Study shows credit card debt in south Florida / West Palm Beach area among highest % in the country

A recent study conducted by consumer watchdog website CreditCards.com reported that residents of south Florida, from Miami north through West Palm Beach carry the 4th largest credit card debt burden in the country. On average each south Floridian carries an average of $4,325 in credit card debt according to the study. Furthermore, it would take the average person over a year to pay off that debt if they started paying it off now and stopped using their credit cards until they were fully paid off.

That average credit card debt burden of $4,325 equals over 15.7% of the median individual income in our area, which is $27,453 according to published statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice. Median household income is $47,463 according to the latest Census survey in 2014. What do all of these facts and figures mean to you as a resident here in West Palm Beach?

In an article published by Kenny Malone on the WLRN website regarding the study, he quoted CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Shulz who said “It certainly seems that Miami residents are putting a little bit more than they can afford on their cards. You know, as evidenced by the fact that we see that it would take the average person in Miami about 14 months and about $350 in interest to pay off their credit card debt… That’s a long time and a lot of money.”

To read this entire article please go to: http://wlrn.org/post/study-south-florida-fourth-worst-credit-card-debt-burden-country

The South Florida Business Journal also highlighted a study from the credit agency Equifax that although south Florida has seen a significant dip overall in consumer debt over the last year, that in fact “In the auto, bank credit card, and retail card category, South Floridians incurred 11 percent more debt in the 12 months leading up to March 31 (2015).” http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2015/05/05/south-florida-has-greatest-dip-in-consumer-debt.html

If you are in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere else in the state of Florida and in need of a law firm knowledgeable about credit card debt issues, then contact us at Korte & Wortman, P.A. Korte & Wortman is a law firm specializing in credit card debt defense and defending our clients in all aspects of consumer debt issues including bankruptcy, mortgage debt, foreclosure, Deed in Lieu and short sales. We have had excellent results working with a number of clients to save them tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars on their credit card debt, mortgage modifications, Dodd-Frank Act cases and other consumer loan issues. Check out a few of our many success stories on our website at http://foreclosurefactor.com/practice-areas/credit-cards/

Our home office is based in West Palm Beach, at 2041 Vista Parkway, Suite 102. You can call us at (561) 544-7071, stop in to our office, email us at vdinapoli@kwlawfirm.com or come to our website. Our firm represents clients throughout the state of Florida and across the eastern seaboard. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers database of consumer complaints to the public for first time

As part of our Federal Government’s effort to step up protection of you, the consumer, in the wake of the financial crisis we endured in 2008 and 2009, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. The CFPB’s website was opened in July of 2011. For the first time in June of this year the website, www.consumerfinance.gov made consumer complaints public:

According to Assistant Director Scott Pluta in a blog he released on June 25^th, “Today, for the first time, we are making consumers’ complaint narratives – the heart and soul of the complaints we receive – public. These narratives are important because they tell the story of what happened in the consumers’ own words. Making these consumer narratives public, amplifies the voice of the consumer.”

The release of these individual complaint submissions has been made public through a new forum called the “Consumer Complaint Database”. For the last 3 years the website had been sharing data compiled from consumer complaints to the public, but not the individual complaints themselves. The CFPB Assistant Director stated that the agency had been working on publishing the individual narratives for several years as the majority of the 627,000 consumers submitting complaints (approximately 59%) had said they wanted their experiences to be shared with the public.

Assistant Director Pluta stated, “After four and a half years of hard work, I am proud that the Consumer Complaint Database is now a reality. It reflects the commitment of our amazing team of dedicated public servants to empower consumers to make better decisions for themselves and their families. And now that it’s in your hands, it will help the financial marketplace run more fairly for all Americans.”

Visit the Consumer Complaint Database to read about consumers’ experiences, and if you’re facing a problem with a financial service or product you can submit a complaint and add your voice to the database: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaintdatabase/

The Frank-Dodd Act in 2010 was enacted to help protect the rights of consumers. One part of Frank-Dodd created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2011. This agency is offering help to millions of consumers who need a voice for protection against predatory lenders and lending practices.  The foreclosure and bankruptcy defense attorneys at Korte & Wortman, P.A. in West Palm Beach have the knowledge and information to help you to utilize the Dodd-Frank Act if you feel that you have been exploited by a predatory lender.

If you are in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Clearwater or anywhere else in the state of Florida and in need of a law firm knowledgeable about the Dodd-Frank Act, then contact us at Korte & Wortman, P.A. Korte & Wortman, P.A. is a law firm specializing in all aspects of real estate law, includingth Dodd-Frank Act. In addition to using this blog as a helpful resource, please contact us directly if you have any questions or current legal issues in any type of real estate transaction. Our home office is based in West Palm Beach, at 2041 Vista Parkway, Suite 102. You can call us at (561) 544-7071, stop in to our office, email us at vdinapoli@kwlawfirm.com or come to our website at http://www.foreclosurefactor.com. Our firm represents clients throughout the state of Florida and across the eastern seaboard. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.

We look forward to helping you get the legal advice that you need in all real estate, foreclosure, bankruptcy and credit card situations.

Dodd-Frank Act: how it came into being, and how it can help you as a home owner in mortgage trouble

The crisis that almost felled our country’s banking system in late 2008 was the culmination of years of poor financial policies at many levels, both from business and government. Although much of the blame does fall on the banks and other institutions in the financial industry, the federal government itself also accepts blame for the severity of the recession that followed.

“Our broken financial regulatory system was a principal cause of that crisis. It was fragmented, antiquated, and allowed large parts of the financial system to operate with little or no oversight. And it allowed some irresponsible lenders to use hidden fees and fine print to take advantage of consumers,” according to White House’s own article on the subject called Wall Street Reform: The Dodd-Frank Act.

While running for President Barack Obama pledged that if he won the job one of the first pieces of legislation that he would fight for would be a modernization of the laws governing the country’s financial system and Wall Street. The financial reform legislation that came out of that promise was the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed into law in 2013.

The White House article goes on to say that “as the most far reaching Wall Street reform in history, Dodd-Frank will prevent the excessive risk-taking that led to the financial crisis. The law also provides common-sense protections for American families, creating new consumer watchdog to prevent mortgage companies and pay-day lenders from exploiting consumers. These new rules will build a safer, more stable financial system—one that provides a robust foundation for lasting economic growth and job creation.”

To read more on this article, please go to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/middle-class/dodd-frank-wall-street-reform

One of the most important pieces of that legislation is the “consumer watchdog” that was created to prevent mortgage companies and other lenders from taking advantage of consumers. Over the next few blog posts we will offer more information on how the Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Defense Attorneys at Korte & Wortman, P.A. in West Palm Beach have the knowledge and information to help you to utilize the Dodd-Frank Act if you feel that you have been exploited by a predatory lender.

If you are in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Clearwater or anywhere else in the state of Florida and in need of a law firm knowledgeable about the Dodd-Frank Act, then contact us at Korte & Wortman, P.A. Korte & Wortman, P.A. is a law firm specializing in all aspects of real estate law, includingth Dodd-Frank Act. In addition to using this blog as a helpful resource, please contact us directly if you have any questions or current legal issues in any type of real estate transaction. Our home office is based in West Palm Beach, at 2041 Vista Parkway, Suite 102. You can call us at (561) 544-7071, stop in to our office, email us at vdinapoli@kwlawfirm.com or come to our website at http://www.foreclosurefactor.com. Our firm represents clients throughout the state of Florida and across the eastern seaboard. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.

We look forward to helping you get the legal advice that you need in all real estate, foreclosure, bankruptcy and credit card situations.