Utilities are a necessity, not a luxury. We need electricity, gas, telephone and even cable to go about our daily lives.
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Con Edison Interview: Mysterious Fees, Surcharges, Taxes On Bill Explained
July 06, 2009 by Staff, BBN Special Consumer Report
Hotel Expose: The Hidden Truth Behind Hotel Drinking Glasses
December 09, 2007 by BBN Editors,
If you travel and stay at hotels – from low-end to high-end - this is a disturbing story about the drinking glasses in hotel rooms. Never again will you drink out of hotel glasses after seeing this video.
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Web Coupons Know Lots About You, and They Tell.
April 18, 2010 by editor (View Source)
(nyt) For decades, shoppers have taken advantage of coupons. Now, the coupons are taking advantage of the shoppers.
A new breed of coupon, printed from the Internet or sent to mobile phones, is packed with information about the customer who uses it. While the coupons look standard, their bar codes can be loaded with a startling amount of data, including identification about the customer, Internet address, Facebook page information and even the search terms the customer used to find the coupon in the first place.
And all that information follows that customer into the mall. More...
Red Cross Uses Donations To Pay Fines
January 15, 2010 by editor (View Source)
(charitywatch) On April 8, the American Red Cross (Red Cross) appointed its seventh CEO in seven years, according to the Washington Post. Gail J. McGovern, formerly a Harvard Business School professor and executive of AT&T and Fidelity Investments, faces several challenges as new CEO to one of America’s largest charities as it continues to reform.
Among the challenges McGovern faces at the Red Cross are a $200 million operating deficit in part due to diminished fundraising, and the recent layoff of one-third of the 3,000 employees at the Red Cross Washington headquarters, according to the Post. In addition, the Red Cross’s continued mismanagement of the nation’s blood supply has resulted in penalties of $6. More...
Wyclef Jean Charity's: Haiti earthquake aid pours into group that has enriched singer
January 15, 2010 by editor (View Source)
(tsg) The Haiti earthquake has already triggered hundreds of thousands of donations to musician Wyclef Jean's charitable foundation, which expects to raise upwards of $1 million a day in the disaster's wake. However, Internal Revenue Service records show the group has a lackluster history of accounting for its finances, and that the organization has paid the performer and his business partner at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert. Though the Wyclef Jean Foundation, which does business as Yele Haiti Foundation, was incorporated 12 years ago--and has been active since that time--the group only first filed tax returns in August 2009. That month, the foundation provided the IRS with returns covering calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007--the only periods for which it has publicly provided a glimpse at its financial affairs. In 2006, Jean's charity reported contributions of $1 million, the bulk of which came from People magazine in exchange for the first photos of a pregnant Angelina Jolie (the actress reportedly directed that the publication's payment go to Jean's charity, not her personally). More...
As Wallets Open For Haiti, Credit Card Companies Take A Big Cut
January 14, 2010 by editor (View Source)
(hupo) As a massive human tragedy unfolds in Haiti, relief organizations are soliciting credit-card donations through their hotlines and websites. About 97 percent of these donations will actually make it to the designated organizations -- but the other 3 percent will be skimmed off by banks and credit card companies to cover their "transaction costs. "
Thanks to this hidden fee, American banks and credit card companies are making huge profits -- somewhere in the neighborhood of $250 million a year -- off of people's charitable donations, according to a Huffington Post analysis.
Those profits rise sharply after major disasters, when humanitarian relief organizations such as Oxfam and Operation USA take in more than 85 percent of their donations via credit card -- and the credit card providers, with only a few exceptions, refuse to waive their fees. . More...
2010 Prediction: The Year of the Paid Subscription
January 08, 2010 by editor (View Source)
(newsweek) This year the Web turns 21. So it's somewhat ironic that 2010 will also be the year the place finally sobers up.
Many of the startups and media sites that define the e-commerce ecosystem are, at long last, making serious plans to make serious money. Hulu, the slick portal that picked up where TiVo left off in killing the idea of "appointment television," is the free site likeliest to begin charging in 2010. Chase Carey, a top executive of News Corp. More...
HEADS UP... Banks Roll Out New Check, Card Fees. New Charges Seek to Get Ahead of New Federal Rules Limiting Increases in Interest Rates
January 02, 2010 by editor (View Source)
(wsj) The nation's banks will be bombarding customers with new fees and products in 2010 as they try to replace more than $50 billion in revenue wiped out by new rules that clamp down on certain business practices.
