Stephen Foondos United Law Center. Get out of debt! Sounds simple, right? No, we know it’s not so easy

Join Attorney Stephen Foondos

Get out of debt!

from the United Law Center this and every Saturday from 3-4:00 p.m. for the Ask Steve radio program on NewsRadio KFBK 1530AM when we discuss why it’s important to get out of debt and also what it means when you work with an attorney on contingency. Be sure and check out Stephen’s new legal challenge series that runs every weekday morning at 7:30am on KQCA-MY58 TV. These weekly topics will extend into the radio show where we explore them in more depth. This week’s show will cover:

Interest Rates just were raised again

Get out of debt! Sounds simple, right? No, we know it’s not so easy, but it’s important given the uncertain political climate and major transition happening in our country. Interest rates just were raised again, for the second time this year, and are expected to go up again at least once more in 2017. Rates for mortgage modifications alone have risen from 3.5% to 4.25% since December! The sooner you manage your debt, the better off you are to be ready for a rainy day. Check out this list of easy tips to get started. Think Bankruptcy may be something you should consider? We are here to help. Please call us at 916-367-0622 for a free consultation.

Hidden Costs of Contingency Fees – You know the old adage, “It sounds too good to be true?”, well contingency fees can sometimes fit into that category. In workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, like car accidents or other medical claims, attorneys get paid on contingency meaning they don’t charge you for their time spent litigating the case until it is settled in the client’s favor. Sounds great, right? However, in order to properly litigate your case, there could be hard costs, expenses and other fees charged to you for evidence gathering and expert testimony. Make sure you stay in close communication with your attorney so they aren’t incurring these costs, which will be charged back to your case, without your knowledge and buy-in. Otherwise your settlement could be greatly impacted by such costs once the payout for settlement is made. Moreover, if you lose your case, in some instances you could also be responsible for the other side’s attorney costs, in addition to our own. If you have further questions on this, please email us here.

Join us each Saturday on 1530AM NewsTalk KFBK for the Ask Steve Show from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Past show podcasts are available here.

 

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Stephen Foondos United Law Center. Get out of debt! Sounds simple, right? No, we know it’s not so easy

Join Attorney Stephen Foondos

Get out of debt!

from the United Law Center this and every Saturday from 3-4:00 p.m. for the Ask Steve radio program on NewsRadio KFBK 1530AM when we discuss why it’s important to get out of debt and also what it means when you work with an attorney on contingency. Be sure and check out Stephen’s new legal challenge series that runs every weekday morning at 7:30am on KQCA-MY58 TV. These weekly topics will extend into the radio show where we explore them in more depth. This week’s show will cover:

Interest Rates just were raised again

Get out of debt! Sounds simple, right? No, we know it’s not so easy, but it’s important given the uncertain political climate and major transition happening in our country. Interest rates just were raised again, for the second time this year, and are expected to go up again at least once more in 2017. Rates for mortgage modifications alone have risen from 3.5% to 4.25% since December! The sooner you manage your debt, the better off you are to be ready for a rainy day. Check out this list of easy tips to get started. Think Bankruptcy may be something you should consider? We are here to help. Please call us at 916-367-0630 for a consultation.

Hidden Costs of Contingency Fees – You know the old adage, “It sounds too good to be true?”, well contingency fees can sometimes fit into that category. In workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, like car accidents or other medical claims, attorneys get paid on contingency meaning they don’t charge you for their time spent litigating the case until it is settled in the client’s favor. Sounds great, right? However, in order to properly litigate your case, there could be hard costs, expenses and other fees charged to you for evidence gathering and expert testimony. Make sure you stay in close communication with your attorney so they aren’t incurring these costs, which will be charged back to your case, without your knowledge and buy-in. Otherwise your settlement could be greatly impacted by such costs once the payout for settlement is made. Moreover, if you lose your case, in some instances you could also be responsible for the other side’s attorney costs, in addition to our own. If you have further questions on this, please email us here.

Join Attorney Stephen Foondos from the United Law Center this and every Saturday from 3-4:00 p.m. for the Ask Steve For Free radio program on NewsRadio KFBK 1530AM when we discuss what to do if you’re worried about a foreclosure and also why you should never expect an up front guarantee from your attorney on case results. Be sure and check out Stephen’s new series, The Ask Steve for Free Legal Challenge that runs every weekday morning at 7:30am on KQCA-MY58 TV. These weekly topics will extend into the radio show where we explore them in more depth. This week’s show will cover:

What should you do if you’re facing a foreclosure? Have you experienced a hardship and missed a payment or two then been offered a modification from your lender? Did you accept a modification only to later be foreclosed upon or be denied the modification? We want to help you understand what documents to look out for, and what the signs are if your bank is trying to wrongfully foreclose on your home.

If you are facing an immediate foreclosure including an auction sale or eviction YOU STILL HAVE OPTIONS. We can help you navigate what solution makes the most sense in your unique case:

• Seeking a loan modification yourself through your lender or Keep Your Home California
• Discussing a short sale with your lender
• Filing a lawsuit with a qualified, experienced foreclosure attorney
• Filing for Bankruptcy

What do we do now that HAMP has ended? What is the future for mortgage modification? Don’t expect mortgage servicers to be very motivated to give more modifications. It still worth trying but you’re more likely to get a real modification directly from your lender.

A recent New York Times article highlights that through HAMP, “Around 70 percent of those who applied for loan modifications were turned down (in the HAMP program). In the end, some 1.6 million homeowners had their loans permanently modified — less than half the number the program was intended to help. Meanwhile, nearly 14 million homes went into foreclosure, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, which tracks foreclosure filings.”

However, in California, we still have funds available through Keep Your Home California, which was extended through 2020 or until the remaining funds are depleted. Or, if you can refinance to get away from a servicer, DO IT IMMEDIATELY before interest rates escalate.

Join us each Saturday on 1530AM NewsTalk KFBK for the Ask Steve Show from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Past show podcasts are available here.