Natasha Wiebusch, J.D. - Former Attorney

Natasha started her career as a lawyer representing labor unions and other investors in multi-state class action lawsuits. Passionate about the civil rights elements of her cases, she moved into practicing employment law to represent employees against discrimination of various kinds in the workplace. She has successfully litigated cases under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other state anti-discrimination laws in the state of Wisconsin. Her experience as a litigator inspired her to begin writing about anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. Through her writing, she hopes to provide helpful information to both employees and human resource professionals who would like to make their workplace more inclusive. While practicing, Natasha also saw firsthand how losing a job impacted her clients' financial stability. As a contributor at Upsolve, Natasha writes articles to help her readers overcome financial problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.

All ArticlesBankruptcy BasicsConsumer RightsCredit Card DebtCredit IssuesDebtsDivorceEmploymentHousingProperty ExemptionsStudent Loans

Articles written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D.

When Debt Collectors Break The Law: FDCPA Violations

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D.. Legally reviewed by Attorney Paige Hooper
Updated April 12, 2024

The FDCPA is a federal law that protects debtors by preventing third-party debt collectors from engaging in harassment or unfair activities while trying to collect money. Here’s a list of the six most common violations of the FDCPA: - Attempting to collect debts you don’t owe - Sending written notifications with insufficient information about the debt - Taking or threatening to take legal action or other negative actions - Making false statements or misrepresenting themselves or the debt - Engaging in harassment (usually with repeated calls) or using abusive language - Threatening to contact a third party about your debt (such as a friend, family member, or employer) or to otherwise improperly share information about your debt publicly

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated February 9, 2024

If you’re a consumer in Georgia, the FDCPA is your best line of defense against unfair debt collectors, but it’s not the only law that can help. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about what debt collectors in Georgia can and cannot legally do when trying to collect money.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated August 30, 2023

A 609 letter (also called a credit dispute letter) is a credit repair method that requests credit bureaus to remove erroneous negative entries from your credit report. It’s named after section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that protects consumers from unfair credit and collection practices.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated August 10, 2023

Although it’s normal to have some debt, too much debt can keep you from paying it off. For many people, getting out of debt is challenging but manageable. We've assembled a list of six steps you can take that will help you to start working your way out, regardless of how much debt you're in.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated August 1, 2023

A fair credit score has certain negative consequences, some of which may matter to you more than others depending on your personal financial goals. With a fair credit score, it’s possible to get a credit card or loan, but you won’t be able to get good interest rates or terms. In this article, we cover how a fair credit score works and how to improve your score beyond the fair classification.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 28, 2023

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits harassment, abuse, and other behavior intended to bully debtors. If a debt collector is violating the FDCPA in their attempts to collect money from you, you have the right to sue them. In this article, we explain how to sue an abusive debt collector, what an FDCPA lawsuit can and cannot help you with, and what other options you have to stop communication from collectors.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 28, 2023

There are dozens of free online credit card payoff calculators that can calculate how long it will take you to pay off your credit card based on your total balance and the card’s current interest rate. But, these calculators aren’t always accurate. If you’re looking to use a payoff calculator, read this first.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 28, 2023

Both debt consolidation and debt settlement can help relieve the pressures of overwhelming debt, but they have different functions. Debt settlement reduces total debt by allowing a debtor to pay off a debt account for less than the total balance. Debt consolidation, on the other hand, reduces the number of lenders but doesn’t reduce the total amount of debt. Each option has its pros and cons. If you’re considering using either of them, you’ll want to know what those pros and cons are.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated June 28, 2023

Many companies recognize how much student loan debt can affect their employees. In order to ease that burden, a lot of companies had added student loan repayment assistance and tuition reimbursement as a part of their employee benefits. Below, we list 25 well-known companies that help repay their employees’ student loans.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated May 16, 2023

Debt consolidation involves combining multiple debts into a single payment. If you can secure a lower interest rate and you can make the new single monthly payment, debt consolidation can be a great debt relief strategy. But there are also drawbacks to debt consolidation. In this article, we’ll help you understand how debt consolidation works so that you can decide whether it’s a good choice for you.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated May 15, 2023

