| Volume 143 Number 60 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Recently, the FTC released state-specific data on COVID-19-related scams, which you can check out with just a few clicks of your mouse. With user-friendly features, the FTC’s data dashboard lets you click on your state to see what people near you have been reporting. And see how people across the country are being affected, too. Click here for more.
Record number of retailers expected to close this year
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, as many as 25,000 retail stores in the U.S. could permanently close their doors.
According to a report from Coresight, a research firm that tracks retail trends, many retailers will be hit hard by an extended period of lower-than-normal demand for discretionary items and the increasing share of consumers who prefer to shop online.
In a report released Tuesday, Coresight said more than 4,000 stores have said they intend to permanently close in 2020. The firm said it expects closures to amount to more than that, ultimately snowballing to a number topping last year’s record of 9,302. Click here for more.
Your Money
Creating a living will is a task that's often neglected on a financial to-do list – but it shouldn't be. One reason it's neglected is that plenty of people don't know what a living will is – or they know but understandably aren't interested in thinking about end-of-life issues. According to a 2020 survey of 2,400 Americans from the caregiving website Caring.com, only 6% of people have a living will. So if you're wondering what a living will is – and whether you need one - Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Court evaluates debt collection letter by unsophisticated debtor standard. The Seventh Circuit affirmed a motion to dismiss a FDCPA class action claim based on a series of letters. The court noted that “a claim under § 1692e may be dismissed when it is clear from the face of the communication that no reasonable person, however unsophisticated, would be deceived by the allegedly false or misleading statement.” Reviewing the letters on their face, the court concluded, “Our case law makes clear that ‘mere speculation’ by the plaintiff that a collection letter is misleading is insufficient to survive a debt collector's motion for summary judgment.” Johnson v. Enhanced Recovery Co., 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 18086 (7th Cir. 2020). Click here for more.