| Volume 67 Number 4 |
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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.
Swipe Fees: Consumers to Save at Retail
New regulations cap the amount banks can charge merchants every time you swipe your debit card. Some consumers are paying the price with new monthly debit cards fees. However, some retailers are saying that the new savings can be passed on to consumers through lower prices and better value. How are retailers planning to pass swipe fee savings on to consumers? Click here for more.
Contract Termination: What It Costs
Every time a new iPhone comes out, thousands of consumers start looking for ways out of their cell phone contracts. Unless you're on a prepaid plan, it will likely run you between $50 to $350 to terminate your contract early. Verizon charges $175 for standard devices and $350 for advanced devices. AT&T charges $150 for standard devices and $350 for advanced devices. Both AT&T and Verizon reduce the early termination fee by $5 to $10 for every month of the contract completed. Sprint and T-Mobile have different approaches to early termination, focusing primarily on the remaining length of the contract. What will it cost to get out of your contract? Click here for more.
Jobless Seek Help in Hiring Discrimination
Have you been out of work for more than six months? If so, you're probably going to run in to some bumps in the road when looking for a new job. According to a survey conducted by the National Employment Law Project, more than 150 job postings on employment websites required applicants to be "currently employed." Other employers will not consider applicants who have been out of work more than six months. President Obama's jobs bill would ban companies with 15 or more employees from refusing to consider someone who is unemployed. Are you unemployed? How can the jobs bill help you? Click here for more.
Your Money
Buying a new home? How do closing costs impact the interest rate? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Amended complaint revives right to enforce arbitration clause that had been waived. The Eleventh Circuit held that a consumer fraud plaintiff's filing of an amended complaint revived a bank's right to enforce an arbitration clause containing a class action waiver. The court noted that the plaintiff’s filing of the amended complaint nullified the bank’s waiver of its arbitration rights. It held that “when a plaintiff files an amended pleading that unexpectedly changes the shape of the case, the case may be ‘so alter[ed] … that the [defendant] should be relieved from its waiver.’” Click here for more.