A few minutes of work today can turn into money in the bank.
I'm not talking about clipping coupons or playing the market but submitting claims for class action lawsuits.
The practice is easy, and can be lucrative, yet most people are passing up the free money and settlement checks.
“This can make a significant impact on your bottom line,” said Scott Hardy, founder and CEO of Top Class Actions website (
www.topclassactions.com). "But people just ignore it because they think it’s only going to be a couple bucks.”
Sure, some settlements checks will be less than $10 or coupons for free products but there also are large settlements, such as the current
Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean Telemarketing Class Action Settlement, which pays up to $900.
"If you’re consistently submitting claims for class actions, then you’re going to consistently get big checks that are $100 or more every year,” Hardy said.
Some settlements can even be thousands of dollars.
No proof needed
Although the majority of cases don't require proof, Hardy said it pays to have documentation.
“The settlement administrators are dealing with tens of thousands, if not millions, of claims and 99% of people don’t submit any proof at all,” Hardy said. “So if you’re submitting any kind of proof attached to your claim, then you’re going to get a little extra special care and that’s going to help you.”
Besides receipts, credit or debit card statements can be proof.
"If you can look at your credit card or debit card transactions and find a charge at a place where you can buy that product and it fits that criteria, then a lot of times that can be submitted as proof," Hardy said.
