credit report, the situation could raise curiosity, maybe even red flags. “There was a fraud alert on my report, but I knew that if anyone pulled my credit report, they might be hungry for a little more detail as to what was going on and why it was happening.” McClary whipped up a personal statement to explain the situation and the ongoing investigation. Even after the credit reporting agencies all removed the charges, McClary left the statement on his report, “just in case.”
Identity theft isn’t the only credit crisis that a consumer statement may help clear up. A statement can say anything from “I’m currently disputing this charge with the lender” to “I fell behind on payments after I had a stroke.” In the case of a genuine error on your credit report, the statement allows you to document the steps you took to correct the mistake, whether or not you were successful in the end.
Prepare to be ignored
Don’t think, however, that these statements are magic bullets. Many experts believe that they’re pointless, primarily because, in an age of automated underwriting, nobody reads them. “Your credit report is evaluated by computers,” says Brette Sember, author of “The Complete Credit Repair Kit.” “When you apply for a loan, there’s not a guy sitting down reading your report and looking for a statement, saying, ‘Oh, OK, she was sick and that explains it.’ That’s not happening anymore.”
Even if someone does happen to glance at your consumer statement, it rarely has the desired effect, lenders admit. Timothy Palla of McDermott, Ohio, who spent 15 years working for consumer banks and in the finance office of a large car dealership, says, “Customer’s comments on credit reports were far and few between, but to tell you the truth, I can’t recall one single time when it made any difference in considering an application for credit.”
| Another option: Explain in person |
| Not all lenders will read the statement you slaved over — but you’re desperate to explain why your credit score is so low. There is one more option: Grab the loan officer and say it yourself.
“Lenders — at least seasoned ones — can look into a person’s eyes and listen with their mind and heart and discern whether or not the applicant is lying or telling the truth,” says longtime Ohio lender Timothy Palla. “Often, the consumer’s passion and determination have more weight than the problems on a credit report.” The danger, of course, is coming off like a psycho. Palla offers these tips for keeping the conversation polite and effective:
|
What’s worse, adding a statement to your credit report can draw attention to problems or exacerbate them. When your statement says something like, “I was late on this account because …”, you’re validating that the negative information in the report is accurate. Disputing an error may falsely indicate that everything else on your report is totally accurate. Also, while a statement about your medical history or the divorce that knocked you financially off kilter may explain your terrible credit score, it could also just underscore that you’re a bad risk.
When it works
So what’s the point of adding a consumer statement? For starters, you may simply feel better after having had your say. “It gives people a feeling of power,” says Sember. “You feel like, ‘At least I put my side of the story down.’” For someone frustrated by the effects of a negative financial history, that’s no small comfort.
Also, although many lenders rely on computers to determine your creditworthiness, some still do things the old-fashioned way. “With every lender I worked for, we were encouraged to look beyond the credit score,” says McClary. “Not to say the score wasn’t a large component, but there are things you can tell if you look at the details of the report with your own eyes that might be overlooked or missed with just a score.”
Some experts even think that the current credit crisis may mark a return to more manual underwriting. “Given the current economic environment, the shift to automated approvals may be reversing itself,” says TransUnion’s Katz. “Banks are clearly scrutinizing every aspect of candidates’ qualifications for a loan, so your paperwork may be more important than ever before.”
At the very least, a consumer statement can make you look proactive about your credit situation in a way that appeals to potential lenders. It can even scare off debt collectors. “Filing a statement shows that the consumer is educated about their rights, and that’s what debt collectors try to avoid,” says Jonathan G. Stein, a consumer law attorney in Elk Grove, Calif. “They can’t collect money as easily from people asserting their rights.”
If an undeserved ding on your credit affects your credit score or your borrowing ability, a statement of explanation may serve you well. When in doubt, however, you may find that you say it best when you say nothing at all.
You may contact a Credit Manager at Debt Relief Law Group to see if it would be beneficial to add a statement, call 877-343-3289 and ask for a Credit Manager.
