MONTH-TO-MONTH TENANCIES DON’T MEAN A LACK OF RIGHTS         Recently, I met with a nice young woman who was told to get out of her apartment.  She had lived in the apartment for almost a decade, so she was...

Renter Rights 101: Don’t Let them Lock You Out!           In the City of Chicago, it happens everyday.  Rent is late.  Maybe there were a few furlough days at work.  Or an emergency repair....

What are Things that my Landlord Can’t Do?       In Chicago and the Chicagoland area, renting can seem like the Wild Wild West.  We’ve heard horror stories about conditions.  In one case, a client came to...

OWNING A CAR IN CHICAGO MEANS SHELLING OUT MORE BUCKS     We hear it all the time: How am I going to get around without a car?  It doesn’t matter if you’re just out of high school or a senior citizen, a car is fast...

How Do I Protect my Security Deposit?       One of the most frustrating things in the world is losing money, like that five-dollar bill in your back pocket that got eaten by the washing machine.  But what about a security...

How Can I Keep My Things and Still File Bankruptcy?           I had a friend who recently shared with me that she once survived a tornado.  She was a child when it happened and lived in a rural area in the...

When it comes to Lawsuits, take it Seriously BUT Don’t Be Scared!       What do you think of when you hear the word “lawsuit?”  Maybe a couple of boring guys in suits, or a scary and impending judge...

An unexpected job loss can seem like the end of the world.  After all, the next day in itself is a mystery!  And when it comes to personal finance, nothing is more devastating than a loss of income.  However, it’s not the end of...

The past decades have brought a lot of great inventions but none perhaps are so pervasive as a cell phone.  In a few short decades, the cell phone has gone from being a laughable luxury to a necessity.  More than 90% of American adults...

Should I Get a Bank Account?         Banking is not a fun topic but it’s a growing governmental concern.  According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the amount of households who are still unbanked...