In March 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the Los Angeles County COVID-19 Tenant Protections Resolution, which prohibits rent increases, among many other things. As a result, landlords in Los Angeles are forbidden from raising the cost of more than 650,000 rent-stabilized units, which represents nearly three-quarters…

If you're looking to rent or move from your old apartment into a new apartment, then you know how expensive it is to rent nowadays. The average rent back in 2009 was about $1,132. But housing costs have skyrocketed in the past decade, bumping the average rent to almost $1,470…

Did you know that about one in three US adults has medical debt? According to research from Stanford economist Neale Mahoney, Americans have at least $140 billion in outstanding medical debt. However, you CAN negotiate your medical bills!  If we can negotiate the price of our home, car, and salary,…

Imagine that you've just graduated college and you've secured your first job. Your parents are passively encouraging you to move out of the home you've shared with them for the past 20 years. So now it's time to embark on your journey towards independence and go shopping for an apartment.…

If you’ve ever looked into ways to boost your credit or checked out credit repair services, you may have come across the term “credit tradeline.” Don’t knock yourself on the head if you don't know what that term means for you and your overall credit, we’re here to help you…

When Americans find themselves in extreme financial distress, as millions are today, payday loans might seem like the only option for relief. But the truth is, they’re unfair, costly, and take advantage of people who are most vulnerable. Payday loans are often issued to people who have bad credit, no…

When applying for a mortgage, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is one of the factors, along with credit score and income, that lenders use to determine your mortgage eligibility. If you’re hoping to qualify for a mortgage or a refinance, you’ll need to know about your debt-to-income ratio and how to…

Many Americans are receiving a 2nd stimulus check for $600 from the federal government and have questions about how the money can or should be used. Below are three key points to know about the latest stimulus payments. (more…)

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have passed but the battle among retailers for your holiday spending dollars is still going strong -- and the good news is that there are still a lot of deals to be had, especially when you’re shopping online. If you’re looking for ways to…

Special contribution to RentReporters blog By: Sue Katz, American Consumer Credit Counseling It’s that time of year again: the holiday season! To save for the holidays, it’s best to start putting away money right after the holiday season for the next year. If you didn’t start last year, do not…