General breakdown of the 5 categories FICO looks at for your credit score
FICO is the dominant credit scoring model in the country used to determine eligibility for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and more.
There are 5 categories used by FICO to determine your credit score:
Payment History
Amount / Utilization of your debt
Age of debt
Number of inquiries
Mix of debt
In this article, we will provide a brief overview of these categories and what they mean. … (Read more)
Have to wear a mask in court? Then practice under the same conditions as a trial with a mask on.
You have a court date coming up and you understand that either your courthouse or your particular judge requires you to wear a mask. How do you prepare for that?
I understand that for some reason a mask is very triggering for some people.
This article is not about the effectiveness of masks or anyone’s political views.
This article is… (Read more)
Can your credit card company defer payments due to Covid-19?
We are all being affected by Covid-19 in some way.
Maybe you’re not able to work or you are struggling to pay for childcare when the schools are closed.
Perhaps you are dealing with mounting medical bills.
For whatever reason, you are struggling to pay the credit card, the car loan, or the mortgage.
While going through these uncertain times, be sure to keep the following things in mind.
NOTE: … (Read more)
Stupid mistake I made nearly caused me to lose a case
I want to tell you about a stupid mistake I made that was almost very costly.
I tried to take a shortcut and it almost blew up in my face.
One day, I had a very important hearing in a big case about four hours away from my home. The trial was early in the morning and I did not want to wake up at 4:00 AM to drive four… (Read more)
What are before and after witnesses in a lawsuit?
You have been asked to provide before and after witnesses for your case. What are they and why are they important?
We’ve all seen before and after photos. The person in the before photo is miserable, unhappy, overweight, grumpy or whatever the case may be.
After the cleanse, the exercise program, whatever is being advertised, they are glowing, happy, and feeling great.
The point is to illustrate a dramatic change resulting… (Read more)
3 questions you must ask before filing any type of lawsuit
These three questions apply to any lawsuit – personal injury, consumer lawsuits, etc.
These are not all of the questions, but they are the most basic, big picture questions you must answer first.
Did the defendant do anything wrong?
Are you hurt or damaged?
Does the defendant have money or insurance to pay for your damages?
Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
1. Did the defendant in this lawsuit do anything… (Read more)