| Volume 23 Number 11 |
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Once again, it is time for the "People's Law School," the oldest and most successful law program for the layperson in the country! This is your chance to learn more about your legal rights, and have fun at the same time. On Saturday, April 5th, the Center for Consumer Law at the University of Houston Law Center, with the sponsorship of the Houston Bar Association, will host more than forty volunteer lawyers, judges, and law professors, teaching courses in fourteen different areas of law. Best of all, it is absolutely free! Although there is no charge for the "People's Law School," you must pre-register to attend. Registration is limited to the first 1000 people. To register on the web, go to:Click here for more.
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
In Texas, a tenant who moves into an apartment is entitled to a working smoke detector, a peephole in the front door, and proper security on all doors and windows, including a dead bolt on the front door.
Tax Savings for Non-Itemizers
If you're among the 70% of taxpayers who don't itemize deductions, you might think you're getting the short end of the stick. After all, itemizers get to deduct the state-income and property taxes they pay, their mortgage interest and their charitable contributions. Some of them even get to deduct what they paid in sales taxes. But here's a little known secret: Non-itemizers actually get the better deal. Click here for more.
Winners and Losers
When the Federal Reserve meets and changes rates, we all have questions: What does it mean to me? Will my mortgage rate go up or down? Is this a good time to refinance? Bankrate is here to help. We've looked at five categories -- mortgages, home equity loans, auto loans, credit cards and certificates of deposit -- to determine if the Fed's moves made you a winner or a loser. Here's a look at mortgages: Click here for more.
Even at Megastores, Hagglers Find No Price Is Set in Stone
Shoppers are discovering an upside to the down economy. They are getting price breaks by reviving an age-old retail strategy: haggling. Click here for more.
Don't Take Your Passwords To the Grave
Your survivors will have enough on their minds when you die, so take steps now to ensure it won't be a major trauma to access the financial accounts you keep online. Click here for more.
Your Money
Retirement shortfall calculator Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Letter constituted "firm offer" of credit. In a putative class action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) challenging the legality of an unsolicited letter to consumers about the offering of credit for a home loan, the First Circuit affirmed summary judgment for defendant, finding defendant's letter constituted a "firm offer of credit" under FCRA Click here for more.