| Volume 52 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
All banks are not created equal. Their services may be the same but prices are not. Shop around. Ask about free checking and online banking. Find out what the rate of interest is on deposits and what they charge for bounced checks, stop-payment orders and other services. Set up a line of credit instead of agreeing to "free" over-draft protection. A little comparative shopping can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Click here for more.
Health Care: High Risk Premiums
As the country begins to implement the health care reform passed earlier this year, American's are getting a better idea what the premiums are going to look like. Part of the new legislation prevents insurance companies from denying on the basis of "preexisting condition." Although the insurance companies will no longer be able to deny on the basis of "preexisting condition," Americans with health problems are going to pay much higher premiums for coverage. Individual insurance plans are expected to range from $140 a month (for health Americans) to nearly $1000 a month (for "high risk" Americans). To find out more about the new law, premiums, and coverage for "preexisting conditions," Click here for more.
House Extends Jobless Benefits
After failing earlier this week to extend federal jobless benefits, the House of Representatives voted to extend the deadline to file. The extension would run through November, and retroactively pay claims to those who saw benefits expire in May. The legislation is currently in limbo as Congress breaks for vacation. By the time legislators reconvene on July 12, over two million people are expected to have lost their benefits. What is the next step? Click here for more.
Financial Reform Receives Final Approval in House
By a vote of 237 to 192, mostly along party lines, the House of Representatives passed the most comprehensive financial reform package in history. The legislation would give the government the power to liquidate failing financial companies, sell assets, and force creditors and shareholders to take losses so that taxpayers do not have to pay for their mistakes. The legislation also broadens government regulatory power and forcefully adds new rules to prevent the financial industry from acting with reckless abandon. The legislation is expected to go before a vote in the Senate after a week-long Congressional recess ends. Click here for more.
Your Money
Planning on buying a new car? Should you take a rebate or lower interest rate? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Lawyer advertising rule doesn’t violate First Amendment. The Eleventh Circuit held that a Florida state bar rule requiring lawyers to submit broadcast advertisements for review 20 days before airing doesn't violate the First Amendment. Click here for more.