KVBC, Channel 3, has partnered wtih Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
to bring the community tips on how to save money and how to beware of
scams. See some of the tips below which Channel 3 has provided its
viewers.
Homestead
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE...JIM SNYDER HERE...SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
HERE'S SOME ADVICE FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.
IF YOU OWN A HOUSE OR MOBILE HOME…YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT FILING A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO PROTECT IT. A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION PREVENTS A CREDITOR FROM FORCING A COURT-ORDERED SALE OF YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE TO SATISFY A DEBT. IT WON'T PROTECT YOU FROM TODAY'S MAJOR ECONOMIC PROBLEM -- HOME FORECLOSURE... BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPLY TO MORTGAGES OR LIENS AGAINST YOU FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS. BUT FOR CREDIT-CARD DEBTS, PERSONAL LOANS OR ACCIDENT LIABILITIES, A HOMESTEAD COULD KEEP YOU IN YOUR HOME.
YOU CAN FILE A DECLARATION OF HOMESTEAD FOR 14 DOLLARS AT THE COUNTY RECORDER'S OFFICE.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE... SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
THIS ONE COMES TO US FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.
IF A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER ASKS YOU TO CO-SIGN A LOAN FOR THEM... BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO. WHEN YOU SIGN YOUR NAME TO A CONTRACT TO HELP SOMEONE GET A LOAN, YOU'RE PROMISING TO PAY BACK THAT LOAN IF THEY CAN'T IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS IF YOU TOOK THE LOAN OUT FOR YOURSELF. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SIGNING CONTRACTS… CHECK OUT THE LEGAL AID CENTER WEBSITE.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE... SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
THIS ONE COMES TO US FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.
HAS SOMEONE WRITTEN YOU A CHECK... AND YOU DON'T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT WHERE YOU CAN CASH IT? YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO TO A CHECK CASHING STORE WHERE THEY CHARGE YOU A FEE.
IF YOU GO TO THE BANK WHERE THE CHECK WAS ISSUED, MANY WILL DO IT FOR YOU... FOR FREE.
JUST LOOK AT THE NAME OF THE BANK THAT'S ON THE CHECK... AND GO TO ANY OF THEIR BRANCHES.
THEY WILL CASH THE CHECK AS LONG AS YOU HAVE I-D.
Buying a Used Car
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, JIM SNYDER HERE... SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING. THIS ONE'S FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA. IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT BUYING A USED CAR ON CREDIT, THEN YOU NEED TO SHOP FOR BOTH THE CAR AND A LOAN.
YOUR BEST BET IS TO GET THE LOAN PRE-APPROVED BY A CREDIT UNION OR BANK FIRST... THAT WAY, YOU KNOW THE INTEREST RATE YOU QUALIFY FOR, SO YOU CAN COMPARE IT WITH THE ONE THE DEALER'S OFFERING. AND ONCE YOU FIND A CAR YOU LIKE, BE SURE TO TAKE IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND HAVE A REPUTABLE MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU BUY. MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY HAVE THREE DAYS TO RETURN A CAR BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN NEVADA. HERE, AS SOON AS YOU BUY A CAR, IT'S YOURS.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE... SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
THIS ONE COMES TO US FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.
HAVE YOU EVER BROUGHT YOUR CAR TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS... AND BEEN SHOCKED AT THE COST WHEN YOU GO TO PICK IT UP? YOU CAN AVOID THAT BY ALWAYS REQUESTING A WRITTEN ESTIMATE BEFORE ANY WORK IS DONE. UNDER NEVADA LAW... THAT ESTIMATE MUST INCLUDE THE TOTAL CHARGES FOR LABOR, PARTS AND ACCESSORIES. AND THEN THE SHOP HAS TO GET YOUR PERMISSION IN ADVANCE IF THE FINAL PRICE EXCEEDS THE ESTIMATE BY 20 PERCENT.. OR 40 DOLLARS... WHICHEVER'S LESS.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE... SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
THIS ONE COMES TO US FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING AN "INSTANT CASH" TAX REFUND? HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW -- THOSE REFUNDS ARE ACTUALLY EXPENSIVE LOANS... SOMETIMES WITH TRIPLE DIGIT INTEREST RATES. THE LAW REQUIRES TAX PREPARERS TO LET YOU KNOW UPFRONT ABOUT THE COSTS, FEES, AND INTEREST YOU'LL BE CHARGED. SO MAKE SURE TO REVIEW ALL THE INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE IT'S WORTH THE EXTRA COST. PLUS... IF YOU FILE YOUR TAXES ONLINE... AND HAVE YOUR MONEY DEPOSITED DIRECTLY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT, YOU SHOULD GET YOUR REFUND IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.
