What should I do if a debt collection company has filed a lawsuit against me? If you find yourself facing a lawsuit over a debt, one good solution is to seek the assistance of a debt defense attorney. Oftentimes, you don't feel you owe them money, and the debt collection company is not a company...

A leading servicer of federal student loans, Navient, recently announced it will transfer its current student loan portfolio and withdraw from the U.S. Department of Education's federal student loan servicing system. Navient plans to transfer the accounts to a company called Maximus.  This c...

Every year, several hundred thousand people across the United States are sued by companies (debt buyers) they have never done business with and may never have heard of. These firms are called debt buyers or junk debt buyers and although they have never loaned anyone a penny, millions of Amer...

Identity theft is on the rise. After several years of major data breaches, it's almost guaranteed that your private identifying and financial information – for example, account number, date of birth, or social security number – have been involved in a data breach and are in the hands of “bad gu...

The Consumer Financial Protections Bureau issued regulations regarding the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and here is what you, the consumer, need to know about it: Beginning November 30th, 2021, if you receive an email or text message regarding a debt, DO NOT assume it is spam o...

The credit score you find online probably isn't the same number the auto lender sees when you apply to finance a new vehicle. It isn't the same as the score a mortgage lender or credit card issuer might see either. In fact, a credit score check in each of these situations might come back with s...

How to deal with debt collectors. Play the video More Information Can You Inherit Debt? Fight or Flight? Lawsuit Intimidation Latest IRS Scams: How to Spot Them and Fight Back

Just because a consumer owes a debt doesn't mean the collection agency can communicate any way they choose. That's where we come in with collection agency defense. According to the Federal Trade Commission, debt collection is one of the most complained about industries, but even still, many cons...

Learn which types of debt can become your responsibility Losing a loved one is never easy. There's much for the surviving spouse, partner, and other relatives to sort through, including any unpaid debts. Debts don't go away when a person dies, but that doesn't mean the family is responsible for ...

Canceling student loan debt is a popular subject in today's climate, but it's been a popular topic for more than 20 years and 45 million people still owe $1.7 trillion. That could change if Biden and Congress reach some sort of compromise on how much to cancel and qualifying requirements. In th...

Scammers have found new ways to steal from you during the pandemic. Here's what you can do. The coronavirus pandemic has slowed some types of identity fraud, but other forms have cropped up. “Scammers continue to find new ways to connect with victims and steal their personal information,” say...

When somed debt collection agencies buy junk debt they aim to create lawsuit intimidation among consumers Have you ever been sued by a debt collection company and you have no idea who they are? You're not alone. Many people who have defaulted on credit card debt or have fallen behind in studen...

Here's what you can do with the extra money People with federal student loan debt have about six more months of freedom from repayment and seeing interest accrue on their outstanding balances. In the meantime, they can put the money they would be paying towards those loans to work. The U.S. Dep...

Many debt collectors expect you to share your private, personal details but won't tell you anything in return.  At Peterson Legal, our defense practice focuses almost entirely on representing people sued for failing to pay unsecured debt, like credit cards, student loans, and medical bills. If a...

Here's a list of recent IRS scams, 10 ways to spot impersonators and scammers, and how you can report them IRS scams involve criminals impersonating IRS agents, other government employees or debt collectors over the phone, online or via the mail in an effort to trick you into sending them money ...

The FDCPA protects consumers from abusive debt collection practices, such as foul language and misleading communication. If you feel helpless because debt collectors are calling for payment, you have more power than you realize. You just need to be aware of your rights and how to use them. The F...

Biden administration forgives more student loan debt—here's who is eligible Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would discharge $5.8 billion in student loans held by more than 300,000 disabled Americans. That's the third round of student debt forgiveness announced since t...

Some debt collection scammers try to defraud Minnesotans out of money they do not even owe, making a difficult financial situation even worse. Many of the phony debt collection scams that are currently operating pretend to be collecting money in connection with a short-term, “payday” loan that t...

Take action now to prevent yourself from becoming an identity thief's next victim. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 3.2 million reports of identity theft, according to a report from the Consumer Sentinel Network. Consumers reported credit card identity theft fraud m...

Have you ever gotten a call about a debt you don't recognize? Or have you had a collector harass, threaten, or lie to you? If you owe a debt — or if you don't owe the debt a collector is asking about — you have rights when it comes to debt collectors. Here's what you need to know. How to Spot Fa...