Bankruptcy 101: Chapter 7 or 13?
Bankruptcy is all over the news and even in pop culture lately. In fact, it’s becoming so popular that some economists are projecting that 1.7 million bankruptcies will be filed 2010! That’s a huge jump from the 1.3 million filed in 2009. Clearly people are finding bankruptcy to be a feasible solution to their current financial difficulties.
However, most people still don’t really understand what bankruptcy is and how they could benefit from it.
For example, I recently received an e-mail from a potential client who is considering filing for bankruptcy.
“Can I file for bankruptcy? I heard there are two different kinds of bankruptcy but I don’t know which one I qualify for or which one is a better option. Which chapter should I file?”
With all the myths circulating about bankruptcy, it’s no wonder that she is confused.
First of all, there are two main types of personal bankruptcy that can be filed by the average person.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 bankruptcy wipes away all of your debt through a process called liquidation. Basically, the court takes over all non-exempt assets and sells them in order to pay off a portion of your debt. All of your assets will be first looked at and some will be labeled as exempt. For example, you may be allowed to keep an amount of clothing, some funds for personal expenses and even a vehicle. The remaining assets will be taken over by the court and sold in order to pay off your debts. At the end of a Chapter 7, your debt will be wiped clean. Some types of debt that cannot be eliminated include alimony and child support, student loans, and any debt labeled as fraudulent (in other words, no maxing out your credit cards right before your bankruptcy!)
Chapter 13
Chapter 13 bankruptcy is another option for people who want to avoid the liquidation of their assets e.g. your home. Chapter 13 is a restructuring of your debt. You will pay back a court determined manageable portion of your debt over a span of 3 – 5 years. This is a viable option for people who have equity in their home. Also, if you file a Chapter 13 you may still be eligible to file a Chapter 7 at a later date. However, if you file a Chapter 7, you’ll be unable to file again for another six years. To qualify for a Chapter 13, you must have a job or a source of income to pay back your debt.
Bankruptcy is an option that may seem daunting, confusing, and just plain scary to most people. It doesn’t have to be that way. The best option is to speak to a bankruptcy attorney and receive a full bankruptcy consultation. The attorney will go over your eligibility for bankruptcy and will present you with all of your options.
If you’re considering bankruptcy, please contact us today at 877-343-3289 and one of our Senior Advisers can get your file reviewed by an attorney. Bankruptcy doesn’t have to be scary. Remember: bankruptcy was created in order to relieve consumers of debt that they are unable to pay. If you’re in this situation, there are laws to protect you. Speak to an attorney today and use the law to get the relief that you need.
Credit bureaus have been likened to the wizard behind the green curtain due to the mysteries surrounding how information is reported and how they develop your credit score. I wanted to inform you on how you can help your score by removing inaccuracies from your report. Be sure to take a look at the FTC link below and save it to your favorites for future use. Contact us at 877-343-3289 if you would like help with pulling a credit report.
Everyone who has borrowed and repaid a loan, credit card account or other debt has a credit history. These credit histories are reported on credit reports, which are managed by the credit bureaus. For many reasons, it is important to monitor your credit report at least once per year to be sure it is accurate.
If you find errors on your credit report, you have the right to dispute those errors, and a new set of rules impacting the way consumers file credit report disputes will go into effect July 1. The new rules, part of the Credit CARD Act of 2009, affect Section 312 of the FACT (Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction) Act. While they generally impact internal regulations and guidelines at financial companies that report information about borrowers to the credit bureau, here is what consumers need to know:
1) File a dispute letter with the credit reporting agencies
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to provide a procedure for consumers to dispute inaccurate data on their credit reports. The easiest way to file a dispute letter is online. Each of the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) offers guidelines on its website. The Federal Trade Commission also offers a free guide to disputing credit report errors at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.shtm.
