The lesson Mixon learned is that every tenant should know his or her rights as a renter, and what to do in the case of infringement. These rights vary by local jurisdiction, so check with your tenant association, municipality’s website, state attorney general, or local HUD office, says Ron Leshnower, About.com’s Apartment Living/Rental guide and president of FairHousingHelper.com.

With more people renting homes and apartments, it is important that you know your rights since landlord–tenant disputes are common. In fact, the Fair Housing Council of Orange County, California, reports that 22,000 landlord–tenant disputes are resolved there each year. Among the most common disputes are repair and maintenance issues as well as unreturned security deposits, says Bill Deegan, executive director of Renter Nation, an organization that advocates for renters’ rights.

Common Rights Every Renter Should Know
The right to your security deposit. While a lease may require a security deposit, you should expect to get that money back when you move out if you haven’t caused any damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, says Leshnower.

The right to a fair eviction. Tenants should be given ample notice—typically 30 to 60 days—to vacate the premises. If a landlord does not follow that jurisdiction’s eviction rules and shuts off utilities, locks you out prematurely, or fails to go through the sheriff’s office, it’s called a ”self-help eviction,” which is illegal.

The right to safe and habitable living conditions. Tenants have the right to live in safe and sanitary conditions, such as buildings that are structurally sound with running hot and cold water. If a hazardous condition such as fire damage makes your apartment uninhabitable, you may have the right to break your lease, says Christal E. Edwards, a Largo, Maryland-based attorney.

The right to privacy. In most states, landlords must give tenants notice before entering their apartments unless it’s an emergency, such as a serious water leak. For example, in New York, if a landlord enters your premises to make repairs without giving you notice, your rights have been violated.

Fighting Back If Your Rights Are Violated
Put it in writing. Make your landlord aware of the problem. Send a certified letter. Explain your grievance and indicate what portion of your lease the landlord has violated, says Edwards. Also indicate a date when you expect your grievance to have been addressed.

Seek HUD help. If you suspect a landlord of breaking the Fair Housing Act, contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by filling out the housing discrimination form at www.hud.gov/complaints/housediscrim.cfm. HUD will
take on your case free of charge.

Get legal counsel. Hire a lawyer experienced with landlord–tenant issues plus Fair Housing law, says Akita M. Smith-Evans, an equal opportunity specialist investigator for the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights. Attorneys often charge $200 to $300 an hour, so it’s costly. A one-time consultation might help you determine what steps you can take on your own, or you may find an attorney willing to do pro-bono work to help you, Smith-Evans suggests. She also recommends contacting your local human rights or civil rights commission if you believe discrimination is involved.

Keep tabs on your credit utilization.
A credit utilization ratio is a calculation used by creditors that measures how much credit you’re using compared to how much you have available. The more unused credit you have, the better. Your credit utilization accounts for 30% of your score.

Stay in contact with your lenders.
If you find yourself in a tight spot and you don’t think you’ll be able to pay your bills on time, contact lenders immediately. You might be able to work out a payment plan.

Devise—and stick to—a budget.
Knowing exactly how much money you have available will help you manage your finances.

Cut the fat.
Once you’ve devised a budget, identify areas where you’re overspending. Cut back or eliminate those items.

Pay off high-interest debt.
Once you’ve paid off those bills with the largest interest rates, apply your dollars toward your next highest debt and so forth. This way, you’ll get rid of high maintenance fees faster.

Use cash whenever possible.
Paying for items with actual dollars from your wallet will make you think twice about creating new debt.

Add income.
If your belt can’t get any tighter and spending less isn’t helping much, find a way to make more money. Now is the time to look for a part-time or freelance job.

Seek help from a certified financial planner.
A CFP can help you identify areas where you need to improve and assist you with reaching your goals. Some planners will conduct the first session for free or at a reduced cost.

But when Jaxson flat-out suggested in media interviews that the Kardashian-Humphries nuptials were a “staged” event, Kim K. immediately struck back and announced she was suing her ex publicist for at least $200,000.

According to Kardashian’s attorney, Jaxson’s allegations damaged Kim K.’s reputation and violated a confidentiality agreement.

The ongoing Kardashian drama is sure to take a few more twists and turns before it’s all hashed out one way or another. In the meantime, the Kardashian situation holds lessons for the rest of us: While you might not be a high-profile person whose every move is tracked by the paparazzi, you may one day have to consider suing someone.

In fact, if an individual or organization has wronged you and caused you physical, professional, emotional or financial harm or damage, you may be entitled to legal recourse that could net you a significant amount of money.