Wage Garnishments
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE... SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
THIS ONE COMES TO US FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.
WAGE GARNISHMENT IS THE PROCESS WHERE A BUSINESS OR CREDITOR HAS A JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU... AND THE COURT ALLOWS THEM TO TAKE THAT MONEY DIRECTLY FROM YOUR PAYCHECK.
IN NEVADA, THE CREDITOR CAN TAKE 25 PERCENT OF YOUR WAGES AFTER FEDERAL TAXES AND SOCIAL SECURITY HAVE BEEN TAKEN... BUT THEY CAN'T TAKE ANY MONEY UNLESS YOUR MONTHLY WAGES ARE MORE THAN $1420 A MONTH.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE...JIM SNYDER...SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING. ARE
YOU LOOKING FOR SOME GENERAL LEGAL INFORMATION... BUT DON'T HAVE THE
MONEY TO CONSULT WITH AN ATTORNEY? OUR FRIENDS AT LEGAL AID CENTER OF
SOUTHERN NEVADA ALONG WITH THE UNLV WILLIAM S. BOYD SCHOOL OF LAW OFFER
FREE LEGAL INFORMATION CLASSES TO THE PUBLIC IN THE AREAS OF DIVORCE,
CUSTODY, GUARDIANSHIP, SMALL CLAIMS AND BANKRUPTCY. THE TWO-HOUR
CLASSES ARE TAUGHT BY LAW STUDENTS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN
ATTORNEY. WEEKLY CLASSES ARE HELD AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER DOWNTOWN...
AND AT BOYD LAW SCHOOL.
See the calendar on the right for class information.
Social Security Information
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE, SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
OUR FRIENDS AT LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA ASKED US TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT A NEW PROGRAM THAT HELPS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES GET THEIR CLAIMS HEARD FASTER.
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION HAS CREATED THE "COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES INITIATIVE" TO SPEED UP THE PROCESSING OF DISABILITY CLAIMS FOR APPLICANTS WITH SEVERE MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
THE PROGRAM IS NOW AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH ONE OF 50 CONDITIONS -- 25 RARE DISEASES AND 25 TYPES OF CANCER -- AND, OVER TIME, MORE CONDITIONS WILL BE ADDED.
A LIST OF THOSE FIRST 50 CONDITIONS CAN BE FOUND AT THE LEGAL AID WEBSITE.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE... JIM SNYDER HERE, SAVING YOU MONEY THIS MORNING.
THIS COMES TO US FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE LEGAL AID CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA....
IF YOU YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING YOUR STUDENT LOANS... THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO AVOID GOING INTO DEFAULT.
ONE WAY... IS TO REQUEST A DEFERMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
IF YOU'RE APPOVED... YOU CAN STOP MAKING PAYMENTS AND KEEP INTEREST FROM ACCRUING.
YOU CAN ALSO ASK FOR A FORBEARANCE. THAT LETS YOU STOP MAKING PAYMENTS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME... SO YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF MEDICAL ISSUES OR PERSONAL PROBLEMS.
INTEREST WILL CONTINUE TO ACCRUE... BUT IT WILL GIVE YOU SOME TEMPORARY RELIEF.
THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU TOOK OUT YOUR LOAN.
TO FIND OUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN YOUR CASE... CONTACT YOUR LENDER OR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