So far, the changes are mostly concentrated in checking accounts and credit cards. In addition to attaching new fees to old products, banks are introducing new types of accounts that they hope will reel in new customers and reduce their funding costs.
For plastic, the new rules go into effect in February as part of the Credit Card Act of 2009. The rules will limit some interest-rate increases, require more disclosure to customers and prohibit banks from raising interest rates on current balances unless a customer is at least 60 days behind in a payment. More...
(FACEBOOK PRIVACY UPDATE) Check your Facebook privacy settings. Now! More than ever, your personal information is flapping in the breeze
December 17, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msn)
If Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg can't figure out his social networking site's privacy settings after they were ripped open earlier this month, what hope is there for the rest of us?
For a brief window of time, the whole world had an opening to check out (and get screen grabs) of Zuckerberg's previously private Facebook photos, in which the young CEO is seen, as Valleywag describes, "shirtless, romantic, clutching a teddy bear, and looking plastered. "
Story continues below “advertisement | your ad here
Zuckerberg has since slammed the door on his Facebook profile's open access, and it's time for you to do the same. Most likely, you haven’t bothered clicking on the video link that offers to take you through the changes. Because hey, you’re busy. What’s more, Facebook changes its privacy policy so frequently, it’s just clicks and whistles to you now. More...
Many South Florida homeowners who can afford to make their mortgage payments are choosing not to, forcing the lender to foreclose. It's called strategic default.
October 25, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(miamiherald) As property values have plummeted by an average of 50 percent, such strategic defaults now make up a sizable chunk of South Florida's foreclosures. In the fourth quarter of last year, they accounted for an estimated 28 percent of all defaults in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, according to recent research from the credit bureau Experian and Oliver Wyman, a New York-based international consulting firm.
That's up from 8 percent in the same quarter two years ago. With property values down even further now, researchers are certain the numbers have risen even more.
With the social stigma of foreclosure eroding, experts say it is becoming easier for discouraged borrowers to justify throwing in the towel. More...
Does your boss want you dead? Your company could have a life insurance policy on you that you know nothing about.
October 04, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(BBN Editor) The Michael Moore movie "Capitalism: A Love Story" highlights this bit of information you may know nothing about. . . (cnn-money) 'Dead peasants' insurance pays your employer a secret, tax-free windfall when you die. Insurers have sold millions of policies to companies such as Dow Chemical. More...
Who Owns Your Mortgage? "Produce The Note" Movement Helps Stall Foreclosures.
September 22, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(hupo) Modern-day home mortgages have been so sliced and diced by rapacious financiers that some homeowners are successfully delaying -- or even blocking -- foreclosures through the simple tactic of demanding that banks produce the original mortgage note, which amazingly enough is often not so easy for them to do.
As the foreclosure rate continues to set new highs, a little-noticed legal provision that requires bankers, if challenged, to prove they hold the original mortgage documents before getting possession has spawned a minor homeowner rebellion, alternately called "produce the note" or "show me the note". For homeowners trying desperately to keep their homes, the tactic is one way to buy some time -- and maybe even get the upper hand on the lender.
"You wouldn't imagine that the lenders would be that slovenly that they would not be able to produce adequate documentation of the debt," said House Financial Services Committee member Rep. Brad Miller (D-N. More...
Microsoft apologizes for changing race in photo. Black man's head replaced with that of a White man on Polish Web site.
August 26, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(cnet) Microsoft apologized Tuesday for using photo editing techniques to change the race of a person depicted on the company's Web site.
In a photo on the company's U. S. Web site, three businesspeople--one black, one white and one Asian are shown as part of a pitch for Microsoft's business productivity software. In the same photo on the site of Microsoft's Polish subsidiary, a white head is placed over the black person's body, although the hand is not changed. More...
Digitized Stalking Is the New World Order. You’re being followed. Stalkers are everywhere, even in your pocket.
August 05, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(wired) You’re being followed. Stalkers are everywhere, even in your pocket.
That’s the warning Wednesday from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the San Francisco-based civil liberties group.
In a “white paper” entitled On Locational Privacy, and How to Avoid Losing it Forever, the group warns how everyday ways of life and our gadgets are transforming us into a digitized stalking society.
“Over the next decade, systems which create and store digital records of people’s movements through public space will be woven inextricably into the fabric of everyday life. More...
Mexico Says Bienvenido to iTunes Store
August 05, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(pcworld) More than six years after the launch of the iTunes Store here in the U. S. , Apple has finally rolled out the world's most popular media store in our great neighbor to the south, