Money & Debt

Two dollar bills and three coins

Money & Debt

Financial wellness
(14 resources)
Trouble paying bills
Learn about legal responsibility for debts, collection risks, and options for managing and prioritizing payments.
FAQ
Medical bills and debt
Understand medical bills and debt, including hospital billing rules, financial assistance, insurance issues, and legal protections.
FAQ
Budgeting with limited resources
Learn how to create a simple household budget by listing income, tracking expenses, and comparing resources to monthly needs and costs.
How-To
Paying income taxes
Learn about filing requirements for federal and state income taxes, payment plans, and finding tax help.
FAQ
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Identity theft and coerced debt
(6 resources)
Respond to court papers about collecting debt from identity theft
How to respond to being sued for debt caused by identity theft, including affidavits and court papers.
How-To
Respond to court papers about debt that is not yours
Learn how to respond to lawsuits that try to collect debt from identity theft and name the wrong person as the defendant, or are not collection cases.
How-To
Identity theft affidavit
Fill out the Illinois Attorney General Identity Theft Affidavit to send to creditors, banks, or companies that provided an identity thief with unauthorized credit, goods, or services.
Form link
Identity theft affidavit - Credit card and debt buyer cases
File the Illinois Supreme Court Identity Theft Affidavit form in a collection lawsuit to explain to the judge that debt was caused by identity theft.
Form link
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Credit reports and background checks
(3 resources)
Understanding credit reports and scores
Explains what credit reports contain, how credit scores are calculated, and how to correct and improve them.
Guide
Can they check my credit report when I apply for a job?
Covers federal and Illinois law about what employers can and cannot do when you apply for a job.
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Disputing inaccurate information on your credit report or background check
Learn how to dispute inaccurate information on your credit report or background check with the credit bureaus and what your rights are.
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Debt collection
(27 resources)
Responding to a debt collection lawsuit basics
Learn about responding to a debt collection lawsuit.
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How a debt judgment can be collected basics
Understand how creditors access wages, bank accounts, and other types of property to collect a debt judgment.
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Responding to debt collectors
An overview of how to respond to debt collectors and your rights when dealing with them.
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Understanding collection-proof status
Learn what it means to be collection-proof, which income and assets are protected from private creditors, and how to notify creditors.
Guide
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Car loans & repossession
(11 resources)
Understanding car repossession
Understand when your lender can take your car and what your options are.
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How do I sell my car?
Explains the taxes and paperwork involved in selling your car
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Do I pay Illinois taxes when buying a car in another state?
Understand when to pay Illinois car sales tax when you buy a car in another state.
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Get my impounded car back - Chicago
Steps to recover your impounded car in Chicago from finding the location it was towed to paying the fees.
How-To
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Bankruptcy
(20 resources)
Qualifying for bankruptcy
Understand if you qualify for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
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Bankruptcy basics
Understand the basics of bankruptcy, including how it works and what it can do for you.
Guide
Starting a Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Steps to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy from taking a credit counseling course to filling out the forms you need.
How-To
Bankruptcy timeline
A breakdown of each step of the bankruptcy process, with an explanation of what happens along the way.
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Small claims
(13 resources)
Small claims complaint
This Easy Form helps you make the forms to sue someone for up to $10,000. It can be used to sue a landlord for a security deposit.
Easy Form
Starting a small claims court case
Steps to file a small claims lawsuit for $10,000 or less from the forms you need to preparing for trial.
How-To
Suing someone for $10,000 or less
Small claims court is a civil court where a plaintiff (person filing the case) can sue someone (a defendant) for $10,000 or less. It has simplified rules and can go much faster than other types of cases.
Guide
Filing costs in a small claims case
Describes the costs of filing a small claims case.
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Loans
(3 resources)
Forgiveness, cancellation, and discharge of student loans
Learn about about different loan forgiveness options, who can qualify, and where to find more resources.
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Your rights as a college student in Illinois
Learn more about how to access transcripts, student debt on credit reports, and withdrawing from school during hardship.

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Student loan acronyms and phrases
Learn the common acronyms and phrases used in student loans.
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Other money and debt issues
(8 resources)
Dividing retirement accounts in a divorce
Explains when the court might divide retirement accounts between divorcing spouses.
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Can't I cancel a contract within 3 days?
Describes how a contract may or may not be canceled depending on the type of contract, like door-to-door sales or loans.
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How much can a currency exchange charge to cash checks?
Explains the maximum amount that a place to exchange currency can charge to deposit a check based on the check's size.
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Do gift cards or gift certificates expire?
Covers the difference between federal and state laws that affect the validity of gift cards and certificates, as well as what they mean for Illinois residents. Also offers information on fees and scams associated with gift cards.
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