Consumer rights, in plain English.
Practical guides on disputing charges, fixing credit reports, and forcing banks and big companies to do the right thing.
Wells Fargo denied your fraud claim — what you can do about it
August 12, 2026 — Your EFTA and Regulation E rights after a denied fraud claim, what the current Wells Fargo account agreement says about arbitration, and what you can recover.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsMy credit report says I’m deceased — what do I do?
August 11, 2026 — Where a deceased indicator can come from, what to save, how to dispute it, and when the FCRA’s accuracy and reinvestigation rules may apply.
Read more Unauthorized ChargesHow Arbitration Against Chime and Stride Bank Works: A Consumer’s Guide
August 10, 2026 · 3 min read — What consumer arbitration against Chime and Stride Bank, N.A. costs, how long it takes, the step-by-step process, and what you can recover.
Read more Unauthorized ChargesChime Denied Your Dispute? Your Rights Under the EFTA and FCBA Against Chime and Stride Bank
August 10, 2026 · 2 min read — Chime is not a bank. Your EFTA and FCBA rights against Chime and Stride Bank, N.A., what you can recover, and why arbitration is not a dead end.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsWhy Is My Trial Payment Being Reported as Delinquent?
You made every trial modification payment on time and your mortgage still reports 30, 60, 90, 120 days late. The LM024 form letter, the Ewing NJ subservicing platform, and the FCRA claim.
Read more Case Law LibraryCushman v. Trans Union: why credit bureaus can't just "parrot" the bank
Third Circuit — a §1681i reinvestigation must be more than repeating what the furnisher says. A cornerstone of NJ identity-theft cases.
Read more Case Law LibraryPhilbin v. Trans Union: the mixed-file case that defined FCRA accuracy claims
The Third Circuit's roadmap for a §1681e(b) accuracy claim — the exact fact pattern still behind Jr./Sr. mix-ups today.
Read more Case Law LibraryCortez v. Trans Union: branded a terrorist match at a car dealership — and a $150,000 lesson
OFAC 'terrorist list' alerts are part of your consumer report; the Third Circuit affirmed $150,000 against Trans Union.
Read more Case Law LibrarySeamans v. Temple: "technically accurate" reporting can still violate the FCRA
Omitting a bona fide dispute — or key dates — can make technically true reporting materially misleading.
Read more Case Law LibraryThe trap in disputing directly with your bank: SimmsParris v. Countrywide
In the Third Circuit, a furnisher's FCRA duties are triggered only by a dispute routed through the bureau — not by complaining to the bank.
Read more Case Law LibraryFuges v. Southwest Financial: how defendants use the Safeco "reasonable reading" defense — and where it ends
The Third Circuit let a defendant escape willfulness under Safeco. Understanding this defense is central to FCRA strategy in NJ.
Read more Case Law LibraryLong v. SEPTA: which background-check violations get you into federal court
Third Circuit — being denied a copy of your background report before rejection is a concrete injury; a missing rights notice may not be.
Read more Case Law LibraryKelly v. RealPage: tenant-screening companies must tell you where the dirt came from
Third Circuit — a §1681g file request obligates the CRA to disclose its sources, including middleman vendors.
Read more Case Law LibraryBibbs v. Trans Union: the "reasonable reader" standard — and why context cuts both ways
Third Circuit — credit-report accuracy is judged by how a reasonable reader would understand the entire report.
Read more Case Law LibraryIngram v. Experian: the thirteen-second "investigation" — and why furnishers can't call your dispute frivolous
Third Circuit 2023 — furnishers receiving indirect disputes must investigate; reasonableness is a jury question.
Read more Case Law LibraryMigliore v. Vision Solar: a hard lesson for identity-theft victims on "permissible purpose"
Third Circuit 2025 — lenders had permissible purpose for a forged loan; identity-theft cases now aim at bureaus and furnishers.
Read more Case Law LibraryBurrell v. DFS: the D.N.J. roadmap for furnisher cases (and the preemption trap in state-law claims)
D.N.J. — §1681s-2(a) has no private right of action, and NJ CFA claims premised on credit reporting are often preempted.
Read more Case Law LibraryCosmas v. American Express: when you've already won — and the bank keeps reporting the debt
D.N.J. denied Amex summary judgment where it kept reporting a $48,000 debt after a state court held the consumer not liable.
