Category Archives: Consumer Education

Target shoppers, don’t panic!

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”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…

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!

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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