Bankruptcy Lawyers
22 Oct
Debt Defense

Bankruptcy Filings Jump 11.4% as the FTC Wins a $106.8 Million Judgment Against a Debt Relief Scam: How to Get Real Help With Debt

New federal court data released October 22, 2026 shows bankruptcy filings rose 11.4% to 621,111 in the year ending September 30, with Texas, Florida and Maryland rising even faster. The same week, a federal court in Arizona entered a $106.8 million judgment against a debt relief operation that targeted seniors and veterans. Here’s what the numbers mean and how to tell real help from a scam.

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21 Oct
Consumer Protection

Snap Finance Will Cancel $662 Million in Lease-to-Own Balances in a 17-State Settlement: What Texas, Florida and Wyoming Customers Should Know

Seventeen state attorneys general announced a nearly $664 million settlement with Snap Finance on October 21, 2026. More than 303,000 charged-off lease-to-own accounts from 2017 to 2022 will be wiped out, including about 148,000 in Texas and 62,000 in Florida. Here’s who qualifies, what changes, and what to do if a collector is still chasing you.

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Judge's gavel resting on a wooden block with an open book in the background on a blue surface.
20 Oct
FCRA

Credit Report and Robocall Lawsuits Hit a Ten-Year High: What a New Report Says About Consumers Fighting Back, and How to Know If You Have a Claim

Federal consumer-protection lawsuits rose 31% in 2025 to the highest level in ten years, led by a 44% jump in Fair Credit Reporting Act cases and a 63% jump in robocall and text cases. Here’s what the new Lex Machina report found and how to tell whether a credit-reporting error or unwanted call gives you a claim.

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Steering wheel
20 Oct
Consumer Protection

Does Your Car Company Need Your Permission to Sell Your Driving Data? Where the Law Draws the Line After the GM/OnStar Lawsuits

Montana’s new lawsuit says GM and OnStar never got drivers’ real consent before selling their driving data to brokers who supplied insurers. Here’s where the law draws the line on what carmakers can collect without asking, why GM isn’t the only automaker under scrutiny, and seven steps to protect your privacy and your insurance rates.

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Small house on an autumn’s day
19 Oct
Consumer Fraud

Pennsylvania Sues Rent-to-Own Operators Accused of Selling Homes They Didn’t Own: What Sellers and Buyers Should Know

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General has sued two western Pennsylvania men and their companies over an alleged rent-to-own scheme: they took over homeowners’ mortgages, “sold” the homes to buyers on installment contracts, and then let the mortgages default. A court has already frozen evictions. Here’s what happened and how to protect yourself.

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19 Oct
Consumer Protection

Lost Money in a Scam Paid Through Walmart or Western Union? FTC Refund Checks Are Going Out Now, and a Western Union Claim Deadline Is December 31

The FTC is mailing 65,022 checks totaling more than $9.8 million to people who were scammed through Walmart money transfers. Separately, the Justice Department has reopened the Western Union fraud-victim compensation program until December 31, 2026. Here’s who qualifies, how to tell a real check from a fake, and what to do now.

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19 Oct
Consumer Protection

Montana Sues GM and OnStar for Allegedly Selling Drivers’ Data to Insurers: How Your Car’s Driving Data Can Affect Your Insurance and What You Can Do

Montana is the latest state to sue General Motors and OnStar, alleging GM sold drivers’ speed, braking and seat-belt data to data brokers who passed it to insurers. Here’s what the lawsuit claims, what the FTC already ordered GM to do, and how to check whether driving data is affecting your insurance.

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Padlock on computer keyboard. Cyber security and data protection concept.
19 Oct
Consumer Protection

Texas Settles With Temu: New Data Rules, Product Safety Testing and Refunds for Harmful Products. What Shoppers Should Know

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an agreed final judgment with Temu that requires U.S. data storage, annual independent product testing for lead, PFAS and other harmful materials, and full refunds to Texans who bought products that fail. Here’s what the settlement does, what it doesn’t, and what shoppers can do now.

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