All over the country, people over 50 are having trouble finding work; and in many cases, they struggle more than their younger counterparts. According to a recent survey, 43% of workers over 50 believe employers are concerned about their age. They face constant layoffs, high competition, and a fear they’ll be seen as less valuable than someone younger. Unfortunately, I see this happening in Memphis a lot. And while older job seekers struggle to find work, they’re also the last group that should be suffering with financial problems and debt. These are the people supporting adult kids and grandchildren. Their savings accounts and retirement funds need to be protected, not dipped into because of age discrimination or a lack of
Can you get arrested for road rage? You can if you pull a gun on the other driver – and you most definitely will if that other driver happens to be an FBI agent. So goes the story of Eugene Bernardini, who in November bumped another car on Hacks Cross Road and then proceeded to pull a gun on the vehicle’s driver – FBI Special Agent Thomas Barlow. According to The Commercial Appeal, Barlow disarmed the enraged driver and ejected the magazine after the gun wouldn’t fire. Bernardini then approached Barlow with a knife, so Barlow dropped the empty gun. Bernardini took the gun and fled. He was arrested later that night. Earlier this month, the driver was convicted and
Are you receiving public assistance but still having trouble making ends meet? You’re not alone – not in the slightest. In fact, nearly half of all children in Shelby County live in households receiving federal assistance of some kind from one of the three most common federal aid programs: Food stamps (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Supplemental Security Income program Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the cash-aid program commonly known as welfare(Source: The Commercial Appeal) This estimate shows a sharp increase in the last few years of federal assistance for Memphis and Shelby County residents. According to the CA, census figures show that “the number of kids in households receiving assistance rose from an estimated 80,026
You hear many people say that money can’t buy happiness, and there’s truth to that. However, a lack of money can bring unhappiness. Debt and stress go hand in hand. For a lot of people, the deeper the debt they’re in, the more stressed they are. We’ve touched on this in a blog post recently, but it’s worth mentioning again – avoiding high stress is one important reason to stay out of debt. Why? Debt can be a hindrance to the lifestyle you want to live. Your debt takes over and you have to adjust to it. Instead of worrying about how you’re going to spend your night or weekend, you’re worrying about how you’re going to pay the bills. With
If you’re in debt and have bills you can’t pay, there is one option that will almost certainly ruin your credit. This one thing is very easy to do but also very dangerous. You might even be doing it right now! What is this one surefire thing you can do to destroy your credit? Nothing. That’s right, it’s doing nothing. If you’re overwhelmed with debt, doing nothing will only make things worse. The creditors will keep calling and might even take from your wages. Your credit score will drop. And the debts will accrue interest, which means they’ll get bigger and bigger until there’s no way you can ever pay them back. As a Memphis bankruptcy lawyer, I see this
Student: Did you know that you can live off of student loans? Professor: No, you can’t. Student: Yeah. All you do is just keep going back to school, and they’ll pay for everything. Professor: But eventually you’ll have to pay them back. Student: Not if you die. Overheard in Louisiana (from overheardeverywhere.com) If you are in a copious amount of debt, credit collectors are harassing you, or you are being threatened with a lawsuit, you should call a top liquidation lawyer Memphis, TN has to offer for further advice.
Whether downtown or out in the ‘burbs, Memphis has a thrift store for you. Here are a few of our favorites: Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Located on Winchester, the ReStore supports Habitat for Humanity by reselling building materials and home items like art, kitchen appliances, and gardening equipment. Bibles for Missions: Part of a larger chain, Bibles for Missions Memphis supports persecuted Christians in China and serves the neighborhood at Macon Road and Sycamore View. They typical have lower prices than some of the better-known stores. Summer Ave. Shops: For a day of thrifting, visit Disabled American Veterans, Mid-South Outlet, and Thrift Citi – all on Summer Avenue between Holmes and Highland. Cross over Highland for the Junior League’s Repeat
Which person in your life would you consider your “rock”? Think of someone you can trust to be there for you when you become ill or injured. Consider a person who will listen to your problems without any judgement and help to pull you out of a difficult situation. Is it your spouse, a sibling, or a friend who has your best interest at heart? We recently challenged everyone at our Memphis law firm to answer this question through a unique exercise created by Chris Mullins of the Intake Academy, which helps law firms to provide their clients with the best service and experience possible. Once each of us had thought of someone that we consider our “rock,” we each
Since we’re right in the middle of tax season, let’s talk a little bit about it and owing too much income tax. Video Transcript Hello, this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video today, I’m talking about income taxes and how those taxes are handled in bankruptcy. And the answer is, primarily, you can discharge income taxes in Chapter 7 bankruptcy – that means you don’t have to pay them back if they are at least 3 years old and if you filed your tax returns on time and you did not commit tax evasion, tax fraud or something like that. Then those taxes should be dischargeable in
What are payday loans? Should you use them? How can you get in trouble? How can you get out? These are questions that I answer in this video. Video Transcript Hello, this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video, I’m talking about payday loans – payday loans as they exist here in Tennessee. A payday loan is really just a small loan that you are obligated to repay on your next payday. The way it usually works is something like this – You go down to a payday loan center and your borrow anywhere between 150 and 1,000 dollars based on what your next payday is. And usually