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It seems that all we have heard about in the news is how bad Obamacare is for our economy and our healthcare system.  However, a new story reports that the Affordable Healthcare Act may result in a boost in available jobs.  This boost will vary by region but according to CareerCast.com, interest in healthcare jobs will increase as more people become insured and demand for services increase. To read the full story and see a list of the fastest growing healthcare jobs in the country read, “12 … [Read more...]

With the never-ending coverage of the Affordable Healthcare Act, you may assume you have heard every angle on this story; however, you are wrong.  A new survey shows that more than 1 in 4 would move, even out of state, if they could find cheaper healthcare coverage.  Obamacare is calling attention to the differences in healthcare premiums from one state to another - - even from one county to another county within the same state.  This has some people considering relocation as a way to lessen … [Read more...]

Your Christmas gift list might be foremost in your thoughts today as we edge closer to Christmas Day; however, you should also be crossing off the items on your year-end tax “to-do” list before times runs out.  If you wait until after the end of the year, you will miss tax deductions for cleaning out your closet and donating to items to charity.  You may also lose the chance to lower your tax bill by adding to your IRA or paying college tuition early. To find more ways to save on your 2013 … [Read more...]

Now that a bankruptcy judge has ruled that Detroit may proceed under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the decision whether to sell the city’s art collection, or specific items from the collection is now a hotly debated issue.  In bankruptcy, if the debtor owns assets that may be liquidated to pay creditors those assets are subject to attack.  Parties on both sides of the debate are scrambling to provide justification for their position regarding the fate of Detroit’s art collection - - one … [Read more...]

In a devastating decision for pension holders, Bankruptcy Judge Steven W. Rhodes ruled this week that Detroit could officially claim bankruptcy relief under Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code.  This was not completely unexpected; however, the judge went on to state that the city’s obligations with regard to pensions is not untouchable.  Judge Rhodes made it very clear that public employee pensions were not protected by the federal provisions in Chapter 9.  This could mean that those entitled to … [Read more...]

When you need medical care, medical credit cards can help - - they can also hurt you financially in the future.  Medical credit cards usually offer interest free payments; however, at the end of that period (anywhere from three months to a year), if the balance is not paid in full then ALL past interest is added to the balance.  That interest can be as high as 27% or higher.  This creates a heavy burden on the consumer. For more information about medical credit cards and what to consider … [Read more...]

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in the case of Clark v. Rameker - - a case which could have a huge impact on how IRAs are treated in bankruptcy cases.  The case involves a couple who filed for bankruptcy relief in 2010.  At the time the case was filed, they had $300,000 in an IRA that would normally be protected under current bankruptcy laws.  However, the trustee in the case argued that the funds in the IRA were inherited and not protected by bankruptcy exemptions.  The case … [Read more...]

If you received a newspaper on Thanksgiving Day, you saw firsthand how far some stores would go to get consumers to spend money with them.  However, what happens when businesses go too far with their ads?  What happens when a business promises something but fails to deliver?  What rights do consumers have to sue stores for deceptive holiday deals?  Generally, in order to sue of deceptive holiday deals the advertisement must contain false promises, the store made artificially high markups to make … [Read more...]

If you are like the thousands of consumers looking for Cyber Monday or Mobile Tuesday holiday deals, be careful when shopping online this year.  According to a survey by FindLaw, only 19% of buyers say they read every world of legal contracts even though the agreements in the contracts may be legally binding.  If you are shopping online be careful about shopping at websites without checking their reputations or at websites that are not secure.  Using public and shared computers to shop online … [Read more...]

Your credit score is probably the last thing that you are thinking about during the holidays.  However, this is the time of year when people do things that damage their credit score in the New Year.  For example, think twice before applying for several store credit cards just to save a few dollars because the inquiries and the new accounts could lower your credit score next year.  Need extra money - - skipping payments is not the answer to that problem. For more tips about keeping your credit … [Read more...]