| Volume 142 Number 38 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. Click here for more.
Taking a vacation can have positive health benefits
The summer months are the prime time for consumers to get out of town and enjoy a relaxing vacation, and a recent study suggests that doing so can come with some interesting health benefits. Researchers from Syracuse University found that going on vacation can actually work to reduce consumers’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Click here for more.
Your Money
Politicians and advocates have been rallying to get the federal minimum wage – currently $7.25 an hour – raised, and for a good reason. Though the minimum wage is higher in some states and cities, if you're making the lowest legal wage and you don't have monetary support from parents, a spouse or a partner, affording crucial living expenses, such as housing, food, electricity and transportation can present a challenge. Case in point: If you work 40 hours a week for all 52 weeks of the year – without a vacation – making $7.25 an hour, that adds up to $15,080 per year. If you have no spouse or child to support, that's about $3,000 above the poverty line. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median income for a full-time wage or salary worker working 40 hours per week in 2019 is $46,800. If you're making the lowest legal salary and you want to live well on a stringent budget, consider these expert-backed pointers. Here's how to survive on minimum wage: Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Ninth Circuit clarifies standard for multi-state class action settlements. The decision provides an easier standard for certifying settlements with variations in state law and allows class actions, even nationwide classes, to be settled on a less stringent standard than litigated classes. The decision does not change the requirement for heightened standards and a rigorous analysis for class certification. Hyundai and Kia Fuel Economy Litigation, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Click here for more.