Here at DRF, we regularly get calls from people that are struggling with student loan debt. Many of them have not had the chance to learn about several very powerful strategies that can be used to manage and pay off their student debt. Because of this, we have decided to start a short blog series about these management strategies, who…
When you live and spend without following a budget, it can be easy to lose track of how much you are spending and what you are spending it on. Creating and following a budget can make it much easier to prioritize the things that money needs to be used for urgently, and to make sure you aren’t spending more…
Instead of paying legal fees, people can come to the MDRF for legal advice and free legal representation through bankruptcy proceedings as well as other debt matters. By providing these two aspects of financial and legal help, we are able to help people across the board.
However, again, we are not able to provide any of these much-needed services to the community without donations. A $200 donation pays for us to walk a client through creating a budget, a $350 donation pays for a comprehensive one-hour legal consultation, $400 covers assisting a client with obtaining the optimal student loan repayment option, and so on up to a $1,500 donation covering an entire legal representation for a client in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.
Introduction Dara Sandau, Esq., Managing Attorney Sandau Legal P.C. Massachusetts Debt Relief Foundation- Board Member I recently joined the Massachusetts Debt Relief Foundation as a Board Member due to a shared passion for the mission of, “Helping People Overcome Debt with Dignity.” There is nothing more rewarding than making a difference in someone’s life through information and education. Together, these…
Debt can be both confusing and scary, and while there are many people and organizations that will do their best to help, there are also some that see vulnerable people as a chance to make money. For someone struggling with the daily stress of living with debt, a TV ad that promises to solve your debt problem quickly for a fraction of what you owe may seem like a no-brainer. However, frequently the companies that provide these services overpromise and even lie about what they will be able to achieve.
Scammers, people trying to cheat money away from you, may pretend to be a debt collection agency that owns your debt to in order to convince you to send them money. Learn a couple of useful tips about how to identify them, and what to do if a scammer calls you.
Another tactic debt collection companies use, is promising relief from debt collection phone calls if a payment is made. So someone may agree to make a minimal payment to stop the calls, only to then get a notice of a lawsuit for the entire debt now that the creditor can once again sue. If you think you may have zombie debt, educate yourself. Consumers have protections in place under the law, but without understanding of these laws debt collectors can manipulate them into giving up these protections. If you find yourself in a situation which you may fear will lead to zombie debt, know your rights as a consumer. Make sure you have all of your debts in writing. If the debt is not yours, write to the collection agency to stop contacting you (Siddons, 2018). Know the statute of limitations for your residing state. In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations is six years for any debt.
“My name is Richard Ravosa and I have been helping people get out of debt for almost 22 years! I was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and have an office right in my hometown as well as several other offices across Massachusetts so we can help the greatest number of people possible. While we always explore alternatives to filing bankruptcy,…
With the Fourth of July coming up it is time to take a look back at what our Founding Fathers thought of bankruptcy and just how much bankruptcy has changed since then. The national holiday celebrates the passage of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson himself had seen financial struggles first hand. A Virginia planter, it…
Join us on August 3rd at Grill on the Hill, located in Worcester, from 6PM to 9PM. The night will consist of an assortment of games, a variety of food, and a DJ! All proceeds from the night will go directly to support our organization so that we can continue our efforts to help families across Massachusetts recover from debt…