The Legal Intelligencer has posted an interesting article about a recent Pennsylvania ruling that says lawyers cannot use their own firm’s letterheads when sending out collection letters unless the lawyer has reviewed the file and is prepared to file a lawsuit.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew J. Smyser ruled that two letters from a New York lawyer amounted to clear violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act because the use of law firm letterhead gave the false impression that a lawyer was working on the case and planning to sue.
July 2 (BusinessDesk) – New Zealand stocks rose, ending the week in the black after declining for 11 consecutive days, buoyed by Australian markets where corporate tax cuts have pushed the equities into positive territory. New Zealand Refining Co., NZX Ltd. and Nuplex Industries Ltd. lead gainers on the day.
The NZX 50 rose 4.29, or 0.2%, to 2938.1 points. Within the index 19 stocks rose, 19 fell and 12 were unchanged. Turnover was $41.1 million.
The ASX 200 Index was last trading 0.1% up at 4,241.7, after the Australian government agreed to shelve a plan to implement a resource tax in favour of cutting corporate tax to 29% instead of 28% included in the initial proposal.
“The changes to the corporate tax structures in Australia have put a bit of a positive spin on things,” said Guy Ellife, who manages $1.1 billion of equities at AMP Capital Investors. “Reso
Do you have a particular hobby you just can’t get enough of? Some part of your lifestyle that identifies you? Something that you’d be happy to spend more time (and more money) on? For most of us, there are several parts of our lives that really make us tick. Sometimes it’s hard to justify spending money on these sorts of hobbies even though it’s what we want to do. But if you can make your lifestyle into a business, you can make those expenses deductible — which, at the very least, makes these expenses more palatable.
Note that not every aspect of a lifestyle can be turned into a business, but with the availability of easy options for business creation online, you might be surprised at your options. Playing v
June 30 () – New Zealand stocks fell to the lowest level in almost a year, marking seven straight days of declines, as the gloom on international markets spread locally amid fears that that the recovery of global markets may be short-lived. Dual-listed APN News & Media Ltd., paced decliners, with Kathmandu Holdings and Nuplex Industries Ltd. following suit.
The NZX 50 fell 18.98 points, or 0.6%%, to 2,972.1. Within the index, 27 stocks fell, 10 rose and 13 remained flat. Turnover was $68.5 million.
Asian stocks took their lead from the U.S., where the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 3.1% overnight, as concerns around China’s growth prospects and the weakness in the global recovery weighed on markets. In in
In another recent post, we talked about the cost of hiring employees. However, some of those costs can be given back to your small business in the form of government grants.
The new healthcare bill that was recently signed into law in 2010 by President Obama contains provisions that provide money to small businesses that promote and operate wellness and prevention programs for their employees. About $200 million in grants will be given out over five years, starting in 2011. These grants will be earmarked for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees and will be administered by the US Health and Human Services Department.
June 25 () – Guinness Peat Group’s Tony Gibbs has heeded the calls of local investors and backed away from a proposal to carve out the Australian assets into a separate listed entity.
Gibbs, a director of the diversified investment company, said it’s become clear to him that the proposal doesn’t have the support of many shareholders and won’t succeed, so he’s going to go out and rally support for an alternative plan. The Gibbs plan would see GPG make a “material cash distribution to shareholders” by the end of the year. It would also restructure the group to enable an “efficient exit” from U.K. threadmaker Coats i
Monica, an Alabama consumer, discusses her experience with abusive debt collectors and how she felt after contacting our firm.
You are welcome to request our free book on “Stopping Abusive Collectors” which explains in more detail how to fight back against collectors that violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Feel free to contact us through our website or you can call us at 205-879-2447.
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