2) Dispute issues directly with creditors
Previously, if a consumer disputed an item with one of the three major credit reporting agencies, the bureau notified the creditor that the item was being disputed. The creditor then had 30 to 45 days in which to respond to that dispute. The new rules also allow consumers to dispute errors directly with the relevant creditor or other “furnisher” of information to the credit bureau, including debt collectors. Time limitations remain the same. The “furnisher” must conduct a “reasonable investigation” of the dispute, unless the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant. Examples of a frivolous dispute might be when the dispute was previously resolved, with no new information provided, or when a consumer provides insufficient information.
3) Confirm whether the item stays or goes
If the creditor provides substantial evidence that the item is valid, the listing will remain on the report. If the creditor cannot substantiate the item, the credit bureau must remove it.
4) Items might return if creditors provide evidence
If the creditor does not respond to the dispute within 30 to 45 days, the credit bureau must remove that listing from the consumer’s credit file. However, even after an item has been removed, if the credit bureau receives information from the creditor substantiating the listing, the credit bureau can replace the item on the consumer’s credit report.
5) File a complaint for serious violations
If a credit reporting agency refuses to remove a listing that is truly invalid, even after the consumer has provided substantial evidence, the consumer can file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, and with his or her state’s Attorney General’s office. Legal action is an option that consumers would need to discuss with an attorney.
6) Check reports again each year
Occasionally, a debt reappears even after a consumer has successfully disputed it and had it removed. This may happen if a debt is sent to a collection agency that begins reporting the item to the bureaus again. In that case, the consumer must dispute the item all over again.
By law, Americans have the right to receive a free copy of their credit report each year by calling 877-322-8228 or visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.
Article written by Andrew Housser
If you need help with this, call our firm at 877-343-3289 or fill out the contact form HERE.
Americans pay billions in bank fees, but YOU can be the exception
Think fees are no big deal?
If U.S. consumers got back all of the money they paid in overdraft fees in just one year, they could pay last year’s bonuses at Goldman Sachs, buy the Wrigley chewing gum company, or match all the money made with Internet advertising for a year.
That’s because consumers paid $23.7 billion in overdraft fees alone in 2008, according to the Center for Responsible Lending. And that was up more than a third from two years earlier.
Rather keep the wealth in your own pocket? Here’s your quick checklist:
1. Use balance notification features. Some credit and debit cards will send you an e-mail or text when your balance hits a certain point.
These can be great tools, and they’re free, says Linda Sherry, director of national priorities for Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based advocacy group.
Depending on the features, you can set it up so that your bank or card issuer notifies you of your balance at regular intervals or when your balance hits a specific amount.
2. Learn the new consumer rules. New consumer protections can put money in your pocket, says Susan Weinstock, director of financial reform campaign for Consumer Federation of America.
One great example: In the bad old days, if you were late with a payment and that card issuer raised your rate, that was it. Permanently. Now, under the Credit CARD Act of 2009, if you make six months of on-time payments, the bank has to restore your old rate.
3. Don’t authorize overdraft protection. As of July 2010, the default setting for overdraft protection on your debit card is “no.” Under new overdraft opt-in rules issued by the Federal Reserve, card transactions won’t be approved unless there is enough money in your checking account or available credit to cover the purchase.
What this means to consumers: no more spending $4 for coffee and getting hit with a $35 overdraft protection fee because you miscalculated your balance. Unless you “opt in” to your bank’s overdraft protection policy, your card will simply be declined.
If you’ve paid the fees recently, you’re not alone. Thirty-one percent of consumers have overdrawn their checking accounts in the past year, according to a February 2010 survey by the Consumer Federation of America. Fees range from $19 to $39 and average around $31, according to another federation report.
4. Set up your own overdraft protection. Banks will allow you to link your checking account to a savings account or a line of credit. When your balance hits $0, the bank will take from savings or the line of credit. What you pay: a transfer fee that is often much lower than overdraft charges, says Sherry.
| Read, read, read the stuff that comes in the mail from your credit card company. I know it’s hard to read that stuff, but it’s important. |
| – Susan Weinstock Consumer Federation of America |
5. Say the magic word: “free.” The opposite of “fee” is free. And that’s the word you want to hear when you ask about bank and credit card services.