Suing someone can be a fairly lengthy process depending on the situation. Still, if you have a good case and are comfortable with the idea of filing a court lawsuit, the compensation for damages or losses you’ve incurred may make your efforts worthwhile.

Here are just a few situations where you might need to sue an individual, corporation or another entity, and lessons to heed in each scenario.

BREACH OF CONTRACT

If you hired a contractor or vendor to perform a specific job or task and they failed to perform as specified in your agreement, you may have the right to sue them. A breach of contract occurs when one party in a contract fails to follow through on the terms or conditions previously agreed upon.

You will need to show proof of a written agreement or show that you have some type of enforceable oral contract to the courts. Without this proof, your claim will not hold any weight and you will not be able to pursue legal action. Depending on the nature of your claim, many breach-of-contract cases can be settled in small claims court, where you can represent yourself. In other instances, however, you’d be wise to seek out the help of a skilled lawyer.

In the Kardashian case, Jaxson is accused of violating a confidentiality agreement. But his defense—so far at least—is that while he was sent such a confidentiality agreement, he never actually signed the agreement.

Lesson: A contract isn’t legally binding until it’s fully executed (i.e. legally signed) by both parties.

PERSONAL INJURY SITUATION

If you or a family member were harmed by a defective product or service by a corporation, or someone was hurt on the premises of a store, business facility, or even someone else’s home, you may be able to sue on the grounds of negligence that led to personal injury.

In this type of situation, your best bet is to retain a personal injury attorney and work on a building a solid case. Personal injury cases can range from being quite straight-forward to quite complicated.

For example, if you are walking in a retail store and a worker who is stocking inventory causes an entire row of heavy metal shelves to collapse on you, there may be little doubt that you got injured. But to what extent? Expect to have to provide medical proof of specific injuries and proof that the individual or corporation caused your injuries.

Damages to your reputation, as Kim Kardashian may find, can be more of a gray area. If Kardashian’s efforts to muzzle her former PR agent wind up in court, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jaxson argue that he didn’t damage Kardashian’s reputation, but that she did that all on her own – via her quickie divorce filing, her previous sex tape, etc.

Lesson: Any time you want to claim injuries of any kind, document everything and be prepared to show a judge how you were “before” an incident (physically, reputation-wise, etc.) and “after” the incident in question.

LOSS OF INCOME FROM FAILURE TO PERFORM

If you hired a specialist to complete a job so that you could generate income through your business, and they are guilty of a breach of contract, you can also sue them to recover you lost income.

As a case in point, assume a company or individual promised to provide 24/7 tech support and website services to keep your business website up and running online. But then the system crashed and no one bothered to return your frantic calls and emails for five straight business days. Such a disaster could cost you untold amounts of money and make you consider suing.

Again, it’s important to work with an experienced attorney to go through all of the details of the situation and calculate the extent of losses and financial distress you’ve experienced.

Lesson: Paperwork, a strong timeline documenting the events, and past financial records can help establish to a court whether or not you have a bona fide claim for loss of income.

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

When an individual or corporation copies your work or infringes on a copyright you own in any way, you have the right to sue. This can be a complicated situation in the creative field because so many people are able to create derivatives of your work without your knowledge. Still, if you come across blatant copyright infringement, you can pursue a lawsuit with the help of a copyright lawyer.

Other types of lawsuits might be based on employment discrimination, medical malpractice or deceptive advertising.

Lesson: In all circumstances, you have to think about whether the cost, the time, the effort and the emotional toll of a lawsuit are worth it. If you think it is, then a lawsuit may be in your best interest – no matter how difficult the case appears in the beginning.

“Ask The Money Coach” is a syndicated column written by personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, co-founder of the free financial advice blog, AskTheMoneyCoach.com. Follow Lynnette on Twitter at @themoneycoach.

Here are four ways to keep your credit in tip-top shape during the holidays.

Don’t apply for store credit cards.
Opening a new account could spell trouble for your credit score. This is because the length of your credit history makes up 15% of your FICO score.  The older your credit age the better, as it shows a long history of credit management. Opening a new credit card account will lower your overall credit age, and consequently, your score. Applying for credit also means that there will be an inquiry on your report. Inquiries related to new credit accounts make up 10% of your FICO score.

Don’t overcharge.
Be mindful of how much you’re spending. If you won’t be able to repay the amount you charge at the end of the month, reconsider your purchase. Charging too much on your card will cause the amount you owe to spike. Amounts owed account for 30% of your FICO score.

