With so many changes in the economy lately, and no end in sight to the damage done by the recession, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health groups have called on increased awareness of mental health issues. Worldwide, there is a definite link between depression and unemployment, and between economic downturn and mental health decline. Bearing this in mind, it’s very important we all stay alert and understand that many people will struggle as financial problems continue. If you know someone who seems depressed after facing job instability or unemployment, it’s important to encourage him or her to seek help. There are a number of low-cost options nationwide. In Memphis, the Church Health Center might be a good start.
Teachers and Student Loans Teachers and student loans unfortunately go hand in hand. Education degrees and certification cost a tremendous amount of money and leave many of our area teachers drowning in debt. And a relatively new Tennessee law now makes those student loans even harder to bear. If a K-12 public school teacher can’t pay their student loans, this law requires their license be denied, suspended, or revoked. The law went into effect on January 1, 2013. It’s the new normal for teachers in Memphis, where city schools would love to have experienced, well-educated teachers in the classroom. When Teachers Struggle, We All Lose This law creates a terrible cycle. If the school system struggles, it can’t pay teachers
If you’re a millennial, I want to talk to you about a cruel experiment we’ve been playing on you. The experiment is called “How much debt can millennials carry over the course of their lifetime?” We’ve run this experiment on you in the following ways: Higher education You’re constantly told higher education is the only way to advancement. And in many ways, it’s true. This was never the case for my generation. I paid my way through college relatively easily with a part-time job. It was $243/semester for law school. And there were opportunities waiting when I finished. Today, your degree is worth less but costs more. You’re told you have to take out the loan, you’re promised a great living
Can You Trust Insurance Companies’ Driving Trackers? Perhaps you’ve heard of Progressive’s Snapshot® program, which lets you attach a device to your car that tracks your driving habits. Depending on what the device reports back, Progressive might offer you savings on your rates. After the program first came out, other insurance companies like State Farm dove in as well. Some even connect the program with driver assistance programs, which require you keep the device attached long-term and allow it to store GPS information. Progressive lauds the program as a new way to save more on car insurance and even potentially help with injury claims after an accident. Indeed, a lot of struggling families could use a break. But consumer advocates
Veterans’ Social Security Disability Insurance Process Now Expedited In this video, Memphis SSDI attorney Darrell Castle explains the recent decision by the US government to expedite veterans’ Social Security Disability Insurance claims. Transcript: Hello, I’m Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee. And on this video today I’m talking about Social Security Disability Insurance, and a little bit about how to get it—especially if you’re a veteran. We have some good news from the Veterans’ Administration and Social Security Administration. If you’re a veteran and you’ve been declared by the VA to be 100% permanently disabled, the Social Security Disability Administration will expedite your applications. It’ll go faster—that doesn’t mean it’ll be
Recently The Tennessean came out with a great article about workers’ compensation in Tennessee and how it can negatively affect both employers and their employees. In general, employers in Tennessee are frustrated by high workers’ comp insurance premiums. They’re required to have the insurance, but the costs can be very high. They also feel some employees exaggerate their claims in order to get as much money as possible, which leads to a sense of distrust in the office. Employees, on the other hand, fear suing their employers. They’re concerned about retaliation in the workplace or even being fired. They worry the claim will take months or years and empty their savings. In 2004, Gov. Bredesen passed a workers’ comp overhaul
By: Darrell Castle Different people file for bankruptcy for different reasons. You may be struggling financially from factors out of your control. Or maybe you just made some bad spending decisions and now you’re — for lack of a better term — paying the price. Whatever your situation is, I can assure you that you’re not alone. American consumers owe $11.91 trillion in debt. A bankruptcy is a great option — and often times the best option — if you’re struggling with debt you just can’t pay. Here are some of the top reasons people choose to file for bankruptcy: 1. Medical bills Expensive doctors plus insufficient insurance equals a financial mess. If you or someone in your family suddenly
What are some pros and cons of using credit cards? By: Darrell Castle Video Transcript Hello this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and I’ve been making a series of videos on credit and today on this video, we’ll talk about credit cards – are they good or are they bad and then at the end I’ll give you a little bit of free advice that comes just from me. Number 1 – are they good? Well, there’s some good things about them. One of the good things is they are good for emergencies. If you have an emergency that you don’t have cash to cover, you can cover it with
More people are working, or so it seems. About 323,000 people filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, which was down from the week prior according to the Labor Department. In fact, last week’s figure was the lowest since the end of last November. This could be a result of a private report showing an ease in job layoffs in February. Economists actually projected the economy added 150,000 new jobs in February, which was up from 113,000 the previous month. Weekly jobless claims below 350,000 indicate a moderate growth in the labor market. All of this is a good sign nationally. However, we still have work to do here in Memphis as our city still holds an unemployment rate a
Protecting Your Home and Yourself from a Mold Injury In general, mold in the house should be fixed and avoided whenever possible. But then there’s toxic mold. Toxic mold is a very, very serious thing. In particular molds in the Stachybotrys family – commonly called black molds because of their appearance – have been blamed for devastating adverse affects. Can Mold Really Be Toxic? Not exactly. Mold occurs naturally, but certain kinds release toxins that can be very dangerous. How dangerous, though, is still a controversy. The toxins certain mold spores emit have been definitely been connected to: Sinus infections Asthma Skin problems Fungal infection in the lungs Chronic coughing Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which is similar to pneumonia and other severe