How to Shop for a Car Loan

Shopping for a car loan requires time spent researching various options. Lets take a look at a few of these options.

Lets assume you are purchasing a new car from a dealership. Odds are before you leave the lot with your new car, you will be escorted into the financial office where you may be asked to sign up with a specific insurance company. While this may save time and, in some instances money, you may wish to shop around and ascertain if there are more affordable rates out there.

Shopping around for the most affordable rate is a good idea. Where do you begin? Call or visit your bank. Ask about their car loans and interest rates. If you have obtained other loans from your bank, they are more inclined to offer you the best rate.

Also, check other banks in your area. They may offer slightly lower rates than your bank and perhaps you can use this lower rate as an incentive to your own bank to work with you.

Another option is to check with finance companies. Keep in mind, however, that their interest rates may be higher due to the fact that they work independently. That is, they borrow money at lower rates and then hike it up to consumers.

Credit unions are another option you can check. If you are a member, you can enjoy reduced rates on loans.

Online websites also offer a wide range of loans and interest rates. However, ensure that the company is legitimate, has a telephone number and address on its website, and is an approved licensed entity. It should be noted that if you do decide to use online websites, you may be inundated with emails and phone calls, particularly if the information you provide is given out to third parties.

Finally, you may wish to consider a home equity loan. There are two benefits using this option. One; the interest rate may be lower, and two; you can deduct the interest on your income tax. Here too, there is a risk - if the mortgage payments cannot be made, the home may be placed in jeopardy. However, with a car loan, the most you can lose is the car.

Employee Rights Attorneys: What Do They Do?

In a perfect world, working to make a living would be trouble-free. We couldn't have to worry about discrimination in hiring, fair compensation or unfair termination. But the working world is far from perfect. And that's why there are employee rights attorneys.

Lawyers who specialize in employee rights can help us with a variety of issues. They know the laws that govern what employers can and cannot do, and they can help employees negotiate or file suit if necessary. Here are some of the things an employee rights attorney can help you with.

* Discrimination : Employers are not allowed to discriminate against employees or job applicants on the basis of age, gender, race, social class, money, national origin or religion. They also may not discriminate against the disabled if it is possible to make reasonable accommodations for them in the workplace.

* Privacy : Employees have certain privacy rights that must be observed in most states. Generally, possessions and storage lockers may not be searched by the employer, and he may not listen in on phone conversations and voicemail messages. Email and Internet usage while at work, however, may be monitored.

* Harassment : Employers must not harass employees, and they must not allow co-workers to harass one another.

* Safety : Every employer must provide a safe work environment. Safety hazards must be avoided as much as practicable. Dangerous substances must be labeled, and Material Safety Data Sheets must be available.

* Fair wages and breaks : Employees must receive fair wages for work performed. Laws regarding overtime pay must be observed. Employers are also required to provide breaks as set forth by law.

* Whistle blower rights : Employees should not be victims of retaliation from the company if they make complaints.

* Leaves of absence : Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, employers must allow most employees to take a leave of absence for up to twelve weeks for medical reasons, or to care for a sick family member. The employer is not required to provide pay during this time, but must hold the employee's position or an equivalent one until he returns.

* Termination : Employers must not wrongfully terminate employees. They may also be required to provide certain severance benefits according to contracts or company policy.

* Severance packages - An employee rights attorney can also help workers negotiate severance packages. This is important if the employee feels that he is not getting a fair shake when his employment ends. Even if terms are spelled out in a contract or handbook, an attorney may be able to help you get more benefits.

If you are experiencing trouble in the workplace, an employee rights attorney can help protect your rights. And if your employer takes adverse action against you because you obtained representation or filed suit, your attorney can help you retain your job or receive compensation.

Equal Pay Act Explained

In decades past, gender discrimination in the workplace was rampant. It was perfectly legal for employers to pay women less than men who were in the same position, even if their seniority and quality of work were equal. Newspapers even published job listings for men and women separately, and the same jobs advertised for men were often advertised for women with lower pay.

Pressure to give women equal pay for equal work began during World War II, when more women began to enter the workforce in the absence of men who were in the military. But it was not until two decades later that a law was passed making discrimination in pay illegal. The Equal Pay Act went into effect on June 11, 1964.

The Equal Pay Act is an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Although intended to help women in the workplace, the law states that neither sex may be paid less than the other for the same work when everything else is equal. This requirement may not be avoided by using different job titles for equivalent jobs.

Rulings and Amendments

There have been many court cases involving the Equal Pay Act. One of the most important was Schultz v. Wheaton Glass Co., in which it was ruled that jobs need only be substantially equal, not identical, to require protection under the Equal Pay Act. Corning Glass Works v. Brennan determined that paying women less because they would receive less under the going stock market rate was illegal. And Ledbetter v. Goodyear set the rules for the statute of limitations for equal pay lawsuits.