Read more Case Law LibraryNew Jersey's own Fair Credit Reporting Act: the state-law layer on top of your federal rights
N.J.S.A. 56:11-28 et seq. — private right of action, statutory and punitive damages, extra free reports, and security freezes.
Read more Case Law LibrarySuing over a credit report error in the District of New Jersey: what to expect
A practical guide to FCRA litigation in Newark, Trenton, and Camden — from the dispute letter to fee-shifting.
Read more Case Law LibraryWhat is an FCRA case worth in the Third Circuit? The real numbers from the decisions
Compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages — with the actual awards from the published Third Circuit and D.N.J. decisions.
Read more Case Law LibraryThe Kitchen Renovation That Built New Jersey Consumer Law: Cox v. Sears Roebuck & Co.
The New Jersey Supreme Court decision that turned home-improvement regulatory violations into automatic Consumer Fraud Act violations—and defined ascertainable loss, treble damages, and fee-shifting for homeowners.
Read more Background ChecksSambaSafety driving record errors: how they cost you a job — and your FCRA rights
When SambaSafety's MVR report is wrong, you can lose a CDL, a delivery gig, or a sales job overnight. Here's the FCRA playbook.
Read more Background ChecksCheckr background check errors: disputes, deadlines, and when you can sue
Checkr powers background checks for Uber, DoorDash, and thousands of employers. Here's what to do when it gets you wrong.
Read more Background ChecksSpokeo, BeenVerified, and people-search sites: when bad data becomes an FCRA lawsuit
People-search sites are often consumer reporting agencies — and the Supreme Court has already weighed in. When you have a case.
Read more Background ChecksHow far back does a background check go in New Jersey and Maryland?
The 7-year federal rule, the $75,000 exception, and how NJ and MD layer extra protections on top.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsChexSystems and Early Warning Services: denied a bank account over bad data?
Why banks deny accounts based on ChexSystems and EWS reports, how to dispute, and when the FCRA lets you sue.
Read more Tenant ScreeningTransUnion SmartMove tenant screening errors: denied an apartment wrongly?
SmartMove reports are often wrong. Here's how to dispute, when to sue, and what damages you can recover.
Read more Identity TheftSomeone opened a credit card in my name — what to do
Step-by-step: shut down the fraudulent account, force the bureaus to remove it, and sue under the FCRA when they refuse.
Read more Unauthorized ChargesMy bank won't refund an unauthorized charge — what to do
EFTA and Regulation E often force the bank to give your money back. Here's how to make it happen — and when it becomes a lawsuit.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsHow to remove a charge-off from your credit report
Most charge-offs are reported with errors that, under the FCRA, require deletion. Here's the playbook — and the lawsuit lurking inside it.
Read more Debt CollectionDebt collector calling about a debt that isn't mine — what to do
Your FDCPA rights when a collector pursues a debt you don't owe — and the violations that turn calls into a federal case.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsMixed credit file: someone else's accounts on my report
When the bureaus blend your file with a stranger's, the FCRA hands you one of the strongest cases in consumer law.
Read more Disputed ChargesHow long does a bank have to investigate a dispute?
The exact federal deadlines for credit-card and debit-card disputes — and what happens when the bank blows past them.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsPaid collection still showing on credit report — what to do
You paid the debt and it's still tanking your score. Here's what the FCRA actually requires — and how to force a fix.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsWhat is a 1681i dispute letter? (With template)
FCRA §1681i forces the bureaus to actually investigate. Here's what to put in your letter — plus a template you can adapt.
Read more Disputed ChargesHow to dispute a credit card charge — and what to do when the bank says no
The right way to file a billing-error dispute, the deadlines that matter, and the federal law that kicks in when your bank rubber-stamps a denial.
Read more Disputed ChargesBank denied your dispute? Here's your next move
A denial isn't the end of the road. Most denials are exactly when a real legal claim against the bank begins.
Read more Refund DisputesMerchant refused your refund? Your legal options
When stores, subscription services, and online sellers stonewall a refund, state and federal laws give you teeth — including treble damages in many states.
Read more Credit Report ErrorsCan I sue for credit report errors? FCRA explained
What counts as an FCRA violation, what damages you can recover, and the exact steps that lead to a winning case against the bureaus.
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