Time runs out for Congress to upend payday lending rule
by Sarah O'Brien, CNBC
Resolutions in both the Senate and House sought to kill the so-called payday rule, which aims to make sure consumers can afford to pay back these short-term, high-cost loans. Read More ›
Google knows what we do online and may soon know everything else about us, too
by Sam Harnet, KQED California Report
We are shifting into the Internet of Things, where the internet is embedded in consumer products — stuff like televisions, lights, TVs and cars. All of these objects are untapped fountains of personal information, and personal information is the financial lifeblood of Google. Read More ›
New legislation could make it harder to tell how much your airline tickets cost
by Christopher Elliott, Savannah Now
An old ticket-price tactic for airlines may make a surprise comeback, thanks to proposed legislation. This is the third time in five years that the airline industry and its surrogates in Congress have tried to jettison the full-fare advertising rule, formerly known as the Transparent Airfares Act. Read More ›
U.S. investigating AT&T and Verizon over wireless collusion claim
by Cecilia Kang, New York Times
The investigation was opened about five months ago after at least one device maker and one wireless carrier filed formal complaints with the Justice Department, two of the people said. The device maker was Apple, one of them said. Read More ›
CFC supports The Parent’s Social Media Accountability and Child Protection Act
AB 2511, The Parent’s Social Media Accountability and Child Protection Act, would prohibit a business from soliciting or knowingly permitting a minor to consent on behalf of a parent or legal guardian, to use of the minor’s name, image or information on a social media website or … Read More ›
CFPB could hide consumer complaints from public, advocates fear
by Maria Lamagna, Marketwatch
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put out a Request for Information (RFI) asking for public input on its consumer inquiry and complaint database. To consumer advocates, the RFI is just the latest evidence that the CFPB’s Director Mick Mulvaney will change the way the Bureau treats complaints, possibly making the CFPB’s database of complaints private and not visible to the public. Read More ›
Protect yourself from W-2 phishing scams
by Terry Sheridan, Accounting Web
The crooks use the information to file bogus tax returns — or sell it on the so-called Dark Net. In some cases, the fraudsters asked for a wire transfer after receiving the employees’ information. Read More ›
Senator Bill Dodd introduces garage-door safety bill
by Davis Enterprise, Davis Enterprise
In the aftermath of the October wildfires that swept across the North Bay, several victims were found dead where their garages once stood. While garage door motors can be disconnected to open the doors manually, many people, especially seniors or those with heavy wooden doors, find it impossible to do so. Read More ›
Consumer Federation of California endorses Dave Jones for Attorney General
“Dave Jones is an effective consumer champion. As Insurance Commissioner he has saved consumers billions of dollars by reining in excessive insurance rate hikes, and has cracked down on insurers who engage in fraud or unfair practices,” stated Richard Holober, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›
Paint companies could hand taxpayers the bill for hazardous lead paint cleanup under proposed California ballot measure
by Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times
The measure would place a $2-billion bond on the November ballot to fund the remediation of lead paint, mold, asbestos and other environmental dangers in homes, schools and senior citizen facilities. The initiative also would reverse a November state appeals court decision requiring three paint companies to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars for lead paint abatement. It also aims to block future lawsuits against the paint companies for similar claims. Read More ›
The new year ushers in new laws affecting consumers
by David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times
Legal weed, salary history, parental leave, minimum wages. Hundreds of new California laws took effect Monday with the beginning of the new year. For consumers, some are real standouts. Read More ›
Some retailers misled shoppers on Black Friday savings
For both Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, retailers know that shoppers love a bargain, so the bigger the savings they can claim, the more sales they will likely ring up. Telling shoppers they can save hundreds of dollars by buying now is potent advertising. Read More ›
Strangers can talk to your child through “connected” toys, investigation finds
by Rebecca Smithers, The Guardian
A consumer group is urging major retailers to withdraw a number of “connected” toys likely to be popular at Christmas, after finding security failures that it warns could put children’s safety at risk. With each of these toys, the Bluetooth connection had not been secured, meaning the researcher did not need a password, pin or any other authentication to gain access. Little technical know-how was needed to hack into the toys to start sharing messages with a child. Read More ›