Important New Driving Laws in State of Illinois
Many new laws take effect January 1, 2010.
The Illinois Text Messaging Ban
According to the new law:
"A person may not operate a motor vehicle on a roadway while using an electronic communication device to compose, send, or read an electronic message."
The law defines an electronic message as:
"Electronic message" includes, but is not limited to electronic mail, a text message, an instant message, or a command or request to access an Internet site."
ON JANUARY 1, 2010, IT WILL BE ILLEGAL (in the State of Illinois) to
* Send or read a text message while your car is in traffic, unless fully stopped due to a blocked roadway (such as a train crossing). A stop sign or stop light does NOT waive this restriction. You must place the car in park or neutral gear, or pull over to the side of the road and stop.
* Send or read an email message while your car is in traffic, unless fully stopped due to a blocked roadway (such as a train crossing). A stop sign or stop light does NOT waive this restriction. You must place the car in park or neutral gear, or pull over to the side of the road and stop.
* Use a cell phone in a SCHOOL or CONSTRUCTION zone without the use of a hands-free device. In other words, you cannot HOLD the cell phone while using it. You must use a device (such as a Bluetooth headset or ear bud) which allows you to keep both hands on the wheel. To use such a device you must have a compatible phone and must purchase and install the hands-free device itself. Contact your cellular provider for specific information about products and services
available for your cell phone.
Fines for violation of these laws will start at $75.00, with higher fines expected for the most serious infractions. Obviously, no fine can ever compensate for injuries or loss of life.
The law does NOT apply to use of a navigation device, such as a GPS system.
You can get more information on Illinois Driving Laws.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
new credit card rules, be aware
What to Expect
Unexpected rate hikes. Over-limit fees. Double-cycle billing. Those are just a few of the credit-card practices that have trapped millions of consumers into a life of constant worry over mounting debt. These practices will be history.
On Feb. 22, 2010, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) takes effect. It puts forth new rules for credit-card issuers that are arguably the most consumer-protective in the history of credit cards.
Credit-card rules are hardly ever simple -- and the CARD Act is no exception. Below are the key changes that the new law puts forth, along with some notable exceptions that could still allow consumers to get in trouble with their credit cards.
Finance Charges, Interest-Rate Hikes and Notifications
· No rate increases for the first 12 months after opening an account.
· Rate increases can only be applied to new charges.
· Annual and application fees cannot exceed 25% of your initial credit line.
· No more double-cycle billing.
· A six-month minimum promotional-rate period.
· No more over-limit fees, unless the card holder opts in.
· No fees to make credit-card payments online or over the phone, unless you make a payment on your due date.
· Must give 45-day notice of pending rate or fee hikes or any other significant changes to credit-card terms.
Exceptions, Caveats, Loopholes:
- Rate hikes are allowed if you're more than 60 days late with a payment.
- Some banks have already found a way around the rate-hike issue, by increasing card users' regular interest rates to as high as 29.9% and then refunding a part of that rate for each month that the customer pays on time.
- Double-cycle billing, although prohibited, can technically still exist for credit cards that don't have grace periods. ·
Issuers have been calling consumers asking them to opt in for over-limit fees in exchange for lowering that fee, says Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, a consumer advocacy group.
What they're not saying is that if people don't opt in, the transaction will be denied and they will not be charged over-limit fees in the first place, Wu says.
If you make a purchase under a "deferred-interest" plan (such as "No interest for six months," for example), the company may let you choose to apply extra amounts to the deferred-interest balance. Otherwise, for two billing cycles before the end of the promotional period, your entire payment must be applied to that balance. Carrying a "deferred-interest" balance is a risky proposition altogether, says Wu: Unless the balance is paid in full over the specified period, the company will charge all interest retroactively once the promotional rate expires. "We think deferred-interest plans should have been banned," Wu says.
Billing Statements, Payments and Disclosures
· Billing statements must be sent 21 days before the due date.
· Your due date should be the same date each month.
· Payments are considered on time when received by 5 p.m. on the due date or the next business day after a holiday or weekend.
· Payments above the minimum must be applied to the highest-rate balance first.
