| Volume 2 Number 12 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
An Advanced Directive, commonly called a "living will" gives you the right to make your own decisions regarding whether to die a natural death or be kept alive by artificial means after being diagnosed with a terminal condition. For a free copy, Click here for more.
Bill Would Clean Up Caller ID
You can count congressional lawmakers among those who want caller ID to mean something again. Bipartisan legislation introduced Wednesday in the House of Representatives seeks to outlaw the use of caller ID spoofing techniques "with the intent to deceive the person to whom the call is made." Click here for more.
How Congress Is Shafting the Middle Class
This is the blunt assessment of the nonpartisan Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI), which released its third annual scorecard, Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle-Class Record. It is aimed at assessing Congress's voting records on issues of concern to the nation's middle class. Click here for more.
Know When to Say No To Builders' Incentives
One of the federal government's top housing officials has this practical advice for anyone negotiating with a builder to buy a new house: You can always say no. When the builder dangles thousands of dollars of free upgrades or closing cost discounts in front of you if you will agree to use the builder's affiliated mortgage lender -- and threatens to withhold those incentives if you get your loan elsewhere -- you don't have to roll over and play dead. Click here for more.
Your Money
Which is better: 15- or 30- year loan term for a mortgage? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Supreme Court holds claims for unpaid worker's compensation premiums owed by bankrupt employer are not entitled to priority. The Bankruptcy Code accords a priority, among unsecured creditors' claims, for unpaid "wages, salaries, or commissions," and for unpaid contributions to "an employee benefit plan," The Supreme Court held that premiums owed by an employer to a workers' compensation carrier do not fit within either category. Click here for more.