Free Republic

Up until today, the FDIC rules provided that Payable On Death ("POD") accounts could be insured on a per beneficiary basis up to $100,000 per beneficiary, but only if the beneficiary was "qualifying." In order to be "qualifying," a beneficiary had to fall within one of five categories of relationships to the owner: the beneficiary had to be a spouse, child, grandchild, sibling or parent of the owner of the account. [delete words on irrevocable trusts] That has ALL CHANGED. The FDIC has adopted an interim rule amending the deposit insurance provisions on revocable trusts and payable on death accounts....

Examples of lawmakers who have sponsored earmarks for private companies and received campaign contributions from them and, in some cases, their lobbyists: _Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, a member of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, obtained a $2.4 million earmark last year for the Greentree Group of Beavercreek, Ohio, for a digital information sharing system. Greentree Group executives, their families and consultants have donated $43,350 to Hobson since 2000, reports The Columbus Dispatch. _Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., a member of House defense appropriations subcommittee, sponsored a $2 million earmark to 21st Century Systems last year for a virtual fence demonstration project....

NATIONAL CITY – Even if it works as it should, Medicare's Part D drug program for low-income seniors and disabled patients is so flawed that it must be scrapped, patients, doctors and lawmakers said during an emotional rally yesterday. "You guys got to admit you made a mistake and repeal this damn thing," Rep. Bob Filner told Medicare regional administrator Jeff Flick, who had come from San Francisco to the Kimball Senior Center to defend the federal government's plan. "I want you to sit in my office and hear (patients') calls. What are you going to do when people start...

Aug. 02, 2002 Beneficiaries of $2 million? The deadBy Cynthia BurtonInquirer Staff WriterAt least $2 million in city pension funds went to 96 people who are definitely dead and 23 others most likely dead, according to an audit released by City Controller Jonathan Saidel yesterday."I see dead people, and they're collecting city pension checks," he quipped, referring to the movie The Sixth Sense about a boy who communicated with dead Philadelphians.The controller secured death certificates for the 96. His auditors concluded the other 23 were most likely dead because their deaths had been reported to the Social Security Administration.The controller...