Look for checking and savings accounts that don’t charge monthly fees to start with, says Sherry. “You’ll be ahead of the game.”
Ditto credit cards that are now charging annual fees. “There are plenty of credit cards that give rewards and don’t charge an annual fee,” says Lauren Bowne, staff attorney with Consumers Union.
6. Carry a written log. The big plus of check and credit cards? Swipe it and you’re gone. The big minus? You have to gather up all those crunchy receipts to reconstruct your balance and avoid overdraft or over-limit fees.
Some consumers wrap the card in a piece of paper as a reminder to jot down what they spend each time they use it, says Sherry. Others put the card inside an envelope that they can use to write totals or store receipts to keep track of available balances.
7. Track that wily APR. Do you know the annual percentage rates (APRs) on your various cards? If you pay balances in full every month, it won’t matter. But if you’re carrying a balance on any card, you need to know your APR.
One way banks can charge you more for the same service: Raise those rates. The disclosure notifying you of the change — and starting the clock for your rights to reject the increase — can be easy to miss.
“Read, read, read the stuff that comes in the mail from your credit card company,” says Weinstock. “I know it’s hard to read that stuff, but it’s important.”
8. Refuse a rate increase. It takes two parties to raise your card’s rate: the card issuer and you. If you don’t agree, it doesn’t happen. So, if you don’t want to use the card and want to pay off the balance under the old APR, the Credit CARD Act gives you the right to opt out of the rate increase.
To increase your rates, the card issuer must give you instructions on how to opt out. Follow them precisely. You’ll likely have to give up use of the card and close the account, but at least you’ll be able to pay off any balance under the old terms.
The down side: Closing an account could lower your credit score unless you replace it with an equal amount of credit from another source.
| Don’t hesitate to challenge them. |
| – Lauren Bowne Consumers Union |
9. Pay early. The CARD Act prevents companies from charging fees for paying online or by phone. The exception: If you use a live attendant (read “human”), rather than their automated or online systems, or require some type of expedited payment service, she says. To avoid fees, pop that payment in the mail and allow at least seven days for it to be credited to your account.
10. Match your bank to your needs. Choose the cheapest bank for you, not just the cheapest bank. That means matching the services you use most often to the bank that will give you the best rate on those services.
So if you’re an ATM junkie, “you set yourself up for a lot of fees if you bank with a small credit union” or institution that doesn’t have a network of free ATMs, says Sherry.
And if you travel, look for an institution that will have a convenient network of banks and machines in the places you visit regularly.
11. Compare gift cards. The CARD Act did not knock out inactivity fees on gift cards, says Michelle Jun, staff attorney with Consumers Union. But some cards eliminated them anyway, while others will charge a host of fees for things such as checking your balance.
The trick: Cards often have a toll-free number on the back of the package. Ask about monthly or inactivity fees, then find out which services are included and which cost extra.
12. Talk fees with your card issuer. Looking at a balance transfer credit card to take advantage of a lower rate? Ask about balance transfer fees, says Weinstock. While many consumers eye the lower rates such cards often offer, they forget the fees, which are usually 3 percent to 5 percent of the amount transferred. “You have to be careful; there are a lot of tricks and traps here,” she says.
13. Question everything. See a fee you don’t recognize? Pick up the phone. Even if it’s legitimately yours, if it’s new or you’ve never encountered it before, ask the rep to waive it.
Bowne goes through her statement regularly online. But one day she saw a bank charge for $12. A little research revealed the bank had been levying the charge for the past three months. She called and found out it was an account maintenance fee. The only problem: She has free checking. The bank reversed it, blaming a computer glitch. Bowne continues to get charged and has to call every month and get the fee reversed.
