A new law in Minnesota went into effect January 1st, aimed at reducing the risks for people buying used cars. That happens as more Americans rely on the market for previously driven cars.
Industry source Kelley Blue Book said used car purchases increased 10% last year in the United States.
While the prices of these cars have increased, so have the monthly payments for the new models. This also addresses the supply he chain issue.
Minnesota’s legislative changes address the issue of “title washing,” which allows used refurbished vehicles that have suffered significant damage in the past to avoid salvage designation.
Bill’s co-hosting state congressman, Sheryl Youakim – DFL-Hopkins – said she hoped the “previously salvage” brand would offer transparency, but would also offer flexibility.
Youakim says: “We were trying to find the ‘sweet spot’: not only to have safe, reliable cars on the road at an affordable price, but also to help buyers know exactly what they were buying. is.”
The loopholes the law addresses are specifically for cars coming from other states.
Branding is a cheap vehicle that retains the clean Minnesota title despite suffering damage that costs more than 80% of its value or causes the insurance company to declare the vehicle a total loss. is intended for
Insurance issues can be a tricky issue for recovered vehicles. But Youakim said if the previous damage was cosmetic, such as hail damage, allowing people to choose a more affordable car when they need it to go to work or elsewhere. This is very important.
“At 80% of the car’s previous price of $3,000, it’s just body damage,” Youakim said.
She said people in those situations will now receive this additional consumer protection.
The legislative change stems from recommendations provided by a task force with input from lawmakers, insurance companies and repair experts.
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It’s a brand new year, and consumer auto safety groups hope to prevent more deaths from faulty Takata airbags by raising awareness about the ongoing recall.
More than 41 million vehicles from 34 brands with model years 2000-2018 are affected.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, warned that the ammonium nitrate that causes airbags to inflate is destabilizing and can explode even with a small fender bender.
“I mean, if you have an airbag trigger,” Brooks said. Or it may cause harm or death to the passenger. ”
Since the recall began in 2018, 34 deaths have been recorded worldwide so far, including 25 in the United States, five of them in 2022 alone.
Fiat Chrysler issued a “stop driving” warning to 276,000 vehicles in November for the 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum, Charger, Challenger and 2005-2010 Chrysler 300 vehicles.
At least two of this year’s deaths involved 2010 Dodge Chargers.
Brooks refers to these vehicles as time bombs, which become more dangerous as time goes on. As such, he said he hopes the state will require owners to fix the defects.
“Probably the state will have to intervene,” Brooks said.
Repairs are free, and some manufacturers offer $100 gift cards to encourage people to bring their own vehicles. You can check if your car is on the recall list on the website SafeAirBags.com.
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Scammers targeting student loan borrowers are in full swing, fueling uncertainty around President Joseph R. Biden’s debt forgiveness plan. The Supreme Court plans to hear him in late February on a case seeking to overrule the government’s plan to offer up to $20,000 in debt relief to low-income student loan borrowers.
Attorney Michelle Grajales, an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission, said scammers are playing on people’s fears.
“A serious red flag is a company calling you and asking you to pay now to pay off your loan later, as this is specifically prohibited by one of the regulations we enforce. So it’s very unlikely that it’s a legitimate company,” she said.
The application is not being processed as the president’s debt forgiveness plan is currently on hold while the lawsuit continues. The U.S. Department of Education website, studentaid.gov, has a link to sign up to be notified when the program reopens. The moratorium on federal student loan payments has been extended until the lawsuit is resolved. The best way to get accurate information about your loan is to contact your federal loan servicer.
Some scams promise reduced or zero monthly payments, and some target parents who have co-signed the Parent Plus loan. Grijales said the familiar adage applies.
“It could be a loan forgiveness. It’s like, ‘Hey, pay us X amount. Have the loan forgiven now, or have a large amount of the principal balance forgiven or cancelled.’ Maybe, right? It might be a benefit that consumers don’t really get,” she said.
She added that other scams are circulating claiming to be your loan servicers and asking you to route your payments through them. The main purpose is to leak For more tips, visit her website for the Federal Trade Commission.
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Because of the skyrocketing popularity of food trucks, those who own and operate them need a set of standard operating rules. That’s the gist of some laws coming soon in Nebraska. The Center for Rural Affairs has found a “hodgepodge” of food truck regulations in Nebraska city, county, and USDA inspection areas.
Jonathan Hladik, policy director at the Center for Rural Affairs, said this could make business growth difficult. Nationwide, he said, food trucks will employ more than 38,000 of his people and generate $2.7 billion in revenue by 2021, and Nebraska has updated legislation to accommodate this growing industry. said it needed to join the state of
“Mainly, they all eliminated redundancies and simplified regulations, so now is the time to decide what that modernization should look like in Nebraska,” Hladik said. .
The Center worked with Senator Ray Aguilar to draft legislation that would allow Douglas, Hall, and Lancaster counties to comply with a “reciprocity agreement,” allowing each county to receive licenses from the other two counties. He said he would make it possible. Hladik said this is the first step to encourage a set of higher standards for food in his trucks statewide.
Hladik said owners who want to work at events such as the College World Series, Nebraska football games, and state fairs, for example, know they need to meet Douglas, Lancaster, or Hall county licensing standards. I guess.
“If everyone knew what the criteria were, there would be no uncertainty. You wouldn’t have to pay an extra permit every time you wanted to go to another county. We have to meet a higher standard if we want to go to, and we think this is a win-win for everyone involved,” he said.
He added that more than 500 towns, 93 counties and state agricultural departments all have varying capacities to establish food truck regulations.
Nick Maestas, owner of Muchachos Food Truck and Restaurant, says every location now seems to have different rules and permit requirements.
“It’s kind of a logistical nightmare figuring out what you need, who you need to pay, and how long in advance you have to do this. And hoodies like me (:10 ) We just want to go and serve our community, pay taxes in that community, and grow our brand at the same time.
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