Parents have “The Talk” with your new Graduates. “The Talk” can protect them from complicated relationships, bad breakups, and excessive fees.
The “Adulting and Contract Terms Talk” saves them from bad choices, as offers from service providers make it easy for adults to sign up for things, and pay for them over and over.
“The Talk” starts with the advice to never sign, agree to, or check the ‘I accept’ box, without reading the terms. At 18 you legally bind yourself to terms and conditions of many types of agreements. Even if you don’t read the terms, you’re bound by them.
While most contracts will be boiler plate legal language read every word, if you aren’t sure what it says, read it a second time. Some Examples below.
Clicking on I ACCEPT THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAN LEAD TO THE FOLLOWING: 1. Permission to use personal information. 2. Sell your photos. 3. Track your every move. 4. Automatically renew subscriptions. 5. Reinstate subscriptions via text or email.
Adulting can include getting a credit card. Credit cards are helpful to adulting but before signing up for a year of 0% finance, to get a free Koozie, read the fine print. Pitfalls include a 36% interest rate after the year, annual fees, and late fees. While you may not be able to negotiate better terms, by reading every single word of fine print, you can say NO, or know what you have agreed to.
Housing: A lease on a residence will contain deadlines for terminating or renewing, if missed the lease is extended. How do I get something repaired? Can I have a pet? Can I let my friend stay with me for two weeks? The lease will control all of these.
Parents and grads, congratulations on taking the next step in your journey to adulthood. Make sure to have “The Talk” and read everything before you accept the terms and Happy Adulting.
Mr. Mayer has been practicing law for more than 20 years in the State of Texas. He joined Hammerle Finley Law firm in 2013. Mr. Mayer has a vast array of experience with civil litigation, business litigation, probate and elder law matters, both as well as experience in business law, business organizations, and transactions.
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