The lesson: Watch out for fees, she says. “And don’t hesitate to challenge them.”
Article written By Dana Dratch
Contact us HERE with any questions or give us a call 24 hours a day at 877-343-3289
This article, written by Kathy Kristof, is good information and we wanted to share with our clients. There are some little known facts about Debit Cards to learn about.
Consumers need to be particularly careful during vacation season because identity thieves come out in droves. That makes it pivotal that consumers keep their debit cards on ice, said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearing House and one of the nation’s foremost experts on keeping your private information private.
What makes debit cards so dangerous? Givens has so many reasons, her organization has put out an exhaustive fact sheet on whether you should use cash, credit or debit cards when shopping. (The report also explains the shortcomings of gift cards.)
1. Loss Limits
Like credit cards, federal law limits your liability for fraudulent transactions on a debit card to $50. But that’s only if you notify your financial institution within two days of discovering the theft. If you’re a space cadet and don’t check your bank statements for a couple of months, you could lose everything.
2. Pay Now/Reimburse Later
If someone has fraudulently used your credit card, you don’t have to pay the charge. But when somebody has fraudulently used your debit card, the money comes directly out of your account in real time. That means you’re out the money while the bank does a leisurely examination of their records to investigate your fraud claim. Many consumers complaining to Privacy Rights Clearing House said they lost access to their funds for several weeks. In the meantime, they were caught short and unable to pay their bills, Givens said.
3. Merchant Disputes
The same problem affects merchant disputes. If you pay with a credit card when ordering something online, and that product comes damaged, broken or not at all, you can dispute the charge and stop payment with your credit card. If you used your debit card, the charge is paid when you made the order. By the time you find out the goods weren’t what was advertised, the merchant has your cash and you’re in the unenviable position of having to fight to get your money back.
4. Phantom Charges
If you use a credit card at a hotel, the hotel takes an imprint when you check in, but doesn’t charge your card until you check out. It’s a far different story with a debit card. Generally, hotels will put a “hold” on funds in your account for more than you’re spending. Yes, more. They hold the full amount of your stay, plus an estimated amount for “incidentals,” such as meals at the hotel restaurant and dipping into the mini-bar. This is not an actual charge–the hold will come off your account at the end of your stay. But it affects the available balance in your checking account anyway and can lead to overdrafts. One consumer said these phantom charges cost him $140 in overdraft fees. These “holds” are commonly placed on debit card transactions made at hotels, gas stations and rental car companies.
5. Overdrafts, Overdrafts and More Overdrafts
Overdraft charges have been soaring in recent years and the vast majority of consumers who pay them explain that their overdraft was the result of a debit card transaction. Many consumers naively assumed that if they didn’t have sufficient funds in their accounts, their bank wouldn’t approve a debit swipe. But they were wrong. The result: a $4 coffee could trigger a $35 overdraft fee. Government regulators are reigning in these fees by demanding that banks give consumers a chance to “opt out” of automatic overdraft protection, but that doesn’t start for existing accounts until August. (If you have a new account, it’s starts in July.)
6. Skimming
Financial crooks have gotten sophisticated in recent years and are using “skimming” machines to read your card data and charge your account, Givens said. When your debit card is skimmed, your bank account can be drained before you know that you’ve been had.
We hope you enjoyed the article, call us if we can help you or your family to reduce debt, file for bankruptcy, or even represent you if a creditor files a lawsuit. We are here to help those who are ready to get back on track.
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Debt collection has become more and more out of control these days with the spiraling economy. More people are in debt and are unable to pay. Collectors have become more aggressive and even using illegal tactics to get consumers money.
I understand these debt collectors are doing a job, but if lies and deceit are in the job description, maybe they should get another job. I am tired of hearing collectors say “‘consumers should pay” and “why am I the bad guy?”. If your job description has you lie and even steal, the answer is not ‘the job’, it’s your own morals and values that are the issue. Most consumers didn’t ask for a credit card with the intention of not paying, they feel bad about not paying and want to find a way to pay something back without taking food and shelter away from their families. That is quite different from these debt collectors making a decision to lie and deceive consumers on a daily basis. This country needs more people like our clients who feel responsible and try to correct their situation. We don’t need people who go to work everyday to take advantage of the public who have had more than enough hardship in their lives.
