| Volume 11 Number 8 |
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Helpful Links
Texas Consumer Complaint Center
Credit Reports and Identity Theft
Your Guide to Small Claims Court
Contact Us
1-713-743-2168
The Center for Consumer Law has opened the Katrina-Rita Assistance Program to help the large number of survivors who still have legal problems. If you or anyone you know are having legal issues, contact us at 1-877-TEX-UHCC/1-877-839-8422
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
You can sue in small claims court for as much as $5,000. But you cannot just "take less" to get into court. If you are owed $6,000, you can't sue in small claims court for only $5,000.
How to Build a Better Credit Rating
If you've ever applied for a credit card, a personal loan, or insurance, there's a file about you. This file is known as your credit report. It is chock full of information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses with a legitimate need for it. They use the information to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or a lease. Having a good credit report means it will be easier for you to get loans and lower interest rates. Lower interest rates usually translate into smaller monthly payments. Click here for more.
Household Myths and Mysteries Explained
Separate facts from fiction around the house. Click here for more.
Ways to Save at the Pump
Yesterday I filled up at the gas station and I was shocked. Shocked! Cost to fill up -- $43.12! I really haven't been hiding under a rock. It's just that I don¿t often fill the one vehicle I share with my husband, so it wasn't until I handed over $43.12, that the runaway cost of gasoline got personal. Believe me, as I pulled away I renewed my resolve to employ every gasoline-conservation technique and tip known to humankind. I thought perhaps you could use a reminder as well: Click here for more.
Opting Out of Student Loan Solicitations
Students who begin receiving loan service solicitations shortly after taking out student loans often ask themselves, "How did these companies get my address?" Click here for more.
Top Internet Scams to Watch for in 2007
In 2007, cybercriminals will explore new territory. They'll launch attacks using consumer-collaborative sites such as MySpace and YouTube, instant messaging, image spam, send more targeted phishing scams and launch networks of zombie computers. If you're not careful, you could install malicious software -- malware -- that will open up your PC to criminals. Or fall for a money-making scam. Click here for more.
Your Money
Should I finance or pay cash for a vehicle? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
The 5th Circuit recently held that under the pre-2005 amendments, a bankruptcy court has the authority to examine whether a pension plan is a qualified plan for purposes of determining whether the plan is subject to the claims of the estate's creditors. Click here for more.