| Volume 65 Number 9 |
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
Voluntarily returning a car you can't pay for may not get you off the hook. In most cases, the car will be sold and you will owe the difference between your debt and what the car sells for. If you think the car is being accepted in exchange for release for your debt, get that agreement in writing. Click here for more.
Wall Street Gets Demolished
Thursday was not a good day for the stock market. Bond yields reached record lows as gold continued to reach record highs. Bad news from multiple angles likely played a part in the crash, including a slowdown in the manufacturing sector, a poor forecast for global economic growth, and the decline of the housing market. Will an extremely volatile market become the new "normal"? What can you do to protect your money? Click here for more.
Credit Card Debt: Get Back to Black
Are you in the red? Many Americans feel like they're drowning in debt. You might even be thinking, "how will I ever get out of this?" Even though it may be a challenge, there are ways to get out of debt and back in to the "black." For a five step plan to get out of debt (including calculators and budgeting tools), Click here for more.
Thermal Cameras Help Steal Your ATM PIN
Protect your ATM PIN! Everybody knows it and most people go out of their way to do it. Have you ever seen someone cover the pad to prevent others from seeing the PIN? Although that may seem effective, it simply isn't enough anymore. At a security conference last week, computer scientists demonstrated how thermal cameras could be used to pick up body heat on the numbers after you've left the machine. In fact, the technology is more effective at identifying an exact PIN than actually watching a person type it in. When used along with a phony card reader, a hacker has everything they need for a complete account takeover. Should you be concerned? Click here for more.
Your Money
Should you trade in your gas guzzler? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Cingular customers must arbitrate individual claims. The Eleventh Circuit held that in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Concepcion, Cingular's contract requiring arbitration and prohibiting class claims is enforceable. The court stated “we now hold that, in light of Concepcion, the class action waiver in the Plaintiffs’ arbitration agreements is enforceable under the FAA.” Click here for more.