| Volume 143 Number 12 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Using mobile payment apps like CashApp, Venmo, or Zelle can be a convenient way to get quick cash to your family and friends. But remember the first rule of sending money, whether you’re using an app or money wiring service: Be sure you know who’s on the receiving end. Otherwise, you might lose the money you sent — and then some. Click here for more.
Here are 2020’s best values for a college education
As colleges and universities continue to raise tuition and fees, students are looking for the best value. The latest report from The Princeton Review may offer some helpful guidance. The publication has published its list of the 200 Best Value Colleges for 2020. The list singles out the undergraduate institutes that provide the best return on investment (ROI). The colleges and universities making the list are not necessarily the cheapest. Click here for more.
Your Money
If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, taking advantage of the potential savings this retirement account offers can have lasting benefits. These plans provide a chance to set aside funds that can be deducted from your taxes each year and build earnings over time. “If you’ve ever dreamed about becoming a millionaire, consider increasing your 401(k) contributions,” says Michael J. Herzog, a tax attorney with Eckert Seamans’ Tax Group, a national law firm based in Pittsburgh. In 2020, the IRS allows you to contribute up to $19,500 to a 401(k) plan. If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute an additional $6,500 for a total of $26,000. Here's what you should think about before increasing your 401(k) contributions: Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Court refuses to enforce arbitration provision when plaintiff claims he never visited the website. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia refused to submit to arbitration a dispute alleging violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act because plaintiff provided a declaration stating that he did not visit defendant Apollo Interactive, Inc.’s website. In doing so, the Court kept alive a TCPA class action where Hobbs allegedly provided his telephone number – and may or may not have agreed to arbitrate – in an online submission. The Court’s ruling on the motion to dismiss came down to dueling declarations. Defendant Apollo presented a declaration attesting that on August 29, 2018 at 3:57 p.m., Hobbs’s contact information was entered in its website from a specific IP address located in Norcross, Georgia. Contrastingly, Hobbs produced his own declaration stating that he did not visit the website and, furthermore, that he could not have visited the website at that time. According to Hobbs, he was driving from his job at the Atlanta Zoo to Columbus, Georgia at the precise time when his contact information was submitted to the site. Click here for more.