| Volume 134 Number 2 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
A store has the right to sell something and limit your right to return it by saying “no returns,” or “exchange only.” But this does not apply to something that doesn’t work. You are always entitled to get a working product, unless it was purchased “as is.” Click here for more.
FDA Approves 23andMe’s At-Home DNA Tests for 10 Diseases
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first home DNA tests Thursday that lets people find out if they have a genetic risk for 10 diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and some rare blood diseases. "These are the first direct-to-consumer (DTC) tests authorized by the FDA that provide information on an individual's genetic predisposition to certain medical diseases or conditions, which may help to make decisions about lifestyle choices or to inform discussions with a health care professional," the FDA said in a statement.
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Your Money
Where to stash emergency cash when the average savings account yields 0.11 percent. Most financial advisors recommend you keep three to six months of expenses in an emergency fund. However, putting that substantial amount of cash in a traditional savings account is "losing money safely," said Nick Holeman, a certified financial planner with Betterment, an automated investing service. Here are three ways you can boost the returns of your safety net fund while having the peace of mind that you can access the money when you need it: (1) high-yield online savings account; (2) certificates of deposit; and (3) a portfolio of stocks and bonds. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Litigation of collection action waives arbitration clause. The Maryland Court of Appeals held that an assignee’s collection action was related to debtor’s claims and therefore assignee waived its contractual right to arbitrate Debtor’s claims when it chose to litigate the collection action. Cain v. Midland Funding, LLC (Md. Ct. App. Mar. 24, 2017). Click here for more.