Category Archives: Uncategorized
Working to Block Those Advertising Annoyances
by Alina Tugend, New York Times
Free ways to stop unwanted ads, phone calls and mail. Read More ›
Consumer Privacy Rights Need Urgent Protection in Washington, Activists Say
by Tom Hamburger, Washington Post
Citing revelations of government spying and massive theft of credit card information, civil liberties and consumer activist organizations are pressing the White House this week for action on a long-promised consumer privacy bill of rights. Read More ›
Fremont legislator seeks to bolster rights of care home residents
by Katie Nelson, Contra Costa Times
The bill would guarantee residents the right to be free from physical and chemical restraints and the possible inappropriate use of psychoactive drugs. The bill would also prohibit a licensee or employee of a facility from serving as an agent for a resident under a power of attorney. Read More ›
Market Gets Heat for Old “Sell By” Dates
by Hetty Chang, Keith Esparros, Phil Dreschler, NBC Los Angeles
Consumer advocacy groups have joined the United Food and Commercial Workers to release findings of an investigation, which alleges a popular supermarket chain sold expired products — including baby food, meat and diary products. At a news conference Tuesday, groups including the East LA Community Corporation and … Read More ›
Better credit cards, encryption considered to protect consumer data
by Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee
Lawmakers pushed on Tuesday for ways to prevent the kind of consumer data breaches that claimed voluminous amounts of information during the recent holiday season. Read More ›
Capital One says it can show up at cardholders’ homes, workplaces
by David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times
The company recently sent a contract update to cardholders that makes clear it can drop by any time it pleases. The update specifies that “we may contact you in any manner we choose” and that such contacts can include calls, emails, texts, faxes or a “personal visit.” Read More ›
Increasing food prices spark trend of package downsizing
by Jane Dornbusch, Boston Globe
The list of companies that choose to accommodate by shrinking package sizes is lengthy and only getting more so. Consumers might be willing to swallow, albeit reluctantly, either higher prices or smaller packages. What many find objectionable is the seemingly deceptive, or at least sneaky, way that manufacturers go about downsizing. Read More ›
FTC Approves Oversight Program For Compliance With Kids’ Online Privacy Rules
by Kate Cox, Consumerist
No seal of approval by itself can make the internet safe for anyone, let alone for kids, but parents can at least rest assured that if they see this one on any site their children are using, the FTC thinks it’s legit. Read More ›
Don’t Fall for Valentine’s Day Scams
by Jason Alderman, Practical Money Skills
Whatever your love status, one thing everyone needs to guard against at this time of year is scams. Here are some of the more common Valentine’s Day scams to avoid. Read More ›
Friendly sales pitch can’t hide payday loans’ unfriendly rates
by David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times
Welcome to the new-and-not-so-improved world of payday lending, which has adopted more sophisticated sales pitches and branding to lure unwary consumers into loans that can trap them in endless cycles of debt. Read More ›
Cracking Price Tag Codes
by Jim Donovan, CBS 3 Philadelphia
When is a sale price really a steal? Or a clearance tag so low there’s no place else to go? Read More ›
Corinthian Colleges discloses Fed’s probe of job placement numbers
by Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times
Federal regulators are investigating for-profit college chain Corinthian Colleges Inc. for falsifying job-placement rates, adding to at least a dozen other state and federal investigations into the company’s business practices, Corinthian disclosed in an earnings statement Wednesday. Read More ›
True cost of transporting a $25 checked bag? About $2
by Ellen Creager, Detroit Free Press
When airlines began charging for checked bags in 2008, they blamed the high cost of jet fuel for the move. But how much does it actually cost an airline in jet fuel to transport your suitcase? About $2 and maybe less. That means the airline is charging you more than 12 times its cost when it makes you pay a $25 baggage fee. Read More ›