Freedom Debt Relief is the largest debt settlement company in the United States. However, the company is facing a lawsuit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Freedom Debt's deceptive and unethical conduct has harmed consumers, according to the agency. The CFPB seeks monetary relief for Freedom Debt and civil penalties for the company.
The CFPB claims Freedom Debt Relief did nothing to warn customers about their right not to withdraw from the program and claim a refund. Additionally, it says that the company misled customers about the savings they would achieve from their debts. It claims that the company failed to notify customers that their money was being held in an account that was theirs.
Freedom Debt Relief, according to the CFPB, violated numerous consumer protection laws such as the Telemarketing Sales Rule (and the Consumer Financial Protection Act). This company is also charged with engaging in high pressure sales tactics, fraud and other illegal activities. The CFPB requests injunctive as well as monetary relief.
The New York State Attorney General's Office has also sued Freedom Debt Relief. They claim that Freedom failed to notify clients of their rights and that it caused harm to many customers. Freedom was also accused of lying about its ability to negotiate with creditors.
Freedom is not transparent regarding the billing or payment process. Freedom did not have access or control over the consumer's accounts. The customer can negotiate with creditors to reduce their debt once they are in the program. Freedom then collects the full amount if the creditor refuses negotiation. This does not always happen.
Freedom Debt Relief's biggest complaint is its refusal to pay upfront fees for debt relief services, even if the debt was settled. The company claimed it could not charge the client until the debt was settled. Many clients who had enrolled in the program lost the money that they had saved. The company could have advised clients to withdraw from the program in order to receive a refund. This would have helped prevent some fraud.
Freedom Debt Relief's other problem is their different ownership. Andrew Housser (the company's cofounder and coCEO) continues to manage the company's operations. He also approves its policies. He also knew that Freedom wasn't willing to negotiate with certain creditors. Thus, he may have known that Freedom was taking payments from consumers while not negotiating with the creditor.
The lawsuit was brought forth by Freedom because of its unethical and deceptive business practices. People who have had similar problems with Freedom are encouraged to consult a lawyer about their rights. A lawyer can help develop a strategy for your case and gather evidence that will prove helpful.
FAQ
What is the best way for a side business to make money?
If you want to make money quickly, it's not enough to create a product or a service that solves an individual's problem.
It is also important to establish yourself as an authority in the niches you choose. It means building a name online and offline.
Helping others solve problems is the best way to establish a reputation. You need to think about how you can add value to your community.
Once you have answered this question, you will be able immediately to determine which areas are best suited for you. There are many opportunities to make money online. But they can be very competitive.
When you really look, you will notice two main side hustles. The first type is selling products and services directly, while the second involves offering consulting services.
Each approach has pros and cons. Selling products and services provides instant gratification because once you ship your product or deliver your service, you receive payment right away.
The flip side is that you won't be able achieve the level you desire without building relationships and trust with potential clients. These gigs can be very competitive.
Consulting is a great way to expand your business, without worrying about shipping or providing services. However, it can take longer to be recognized as an expert in your area.
It is essential to know how to identify the right clientele in order to succeed in each of these options. It takes some trial and error. But in the long run, it pays off big time.
Which passive income is easiest?
There are tons of ways to make money online. But most of them require more time and effort than you might have. How do you find a way to earn more money?
You need to find what you love. That passion can be monetized.
For example, let's say you enjoy creating blog posts. You can start a blog that shares useful information about topics in your niche. You can sign readers up for emails and social media by clicking on the links in the articles.
Affiliate marketing is a term that can be used to describe it. There are many resources available to help you get started. Here are some examples of 101 affiliate marketing tools, tips & resources.
You could also consider starting a blog as another form of passive income. It's important to choose a topic you are passionate about. You can also make your site monetizable by creating ebooks, courses and videos.
Although there are many ways to make money online you can choose the easiest. Focus on creating websites or blogs that offer valuable information if you want to make money in the online world.
Once your website is built, you can promote it via social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. This is called content marketing, and it's a great method to drive traffic to your website.
How can a beginner make passive income?
Begin with the basics. Once you have learned how to create value, then move on to finding ways to make more money.
