| Volume 144 Number 30 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
When it comes to scammers, nothing is sacred — including the bond between grandparent and grandchild. Lately, grandparent scammers have gotten bolder: they might even come to your door to collect money, supposedly for your grandchild in distress. Click here for more.
House members pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help bridge the gender pay gap
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an overhaul of existing labor laws on Thursday. If enacted as written, the new bill -- the Paycheck Fairness Act -- should provide “more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes.”
The legislation certainly has a champion in President Biden. He said the bill is “more than just an economic imperative — it’s a moral imperative as well.” Click here for more.
Your Money
Many students borrow money or accept grants and scholarships to help pay for higher education. Luckily, you don't report student loans as income on your tax return, and you don't have to pay taxes on certain types of financial aid. But settled or canceled student loan debt is typically taxable. Taxable income is your total income after subtracting deductions and exemptions for the tax year. If you're using several ways to pay for school, you may be confused about what is taxable and worried that you could end up with a big tax bill. Here's what you need to know about how student loans can affect your taxes, as well as tax benefits that could reduce your burden. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Third Circuit finds debt collection letter not false or misleading. The Third Circuit shot down a consumer's bid to revive a proposed class action alleging a collector falsely suggested a debt could increase by itemizing the balance to include "$0.00" in interest and fees in a collection letter. The court ruled that such representations are not misleading. The court upheld a New Jersey federal court ruling nixing plaintiff Randy Hopkins' suit against Collecto, which does business as EOS CCA. The panel found that Hopkins' Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims fell short under both the "least sophisticated debtor" standard in the circuit and the "unsophisticated debtor" standard in other circuits. The court stated, "Even our case law's hypothetical 'least sophisticated consumer' — gullible though he may be — reads a debt collection letter without speculating about what could happen in the future based on true statements concerning the past." Randy Hopkins v. Collecto Inc. et al., ___F.3d ___ (3d Cir 2021) Click here for more.