Author: Briane Pagel
A common complaint among consumers is that when they fall behind on their payments, their phone rings off the hook with creditors calling all the time to discuss the bill or demand payments. Many creditors have a system in place that requires their employees to call multiple times in a day, even if the debtor […]
If you own a credit card, you have probably given up your right to a trial in the event of any dispute with the credit card company. You probably didn’t know that when you signed up for the card because the information was buried in the fine print. You most certainly did not know that the “arbitration” […]
During emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak, it is not unusual for unscrupulous businesses, profiteers and scam artists to prey on consumers. Governor Evers has declared a State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Wisconsin and that means Wisconsin’s Anti Price Gouging Law is in effect. The law prohibits sellers from selling consumer goods […]
Today, the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, the state agency that, in part, has a role regulating certain businesses in this state, released an important press release on the growing problem of collections fraud, specifically collectors or persons acting as collectors making phone calls to attempt to collect a debt that may never have existed, […]
Many people try to pursue a Lemon Law claim on their own without hiring an attorney. After all, the Lemon Law is supposed to be a self-enforcing consumer statute, providing lemon owners with a full refund or a comparable new vehicle. What can possibly go wrong? The answer is, unfortunately, plenty. Despite lawmakers’ intent in […]
In the past few years, there has been a rise in “work from home” businesses which claim to let a person choose their own hours and make thousands of dollars in their spare time or while watching their children. Often, these companies require the “worker” to pay up front to purchase equipment and training, and […]
1300 Wisconsin consumers who entered into loan contracts with Arrowhead Investments, Inc. from December 21, 2001 through December 21, 2007 stand to receive relief in the form of loan forgiveness in a settlement agreement approved in Dane County Circuit Court on Wednesday, July 29, 2009. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Arrowhead Investments, Inc. has also agreed […]
Car owners in Wisconsin have rights even after they have defaulted on their car loans. Lenders who repossess your car in violation of those rights may have to give the car back and may face even greater penalties, including (under some circumstances) having to repay you all the money you’ve ever paid them. But those […]
Attorney Briane Pagel blogs about how you can reduce and protect yourself from student loan debt. Student loan problems often seem insurmountable, but in reality borrowers have numerous options for reducing or eliminating loan payments, curing defaults and avoiding garnishments, all without having to resort to bankruptcy. Eliminate student loans. Under some circumstances, it is […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently issued new regulations intended to help clarify and modernize the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. These new rules are intended to help consumers by making it easier for them to assert their rights against debt collectors. Through the next few blog posts, these rules will be described and […]