You might even have some ideas. If you do, great! But if you don't, start thinking about where you could add value and how you could turn those thoughts into action.
Finding a job that matches your interests and skills is the best way to make money online.
For instance, if you enjoy creating websites or apps, there are lots of ways that you can generate revenue even while you sleep.
Writing is your passion, so you might like to review products. Or if you're creative, you might consider designing logos or artwork for clients.
Whatever you decide to focus on, make sure you choose something that you enjoy. That way, you'll stick with it long-term.
Once you have found a product/service that you enjoy selling, you will need to find a way to make it monetizable.
There are two main ways to go about this. You could charge a flat rate (like a freelancer), or per project (like an agencies).
In each case, once your rates have been set, you will need to promote them. This means sharing them on social media, emailing your list, posting flyers, etc.
Keep these three tips in your mind as you promote your business to increase your chances of success.
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Be a professional in all aspects of marketing. You never know who may be reading your content.
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Know what you're talking about - make sure you know everything about your topic before you talk about it. A fake expert is not a good idea.
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Do not spam. If someone asks for information, avoid sending emails to everyone in your email list. Do not send out a recommendation if someone asks.
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Make sure to choose a quality email provider. Yahoo Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail are both free.
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Monitor your results - track how many people open your messages, click links, and sign up for your mailing lists.
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Measure your ROI - measure the number of leads generated by each campaign, and see which campaigns bring in the most conversions.
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Get feedback - Ask your friends and family if they are interested in your services and get their honest feedback.
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Test different tactics - try multiple strategies to see which ones work better.
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Keep learning - continue to grow as a marketer so you stay relevant.
What side hustles will be the most profitable in 2022
The best way to make money today is to create value for someone else. If you do it well, the money will follow.
It may seem strange, but your creations of value have been going on since the day you were born. When you were a baby, you sucked your mommy's breast milk and she gave you life. You made your life easier by learning to walk.
You'll continue to make more if you give back to the people around you. You'll actually get more if you give more.
Without even realizing it, value creation is a powerful force everyone uses every day. You're creating value all day long, whether you're making dinner for your family or taking your children to school.
Today, Earth is home for nearly 7 million people. That's almost 7 billion people on Earth right now. This means that each person creates a remarkable amount of value every single day. Even if you create only $1 per hour of value, you would be creating $7,000,000 a year.
This means that you would earn $700,000.000 more a year if you could find ten different ways to add $100 each week to someone's lives. That's a huge increase in your earning potential than what you get from working full-time.
Now let's pretend you wanted that to be doubled. Let's imagine you could find 20 ways of adding $200 per month to someone's lives. Not only would you earn another $14.4 million dollars annually, you'd also become incredibly wealthy.
Every day there are millions of opportunities for creating value. This includes selling products, services, ideas, and information.
Although our focus is often on income streams and careers, these are not the only things that matter. Helping others to achieve their goals is the ultimate goal.
If you want to get ahead, then focus on creating value. Start by downloading my free guide, How to Create Value and Get Paid for It.
How much debt is too much?
It's essential to keep in mind that there is such a thing as too much money. You will eventually run out money if you spend more than your income. Because savings take time to grow, it is best to limit your spending. When you run out of money, reduce your spending.
But how much should you live with? There is no universal number. However, the rule of thumb is that you should live within 10%. This will ensure that you don't go bankrupt even after years of saving.
This means that even if you make $10,000 per year, you should not spend more then $1,000 each month. You shouldn't spend more that $2,000 monthly if your income is $20,000 Spend no more than $5,000 a month if you have $50,000.
Paying off your debts quickly is the key. This includes student loans, credit card debts, car payments, and credit card bill. You'll be able to save more money once these are paid off.
It is best to consider whether or not you wish to invest any excess income. If you choose to invest your money in bonds or stocks, you may lose it if the stock exchange falls. However, if you put your money into a savings account you can expect to see interest compound over time.
For example, let's say you set aside $100 weekly for savings. In five years, this would add up to $500. In six years you'd have $1000 saved. You would have $3,000 in your bank account within eight years. In ten years you would have $13,000 in savings.
