| Volume 50 Number 11 |
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward this news alert to your family and friends
Helpful Links
Texas Consumer Complaint Center
Credit Reports and Identity Theft
Your Guide to Small Claims Court
Contact Us
1-713-743-2168
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Homeowner's insurance covers much more than you might think. But insurance is a contract and you must read it carefully. Was your laptop stolen out of your car? Read you policy, you may be covered for this loss. Click here for more.
Tax & Jobs Bill Sparks New Debate
The federal deficit was a hot button issue during the 2008 Presidential campaigns and debates. Since then, the American public has continued to grow wary of taking on additional debt as a country. Congressional budget analysts have said the tax and jobs initiative Congress plans to take up this week will increase federal deficits by $134 billion over a decade. The current form of the bill produces an estimated $40 billion in revenue against $174 billion in additional federal outlays. Although the legislation will bolster Medicare, offer tax breaks, and help small businesses, will Americans overlook the impact on the federal deficit? Click here for more.
Supreme Court Allows African Americans to Challenge Hiring Test
For the second time in two years, the Supreme Court of the United States has addressed discrimination in testing within the firefighting ranks. The defense argued the firefighters waited too long to sue and were thus unable to collect a lower court judgment. In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court said the applicants' lawsuit over the test was not too late. How will this decision affect an employer using a discriminatory test? Click here for more.
Financial Reform: House v. Senate
Over the next few weeks, the House of Representatives and the United States Senate will reconcile their two versions of the financial reform bill. Central to both bills is a consumer financial protection entity with oversight power. For a comparison of House and Senate versions and consumer advocate commentary, Click here for more.
Your Money
How do I maximize returns on my CDs? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Wrongful death annuity exempt in bankruptcy. The Second Circuit held that under New York law, annuity payments that a debtor was entitled to under the terms of a wrongful death settlement are not part of his bankruptcy estate. The court noted that “New York law permits the debtor to exempt the annuity payments and that he gave consideration for the contract when he released a wrongful death claim.” Click here for more.