Quincy Legal Issues Blog

Finally, having looked previously at debt consolidation in general and debt consolidation loans in particular, we'll turn this week to an examination of credit card balance transfers. Quincy residents are likely familiar with this type of consolidation from advertisements in the mail. While a credit card balance transfer has some benefits, it is important to distinguish between it and true debt relief.

The way a credit card balance transfer offer works is simple. Say you have one or even several credit cards with balances at high interest rates that you are struggling to pay off. Another credit card company reaches out to you and offers you a promotional low or even zero percent interest rate if you use the funds to transfer your existing balances over to that card. So instead of having several balances at high interest rates, now you have just one at a much better interest rate - which should make it easier to pay it off.

To continue from an earlier post on our Quincy legal issues blog, we'll now take a look at a few common options for consolidating debt: consolidation loans and credit card balance transfers. The information is intended to be general in nature only, not as specific legal advice.

A debt consolidation loan is a loan that you use to pay off multiple other debts, so that you can make just the one monthly payment on your debt consolidation loan instead of numerous payments across credit cards and other debts. Debt consolidation loans often offer low interest rates. They also may offer lower monthly payments because the payments are spread out over a longer period of time.

Selecting the best business form for a business venture is an important decision for any entrepreneur facing it. The selection of a business form has many important implications for the business, as well as the future of the business as it grows and enjoys success. The type of business form selected has important tax and liability implications in addition to how the business will be managed and the routine reporting requirements the business must satisfy.

There are four primary types of business forms including sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC) and corporation. Sole proprietorships are popular for their ease of use, however, they can expose the sole proprietor to greater personal liability than they may feel comfortable with. The need for a sole proprietorship to graduate into a partnership or LLC, for instance, as the business grows may arise. Partnerships are formed when two or more individuals are engaged in a business. Though partners in a partnership are personally liable and may be liable for the other partners, a limited partnership or limited liability partnership can offer the partners some personal protection from liability. Though partnerships should always have a written partnership agreement, they require few formalities and can have tax advantages.

When a negligent driver injures another Quincy resident, there are two different ways in which that driver may be held accountable for his or her actions. Criminal charges play an important role, but they do not solve all the problems related to an accident.

Just about one year ago, for example, a driver in her late thirties was heading down Quincy Shore Drive in the early evening hours. She saw a stoplight up ahead turn yellow and wanted to try to make it through the intersection before the light turned red. However, a pedestrian, a woman in her mid-thirties, was entering the crosswalk and the driver struck her.