Most states Attorney Generals are looking into debt collection companies due to the obscene amount of complaints. Unfortunately, the real issue is the laws and processes are not suffice, and not in place, to handle the violations. See below to see some statistics on how you could be affected if you are in debt, and without the protection of a law firm. Sad but true, most consumers don’t know most of the collection calls they receive are illegal. If you are in debt and want to see what options are available to help fix your situation, call us directly at 877-343-3289 or fill out our contact form here DRLG website and we will contact you within 24 hours. We can help with debt resolution, bankruptcy, and lawsuits if you have been sued by a creditor.
| Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #15325 |
1 |
How familiar are you with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the federal law regulating the behavior of debt collectors? |
| 750 Adults | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| Very | 7% | 10% | 5% | 4% | 10% | 7% | ||||
| Somewhat | 18% | 15% | 22% | 15% | 18% | 22% | ||||
| Not Very | 33% | 34% | 32% | 31% | 33% | 35% | ||||
| Not At All | 41% | 41% | 40% | 47% | 38% | 35% | ||||
| Not Sure | 1% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 0% | 1% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 50% | 50% | 36% | 39% | 25% | ||||
2 |
Have you or a member of your family been contacted by a debt collector in the past 5 years? |
| 750 Adults | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| Yes | 44% | 46% | 42% | 58% | 44% | 25% | ||||
| No | 53% | 50% | 56% | 39% | 54% | 72% | ||||
| Not Sure | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 2% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Adults | 100% | 50% | 50% | 36% | 39% | 25% | ||||
3 |
Did the debt collector inform you of your rights? |
| 332 Who Were Contacted | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| Yes | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 3% | 9% | ||||
| No | 89% | 87% | 90% | 90% | 89% | 85% | ||||
| Not Sure | 6% | 7% | 4% | 3% | 9% | 6% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Who Were Contacted | 100% | 52% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 14% | ||||
4 |
Did the debt collector treat you with respect? Or disrespectfully? |
| 332 Who Were Contacted | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| With Respect | 26% | 28% | 24% | 33% | 22% | 13% | ||||
| Disrespectfully | 70% | 69% | 71% | 67% | 71% | 77% | ||||
| Not Sure | 4% | 4% | 5% | 0% | 8% | 10% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Who Were Contacted | 100% | 52% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 14% | ||||
5 |
Did the debt collector threaten you in any way? |
| 332 Who Were Contacted | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| Yes | 43% | 43% | 42% | 46% | 40% | 40% | ||||
| No | 47% | 44% | 51% | 43% | 51% | 52% | ||||
| Not Sure | 10% | 13% | 7% | 11% | 9% | 8% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Who Were Contacted | 100% | 52% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 14% | ||||
6 |
Did the debt collector call you again after you told them not to? |
| 332 Who Were Contacted | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| Yes | 77% | 81% | 72% | 76% | 77% | 79% | ||||
| No | 19% | 15% | 23% | 22% | 15% | 16% | ||||
| Not Sure | 5% | 4% | 5% | 2% | 8% | 5% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Who Were Contacted | 100% | 52% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 14% | ||||
7 |
Did the collector call people you know such as your employer or a family member? |
| 332 Who Were Contacted | All | Gender | Age | |||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||||||
| Yes | 48% | 50% | 45% | 55% | 44% | 34% | ||||
| No | 42% | 46% | 38% | 33% | 46% | 61% | ||||
| Not Sure | 10% | 4% | 17% | 12% | 10% | 5% | ||||
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
| Composition of Who Were Contacted | 100% | 52% | 48% | 48% | 38% | 14% | ||||
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