Be cautious when shopping online.
If you’re shopping for gifts online, make sure that you only visit websites that you’re familiar with or that you’ve done business with in the past. You can also protect your information by applying for a temporary credit card number. To do this, you have to contact your credit card issuer or bank and make a request. The bank then provides a new, temporary number that is linked to your credit card account.

Don’t forget to pay your bills.
It’s easy to forget to pay your bills when you’re traveling and visiting relatives. Set up reminders on your calendar or automatic bill payments so that you won’t miss a payment and get a negative mark on your credit report.

The flip side is that discounts also tend to attract customers who are strictly bargain hunters. So, while group-buying sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial may offer exposure to a broader audience, they do not necessarily help with up-sell or generating repeat customers, marketing experts say.

Running your own coupon campaign puts you in control, not to mention saves you money on hefty commissions since sites such as Groupon keep up to 50% of the revenues from each coupon deal. It’s about leveraging your business for a profit, not running a campaign at a loss, says Luke Knowles, founder of Kinoli Inc., an Internet marketing firm.

Entrepreneurs must determine if coupons are the right tactic as part of an overall marketing plan along with how they are using Facebook, Twitter, Google AdWords, and so on. When crafting your coupon, remember that consumers look for specific deals, says Knowles.

Here are some tips that will let you make a deal that’s right for your business.

1. Offer a percentage or dollar amount off each purchase. Instead of promoting a particular service or product, promote a dollar amount, says Knowles. In other words, offer $50 worth of services for $25.

2. Run coupon deals online. eMarketer estimates that 92.5 million Internet users (48%) will redeem digital coupons in 2012. This can include having a small clickable banner on your website or offering a discount via e-mail that is redeemable online or in your store. CouponFactory.com lets businesses create and track coupons.

3. Tweet discount codes and daily deals. Offer special discount codes to your Twitter followers. Make them good for one day only, or do flash sales—25% off anything in your store for, say, the next three hours. Or offer a discount code for every 10 retweets.

4. Use your Facebook fan page for discounts and flash sales. It’s an effective way to engage new and existing customers at a very low cost, says Knowles. Also, put links to offers on your website.

5. Include mobile marketing. According to a study by ForeSee Results, 11% of visitors to top e-retailer sites made a purchase using their phone during the holiday rush last year. Knowles says entrepreneurs can try submitting their coupons to mobile sites such as CouponSherpa.com and Foursquare.com.

(Image: Thinkstock)

As much as you would like to believe it, no, you didn’t just win a brand new Mercedes Benz or $1 million just in time for the holidays.

That telephone call you may have received about your exciting “win” in a sweepstakes or lottery is just a scam, according to the Better Business Bureau, which is warning people to be on the lookout for such fraud.

Ironically, the scam artists perpetrating this current con are actually claiming to be from the BBB and they’re pointing people to a look-alike BBB website under the official sounding name: www.better-businessbureau.org. But this site contains misinformation and fraudulent claims.

The real BBB website, which is the only legitimate one you should use, is http://www.bbb.org/.

This con serves as a reminder that financial predators typically prey upon people’s innocence, their need or their greed. So don’t give con men the opportunity to take advantage of you.

Of course, with the holidays right around the corner, it sounds so very appealing to think that you may have won some fabulous, expensive prize or that you may have hit the financial jackpot.

But don’t be fooled. These bogus promises of winnings – which have targeted consumers nationwide and especially in Virginia and Michigan – are no more real than Santa Claus’s elves.

In reality, the calls appear to be coming from the 876 area code out of Jamaica.

That’s why BBB officials remind consumers that, for starters, the BBB does not conduct sweepstakes. So no one from the BBB would ever call you saying that he/she is an “agent” authorized to grant you a prize.

Additionally, the BBB urges people not to fall into the trap of turning over personal or financial information over the telephone to a stranger. That’s just setting yourself up for identity theft and financial fraud.

Instead, if you get a bogus sweepstakes call that is allegedly from the BBB, you should record the number and the conversation, then contact the BBB’s Scam Portal.

In the meantime, follow these other tips from the BBB to avoid becoming the victim of a financial scam:

• Don’t ever give out your credit card number, social security number, or personal data to someone you don’t know
• Don’t ever pay any money upfront in order to collect supposed winnings. Legitimate sweepstakes don’t charge you “shipping and handling” or “taxes” on your win upfront.
• Don’t ever wire money to strangers. If you lose your money, it’s gone forever and chances are you won’t be able to track down the recipient.

As I’ve said before, it’s a shame that scammers never take a break: not even for the holidays. On the contrary, during this time of year the financial hucksters and con artists seem determined to come out in full force to part people from their hard-earned dollars.

