Medical bills are a very common cause of financial problems in the US. An unexpected medical emergency or chronic illness could cost you more than you can afford to pay. Your bills could be even more costly if you made mistakes before, during or after receiving medical care. Try to avoid the following mistakes to reduce your chances of being sent unaffordable medical bills. Using out-of-network services. You should stick to health care providers and services that are covered by your insurance policy. Out-of-network charges can be prohibitively expensive. We understand this is not always possible (such as during emergencies), but you could research your options beforehand in some cases. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to call the clinic or hospital beforehand to verify they are in your network. Failing to request an itemized bill. You should request an itemized bill if it was much larger than…
Read More »
The most recent statistics on higher education debt show that more than 44 million Americans carry $1.4 trillion in student loans. You read that correctly. This figure implies that Americans owe more in student loans than credit card debt. While a majority of borrowers have federal student loans, there are some who have private higher education debt. Federal loans are funded and issued by the federal government. Private loans are issued by banks or other private sources. However, there are many other differences between the two types of loans. Private loans can have variable interest rates. Interest rates for private student loans can increase. As your interest rates increase, so do your monthly payments. Depending on your credit history, you may be offered lower initial rates by a private lender for accepting this risk. Income-driven plans are not available for private loans. We have blogged extensively about income-driven repayment plans…
Read More »
The information on your credit reports is compiled by the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) to help lenders discover whether you are a credit risk. Your credit reports could show previous and existing loans, late payments, wage garnishments and credit inquiries. These are only a few examples of what might be contained within the reports. If your credit reports show a history of defaulting on loans, late payments or judgments, then it will be much more difficult to access credit. Our entire society runs on credit, so it is important to know what information is contained within your credit reports. Once you have this information, you can contest errors or develop strategies to repair your finances. Fortunately, are owed a free credit report each year from the three credit bureaus. How Does AnnualCreditReport.Com Work? The three credit bureaus operate AnnualCreditReport.com, the only website where you are guaranteed free…
Read More »
*Credit card payments will not be accepted for bankruptcy cases, unless pre-approved by The Sader Law Firm. If you have a question about a credit card payment, please call our Office Manager at (816) 561 1818.
© 2010–2024 The Sader Law Firm
Book an
Email
Directions
