You can do it yourself — without a credit repair company — In the wake of news that most medical debt will be removed from consumer credit reports this summer, you may be wondering how to be sure your credit report is accurate going forward. 70% of Medical Debt to be Removed from Credit Reports Credit reporting agencies announce relief for consumers facing medical debtadvocateandy.medium.com An accurate credit report matters because your credit score is used for things like getting a mortgage…

A man, a job, and a secret — James found himself sitting alone in his car at around 8:30 each night, wet from a mixture of his own sweat and the sprinklers on the fresh rack — the place in the tiny store where the vegetables were displayed. He’d light up a White Owl Sweet and roll down…

Policy stories are out-earning stories about writing — I’ve taken to regularly chronicling my top five highest-earning stories each month. I do this for me — to keep track of what’s earning and to make myself examine the analytics. I also do it so other writers can see what works (at least for one writer) here on Medium. My Highest Earning Stories in August Weren’t All About Writing A trend finally breaks as stories on policy issues gain earnings credibilityadvocateandy.medium.com

Fintech lender runs afoul of Military Lending Act — I’ve written before about fintech lender MoneyLion and their penchant for skirting the law. Such as in Minnesota where they were caught charging interest rates in excess of 600%. Minnesota Borrowers to Receive Refunds in State’s Settlement with MoneyLion Online Lending Platform Offered Loans with Rates Up To 645%advocateandy.medium.com Now, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is suing MoneyLion alleging the company violated the Military Lending Act by charging servicemembers…

Bank to pay nearly $200 million in refunds and penalties — Imagine the surprise of checking your bank balance and believing you have sufficient funds to cover a transaction, proceeding with the purchase, and then being hit with a $35 overdraft fee charge. That’s exactly what happened to thousands of customers of Regions Bank. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…

Hitting another milestone on the news writing platform — I’ve been writing on NewsBreak since February of this year and regularly chronicling my journey there. I’ve noted here that my earnings on NewsBreak significantly exceed what I earn here on Medium. No, I’m not getting rich from writing here or anywhere. …

Fintech seeks to gain traction in healthcare financing market — Medical debt is a significant problem that impacts the budgets and cashflow of millions of Americans. The Pain of Medical Debt Report shows inaccurate bills, coercive debt collectionsadvocateandy.medium.com A Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) report indicates Americans have $88 billion in medical debt in collections on their credit reports.

Can a fintech loan shark change its ways? — A company that once billed itself as a “socially responsible” payday lender was ordered to shut down for predatory practices — but the remnants of LendUp are still doing damage. Fintech Lender LendUp Shuttered by Consumer Bureau Action Comes Following Multiple Violations of Consumer Protection Lawsadvocateandy.medium.com Jason Mikula at Fintech Business Weekly reports on LendUp’s latest shenanigans — and the operations of a “new” banking product…

The platform nears 10,000 members and ramps up promotion — Simily is now growing at a pretty rapid rate after months of relative stagnation. The site will soon have more than 10,000 members. Simily 10,000? The site grows rapidly and starts offering new servicesadvocateandy.medium.com They are, again, promoting a “Story of the Month” and voting is currently underway. In my own experience with this, the promotion DOES help get views on…