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HomeFinancial Protection

Georgia struggles to protect residents from debt collectors

3 days ago by Natasha Taylor 0 0 0
Georgia struggles to protect residents from debt collectors

By T.A. DeFeo, The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square) — Georgia’s consumer protections against debt collectors are among the worst in the nation. That’s according to a new report from the National Consumer Law Center, which...

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How title lenders trap poor Georgians in debt with triple-digit interest rates

November 14, 2022 by Sarah Phillips 0 0 0
How title lenders trap poor Georgians in debt with triple-digit interest rates

By Margaret Coker/The Current GA, Joel Jacobs/ProPublica, with research by Mollie Simon/ProPublica — For some Georgia residents, title pawn contracts offer a quick way to obtain desperately needed cash. But poor regulation of a confusing system traps many...

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Metro Atlanta company suffers data breach, affecting 54K inmates

October 5, 2022 by Sarah Phillips 0 0 0
Metro Atlanta company suffers data breach, affecting 54K inmates

By Zach Hansen, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Experts say incarcerated people make for desirable identity theft targets A Forsyth County company that provides healthcare for people inside correctional facilities nationwide was the target of a recent...

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Reflecting on the Community Benefit and Economic Stability (CBES) Project

July 20, 2022 by Sarah Phillips 0 0 0
Reflecting on the Community Benefit and Economic Stability (CBES) Project

By Sarah C. Phillips, Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy, Georgia Watch – Since 2021, Georgia Watch, Georgians for a Healthy Future (GHF), and SOWEGA Rising have worked to protect consumers in Southwest Georgia from unaffordable medical bills and debt...

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Consumers who owe medical bills will receive help as of July in terms of their credit report

April 6, 2022 by Sarah Phillips 0 0 0

By JoAnn Merrigan, WSAV — Up to 19% of people in Georgia have a medical bill that’s in collections. “And it’s even higher among people of color, up to 21%,” says Liz Coyle from Georgia Watch.“Sometimes those debts remain on consumers’ credit reports for...

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Engaging the Community to Promote Medical Billing Transparency and Reduce Debt in Southwest Georgia

January 26, 2022 by Sarah Phillips 0 0 0

By Sarah C. Phillips, Senior Manager of Policy & Advocacy, Georgia Watch – Medical Debt in Southwest Georgia Medical debt accounts for more than half of all personal debt, affecting the lives of insured and uninsured people alike. In Georgia, where our...

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Collecting Community Stories of Medical Debt in Southwest Georgia

December 6, 2021 by Georgia Watch 0 0 0

By: Whitney Griggs – Georgians for a Healthy Future – In the spring of this year, Georgians for a Healthy Future, Georgia Watch, and SOWEGA Rising launched a project in Southwest Georgia to address the burden of medical debt. Southwest Georgia...

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Georgia Watch Releases Report on Need for Garnishment Reform

November 12, 2021 by Georgia Watch 0 0 0

J. Laney’s car was repossessed in 2009—at the time of repossession, she owed $10,000, but she received a letter stating it had been resold and thought that was the end of it. Over a decade later, in 2021, she realized her wages had recently started being...

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Federal regulators say Atlanta-based Greensky owes millions to customers

July 15, 2021 by Georgia Watch 0 0 0
Federal regulators say Atlanta-based Greensky owes millions to customers

By Justin Gray, WSB-TV (Watch Now) – ATLANTA — An Atlanta company that has been at the center of a series of Channel 2 Action News investigations is now being ordered by federal regulators to pay back millions of dollars to customers...

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Factsheet: What You Need to Know about Georgia’s Surprise Billing Law

June 21, 2021 by Georgia Watch 0 0 0
Factsheet: What You Need to Know about Georgia’s Surprise Billing Law

The Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act went into effect in January, making Georgia the 16th state to have adopted comprehensive protections against surprise medical bills. Georgia Watch and Georgians for a Healthy Future advocated for...

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Debt relief firm costs man nearly $17k, how Better Call Harry helps

May 26, 2021 by Berneta Haynes 0 0 0
Debt relief firm costs man nearly $17k, how Better Call Harry helps

By Harry Samler – CBS46 (Watch Now) GRIFFIN, Ga. — A report by creditcard.com says more than half of America got itself deep into debt during last year’s pandemic. Abasi Kitt did his best to work out a payment plan. Kitt is a Marta Bus...

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Consumers Complain About Quick Loans From Metro Atlanta Company

May 25, 2021 by Berneta Haynes 0 0 0
Consumers Complain About Quick Loans From Metro Atlanta Company

By Justin Gray – WSB-TV ATLANTA — UPDATE: Channel 2 investigative reporter Justin Gray has learned that Attorney General Chris Carr’s office is now investigating Greensky. We confirmed the state investigation after an open records request...

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