The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency, requires most employers to provide a notice of "Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act" before conducting background checks. Model forms and disclosures in English and Spanish are available on the CFPB website under the “Compliance” section. Information in background checks is often used to determine a person’s eligibility for Read More
Do I Need a Lawyer?
Almost everything we do—from making a big purchase of a vehicle or home to operating a vehicle and interacting with others personally and professionally—can implicate a legal concern. When do you need a lawyer? When might you handle a legal concern without one? Some challenges may be assisted, at least in part, with the help of another professional, accountant, counselor, or perhaps clergy. Here are some frequent Read More
Your Medical Records: Do you have access and ownership?
Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash “Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need for education in our society.” Kent Conrad Do you own your medical records? Henrietta Lacks unknowingly donated her medical information when as a young mother of five, she died from cervical cancer. Her cells, identified as "HeLa cells" (taken from her first and last name), were used in Read More
The Rooftop Solar Market: Considerations Before You Invest
Photo by Angie Warren on Unsplash “We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature’s inexhaustible source of energy – Sun, wind, and tide… I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” -Thomas Edison Due to increasing energy costs and a growing solar Read More
How to Improve a Business: Whether it is your own business or another business you support.
We put together some tips on how to improve a business and workspace: Organize. Getting organized is a key to improving your business or employment skills. Many software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools exist to increase organization. Online programs such as Slack, Asana, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, are types of platforms that assist businesses and employees to collaborate more efficiently. Keeping your office and desk Read More
A Few Pointers about Odometer Fraud.
Things gained through unjust fraud are never secure. - Sophocles Vehicle Title History. When considering purchasing a vehicle obtain an inexpensive summary of the vehicle’s title history from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, Carfax, and/or AutoCheck; it may show odometer discrepancies. However, don’t rely solely on title history summaries, for they do not always identify a vehicle’s problems. Read More
Common Tactics of Scammers & How To Avoid Them
"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud. - Sophocles 1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know. Scammers often claim they are contacting you on behalf of the government. They may say they are from the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare. Some fraudsters will pretend to be from a business you know, such as a Microsoft or Norton Antivirus. They often change the phone Read More
What the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act is and How it Can Help You as a Business owner and Consumer.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela The Arizona Consumer Fraud Act (the Act) provides a person (which could be a person or business as defined under the Act) with a legal remedy when harmed by any person, by an unlawful act, use, or practice in connection with a sale or advertisement of merchandise. The Act prohibits unfair and deceptive business Read More
Financial Literacy: What it means and why it matters.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin Financial Literacy has been defined as the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being. We can use financial knowledge to make better decisions. From everyday spending to long-term planning, intentional money management could mean leveraging money or access to it to Read More
A few things you should know when financing a vehicle purchase.
If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some – Benjamin Franklin Generally, for many, lenders will preapprove a loan and quote an interest rate, loan term, and maximum loan amount. The factors that are considered for approval are credit score(s), the terms of the transaction, and the type of vehicle. Once approved, a conditional commitment letter is provided. The Consumer Financial Protection Read More
