A mini movement is afoot. It’s one step beyond the ban-the-box edict and known as “open hiring.” That means that people with “nontraditional” work histories can get hired, no questions asked, no employment application, no background check, just put your name on the list and wait for the call. Those include ex-convicts, the homeless, drug […]

In Texas, if a landlord rents to a convicted felon, he or she can be sued for negligence. No, so far it hasn’t happened, but certainly could. Granted the felony has to be one of the Sinister Seven: murder, kidnapping, trafficking in people, sex abuse, sex abuse of a child, promotion of prostitution, or aggravated […]

A Nationwide Insurance study found that 31 is the average age people begin saving for retirement. But will they ever be able to retire? Are most people in a position, or will they ever be in a position, to amass enough savings to retire? Saving for retirement is not even an option for many people. […]

“Wage growth has hit a wall,” economist Joseph Song, wrote in a report for Bank of America. Analysts had expected 4 percent growth but were taken aback at 3 percent and sometimes lower depending on an employee’s position. Overall, raises ended up just over 3 percent in August 2018, down from 3.4 percent in February […]

They don’t mean to, but things just happen to them. They aren’t conniving and deceitful, just unconscious. These are people who go through their lives making one bad decision after another, who have a black cloud that follows them around raining (or worse) on everything they try to do, and who wonder why they “never […]

They were 18 years old, got a free t-shirt, $5,000 in debt, and a 600 FICO score. Before the Credit CARD Act’s implementation in 2010 made them stop, credit card companies set up tables on college campuses and handed out credit cards along with free t-shirts and coupons for free food to college students. It […]

Cash is king, at least for $19.99. If $25 or less will bill buy it, chances are that’s what you’ll use, at least if you’re under 25 or over 45. A Federal Reserve study, “2018 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice,” examined how people use cash and found that cash beats cards hands […]

Own rental property? Homelessness is all your fault. Shortage of available rentals is all your fault. Higher rents are all your fault. Of course it isn’t, but you are getting the blame. State legislatures are on the warpath to make housing better for renters but are punishing rental owners and damaging the rental property business. […]

If you are a landlord in New York State, you need to become aware of recent changes to the state’s landlord-tenant laws that went into effect on June 14, 2019. Background and Credit Checks The new laws place limits on what you may do when screening tenants. Some of the changes affect the fees that […]

By Robert L. Cain By the time the Tucson police pulled her over, Randi Marie Hartjen had severely damaged the credit of six Phoenix-area women using stolen identities to rent or purchase six vehicles. How she did it shows how easy it is for someone to take over the credit of another person. Since the […]