Obama Care

On average across all comers, a benchmark "silver" plan will cost $373 a month in California, $328 in Florida and $305 in Texas.

For example, a family of four in Jackson, Miss., with an income of $50,000 would have to pay $1,200 a month for a "silver" plan if they didn't qualify for government help -- although they'd pay just $282 after the federal tax credit they almost certainly would qualify for. For the cheapest "bronze" plans, the average deductible was $5,000. The federal government will pay for part of the premiums. The government will help pay the premiums for anyone making up to about $46,000 for an individual and as much as $94,000 for a family of four.The law caps out-of-pocket payments to a maximum of $6,350 annually for an individual, or $12,700 for a family.

Doesn't sound like a good deal.

The penalty for not having insurance, which is $95 or 1 percent of household income, whichever is greater, rather than buying coverage.

Moderate-income Americans, who will be eligible for subsidized coverage but who must still pay between 6 percent to 9.5 percent of their income toward monthly premiums, are likely to have the hardest time affording the policies.

College- Free

http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/8-colleges-where-tuition-is-free

Cooper Union is not the only school that gave students a free tuition ride. Eight colleges, from the expensive, elite Curtis Institute of Music to the relatively inexpensive Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Ky., still do not charge any tuition at all, though some schools have a work requirement. They all have fewer than 2,000 students, and some are tiny, like Deep Springs College in Big Pine, Calif., a two-year college with only 26 students. Deep Springs also covers room and board, a scholarship valued at some $40,000 a year.

There are also the five U.S. military academies -- the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy—where tuition, room and board are all free. But graduates pay a price through their service obligation, which starts at a minimum of five years. Still, the military academies are arguably a great deal. A West Point spokesman says its four-year degree is equal to an “equivalent scholarship value” of $205,000. West Point’s service requirement includes five years of active duty and three years in the reserves.

The EEOC wants us to hire criminals

http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/264336/employee+rights+labour+relations/Using+Criminal+Background+Checks+In+Hiring+Process+Is+Risky+Business+For+Employers&email_access=on

Brian Holloway

http://helpmesave300.com

Where were these kids parent??? These brats need to do time. How dare the parents of these little darlings threaten to sue the victim- really is this what our society has come to.

Pay Day Loans for Military Families

• Annual percentage rate capped at 36 percent: Because most payday loans are for several hundred dollars and have finance charges of $15 or $20 for each $100 borrowed, a typical two-week term can equate to an annual percentage rate (APR) ranging from 391 percent to 521 percent. Payday lenders must cap the APR – which incorporates all fees and costs associated with the loan – at 36 percent when lending to servicemembers.

• No rolling over of loans: When consumers cannot pay back the loan at the time it is due, borrowers can often pay only the finance charges and renew the loan. This fee does not reduce the amount owed. If a payday loan is rolled over multiple times, it’s possible to pay several hundred dollars in fees and still owe the original amount borrowed. Payday lenders are banned from rolling over loans for servicemembers, unless the new transaction results in more favorable terms for the servicemember.

• No signing away of servicemember rights: The MLA prohibits lenders from making servicemembers waive their rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act or other state or federal laws that provide critical consumer protections. The MLA also prohibits lenders from requiring servicemembers to waive their right to seek resolution of any legal claims in court.

• No requiring allotments to repay: Under the military allotment system, military personnel can repay their loans by having payments directly deducted from their paycheck before their salary is deposited in their account. When servicemembers pay by allotment, they lose certain consumer protections as well as their flexibility to adjust their budget if a financial emergency comes up. The MLA bans lenders from requiring military members to pay by the allotment system and gives servicemembers control over how their income is spent.
• http://considerchapter13.org/2013/09/22/cfpb-lays-out-guidelines-for-protecting-servicemembers-in-the-payday-lending-market-cfpb-watching-for-military-lending-act-violations-in-its-exams-of-payday-lenders/?utm_source=Sept%2023%20email&utm_campaign=9%2F23%2F13&utm_medium=email

Credit Report Errors

A February study from the Federal Trade Commission says that 20% of Americans have errors on at least one of their three credit reports (from Experian, Transunion and Equifax ) and that 5% had mistakes that "could led to them paying more for products such as auto loans and insurance."

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/credit/debt/cfpb-lowers-boom-credit-report-furnishers?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO&utm_source=Sept+23+email&utm_campaign=9%2F23%2F13&utm_medium=email

Here’s a snapshot of relevant points from the FTC report:

• 25% of U.S. consumers found errors on their credit reports that could crimp their credit health.
• 20% of consumers had an error on their credit report that was corrected by the credit agency after the mistake was disputed.
• 80% of consumers who filed disputes had the mistake “modified” by the credit report agency.
• 5% of consumers had a maximum score change of more than 25 points, and only one in 250 consumers had a maximum score change of more than 100 points.

Credit reports are free through annualcreditreport.com, FTC officials note — and contact the credit bureau right away to fix a mistake. That’s especially important before buying a home, car or applying for a credit card or insurance policy.

CHASE TO PAY $309 MILLION REFUND FOR ILLEGAL CREDIT CARD PRACTICES

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ordered Chase Bank USA, N.A. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. to refund an estimated $309 million to more than 2.1 million customers for illegal credit card practices. This enforcement action is the result of work started by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which the CFPB joined last year. The agencies found that Chase engaged in unfair billing practices for certain credit card “add-on products” by charging consumers for credit monitoring services that they did not receive.

http://considerchapter13.org/2013/09/22/cfpb-orders-chase-and-jpmorgan-chase-to-pay-309-million-refund-for-illegal-credit-card-practices-approx-2-1-million-consumers-receive-full-refund/?utm_source=Sept%2023%20email&utm_campaign=9%2F23%2F13&utm_medium=email

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Washington, D.C. – Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched an online tool to provide consumers with easy access to public mortgage information collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The tool enables greater transparency by helping inform people of trends in their local mortgage markets.
“Just as the real estate motto ‘location, location, location’ was true before the recent financial crisis, it was true for the crisis. Every community was affected differently,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Our tool puts valuable information into the hands of the public in an accessible way, so they can understand what is happening in their local mortgage markets. A more transparent mortgage market will lead to a better marketplace and better outcomes for consumers.”

The CFPB’s online HMDA tool is available at: www.consumerfinance.gov/hmda