· Each monthly statement must include information on how long it would take you to pay off your balance if you make minimum payments only and the total you'll pay, including interest and principal; and how much you need to pay each month in order to pay off your balance in 36 months and the total you'll pay, including interest and principal.
· Statements must also include a warning that by making only minimum payments you will pay more interest and it will take you longer to pay off your debt, as well as a toll-free number to call if you want to be referred to a credit-counseling service.
College Students and Young Adults
* No credit cards for college students unless co-signed by a parent or they can demonstrate "ability to pay."
* No credit-limit increases if you are under 21 and have a co-signer without that co-signer's permission.
* No credit-card marketing and freebies on college campuses.
Parents with kids in college...Note this well....
Issuers will likely start appealing to parents to co-sign their children's credit cards. And the Federal Reserve has specified that issuers have the option of keeping the parent on the hook even after the young person turns 21, Wu says. "If that younger person keeps the credit card for 20 years, the co-signer is liable that whole time."
Issuers are not allowed to give out freebies for signing up for a credit card on or near a campus -- which still allows them to set up shop near popular off-campus venues and offer freebies to everyone, whether or not they apply.
... from SmartMoney
Unexpected rate hikes. Over-limit fees. Double-cycle billing. Those are just a few of the credit-card practices that have trapped millions of consumers into a life of constant worry over mounting debt. These practices will be history.
On Feb. 22, 2010, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) takes effect. It puts forth new rules for credit-card issuers that are arguably the most consumer-protective in the history of credit cards.
Credit-card rules are hardly ever simple -- and the CARD Act is no exception. Below are the key changes that the new law puts forth, along with some notable exceptions that could still allow consumers to get in trouble with their credit cards.
Finance Charges, Interest-Rate Hikes and Notifications
· No rate increases for the first 12 months after opening an account.
· Rate increases can only be applied to new charges.
· Annual and application fees cannot exceed 25% of your initial credit line.
· No more double-cycle billing.
· A six-month minimum promotional-rate period.
· No more over-limit fees, unless the card holder opts in.
· No fees to make credit-card payments online or over the phone, unless you make a payment on your due date.
· Must give 45-day notice of pending rate or fee hikes or any other significant changes to credit-card terms.
Exceptions, Caveats, Loopholes:
- Rate hikes are allowed if you're more than 60 days late with a payment.
- Some banks have already found a way around the rate-hike issue, by increasing card users' regular interest rates to as high as 29.9% and then refunding a part of that rate for each month that the customer pays on time.
- Double-cycle billing, although prohibited, can technically still exist for credit cards that don't have grace periods. ·
Issuers have been calling consumers asking them to opt in for over-limit fees in exchange for lowering that fee, says Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, a consumer advocacy group.
What they're not saying is that if people don't opt in, the transaction will be denied and they will not be charged over-limit fees in the first place, Wu says.
If you make a purchase under a "deferred-interest" plan (such as "No interest for six months," for example), the company may let you choose to apply extra amounts to the deferred-interest balance. Otherwise, for two billing cycles before the end of the promotional period, your entire payment must be applied to that balance. Carrying a "deferred-interest" balance is a risky proposition altogether, says Wu: Unless the balance is paid in full over the specified period, the company will charge all interest retroactively once the promotional rate expires. "We think deferred-interest plans should have been banned," Wu says.
Billing Statements, Payments and Disclosures
· Billing statements must be sent 21 days before the due date.
· Your due date should be the same date each month.
· Payments are considered on time when received by 5 p.m. on the due date or the next business day after a holiday or weekend.
· Payments above the minimum must be applied to the highest-rate balance first.
· Each monthly statement must include information on how long it would take you to pay off your balance if you make minimum payments only and the total you'll pay, including interest and principal; and how much you need to pay each month in order to pay off your balance in 36 months and the total you'll pay, including interest and principal.
· Statements must also include a warning that by making only minimum payments you will pay more interest and it will take you longer to pay off your debt, as well as a toll-free number to call if you want to be referred to a credit-counseling service.
College Students and Young Adults
* No credit cards for college students unless co-signed by a parent or they can demonstrate "ability to pay."
