Author Katelyn Hayes Archive

The grief of losing a child is unbearable enough, but as one New York couple found, keeping their dead son’s creditor’s at bay is ever more burdensome. According to this report on FoxNews.com, Roco and Laurie Crimeni are forced to relive the same pain they felt burying their 27-year-old son Vincent — who collapsed and died of a heart attack while playing softball almost a year ago — nearly every time the phone rings.

Why? Because creditors are demanding payment for the debts he left behind. Legally, though, these creditors have no right to do so. If there aren’t any assets left behind, and debts are in the deceased’s name only, family members are not required to pay. Yet this couple is being straight-up harassed over their dead son’s outstanding bills!

My heart goes out to them. They’re just trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, but they aren’t being given the opportunity to move on. Roco had this to say to MYFOXNY.com:

“I’m afraid to pick up the phone in my own home,” he said. “That’s the hard part, to tell them my son is dead. How many times do I have to repeat it?”

Only Macy’s agreed to forgive the debt, and even then, only after reporters got involved. I understand it’s a harsh economy and everyone is trying to stay afloat, but the law is the law, and there’s no excuse for the creditors to continue to upset this couple. Even if New York were a community property state, which it’s not, the burden wouldn’t fall to his parents anyway; it would be left for a spouse to handle — if he was married.

I only hope the rest of these harassing creditors lay off. The family is not obligated to pay. The creditors need to move on to the next name on the list. Maybe they’ll have better luck there, and this family will finally find some peace.

Have you ever been bullied by collection agency to pay off a deceased family member’s debt? How did you handle it?

Today’s job hunters face incredible challenges. Thousands of positions are slashed every week, making employment competition tougher every day. Everyone needs an edge that will pull him or her ahead of the pack. The first rule of job-hunting is to ensure that you put your best foot forward, on paper and in person. But in addition to presenting an impeccable resume and impressive portfolio, job hunters today have to concern themselves with how their personal lives are portrayed online — information that for many is readily available on multiple websites.

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace offer potential employers windows into the private lives of job hunters like never before. Most job counselors would advise you to take down personal pages, as they can only hinder your chances of getting hired. But in an ever-changing economy and working environment, why not use such sites to your advantage?

Here are six ways social networking sites can boost your image, your job opportunities and ultimately your bottom line:

1. Market yourself to employers. Delete any compromising photographs of you and your friends, and tailor your page to portray yourself in a positive light. Maybe that means posting a G-rated photograph of your family on vacation, or an image of you pitching in at the local community service project. Employers prefer well-rounded candidates, so put your many dimensions on display.
2. Make your page an online portfolio. Have you been featured in a news article? Are items you’ve authored or designed available online? Post your online accomplishments on your page so employers can see all you have to offer.
3. Use the “About Me” section for your best sales pitch. Employers don’t need to know how you like to spend your Saturday nights. Instead, treat the “About Me” section as valuable real estate; use it to your advantage. Write a summary of your accomplishments and goals.
4. Inform your friends that you’re on a job hunt. Ask them to refrain from posting objectionable material on your page, or to avoid making public references to your drinking habits.
5. Keep your work and contact information updated. Make yourself as available as possible to employers.
   
6. Join a social networking site dedicated to making career connections. Sites like LinkedIn.com are dedicated to maintaining and expanding business contacts. The site also hosts job listings.

Hoping to move some inventory in 2009, Hyundai is offering to take back your new car if you lose your job or declare bankruptcy within one year of purchase. That’s right, you can return a new car the same way you’d return a sweater to the Gap, and without the fear of it negatively impacting your credit rating. The carmaker’s plan to forgive loans is the boldest move an automaker has come up with to combat guarded consumer-spending habits since the credit crunch and recession began.

Hyundai’s “Assurance” program is available on all new cars sold and leased through Hyundai financing, and is open to everyone, regardless of age, health or employment. In addition, the carmaker will accept new car returns in the case of physical disability, accidental death, loss of license for medical reasons or international job transfers. Hyundai will also cover up to $7,500 in negative equity. You’ll only owe what you did before the qualifying event occurred.

In an era that’s seeing hundreds of thousands of jobs slashed every month and the most jobs lost in the fourth quarter since World War II, people are afraid to saddle themselves with additional debt.1 But for many, owning a reliable vehicle is critical to earning a living at all.

The car conundrum is just another example of the recession’s grip on Americans. Economists agree the single-biggest recession trap is the lack of consumer spending. But spending money on a non-necessity is a scary prospect for people who don’t know if they can afford next month’s mortgage payment. It’s the ultimate “Catch-22″.

That’s why the Assurance program is such a breath of fresh air. Consumers can take the risk, spend money and hopefully spark auto sales, all with the security of a safety net should the bottom fall out.  Perhaps this initiative, coupled with current low gas prices, will crack the ice on consumer spending. And anything to spark spending is a move in the right direction to help America pull out of a recession that seems to have no end in sight.

Footnotes

1 “Carnage continues with 524,000 jobs lost in Dec. Unemployment rate rises to 7.2%, the highest in 16 years,” MarketWatch, Jan. 9, 2008

In these wallet-tightening times, everyone could use a refresher course in frugality. Many Americans need to stretch every dollar further than ever before. Approached properly, you can reduce the harsh sting of a tightened budget to only a minor irritation. Simple adjustments to how you shop can end up saving you big without deviating too far from your standard of living.

Here are five ideas to help you shop successfully and save:

1. Coupons: Never leave home without them. Whether you’re shopping online or heading to the stores, be sure to check online for coupons first. Many stores offer discounts you can apply to online or in-store sales. Explore sites like MyCoupons.com that keep a running tally of what stores are offering which deals.
2. Don’t throw expired coupons away. Some stores honor coupons even after the published expiration date, so have one on hand to present at checkout. You have nothing to lose, and hopefully some money to save.
3. Take advantage of price adjustments. Few things are more frustrating than purchasing something you’ve been waiting for only to find out it’s on sale only a few days later. Don’t fret; many stores — like the Gap — will grant a price adjustment reflecting the lowered cost. Simply present your receipt to the store within the allotted timeframe.
4. Sign up for merchant emails. In-boxes are already crammed with enough junk mail to wade through without adding endless coupons and discount notifications into the mix. But skipping store mailing lists could cost you big. Instead, create a new email address dedicated to store newsletters. You’ll be the first to know when great discounts are in the pipeline.
5. Enjoy the return of layaway. A shopping staple of the 1950s, layaway had all but become extinct with the advent of credit cards. Shoppers feeling the credit crunch this year have returned to the old standby to avoid racking up expensive interest fees. For a long time, Kmart stood alone as a layaway provider, but stores like TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and Burlington Coat Factory are getting in on the action too.