| Volume 70 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
Have you been bothered by a door-to-door salesman? Under the law, you have three days to change your mind whenever you sign a contract negotiated in your home by a salesperson. The best advice is don't talk to any salesperson who shows up at you door. But if you make a mistake and get talked into a bad deal, the law gives you three days to cancel. Click here for more.
Google Streamlines Privacy Policy
In a dramatic policy shift, Google announced on Thursday that it will begin tracking and sharing user activity across all of its platforms (YouTube, GMail, Google+, and so on). Google's policies have long been shifting toward combined data experience, despite the longtime "Don't Be Evil." promise. What does the change really mean? Ultimately, Google will track your searches, emails, maps, videos, and discussions across multiple websites in a single place. Should you be concerned about your privacy going forward? Click here for more.
How to Deal With Higher Bank Fees
Expect big new fees from your bank in 2012. Banks are looking for ways to replace billions in lost revenue, and the cost will ultimately fall on the consumer. After a sluggish year and new federal regulations on transaction fees, banks are already starting to charge for things like paper bills, increase prices on safety deposit boxes, and even make you pay to close your account. What other new fees and requirements can you expect from your bank in 2012? Click here for more.
Foreclosures Make Up 20% of Home Sales
Do you want a good deal on a home? If you can find a good foreclosure property, you might be in luck. One in every five homes for sale are in foreclosure and sell for 34% less than homes that are not "distressed." Although that might mean potential savings for an interested buyer, it also means widespread drops in home value for all homeowners. Find out why! Click here for more.
Your Money
How much money are you spending? How much is left? Manage your home budget and identify areas for improvement! Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Substitute arbitrator can hear consumer case when NAF is designated as arbitration forum. The Third Circuit held a computer company that sued for selling a defective product could enforce an arbitration clause in its customer agreement, even though the designated arbitrator, The National Arbitration Forum, was no longer available to hear disputes. Click here for more.