PandA Law Firm Blog

Question: I took out a 10-year, interest-only mortgage to purchase a new home in 2006, and now it’s adjusting. I’ve never missed a payment, but the payment is about to go up from $550 to almost $1,400 per month. I’m underemployed, I can’t afford the new payment and I’m also underwater, so I can’t seem to qualify for refinancing. Is

Question: I’ve been getting calls lately from a company that is promising to settle my credit-card debt for a small percentage of what I owe, as long as I pay an up-front fee for their services. How does this work? Is this a legitimate way to settle my debt?

In the Aug. 28 edition of The Sunday, we went over the basics of tracking your spending. But understanding your spending is just the first step in creating a simple budget. I know “budget” is a scary word for some; it involves planning, math and discipline. But what is a budget? At the most basic level, budgeting means planning before

Question: There’s a bunch of stuff on my credit reports that isn’t right. Some of it isn’t even mine. I wrote letters questioning the incorrect line items, but almost everything came back as verified or accurate. I’m desperate, but I don’t know what to do. 

Student loan debt and the cost of higher education in the United States are hotly contested and pressing issues for consumers, educational institutions and lawmakers. Marketwatch reports there is $1.3 trillion owed in student loan debt in this country, making it the second-largest type of consumer debt behind only mortgages. Further, about 11.6 percent of that debt ($146 billion) is

In previous weeks, we’ve gone over tracking your expenses and creating a basic budget for essential spending. Once you’ve started with these skills and made appropriate adjustments to ensure you’re bringing in more money than you are spending, it’s time to start building an emergency fund. Imagine the last financial crisis you had. It was likely something you didn’t expect,

In a state as car-centric as Nevada, being a pedestrian or cyclist can leave you vulnerable, especially when fatality rates have seen such a dramatic rise. In 2015, there were 73 reported pedestrian fatalities, up from 36 in 2009. While these numbers on their own are alarming, they don’t account for the people injured when hit by a car. Knowing

In previous editions, we tackled budgeting for the essentials and setting up an emergency fund for the unexpected. Now, it’s time to talk about the most difficult part of personal finance: debt. Being in debt is no fun. Getting harassed by debt collectors because you’re behind is even worse. Fortunately, there are several avenues for getting out of debt. Once

How much do you really know about credit scores? If you’re like most people, you probably believe your score is a magic number that tells a bank whether it should let you buy a house or car, or issue you a credit card, and what interest rate banks will charge you when they lend you money. A common misconception is

Question: I was involved in a car accident that left me with substantial medical bills. I’m already getting calls from the insurance company about a settlement. I want to resolve the issue quickly, but I still have follow-up appointments with my doctor and I’m worried the settlement amount won’t cover the full cost of my expenses. What should I do?

Question: I’m in my 80s and have recently been hit with medical bills that are more than I’m able to pay on a monthly basis. My daughter suggested I take out a reverse mortgage to increase my cash flow. I need the money now and have plenty of equity in my home, but it seems risky. What would a reverse

You’ve found your dream home. Your offer has been accepted. There are no major problems disclosed by the seller, and the inspection comes back with a clean bill of health. Everything receives the green light and you proceed with the purchase. And then, a few months later, you discover a costly issue that, had you been aware of it, would

Elsewhere in the country, visiting a hotel is typically reserved for vacations, but in Southern Nevada, resorts are part of many people’s daily lives. Whether you’re dining at a restaurant on the Strip, relaxing at the pool or spa or going shopping, most of us stroll through a hotel property a few times a month. So, what happens if you’re

When choosing car insurance, many tend to pick the cheapest option that fulfills the minimum legal requirement, but that’s not always enough. Choosing the right insurance policy can be achieved, even on a budget. If you’re shopping for a new policy or haven’t evaluated your existing policy in a while, the beginning of the year is a good time to

With the start of the New Year comes the opportunity to make resolutions to improve your current financial situation. Here is a financial planning checklist to help ensure you’re setting yourself up for a successful and profitable 2017.

As ride-hailing services increase in popularity across the Las Vegas Valley, so do consumers’ questions about liability in the event of an accident. These types of accidents can be complicated, and the liability can drastically change depending on the circumstances. Additionally, accidents involving a taxi service can be tricky. Here’s what you need to know if you’re involved in an

The holiday season is one of the busiest times to be on the road, and can be one of the most dangerous. With family road trips, crazed holiday shoppers and an endless array of party invitations to fulfill, everyone is on the move this month — and often in a hurry. The traffic will be heavy and distractions will be

As we head into the holidays, Americans will be inundated with ads proclaiming “no interest for 90 days!” or “no payments until 2018.” Maybe those dates stretch out further, and maybe you’ll even see ads claiming no interest/no payments at all. The array of marketing offers during the holidays seems endless. At the end of the day, “cheap,” “low” or

The deadline for enrollment in most national and state government mortgage relief programs — Dec. 31 — is quickly approaching, and Nevadans need to take heed. What is the foreclosure mediation program? Nevada’s Foreclosure Mediation Program (FMP) is a state-funded program that allows homeowners to sit down with their mortgage lender and a mediator to help find an alternative to