Avoiding Wage Garnishment for Piling Medical Bills

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, millions of Americans have medical collections listed on their credit reports each year. This is because, unfortunately, many people find it difficult to pay their medical bills. To make matters worse, nonprofit hospitals attempt to garnish the wages of those who cannot pay – a drastic action that extends beyond simply reporting the owed bills to the credit bureaus and involves going to court.

This practice is widely used in a few states throughout the United States. Missouri is home to a hospital that has sued more patients than any other. However, that nonprofit hospital was also found to own a for-profit collection agency, which has filed thousands of lawsuits against patients of the hospital. Not surprisingly, many of those patients had low incomes, making wage garnishment devastating.

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10 Ways to Recover from Holiday Overspending

If you are like many people, you probably have a habit of overspending during the holidays. This is normal even when you have set a budget for your spending, especially when you spot that perfect gift for a certain person. On top of buying presents, there are many other things happening, like parties with those close to you who you may not have seen for some time or work-related events.

So many events can easily hit you in the wallet; but fortunately, there are some ways you can bounce back from this financial setback. Below are several tips for how to recover from holiday overspending.

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Inside the National Collegiate Student Loans Trust

Many former college students who default on their private student loans find themselves facing a lawsuit brought about by the National Collegiate Student Loans Trust; but who are they and what role do they play in the student loan process?

Student loans are something that roughly every college student has considered taking out or had to take out while in school. This is usually the last resort for some, as the funds in the form of grants, awards, and scholarships are just not enough. Meanwhile, a college education wouldn’t be possible without student loans for many other students. In 2012 alone, 66% of public school attendees and 74% of private school attendees had student loans. While the U. S. Department of Education handles all federal student loans, numerous entities are involved in issuing and collecting on private student loans.  

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