| Volume 73 Number 11 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Texas has a lemon law. It applies to new cars, and gives you substantial legal rights against the manufacturer. A car is a lemon if it has been in the shop four or more times for the same problems, or two or more times if the problem is a safety defect. Click here for more.
New Rules on Background Checks
Officials for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) passed new rules for employment background checks on Wednesday that should make it easier for convicted criminals to find work. Officials are concerned about the use of background checks in the employment pre-screening process because of the potential bias against racial minorities. Recently, at least one major company was found to have used criminal background checks to deny applicants positions, but the EEOC found that minority applicants were impacted disproportionately, making the practice illegal under federal law. Although the EEOC does not have the authority to ban the use of criminal background checks entirely, it does have the authority to make sure "employment opportunities are not denied inappropriately." To check out the new EEOC guidelines on background checks, Click here for more.
Overdraft Programs Can Cost Big Bucks
If you opt in to your banks overdraft protection program, you'll save money, right? Wrong! Banks are spending truck loads of money advertising their overdraft protection programs after federal regulators made it illegal for banks to automatically enroll customers in such programs. Overdraft fees are big business for banks. At $30 to $35 per transaction, purchasing a few small items while in overdraft can lead to hundreds of dollars in fees. If a consumer buys three items in three separate transactions, he's already spent $105 in fees, even if each item is only $0.01. What can you do to avoid overdraft fees while protecting your account? Click here for more.
Your Money
What is the true cost of paying the minimum on your credit card? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Home borrower cannot sue to enforce HAMP rights. The Eleventh Circuit held that a home borrower did not have a private right of action to sue his lender for failing to grant him a permanent loan modification under the federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Click here for more.