Mae Koppes
Managing Editor
Mae Koppes (she/her) is a Certified Personal Finance Counselor® (CPFC) and the Content Director at Upsolve, where she focuses on producing accessible and actionable content that helps empower people to overcome financial hardships. Since joining the team in 2021, she has played a pivotal role in creating free educational content that has reached and empowered over 10 million people navigating financial challenges.
Articles written by Mae Koppes
Can Debt Collectors Garnish Your Bank Account?
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 15, 2026
Creditors can garnish your bank account through a bank levy, which allows them to take money directly from your account. Most creditors must sue you and get a court judgment first, but government agencies like the IRS and state child support offices can garnish without a court order. Unlike wage garnishment, which has limits, a bank levy can take all non-exempt funds. However, certain income, like Social Security and veterans' benefits, is protected. Filing for bankruptcy can stop most garnishments immediately, and Chapter 7 may erase eligible debts so they can’t be garnished in the future.
Read More →How To Deal With Wakefield & Associates
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 15, 2026
Wakefield & Associates is a prolific debt collector in the United States that specializes in collecting medical debts. If Wakefield & Associates contacts you, the first thing you should do is validate the debt. This article explains the validation process and discusses your available options, like filing a dispute, negotiating a debt settlement, or ignoring the debt (which isn’t recommended).
Read More →Wage Garnishment Exemption Guide: Income You Can Keep
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Attorney Andrea Wimmer
Updated March 15, 2026
Certain types of income are protected from wage garnishment under federal and state law. This exempt income includes Social Security, unemployment benefits, and other public benefits — and in many cases, you can stop or reduce garnishment by filing a claim of exemption. This guide explains how exemptions work, how to protect your income before or after garnishment starts, and what to do if the debt is owed to the IRS or Department of Education. It also covers how bankruptcy can stop garnishments and help erase the debt causing them.
Read More →Everything You Need To Know About Debt Settlement
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Attorney Paige Hooper
Updated March 15, 2026
Debt settlement is a type of debt relief that may allow you to settle certain debts for less than what you owe. You can negotiate directly with your creditors or hire a debt settlement company to do the work for you. Whether you hire a company or do it yourself, you’ll need a lump sum of money to make an offer. If you hire a company, you’ll likely pay into an account until you’ve saved enough money to make a good settlement offer.
Read More →Stop Unwanted Calls From 888-899-6650: A Step-by-Step Guide
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 15, 2026
Are you getting repeated calls from 888-899-6650? This number belongs to the debt collection agency Transworld Systems Inc (TSI). They usually call on behalf of creditors to recover unpaid debts. If you’ve missed payments on a loan or medical bill, TSI may be contacting you to try to collect it. This guide will help you understand why they’re calling, what your rights are, and how you can stop the phone calls while protecting your financial well-being.
Read More →Stop Wage Garnishment in Virginia: Your Rights and Options
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 15, 2026
Wage garnishment in Virginia is a legal process that allows a creditor to take money directly from your paycheck to collect a debt. Most creditors must first sue you and win a court judgment before they can garnish your wages. Once a judgment is in place, the creditor can ask the court to send a wage garnishment order to your employer. Virginia law limits how much money can be taken from each paycheck and provides exemptions to protect some types of income. This guide explains how wage garnishment works in Virginia, how much can be taken, and what steps you can take to stop or reduce it.
Wage Garnishment in Pennsylvania
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Attorney Andrea Wimmer
Updated March 15, 2026
Wage garnishment is when money is taken from your paycheck to pay certain types of debt. Pennsylvania is unique because it doesn’t allow most creditors to garnish your wages for common consumer debts like credit cards, medical bills, or payday loans. Only specific debts—like unpaid rent, child support, taxes, and federal student loans—can lead to wage garnishment in the state. This article explains how wage garnishment works in Pennsylvania, what steps creditors must follow, and what you can do if you're at risk of having your wages garnished.
How To Answer a California Court Summons for Debt Collection
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 14, 2026
If you’re sued for a debt in California, you have 30 days to respond to the lawsuit by filing an answer and proof service form with the court and having an adult who isn’t part of the lawsuit serve a copy of the answer on the person suing you. This can be done by first-class mail, but it can’t be done by the person being sued. After filing your paperwork, wait to receive further instructions from the court. Be sure to comply with any pretrial requests and show up to scheduled hearings. There are many legal aid (free legal help) services available in California if you need help with this process.
Your Guide to Debt Collection Laws in Texas
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated March 14, 2026
Texans benefit from two major debt collection laws. One is the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which helps prevent harassment and unlawful practices from third-party debt collectors. The other is a state law that regulates the collection practices of both original creditors and third-party debt collectors. The statute of limitations for consumer debts in Texas is four years.
Wage Garnishment in California
Written by Mae Koppes. Legally reviewed by Attorney Andrea Wimmer
Updated March 14, 2026
Wage garnishment is a legal process that allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck to repay certain types of debt. In California, most garnishments for consumer debt require a court judgment, and the state provides stronger wage protections than federal law. Once a creditor wins a lawsuit, they can serve paperwork to your employer to begin garnishing your wages, but you have the right to object or claim exemptions—usually within 10 days. There are also limits on how much of your paycheck can be garnished, and filing for bankruptcy is one way some people choose to stop garnishment and erase the debt altogether.