Before Congress passed the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 (MFDRA), struggling Americans had to pay additional taxes on debt forgiven due to foreclosure. Because of the strain of these additional taxes, taxpayers usually faced even greater financial troubles than had caused them to face foreclosure in the first place. The MFDRA is a unique law, and only applies to certain forgiven or canceled debt. This article explains how the MFDRA works and what kinds of debt it covers.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated April 5, 2022

If you are overdue on a payment owed to a creditor, you might be running the risk of a deficiency lawsuit and judgment against you. Depending on the kind of debt you owe, a creditor may be able to take your personal property, like your car, and put liens on real property, like your house. Read more to learn how these judgments work and what creditors can legally do to satisfy outstanding debt.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 2, 2021

You may not be able to stop spending money completely. But, you can create a manageable budget and learn to stretch that budget as far as it will go. This piece will show you how to accomplish both goals.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated November 29, 2021

A payoff statement is a document that shows how much money a borrower must submit to fully pay off a loan. These statements differ from monthly account statements because they take into account interest, penalties, and/or benefits that could impact the overall balance before the "good through" date listed on the payoff letter.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated November 26, 2021

Homeowners who can afford to make their mortgage payments may choose to stop repaying their debt. This deliberate choice is called strategic default. Most of the time, strategic defaults occur when borrowers with underwater mortgages want to cut their losses. This approach leads to negative financial consequences and shouldn't be considered lightly.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated November 22, 2021

If a marital home is at risk of being foreclosed upon, the choices made in a couple's divorce process can significantly impact how that foreclosure risk is resolved. Who - if anyone - wants to remain in the house tends to affect the outcomes of these processes the most.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated November 19, 2021

Subordination agreements assign the order of priority to who can collect on a debt and when they can collect. They come into play when borrowers default on their mortgage or declare bankruptcy. There are often subordination agreements for second mortgages or home loan refinancing.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated November 11, 2021

Renters have to deal with landlord-tenant disputes more often than anyone should. Although the law won't help in every situation, it’s good to know what it can help with. In this article, we’ll cover some of the important federal and state laws that protect tenants and explain how a tenant lawyer can help resolve landlord-tenant disputes.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated November 2, 2021

Unlike other types of lawsuits, not everyone has a right to appeal a small claims case. This article will explore how small claims appeals differ by state. It is important to understand how your state deals with small claims appeals specifically, as rules vary significantly from state to state.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated October 19, 2021

Although we’d all like to think that our credit reports and credit scores are accurate, mistakes happen more often than you’d imagine. Unfortunately, this incorrect information in your credit report can negatively impact your credit score and your overall financial health. If you think there may be incorrect information in your credit report, it’s important to dispute it as soon as possible. In this article, we show you how to deal with credit report errors, from identifying mistakes to navigating the credit report dispute process.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated October 19, 2021

Making late payments, paying the wrong amounts, or missing payments altogether can have a negative impact on your credit score and overall financial health. If you have no other debt-relief options, debt consolidation programs can help by bundling certain debts into a single account so that instead of making multiple payments every month, you’ll make just one. There are many kinds of debt consolidation programs. There are also other forms of debt relief that might be better for you. In this article, we’ll cover what a debt consolidation program is, how it works, and how to choose one.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated October 5, 2021

Claimants typically qualify for unemployment insurance benefits if they lost their full-time or part-time jobs for reasons outside of their control. As part of your regular certification process, you’ll need to state that you did not refuse a suitable job during the time period in question. Suitability generally refers to work that is in line with your professional background, is safe and legal for you to perform, and has a similar salary to your previous career or one that’s appropriate to the local job market. But there are a few situations where you can show that you had a good cause for refusing the job. Read on to learn more.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated October 1, 2021

Debt negotiation can work to help you settle your debts for less than you owe. But it only usually works with certain kinds of debts and with accounts that are several months late or nearing their statute of limitations. It may work better with a third-party debt collector than the original lender. To negotiate successfully, you'll need to know how much you're willing to pay and you'll need to be confident and persistent.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated September 22, 2021

Zombie foreclosures happen when a homeowner leaves their home after being notified of a foreclosure but before the lender completes the process. When zombie foreclosures happen, the homeowner is still on the hook for taxes and fees on the home. This is why you want to avoid a zombie foreclosure and stay in your home until the lender completes the foreclosure process and you're relieved of these financial obligations.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated September 8, 2021

