| Volume 3 Number 10 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
When you move from your apartment, be sure to give your landlord your forwarding address. Assuming you were current in your rent, Texas law gives your landlord 30 days to return your security deposit, but only if you left a forwarding address. To see about your rights as a tenant, Click here for more.
Attack of the Real Estate Rip-Offs
Every boom has a dark side. The merger mania of the 1980s produced insider trading scandals. The 90s stock bubble was busted for biased investment research. And so it is with real estate, the hottest market of the past eight years. The urge to cash in on rising home values has spawned a growing share of hucksters, schemers and rip-off artists. Click here for more.
Credit History Doesn't End with Bankruptcy
Can credit reporting agencies legally report "CO" (collection/charge off) on accounts that were discharged in bankruptcy? Terry Savage of the Chicago Sun-Times has the answer. Click here for more.
Seven Ways to Make a Million
From a successful songwriter to a first-generation entrepreneur, these millionaires' paths to wealth are diverse, but what they share is 24/7 commitment. Click here for more.
Five Myths About Social Security
Sometimes our beliefs about Social Security are based on myths. In the interest of of discovering the truth let's review some of these legends. Click here for more.
When Debt Collectors Cross Line, There is Help
About 66,625 consumers complained to the Federal Trade Commission in Washington last year about third-party debt collectors who violated the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Another 23,605 complaints were filed against original creditors that don't use third-party collectors. Consumers aren't protected from original creditors, such as retailers who issue store credit cards, under the federal law, but they may be under state laws. Click here for more.
Bankruptcy Filings Soaring Again
The lull in bankruptcy filings may already be a thing of the past. Consumer bankruptcy cases plunged to a 20-year low in the first three months of 2006, reflecting the passage of a tough new bankruptcy law last year. But the pace of new filings is already on the rise. Courts now see an average of 2,000 new filings a day -- four times the number that were filed in November 2005 after the bankruptcy law went into effect. Click here for more.
Your Money
How much will Social Security provide after retirement? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Woman can sue husband for exposing her to AIDS. The California Supreme Court has ruled a woman could sue her husband for exposing her to the risk of AIDs infection without having to prove that he actually knew that he had acquired HIV through his extra-marital activities. Click here for more.