by Ellen Mason, Hotline Attorney Sarah is a spry and sassy 93-year-old – or “middle age” as she says. She’s totally “with it” but doesn’t want to handle her checking account and bills anymore. She wants someone to do it for her. Sarah wants a “durable power of attorney for finances.” One of the first things Sarah needs to do is figure out who’s going to … Continue reading Here’s My Money: Handle With Care
by Karen Flores, Hotline Attorney Recently, the IRS has announced that it has initiated a new private debt collection program. The IRS has hired four private debt collection agencies to collect some longtime unpaid federal tax debts. Collection action will begin spring 2017. The four collection agencies are: CBE Group of Cedar Falls, Iowa Conserve of Fairport, New York Performant of Livermore, California Pioneer of Horseheads, … Continue reading Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Use of Private Collection Agencies
by Lyndsy Gamet, MiCAFE Stakeholder and Network Partners Manager Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that it owes some Bridge Card recipients additional benefits that date back to 2014. They refer to the amount as a “lost benefit.” This was an error related to the Heat and Utility Standard Allowance changes. This Allowance was removed for many recipients, and for some it was … Continue reading Bridge Card “Lost Benefit” Information
by Ellen Mason, Hotline Attorney If bill collectors are bugging you remember: you do not have to talk to them. Federal law lets you demand that a bill collector stop calling you. So the next time a bill collector calls and you don’t want to talk to him or her say “Stop calling me!” The bill collector must not call you again except (1) to … Continue reading Stop calling me!
by James Michael Curcio, Hotline Intern Many older Americans count themselves among the 45% of taxpayers who do not pay federal income tax, either because their income is too low or because their income is not taxable. While not owing federal taxes does not necessarily mean you do not owe state taxes, it is likely that if you are not filing a federal return, you … Continue reading Don’t Have to File a Michigan Income Tax Return? Maybe You Should Anyway
by Jadranko Tomic-Bobas, Managing Hotline Attorney Over the last decade, outstanding student loan debt has nearly tripled with the current total is $1.3 trillion. Households with a net worth of less than $8500 hold more than 60%. More than 3 million Americans ages 50-64 are in default on their student loans. According to data compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, “Americans 50 and older … Continue reading I am 65 and stuck with student loan debt. What do I do?
by Miles Morley, MiCAFE Community Partner Liaison The Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN) has released their 2015 Data Book. CSN is a database of consumer identity theft and fraud complaints. The complaints are gathered from federal agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Internal Revenue Service, state law enforcement organizations, such as the Michigan Office of the Attorney General, and non-governmental … Continue reading Data Shows Fraud Complaints on the Rise in Michigan
by Christine Steinmetz, J.D., Hotline Attorney This post is the second in our series on caregivers. In our previous post, we provided questions to help you determine whether you are a caregiver. In this post, we will discuss the steps to take when becoming a caregiver and the resources that are available to help make caregiving manageable. The Legal Hotline receives several calls each week … Continue reading Steps To Take When Becoming A Caregiver
by Sandra Wisnewski, J.D., Director of the Mid-America Pension Rights Project The Mid-America Pension Rights Project (MAPRP) assists clients with pension and 401(k) issues. There are no age or income restrictions and there is never a charge for our services. MAPRP works to find answers and solutions to your pension-related problems. Just ask Mr. D. Mr. D worked for a company that had long been out of business … Continue reading A Working-Class Program that Works to Solve Your Pension Problems
by David Jones, J.D., Hotline Attorney It is all too common for sellers of used motor vehicles to simply sign the title over to the buyer, and assume the buyer will register it with the Secretary of State. However, if the buyer does not register the title, the seller can face some real legal problems because the seller is still the owner of title. I … Continue reading An Unknowing Trap for Sellers of Motor Vehicles