But it’s up to you to turn the tables on these economic predators, and make sure you use sound financial practices—and some good old -ashioned common sense—to avoid becoming a victim of someone who intends to do you financial and personal harm.

“Ask The Money Coach” is a syndicated column written by personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, co-founder of the free financial advice blog, AskTheMoneyCoach.com. Follow Lynnette on Twitter at @themoneycoach.

In fact, gas prices have edged higher in the past two weeks in October, with the average price for regular gasoline now at $3.46 per gallon, That’s up 64 cents a gallon from a year ago, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Even more dismaying, some experts say gas prices in 2012 won’t decline.

Since we’re all trying to save a buck, here are 10 easy ways you can save money on gasoline:

1: Consider an “off brand” gasoline station.

You may be used to buying gas only from Chevron, ExxonMobil, or some other well-known oil company. But many experts will tell you that gas is gas. For example, experts at AAA in California did blind testing of “brand name” gas versus “off brand” gas and found no difference.

They tested samples of each type of gas for fuel economy; emissions; performance and drivability – and they were exactly the same. Unlike a few decades ago when cheaper gas was harmful to your car and its performance, that’s not the case today. Why? Regulations requiring cleaner, better-performing fuel apply to nearly all gas companies. So that no-name station offering gas that’s 10 cents or cheaper per gallon may be worth a try.

2. Fill up when you are not under the gun.

Why fill up your gas tank when you’re on empty, rushing to work, or under the gun? If you do, chances are you’ll hit the first station you see – which could be the most expensive. Instead, identify the cheapest station in your area, then filler up.

3: Identify “deal days”.

Find a gas station that offers a break on specific days of the week (i.e. 10 cents off Tuesdays, etc.) and routinely patronize that business.

4: Calculate the savings achieved by driving across a state border.

For example, buying gas in Northern New Jersey is typically a lot cheaper than New York. If you work, shop or visit the next state, can you fill up there?

5: Use Turnpikes and Parkways.

In New Jersey, where I live, the state government regulates turnpikes and parkways – as well as gas stations in the Garden State. Consequently, gas stations can only change their rates on specific days of the week. The same may apply in your state. If so, be sure to fill up before the normal day that price hikes kick in.

6: Lose weight, save gas.

What are you towing around in the trunk of your car? Are you willing not to carry a spare? Or can you avoid lugging around so much stuff to minimize gas consumption? Doing so could decrease your gas consumption, thereby lowering the amount of money you have to lay out for fuel.

7: Keep those tires inflated.

Studies show that properly inflated tires on your car lead to better fuel efficiency. So don’t roll around with a set of deflated wheels that make you look like you’re in a low-rider (chances are, you’re not).

8: Slow down speedy.

Like to gun your car engine? Why not just toss a few dollars out the window, same thing. Driving at slower speeds conserves gas.

9: Find the owner’s manual.

Your owner’s manual can tip you off to several ways to operate your vehicle at maximum efficiency, including making the most of your gas use. For instance, circle the octane, memorize the octane, and buy the recommended octane — today and forever.

10: Gimme something.

Check your credit card rewards programs for incentives to buy a particular brand of gasoline over another. Your credit card may offer frequent flier miles or cash back for your gas purchases. Don’t forget to pay off the balance in full each month. Also, beware of gasoline cards. They may offer you a deal (like 5 cents off per gallon) for filling up with their brand of gas. But they usually make up for that by charging you higher than average interest rates on the card.

If you take a few minutes to think about, and plan for your gas consumption, you’ll find plenty of crafty ways to save money at the pump.

“Ask The Money Coach” is a syndicated column written by personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, co-founder of the free financial advice blog, AskTheMoneyCoach.com. Follow Lynnette on Twitter at @themoneycoach.

(Image: Thinkstock)

If you’re already thinking about holiday spending and want to be a savvy shopper, you might be considering using layaway in order to stick to a budget or avoid credit card debt.

I think using layaway is a great strategy and we’ve had a number of retailers in recent years start to bring back layaway in a big way. But before you use the layaway process it’s still important that you make sure that you read the fine print for any retail deal that you enter into. It’s also smart to ask a few questions to make sure that layaway is the right choice for you.

The Better Business Bureau recently gave consumers a checklist of questions to ask when you’re buying items on layaway, in order to help you get your money’s worth and obtain the best possible terms while you’re shopping.

Here are 8 questions to ask before you commit to making a purchase on layaway:

1.     How much time do I have to pay for the item?

After you put some money down for a layaway purchase, you typically have a range of time to pay it off. But some places may give you specific deadlines, such as 30 days, 60 days, or maybe even 90 days or longer. Whatever the case, you need to know exactly by what time/date you have to pay the merchandise off.

