Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, along with Representatives Jamie Raskin and Kevin Kiley have introduced a new federal Anti-SLAPP law known as the Free Speech Protection Act (“FSPA”). The purpose of the FSPA is, like all Anti-SLAPP laws, to further solidify the constitutional protections of the First Amendment for free speech and association and the right to petition for redress by causing the early dismissal of frivolous or abusive litigation which infringes upon those rights. By protecting these important First Amendment rights, one could reasonably argue that the FSPA is the most classical American legislation currently before this term of…

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced a surprise move to close 6 federal prison camps and permanently close FCI Dublin. FCI Dublin, a troubled women’s prison in California that earned the name “Rape Club” after the warden, chaplain and several staff members were found guilty of federal crimes for inappropriate relationships with female prisoners. The move caught most everyone in the BOP off guard. AFGE Local 1237 President FCI Mendota, told me in an interview that this was a complete surprise. “As a local union preside and longtime employee, I find it extremely disheartening that the Director blindsided the…

Successful wealth planning involves a healthy mixture of assessing your current finances and looking toward the future. For the present, you might assess how your wealth advisor—if you have one—has serviced your wealth up to this point. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, take an honest look at where you’ve succeeded or failed yourself. But what about looking to the future? Whether you’re looking for a new wealth advisor or thinking about taking a more hands-on approach, it’s important to see what help is available for oversight of your wealth. Here are two ways the wealth advisory industry is evolving. A More…

Customers charged illegal fees by two of the largest credit repair firms will soon see a refund check, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday.The CFPB says it will distribute $1.8 billion to 4.3 million consumers who were charged illegal advance fees by Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com, which used telemarketing to offer credit repair services to customers. “Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com exploited vulnerable consumers who were trying to rebuild their credit, charging them illegal junk fees for results they hadn’t delivered,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a news release. What are credit repair services?Credit repair services can help consumers…

The Hidden Costs of Capping Credit Card Interest Rates In September this year, during a campaign rally in New York, Donald Trump proposed capping credit card interest rates at 10%. Others from Josh Hawley to Bernie Sanders have also taken up the cause. Lost in this proposal are millions of Americans who may lose their credit card overnight, not because they mismanaged their finances, but because a new policy made it unprofitable for lenders to offer credit. Many borrowers, even those with good credit scores, could see their accounts terminated under an interest rate cap, leaving them scrambling for alternatives…

Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions. In this episode: Learn how to diversify investments, leverage tax-advantaged accounts, and set realistic goals for long-term financial growth.How can you diversify your investment portfolio and reduce risk? What are the best ways to save and grow $44,000 in seven years? Hosts Sean Pyles and Sara Rathner discuss investment strategies and realistic goal setting to help you make smarter financial decisions. They begin by sharing a discussion of tax-advantaged accounts featuring Investing Nerd Alana Benson, with tips and tricks on understanding Roth IRAs and 401(k)s, leveraging employer…

As we approach the end of 2024, have you taken your required minimum distribution? This may be the first time you’ve heard that taxes are due on monies that you have not paid taxes on. If you’re like many that I talk with, you weren’t even aware that taxes would ever be do. You were told that this money was tax free. It’s important to act promptly to avoid penalties. Some custodians will not guarantee that they can honor processing your RMD past a certain date. The penalty for a missed RMD used to be 50% of the amount not…

While the final verdict on the holiday season won’t be known for several months, the initial results from the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday contained a lot of encouraging numbers for retailers. E-commerce was the biggest winner over the weekend, showing the strongest growth year over year. U.S. online sales for the weekend were $41.1 billion, and online spending set new records on each of the five days, according to data from Adobe Analytics. The National Retail Federation (NRF), in a holiday recap, applauded the news that more Americans shopped over the holiday weekend than had previously been…

A sweeping new student loan forgiveness initiative based on hardship trumpeted by the Biden administration reached a key milestone this week, bringing the program closer to implementation. But with Donald Trump set to return to the White House in January, it appears increasingly likely that the program may never actually launch. The Education Department published draft regulations for the new student loan forgiveness program last month. The rule publication triggered a 30-day public comment period, a key administrative step that concluded this week. With the comment period now closed as of Monday, the department can now review the public feedback…

From Winter to Renaissance: The Great Transformation From Winter to Renaissance: The Great Transformation The brutal crypto winter of 2022-2023 has given way to an extraordinary renaissance in digital assets. At its heart, this rebirth extends far beyond Bitcoin’s $96,409 price point. It represents a fundamental shift in Crypto markets from dismissive speculations to a serious investment asset class through regulated investment products like exchange-traded funds (ETF) and structured financial instruments. BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF became the fastest-growing investment product of its kind, accumulating $13.5 billion in assets under management within just three months. The institutional embrace has reshaped the…