At the end of 15 years, you'll have nearly $40,000 in savings. Now that's quite impressive. But if you had put the same amount into the stock market over the same time period, you would have earned interest. Instead of $40,000, you'd now have more than $57,000.
It's crucial to learn how you can manage your finances effectively. If you don't, you could end up with much more money that you had planned.
What is personal financing?
Personal finance is about managing your own money to achieve your goals at home and work. It involves understanding where your money goes, knowing what you can afford, and balancing your needs against your wants.
You can become financially independent by mastering these skills. That means you no longer have to depend on anyone for financial support. You can forget about worrying about rent, utilities, or any other monthly bills.
Not only will it help you to get ahead, but also how to manage your money. It will make you happier. If you are happy with your finances, you will be less stressed and more likely to get promoted quickly.
So who cares about personal finance? Everyone does! The most searched topic on the Internet is personal finance. Google Trends indicates that search terms for "personal finance” have seen a 1,600% increase in searches between 2004-2014.
People today use their smartphones to track their budgets, compare prices, build wealth, and more. They read blogs such this one, listen to podcasts about investing, and watch YouTube videos about personal financial planning.
Bankrate.com estimates that Americans spend on average 4 hours per day viewing TV, listening to music and playing video games, as well reading books and talking with friends. This leaves just two hours per day for all other important activities.
You'll be able take advantage of your time when you understand personal finance.
Statistics
- As mortgage rates dip below 7%, ‘millennials should jump at a 6% mortgage like bears grabbing for honey' New homeowners and renters bear the brunt of October inflation — they're cutting back on eating out, entertainment and vacations to beat rising costs (marketwatch.com)
- These websites say they will pay you up to 92% of the card's value. (nerdwallet.com)
- Etsy boasted about 96 million active buyers and grossed over $13.5 billion in merchandise sales in 2021, according to data from Statista. (nerdwallet.com)
- According to a June 2022 NerdWallet survey conducted online by The Harris Poll. (nerdwallet.com)
- Mortgage rates hit 7.08%, Freddie Mac says Most Popular (marketwatch.com)
External Links
How To
How to make money online with no experience
There are many ways you can make money online. Some people prefer using their computers to do work, while others prefer being outside to meet new people.
No matter your status, there's always room for improvement. Here are some simple ways that you can improve your daily life.
Blogging has grown exponentially since its early beginnings. Anyone can set up a blog from any computer and make money.
A blog is free and easy to set-up. Even if you don’t know much about blogging, all you need is a domain and a hosting provider.
One of the best ways to make money online is by selling photos. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are with a camera.
A decent image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop Elements and a high-quality digital camera are all you need. Once you have these things, you can upload images to Fotolia which is a site that millions of people use daily to find high-quality photos for download.
If you have skills in something, then why not sell them? Online, you will find many opportunities to sell your expertise, no matter what level you are in writing or speaking multiple languages fluently.
Elance, which connects freelancers with businesses that want their services, is a platform. Post projects and let freelancers bid. The project gets completed by the highest-bidder.
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Make an ebook and sell it on Amazon
Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce sites on the Internet today. They provide a marketplace where users can purchase and sell items.
You can also make an ebook and sell it through Amazon. This option is great because you are paid per sale and not per page.
Teaching abroad is another way you can earn extra cash, even if your home country is not the best. Teachers Pay Teachers is a site that connects teachers and students looking for English lessons.
You can teach any subject, including math, science, history, geography, art, music, or 5. even Use foreign Google languages.
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Google Write Adsense articles is another free website advertising system that google offers. Small advertisements are placed on pages of your website whenever someone visits it. These ads will be displayed to visitors when they view a particular page.
The more traffic you have, the more you will make.
Digitally selling artwork is also possible. Artists use Etsy to list their work and sell it.
Etsy allows users to create virtual shops that act much like real stores.
Students are becoming more interested in freelance work. As the economy improves, more companies outsource jobs for independent contractors.
It's a win-win situation for both employers and employees. Employers save money because they no longer need to pay benefits and payroll taxes. Employees enjoy flexibility and earn additional income by being able to adjust their work hours.