2.     When are the payments due?

If a retailer says you have to pay weekly, monthly or you have to pay on a specific day of the month, you need to know that to make sure that you can adhere to those terms.

3.     How much do I have to put down?

Some stores may require just $5 or even a couple bucks to start a layaway transaction. Other merchants may ask for a certain percentage, based on the overall value of the merchandise you plan to buy. Find out what’s mandatory to see if it meets your budget.

4.     Are there any other fees involved?

Do inquire about fees, as various places might charge you service plan fees, storage fees or other charges. If you’re going to use one of those third‑party websites that set up layaway plans for you online they might charge a fee for their service. So be sure that you know the additional fees you might incur in addition to paying for the goods themselves.

(Image: Thinkstock)

5.     What happens if something goes wrong?

Unexpected things happen in life, so it’s a good idea to know what would happen with your layaway purchase, or the money you’ve paid up front, if your finances change and you’re not able to meet the original terms of your layaway agreement.

Are you penalized, for example, if you miss a payment? Are there any “late fee penalties”? Do they return the item into stock or into their inventory? What exactly happens if you don’t pay as agreed? That’s important to know.

6.     Can I get a store credit?

Be sure to find out upfront if a retailer is willing to offer a store credit if you change your mind after making a few payments. You might simply change your mind or maybe you find the same item at a much cheaper price so you decide that you don’t want the layaway goods after all. Well, do you just lose your money or will the store actually issue a refund you or at least give you a store credit? A store that won’t issue a credit could be a deal-breaker for savvy layaway shoppers.

7.     What happens if the item goes on sale later?

Ask merchants whether they will discount the purchase price for you if you were buying something that was previously, say, $99 and you were going to pay, $33 a month for it. But then all of a sudden the item goes on sale for $79.

8.     Do they have a good rating from the Better Business Bureau?

It always pays to do a little homework on the companies with whom you’re doing business. In this case, before you enter into a layaway transaction, you might want to find out a retailer’s BBB rating. It tells you something about the way in which the company conducts business, the level of consumer complaints they’ve had, and so on.

Again, I like the idea of using layaway. Some people consider it sort of a throwback, kind of a relic of that old‑fashioned, good old method if saving up enough money for a purchase until you can actually pay for the whole thing in cash.

And you know what? That’s a good habit to get used to – or perhaps to get back to.

Back in the day, a lot of us used layaway as a way to budget and avoid credit card debt. And if you do it this holiday season, you’ll find that it can probably work for you as well – as long as you ask the right questions upfront.

“Ask The Money Coach” is a syndicated column written by personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, co-founder of the free financial advice blog, AskTheMoneyCoach.com. Follow Lynnette on Twitter at @themoneycoach.

STEP 1 : Plan ahead.
Figure out meals for the week ahead of time. This way, you’ll clip coupons according to what you need. This will also save you from engaging in impulse buying as you wander aimlessly through the grocery store aisles, deciding what you need to buy. “There are sites online called grocery list matchup sites. They track the sales cycles of the stores for you and give you a list of where everything is in the cycle and when things are at their lowest price. Then it tells you exactly what coupon to use. If you use one of these lists, you’re looking at spending only 30 minutes to an hour per week on planning. All you have to do is click the things you need to buy, print the list, get the coupons, and you’re ready to go,” says coupon expert Jill Cataldo. CouponMom.com is one popular grocery list matchup website.

STEP 2: Search for coupons.
Store circulars and the Sunday paper aren’t the only places you’ll find coupons. There are also coupons online. Some of the most popular coupon sites are Coupons.com and CouponCabin.com. Some store websites also feature printable coupons. In addition, if you sign up for a store’s mailing list, you’ll often get coupons in the mail or via e-mail.

STEP 3: Wait for sales.
The best way to maximize your savings is to use coupons when they match up with store sales for the week. Also, go to stores that double or triple the value of coupons for even bigger savings. “Using a coupon at the right time is just as important as using a coupon. For example, if I have a coupon for $1 off Crest toothpaste, I don’t want to use that coupon when it’s $2.99, I want to wait to use that coupon until it goes on sale for $1.00—then it’s free,” says Cataldo

STEP 4: Branch out.
Don’t feel obligated to stick to certain brands. If you see a coupon for an item you need, but it’s not the brand you usually buy, try it. The savings will be worth it. Also try shopping at different stores. For example, Target has great deals on groceries. In addition, make sure to sign up for store loyalty cards.