Having a good credit rating requires discipline and diligence. The rewards of a high FICO score mean lower interest rates when applying for a credit card or purchasing a vehicle. However, a recent Consumer Reports investigation revealed that consumers looking to...
Dynamic Guidance And Advocacy Throughout Northern Virginia
Consumer Protection
The problem with tenant screening reports
Most residential landlords rely on tenant screening reports to decide if lease applicants are good candidates. A property owner can see in a report if a prospective tenant has had steady employment and a history of paying bills on time. The report could also reveal...
How Lemon Laws can protect consumers
In 1975, the federal government enacted the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, also known as the Lemon Law, in response to vehicle companies engaged in deceptive warranty tactics. The act gave consumers rights for replacements or refunds for a defective product. While best...
What to know about car repossessions
One of the consequences of a worldwide pandemic is the economic challenges people faced and its impact on their credit scores. With or without a potentially deadly virus spreading from person to person, the consequences of non-payment, specifically for an automobile,...
The risk of buying a used vehicle “AS IS” from a Virginia car dealership
Are you in the market for a used car in Virginia? Your inclination may be to rush through the transaction because you think you know what you want, or you may not want to prolong the shopping experience during COVID-19. However, it is smart to take time to review,...
Contractor problems? Legal remedies for Virginia construction fraud
It’s the stuff of which nightmares are made. You make a significant down payment to a building contractor for a new home, business or other structure, for an addition or internal remodeling, or for related work such as a patio, sidewalk or driveway. Halfway through...
Abusive tactics to collect debt are illegal. Virginians have options.
If a creditor or debt collector uses coercion, harassment, profanity or threats to try to get someone to pay a debt, the alleged debtor has rights under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Since Congress passed this law, debt collection is no...
If someone has stolen your identity, what can you do about it?
When you suspect someone has stolen your personal identifying information like your Social Security number (SSN), driver’s license number, date of birth and other similar data, you may feel angry, fearful or distraught. In our last post, we described ways to identify...
Virginians should be on high alert for signs of identity theft
In this fast-paced, digital world it gets easier and easier for people with bad motives to steal your personal identifying information and use it for their own, illegal activities to your financial detriment. Identity theft is no joke – your life can feel ruined when...
Runaway medical bills haunt many Virginians
It is common knowledge that many people face insurmountable hospital and medical bills. Even with the Affordable Care Act and expanded Medicaid, health insurance policies often include high deductibles and restrictive networks. Some families still cannot afford...