Category Archives: Consumer Education

Target shoppers, don’t panic!

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Deborah Roher

So, maybe you are among the 40,000,000 Target shoppers whose credit and debit card accounts have been compromised by a security breach that took place over the three weeks after Thanksgiving.  In response, consumers are being warned to do everything … Continue reading →

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A new year resolution: question “doc fees”

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Deborah Roher

The end of the year …  time to review, cull, and shred old case files.  A veritable trip down memory lane, reminding me of all the clients I helped and those I was unable to help. Some of those old … Continue reading →

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The APR: apples to apples

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Deborah Roher

Now let’s discuss what was innovative about the APR back when it became a mandated disclosure, and why it’s so important in allowing you to shop for the best credit deal. Before you ever heard of the APR, you knew … Continue reading →

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The Annual Percentage Rate: the real cost of credit

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Deborah Roher

The other conspicuous disclosure on every Truth-in-Lending disclosure form is the Annual Percentage Rate, or APR.  Expressed as a percentage (%), the APR is defined as “the cost of your credit as a yearly rate.” Behind this seemingly simple definition … Continue reading →

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The Finance Charge: your “price tag” for credit

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Deborah Roher

On every TILA form two disclosures are especially conspicuous, printed in larger and bolder type than the others:  the Finance Charge and the Annual Percentage Rate (APR).  The Finance Charge, expressed in dollars and cents,  is defined as “the sum … Continue reading →

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The Truth-in-Lending Act is your friend

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Deborah Roher

Credit is the right to put off paying for something you get now.  Credit almost always costs money.  When you buy a car or a living room set in installment payments, you pay more than if you bought it for … Continue reading →

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Down payments: the good, the bad and the ugly

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Deborah Roher

In discussing the predicament of my prospective client “Irene,” I opined that she made a mistake by giving the dealer a large down payment when she first agreed to buy her car.  But last week, discussing the high cost of … Continue reading →

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Of payment schedules and gap insurance

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Deborah Roher

To recap, we’ve been talking about my friend “Irene,” who bought a car she couldn’t afford, and then the dealer talked her into a second deal …. to pay even more money for a less valuable used car! When I … Continue reading →

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With the benefit of hindsight…

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Deborah Roher

To recap from last week:  first Irene got into a car deal that was too expensive.  When she went back to the dealership and asked them to help her get out of it, she wound up agreeing to pay three … Continue reading →

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It’s a jungle out there!

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Deborah Roher

I hate it when a client comes in with a problem I can’t solve. Just the other day I met a women I’ll call Irene, who was desperate for me to find a way to relieve her from an agreement … Continue reading →

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