Student Loan Debt Is Getting Out of Hand

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110516/ts_yblog_thelookout/college-presidents-think-students-should-bear-cost-of-education   

An ethical attorney will sometimes turn away your business

Great article with good stories about turning away a client's business for the client's own good:

http://abovethelaw.com/2011/05/small-firms-big-lawyers-the-customer-is-always-right-not/

An unethical lawyer will whip you into a frenzy over your case and turn it into a huge fight.  Why not?  The longer it goes on, the more money he makes.  An ethical lawyer will try to keep you calm, and give you a realistic assessment of your chances of winning.  Also, an ethical lawyer will always encourage you to mediate and attempt to reach a settlement because going to trial is very expensive and very unpredictable.  

  

Republicans blocking appointment of head of Consumer Agency

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-05/republican-senators-to-block-consumer-nominee-absent-changes-1-.html

This is bad news.  As a bankruptcy lawyer, I see people every day who are dealing with the unethical and abusive practices of the credit card companies.  Republican leaders need to get a clue and stop attacking the Consumer Protection Agency that Congress created.  It is much needed.  

Home foreclosure mess continues

From the Wall Street Journal:

 

Hopes are fading for a far-reaching settlement between regulators and banks over improper home foreclosures as some regulators press ahead to reach their own settlements with banks that others involved in the talks deem weak.

The dispute pits federal regulators against state attorneys general, who are seeking stiff penalties and comprehensive changes in the way banks foreclose on homeowners and modify loans. Advocates of tougher sanctions accuse federal banking regulators, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve, with going easy on the banks.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703841904576257293887938706.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_realestate

NFL players getting raw deal from financial advisors

Check out these super high interest loans that the players are being sold:
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201104/tpg-exclusive-cash-strapped-nfl-players-seeking-high-risk-lockout-loans

And this is not the first problem that the NFL Players Association's
list of registered financial advisors has failed to solve:
http://buckheadmoney.com/blog/2010/11/03/nfl-players-at-risk-of-financial-roughing/

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2009/03/Issue-133/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/Judge-Dismisses-Claims-From-Former-Nflers-Over-Financial-Advisor.aspx

Protect Your Rights - Texas Courthouses May Soon Be Closed To You

http://wtlfirm.com/blog/post/2011/04/05/Protect-Your-Rights-Texas-Courthouses-May-Soon-Be-Closed-to-You-(Part-1).aspx
<http://wtlfirm.com/blog/post/2011/04/05/Protect-Your-Rights-Texas-Courthouses-May-Soon-Be-Closed-to-You-%28Part-1%29.aspx>

Confusion Over Credit Scores

For a key to your financial future, $7 to $20 doesn't seem like much to pay – which is why consumers regularly pony up for a peek at their credit scores. Now a new lawsuit suggests that what they're getting may not be worth it.

 

Consumers can now order their credit scores from more than 20 web sites, up from around five just a few years ago. But while consumers tend to think of one, uniform credit score, there are actually seven different scores for sale, each of which relies on its own magic mix of payment history, credit applications, debt and other factors

Read more: Which Credit Score is Best? - SmartMoney.com http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/debt/which-credit-score-is-best-1302212043057/#ixzz1Iwb8P4Oo

Some Banks Pursing Dubious, Aggressive Foreclosure Practices

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110404/bs_yblog_thelookout/the-foreclosure-mess-isnt-going-away   A secured lender has the right to take the collateral if the loan is not paid.  But questionable legal documents and SWAT team evictions should not be part of the picture.