The city of Bartlett has reduced the number of unpaid utility bills by over 40% this year, according to The Commercial Appeal. These numbers reflect a new policy allowing Bartlett to cut off utilities for anyone with bills 60 days overdue, regardless of how little the person may owe. Previously the debt had to be $70 or higher. Although unpaid bills have been drastically cut, the city is still turning over $73,000 in debt to collection agencies in hopes of gathering the rest of the funds they need to cover utility costs. If you’re in Bartlett and have unpaid utility bills, this can mean a few things for you and your family: First, if you’re delinquent on your payments for
Memphis residents can rejoice that their utility costs went down this winter. The Commercial Appeal reports that the average Memphis household saved $110 in energy costs this winter compared to last year because of the warm temperatures and lower natural gas costs. MLGW may be rejoicing, too, because recent surveys suggest they have significantly low costs compared to other utility companies and may even have the lowest water rates in the nation. This news highlights the value and importance of keeping a budget. The more you plan ahead for what to expect with your utilities, the more aware you are when you do save on lower energy costs. That saved money can help cover other bills if you’ve gotten behind,
Don’t let vacation put you in debt It’s May and the weather is nice. For many people, that means it’s time to start planning a vacation if the planning hasn’t already started. When planning your vacation however, it’s important to stay within your budget and avoid falling into debt. “Here’s the deal. A vacation is a luxury, not a necessity. Most people get into debt because they’ve been living life like a vacation way too long,” says Dave Ramsey. “Then they fall into this cycle of thinking that they deserve something. That type of thinking is what gets people into debt in the first place.” If you can afford an expensive vacation without financial worry, then good for you,
By: Darrell Castle Is the time and effort worth the reward? That’s what you may be wondering if you or a loved one were injured in a car accident. How long will the process take? How much effort will be required? And most importantly, how much money will you get? I want to talk specifically about that last question — the value of your car accident case. It’s completely situational. How much were your medical bills for the treatment, recovery and rehab for your injuries? Did you miss time from work? How long and how much lost wages? How much was the car damage? How much pain and suffering did you endure? Are you unable to do life activities that
If a car hits and kills a pedestrian, there are three possibilities for the cause: A person purposefully uses a car to kill another person. – This is considered murder, since it was done on purpose. It’s an accident, but still entirely the driver’s fault for negligent or illegal behavior. – This is called vehicular manslaughter or vehicular homicide. A common example would be drunk driving cases. It can often lead to jail time, depending on the details accident. And then there are times when the driver does absolutely nothing wrong intentionally, but hits someone entirely by accident. While incredibly tragic, these crashes do happen. Say a person walks across a dark street in the middle of the
Disability for Veterans Gets an Expedited Process Disability for veterans has always been a long and complicated process. I’m happy to hear the Social Security Administration will now expedite the disability claims process for veterans with a rating of 100% P&T (permanent and total). As a veteran myself, I have a special place in my heart for the men and women who courageously serve this country. “We have reached another milestone for those who have sacrificed so much for our country, and this process ensures they will get the benefits they need quickly,” said Acting Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. However, according to the report, that’s not entirely true. A number of factors complicate the process. As a result,
By: Darrell Castle Hospital negligence is really just a form of medical malpractice. People normally associate “medical malpractice” with a doctor’s negligence. But a hospital, nurse or staff member can be negligent as well. Just like a doctor, when a hospital — either a nurse or staff — fails to properly do something and it causes you injury, then they can be held liable. Hospital negligence can result in the individual person who caused the injury to be held liable. Or it can result in the hospital itself — the superior — to be held liable. The hospital can be liable for: Failing to properly train or educate staff members Failing to keep accurate patient records Operating the hospital understaffed
You may not be able to discharge student loans through bankruptcy, but there are some other options a lot of people don’t realize are out there. In this video, Memphis bankruptcy lawyer Darrell Castle discusses some of these options. Questions? Contact us! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-aIoLDRJWU&feature=youtu.be
There may be help for those struggling to pay back student loans. Volunteer. “Volunteer? I need to make money,” may be your initial reaction. Yes, the concept may throw you off at first, but with Zero Bound, students and graduates can volunteer to pay back their student debt. This video explains Zero Bound’s services and the simple steps you can take to get involved. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSkkXcPTJEw Zero Bound is basically sponsored volunteering. It’s a creative way to pay back student loans while getting real world experience. If you’re a graduate, or a student, with student loan debt and it’s taking a toll on your life, Zero Bound is something to look into. However, if you find it’s not feasible for
Well, Super Tuesday is over, and as you probably know by now Rick Santorum won the Tennessee primary. Exit polls from The Associated Press report that voters based their decisions first and foremost on the economy. Even with recent fights over foreign policy and social issues, the state of the nation’s finances still have center stage. Economic concerns include rising gas prices, national debt, and recovery from the recession. In Tennessee, low income voters tended to choose Rick Santorum over Mitt Romney. Tennessee residents have to wait until November to vote on the economy again, but in the meantime, how about making changes to your own finances? If you’re worried about the rising gas prices, perhaps it’s time to figure