This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made “crystal clear” that ringless voicemail is subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and to the same rules prohibiting callers from making calls to cellphones without consumers first providing consent. In a Declaratory Ruling, the FCC highlighted comments submitted by NCLC, writing, “We thus agree with…
Concerns Remain about Consistent and Fair Implementation WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice announced new guidance for when the government should allow a student loan borrower who has filed bankruptcy to be relieved of a federal student loan debt. These guidelines aim to enhance consistency and ensure greater equity in the…
Lawyers from Massachusetts, Oregon, and Maryland earn ‘Rising Star’ awards SEATTLE — In recognition of her contributions to the practice of consumer law, New Mexico attorney Karen Meyers accepted the National Consumer Law Center’s 2022 Vern Countryman Award. The prestigious annual honor recognizes an attorney whose special contributions to consumer law have strengthened and affirmed…
COVID Created New Class of Struggling Customers at Risk of Shutoffs BOSTON – According to a new analysis from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), Massachusetts residential utility customers are increasingly falling behind on their utility payments and are at increased risk of having their utilities shut off– with record winter fuel prices on the…
WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Department of Education announced its final rules on the borrower defense to repayment, closed school, false certification, total and permanent disability, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness discharges, as well as arbitration and interest capitalization. The new rules will: Expand the eligibility criteria for discharges so that more borrowers are able…
In an op-ed appearing in The Hill on October 28, 2022, Berneta Haynes explains how new standards from the Department of Energy to phase our inefficient gas furnace models will help ensure homeowners and renters aren’t paying needlessly high bills.
Debt relief is the generic name for different ways you can manage your bills. This fact sheet covers different types of debt relief and what you should watch out for. Debt relief scammers often target people in financial distress, such as those affected by a natural disaster. So people looking for assistance after a hurricane,…
This article describes how bankruptcy can help consumers, and when it may be the wrong solution. It also describes the difference between chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcies, the best time to file for bankruptcy, and what a bankruptcy will cost. The article also corrects common misconceptions about bankruptcy.
Understanding how a credit report works and how it affects a family is critical in allowing families to make the right choices in dealing with debt and other obligations. This article sets out what families in financial difficulty should know about credit reporting and credit scores, including what they are, at what point non-payment affects a…
This article, the third in a series that deals with home mortgages, explains a homeowner’s general rights to defend or delay a pending home foreclosure, how a chapter 13 bankruptcy can avoid foreclosure, the homeowner’s rights after the foreclosure sale, and additional rights to deal with nine special types of foreclosures.
This article, the second in the series that deals with home mortgages, details options to lowering or delaying mortgage payments for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, and RHS mortgages.
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