When a borrower defaults on their home loan and a nonjudicial foreclosure is used, a foreclosure trustee is appointed to oversee the foreclosure process. In this article, we’ll explain the foreclosure trustee’s role in the foreclosure process and who can legally be a trustee.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 30, 2021

Reaching your credit card limit without the ability to pay it off at the end of each month can have substantial financial consequences. Fortunately, there are things you can do to manage your credit card balances. This article will cover some of the downfalls of having high balances on your credit card debt as well as some of the things you can do to start tackling those maxed-out credit cards.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 26, 2021

There are some simple strategies that you can use to create a successful debt repayment plan. One of the more common strategies is called the debt snowball method. This debt-reduction strategy helps you pay off your debts by tackling the smallest balances first and building momentum toward larger ones. This article will examine whether the snowball method is the right strategy for you.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 22, 2021

As a homeowner, you might be surprised to learn that at the foreclosure sale, your own mortgage lender can place a bid (called a credit bid) on your home. Read more to learn about why mortgage lenders do this and what happens at a foreclosure sale.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 22, 2021

One of the most common questions veterans have is whether they can still get a VA home loan after foreclosure. The answer is often yes, but the size of the loan will be affected by the previous foreclosure and what your remaining entitlement benefits are. It's much better for the service member, and the VA, to avoid the foreclosure in the first place. Read on to learn what options you have for avoiding foreclosure, and what you can do to get a new VA loan if foreclosure was unavoidable.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 20, 2021

During the process of foreclosure, you do have legal rights to certain items, but it’s important to know what you can’t legally take when you leave your residence. The general rule is that you can take all of your personal belongings from the home, but you can’t take any fixtures. Beyond that, what you can take and what’s considered a fixture depends on your state’s foreclosure law.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated July 19, 2021

The “ins and outs” of the unemployment application process depends upon the state in which you live. But regardless, if you need unemployment compensation, make sure to file your unemployment claim (sometimes called a “UI claim”) as soon as possible after losing your job. That way, your new claim will be placed into the review queue quickly, which means that you’ll receive your benefits quicker than you would otherwise.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated June 21, 2021

In 2017, the American Psychological Association found that 72% of Americans felt stress about money sometime in the prior month. Many Americans also stress about how their debt will impact their credit score, since a low credit score can prevent families from securing housing, obtaining certain jobs, and borrowing money in a time of need. One of the most common types of debt that can impact your credit score is medical debt.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated June 7, 2021

One of the most common questions from Americans struggling with medical debt is, can it impact your credit score? The answer is unfortunately yes, it can. So, it’s important to manage medical debt early on. What many people don’t know is that you can actually negotiate some of your medical bills down, which will decrease the chances of having to deal with medical debt down the road. Below are some tips for how to do this…

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated September 29, 2023

A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Louisiana regulates wage garnishments.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 31, 2021

A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how New Jersey regulates wage garnishments.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 31, 2021

A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Indiana regulates wage garnishments.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 22, 2021

Landlords in New Jersey can’t just change the locks, toss your belongings out on the front yard, or shut down essential utilities. A landlord must follow the eviction process in order to have a tenant evicted for any reason. Here's an overview of what this means for tenants in New Jersey.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 22, 2021

Landlords in Mississippi can’t just change the locks, toss your belongings out on the front yard, or shut down essential utilities. A landlord must follow the eviction process in order to have a tenant evicted for any reason. Here's an overview of what this means for tenants in Mississippi.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 14, 2021

Landlords in Louisiana can’t just change the locks, toss your belongings out on the front yard, or shut down essential utilities. A landlord must follow the eviction process in order to have a tenant evicted for any reason. Here's an overview of what this means for tenants in Louisiana.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 14, 2021

Landlords in Michigan can’t just change the locks, toss your belongings out on the front yard, or shut down essential utilities. A landlord must follow the eviction process in order to have a tenant evicted for any reason. Here's an overview of what this means for tenants in Michigan.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated December 14, 2021

Landlords in Indiana can’t just change the locks, toss your belongings out on the front yard, or shut down essential utilities. A landlord must follow the eviction process in order to have a tenant evicted for any reason. Here's an overview of what this means for tenants in Indiana.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated October 21, 2021

A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Mississippi regulates wage garnishments.

Written by Natasha Wiebusch, J.D..
Updated October 21, 2021

A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Michigan regulates wage garnishments.