| Volume 63 Number 1 |
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
Before you sign a lease, read it and consider changes or additions. A lease is a binding contract and will determine your rights against the landlord. For example, if you might have to leave early because you lose your job, are transferred or get married, be sure to include a clause permitting you to terminate the lease. Without such a provision, you will not have the right to get out of the lease. Click here for more.
Finding Insurance With Existing Condition
Can you find health insurance at a reasonable price if you have a pre-existing medical condition? With the recent announcement that the federal government will cut premiums for its Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) by 40% in some states, it will certainly be a little easier to find something at a reasonable price. PCIP is part of the Affordable Healthcare Act, offering stopgap insurance for those with pre-existing conditions until the act is fully implemented in 2014, when insurers will have to accept applicants regardless of their health history. For more information on Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans, Click here for more.
Investing While Unemployed
Are you unemployed? Do you have money in savings? If you've lost your job and happen to have money in savings, you have options. Don't panic and don't pull all of your savings out of the market unless you absolutely must. Be prudent, make cuts to your day-to-day expenses, and exhaust all other savings before you touch any retirement funds (like an IRA). If you don't have a "rainy day" fund and your hands are tied, understand the options and implications before you dip in to your retirement fund. Click here for more.
Governor Vetos Internet Sales Tax Bill
Dont expect internet sales tax in Texas anytime soon. Although federal law requires a company to collect state sales tax if it has a physical presence in the state, a recent Texas bill would have taken it a step further. The bill would have required businesses that contract with marketing companies inside the state to collect sales tax as well. Texas Governor Rick Perry vetoed the bill on Monday. Supporters of the bill insist it would have brought in millions of dollars in new state revenue. Why did the Governor decide to use his first veto of the year? Click here for more.
Sony PSN Expected Online This Week
After gradually reopening operations over the past two weeks, Sony said Monday it expects to be completely operational by the end of the week. Have the security issues that gave hackers access to 100 million user accounts been addressed? Click here for more.
Your Money
What will your bond return if you sell it now? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
State arbitration act allows easier judicial review. The Texas Supreme Court paved the way for easier judicial review of arbitration awards decided under the Texas General Arbitration Act (TAA). The court decided the TAA does not preclude an agreement for judicial review of an arbitration award for reversible error. The court, also found that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) does not pre-empt enforcement of such an agreement. "[W]e hold that the TAA presents no impediment to an agreement that limits the authority of an arbitrator in deciding a matter and thus allows for judicial review of an arbitration award for reversible error," Click here for more.