New data from WalletHub reveals a troubling upward trend in mortgage delinquency—not just nationally, but in Minneapolis specifically. Comparing the first and second quarters of 2025, the study shows that delinquency rates climbed in 87 of the country’s 100 largest...
Financial stress doesn’t show up overnight—it builds slowly, often hiding behind life events none of us can plan for. A job loss, medical emergency, divorce, or sudden drop in income can turn manageable bills into overwhelming debt in a matter of months. Many people...
Do you ever get a text that’s a wrong number, with a strange message? You should block & delete. It is likely part of a scam called "pig butchering" where criminals "fatten" a victim with false attention and fake returns before "slaughtering" them by stealing all...
One of the biggest fears people have when considering bankruptcy is the thought of losing their home. But in Minnesota, that fear is often based on misinformation. Under Minnesota law, you may be able to protect over $500,000 in home equity when filing for bankruptcy....
The easy way to qualify financially for chapter 7 bankruptcy (i.e. without doing the means test) is by being under the median income. The census bureau has determined that the median income for these household sizes has increased as follows, effective cases filed on...
The U.S. Department of Education has removed key applications for student loan forgiveness and repayment plans from its website. This action follows a ruling by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which determined that the Department lacked the authority to forgive...
Landlords are increasingly using credit reports as a tool to resolve rent disputes, targeting tenants' credit scores instead of relying on lengthy legal battles. By hiring debt collectors, landlords can report unpaid rent to credit bureaus, which can severely damage...
American credit-card delinquencies have surged to a 13-year high, with 11% of credit-card debt in serious delinquency by the end of 2024. This increase, which reflects financial strain, is concentrated among young, low-income, and subprime borrowers. Rising interest...
SeaQuest Holdings, an Idaho-based company operating interactive aquariums in shopping malls, has filed for bankruptcy protection and is seeking to expedite the sale of its assets to Z&A Management LLC for $80,000. The company, which has faced allegations of animal...
A recent Star Tribune article indicates that Americans put on an average of $1200 of new debt during the holiday season, and offered suggestions on getting out of debt, including the so-called “snowball” or “avalanche” approach. I recently had a client whose parents...