* No credit-limit increases if you are under 21 and have a co-signer without that co-signer's permission.
* No credit-card marketing and freebies on college campuses.
Parents with kids in college...Note this well....
Issuers will likely start appealing to parents to co-sign their children's credit cards. And the Federal Reserve has specified that issuers have the option of keeping the parent on the hook even after the young person turns 21, Wu says. "If that younger person keeps the credit card for 20 years, the co-signer is liable that whole time."
Issuers are not allowed to give out freebies for signing up for a credit card on or near a campus -- which still allows them to set up shop near popular off-campus venues and offer freebies to everyone, whether or not they apply.
... from SmartMoney
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Illinois Lieutenant Governor position
So much politics in IL. Corruption and politics seem to go hand in hand.
Did you vote for Scott Lee Cohen? Well I did not.
I can not believe that people just vote for a person who has the most ads. This races shows why the amount a person can spend on any campaign should be limited to be fair. Basically if you have money it seems you can buy a political seat.
On the other hand, maybe IL got what they deserved. If voters are so stupid to vote for someone just because of the ad campaigns and not look into that person and see what they are about, then we deserve to have bad politicians and crooked corrupt ones, which we have aplenty!!
Scott Lee Cohen did put his information out prior to spending all the money on ads. Voters could googled him to see the article done on him about his history after all.
I do not necessarily agree with the Democratic machine forcing this elected person out, and off the ballot. There were 5 people in the race and they all had a chance to campaign and he won fair and square.
All that being said... i have submitted my resume and cover letter to the Illinois Democratic party for consideration to be selected to be on the ticket and run for the Lieutenant Governor position.
I feel I should be considered b/c I can offer a lot. I am a single woman, and mom who can relate to the every day voters. I am not an elitist or rich in any way. I see and face the same everydays struggles all the consituents go through. I can add the benefit of being highly educated, with an MBA and JD and being smart. At least I think I am pretty inteligent. I have a world view of things because of my international experience and jobs, I see all sides of issues and analyze and ask a lot of questions, that is the legal part of me. I am bilingual in Spanish and can communicate with many Dem. constituents in their own language.
I am on the Libertyville Township board and am a great facilitator and I am good at fundraising since I have money that I have raised for my own campaign as well as raising $1200 over the summer during breaks and lunch making calls to raise money for Sheridan's national pageant.
Well, I hope they consider me. I want the dems to know I am serious about being in IL politics. I am here to stay and want to make change because that is what I am good at, improving, facilitating, saving money, and making positive change.
Did you vote for Scott Lee Cohen? Well I did not.
I can not believe that people just vote for a person who has the most ads. This races shows why the amount a person can spend on any campaign should be limited to be fair. Basically if you have money it seems you can buy a political seat.
On the other hand, maybe IL got what they deserved. If voters are so stupid to vote for someone just because of the ad campaigns and not look into that person and see what they are about, then we deserve to have bad politicians and crooked corrupt ones, which we have aplenty!!
Scott Lee Cohen did put his information out prior to spending all the money on ads. Voters could googled him to see the article done on him about his history after all.
I do not necessarily agree with the Democratic machine forcing this elected person out, and off the ballot. There were 5 people in the race and they all had a chance to campaign and he won fair and square.
All that being said... i have submitted my resume and cover letter to the Illinois Democratic party for consideration to be selected to be on the ticket and run for the Lieutenant Governor position.
I feel I should be considered b/c I can offer a lot. I am a single woman, and mom who can relate to the every day voters. I am not an elitist or rich in any way. I see and face the same everydays struggles all the consituents go through. I can add the benefit of being highly educated, with an MBA and JD and being smart. At least I think I am pretty inteligent. I have a world view of things because of my international experience and jobs, I see all sides of issues and analyze and ask a lot of questions, that is the legal part of me. I am bilingual in Spanish and can communicate with many Dem. constituents in their own language.
I am on the Libertyville Township board and am a great facilitator and I am good at fundraising since I have money that I have raised for my own campaign as well as raising $1200 over the summer during breaks and lunch making calls to raise money for Sheridan's national pageant.