Under Ledbetter v. Goodyear, plaintiffs had 180 days from the date pay was agreed upon to file a lawsuit under the Equal Pay Act. So if a worker did not discover inequality in pay until after that time frame, she had no recourse. But the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 amended the law so that the statute of limitations is reset with each discriminatory paycheck. That means that workers now have until 180 days after receiving their final paycheck to file suit.

Legal Defenses

In order to establish a case under the Equal Pay Act, an employee must prove that wages differ between sexes for equal work that requires equal skill, effort and responsibility, and that working conditions are similar in each cited case. If these things are proven, the employer may avoid liability only by proving that wages are determined by seniority, merit, production quantity or quality, or some other factor besides gender.

The Equal Pay Act has narrowed the wage gap between the sexes, but women still earn less than men. This is often attributed to lower raises and shorter duration of employment for women. While the Equal Pay Act has improved pay for women, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Fair Credit Reporting Act Explained

Your credit report can affect numerous aspects of your life. It impacts your ability to get credit and the amount you pay for it, but that's not all. It can also affect your insurance rates, employment prospects and even your ability to rent a place to live.

Keeping our credit reports accurate and private is of the utmost importance. This is why the government created the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Enacted in 1971, this law contains several provisions that govern how credit reports are maintained and used.

Terms of the FCRA

* Only certain organizations with legitimate business reasons may request an individual's credit report. These include creditors, employers, insurers, and in certain cases, government agencies. Other parties can only receive your credit report if you request it for them.

* Credit reporting agencies may distribute names and contact information of those for whom they maintain files for marketing purposes. You can, however, request that they do not distribute your information, and they must comply. Requests may be made by phone or mail.

* If a lender or other party denies credit or takes other adverse action based on information contained in a credit report, they must notify the consumer in writing. They must also provide the name and contact information of the bureau from which the report was obtained.

* Consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit reports if they are denied credit or subjected to other adverse action based on information contained therein. They may also receive one free copy of their report from each bureau once a year under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, an amendment to the FCRA that was passed in 2003. Credit bureaus may charge a fee for additional reports.

* Errors on your credit report may be disputed by writing to the credit bureau. The credit bureau must investigate your claim within 30 days, and if they find that the information was erroneous, they must remove it and notify the other major credit bureaus. If they do not remove the information, you may add a summary explanation to your report stating why you disagree with the decision.

* The amount of time that negative finance information may remain on a credit report is governed by the FCRA. Delinquencies must be removed no later than seven years from the original delinquency, and bankruptcies must remain on the report for no longer than ten years.

The FCRA makes it easier for us to keep track of the information on our credit reports, and it protects us from improper use of that information. Knowing our rights under this legislation can help us maintain an accurate credit report, which will make it easier to obtain credit.

Maternity Leave: Know Your Rights, but Also Know the Financial Impact

Having a baby is a blessed event, but it also leaves a mother-to-be with a lot of things to think about. She needs to outfit the nursery, buy baby clothes and diapers, pick out a name and much more. And if she is employed, she needs to consider how to handle maternity leave.

As in most countries, United States law gives pregnant women certain rights when it comes to employment. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 governs most aspects of maternity leave. But it's important to realize that the law has a number of limitations.

Under the FMLA, new mothers are entitled to up to twelve weeks of leave. The leave may begin before or when the baby is born. The employer is required to hold the mother's job or a comparable one for her in her absence, as long as she does not exceed the twelve-week time limit.

It's important to remember, however, that these requirements do not apply in all situations. Companies that have less than fifty employees do not have to grant maternity leave. Even in companies that are required to grant leave, the employee must have been with the company continuously for at least a year and have at least 1,250 hours of service.

Another thing that's important to understand about maternity leave is that employers are not required to pay employees while they are out of work. They are only required to continue paying for health insurance. Some employers choose to offer paid maternity leave, but they are under no legal obligation to do so.

Employers can also require those taking maternity leave to use vacation time and sick leave before taking leave under the FMLA. This will result in getting paid for part of your time off, but it will probably also leave you without paid time to use once the leave is over. So if you have to take a day off because you or your baby are sick, you probably will not receive compensation.

Unpaid maternity leave can put a strain on the budget, especially during a time when you are experiencing many new expenses. That's why it's so important to know your employer's policies ahead of time. If you will not be paid during your leave, it's crucial to save up some money to tide you over until you get back to work.

It's important to take the time to recuperate and bond with your baby after his birth. But it's also important to make sure you have enough money to make it during this time. So be sure to study your employer's policies carefully, and if you will not be paid, make sure you have the reserves to make it on a reduced income.