Well, I hope they consider me. I want the dems to know I am serious about being in IL politics. I am here to stay and want to make change because that is what I am good at, improving, facilitating, saving money, and making positive change.
Libertyville Township Dem. Org meeting
We had an open meeting at the Maillards house tonight for the Libertyville Township Democratic Organization.
It was a great meeting. We talked about how the primary election went. About the results and how we felt about those results, in our county and other counties as well as the state elections.
We talked about upcoming Democratic convention in Waukegan on March 3. We also discussed people being elected for the precinct committeman positions and getting people to volunteer now since they can no longer be elected.
we also talked about Madigans putting up a bill to eliminate the Lt. Governor position in 2015.
The big discussion was about whether we should have co-chairs or on chair person to run the Organization as well as the jobs of vice chair, treasurer and secretary. There was some feuding because one person wants to be a chair to be allowed to really establish this organization as a serious viable group versus co-chairs where one person wanted co-chairs because that person felt the person wanting to chair alone was not dependable.
All i could say to the one person, an original to the group, that this is not personal and that that person should discuss with the other founder(s) and to look at the greater good fo the organization as a whole. I told the person wanting to be chair to understand that the person wanting cochairs is wanting this b/c of fear of lack of dependability.
Even in a political group there are politics to overcome. Ugh.
I am sure it will work itself out.
If you are a Libertyville Township Dem. or just a Dem and want to join this group, membership is only $10 and worth joining.
We welcome new members.
It was a great meeting. We talked about how the primary election went. About the results and how we felt about those results, in our county and other counties as well as the state elections.
We talked about upcoming Democratic convention in Waukegan on March 3. We also discussed people being elected for the precinct committeman positions and getting people to volunteer now since they can no longer be elected.
we also talked about Madigans putting up a bill to eliminate the Lt. Governor position in 2015.
The big discussion was about whether we should have co-chairs or on chair person to run the Organization as well as the jobs of vice chair, treasurer and secretary. There was some feuding because one person wants to be a chair to be allowed to really establish this organization as a serious viable group versus co-chairs where one person wanted co-chairs because that person felt the person wanting to chair alone was not dependable.
All i could say to the one person, an original to the group, that this is not personal and that that person should discuss with the other founder(s) and to look at the greater good fo the organization as a whole. I told the person wanting to be chair to understand that the person wanting cochairs is wanting this b/c of fear of lack of dependability.
Even in a political group there are politics to overcome. Ugh.
I am sure it will work itself out.
If you are a Libertyville Township Dem. or just a Dem and want to join this group, membership is only $10 and worth joining.
We welcome new members.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Libertyville township meeting this thursday
the Libertyville Township Meeting for this Thursday, February 11, 2010 has been cancelled b/c we don't have a quorum. I don't like to miss a meeting but Sheridan's first band concert is that night. Have to see her play her Cornet!!
Two other trustees can't make it either.
We will reconvene in two weeks.
Two other trustees can't make it either.
We will reconvene in two weeks.
Donate to Children's Miracle Network for Sheridan's Pageant fundraiser
Hi Friends of My Mom, Sari,
This past January I won the local title of Miss Northern Suburbs Outstanding Pre-Teen. This allows me to compete in the State competition in May, in Springfield, IL. As a contestant, I need your help to raise money for Children's Miracle Network. Please help me reach my goal of $250.00 by clicking on the link below. Your donation will be considered a charitable donation for tax purposes and a receipt will be provided via email if donation is by credit card or e-check. If donation is by a paper check and over $250 then a receipt will be mailed at year end.
https://www.maoteen4kids.org/m.aspx?i=1201995EC3B5EEB51&e=9EFB117DCB
Once you have completed a secure on-line donation, your donation will be included in my fund raising total on my personal page. To help even further you can forward this message on to other friends and family to help me in my fund raising efforts. Last year I raised $255 for The Children's Miracle Network.
This year the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Organization has teamed up with Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for 170 children's hospitals. This new partnership gives each contestant the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for two great organizations: Miss America's Outstanding Teen Scholarship Fund and Children's Miracle Network.
If you have any questions, please email me at sarihurtig@hotmail.com
Thanks for your support
Sheridan Hurtig
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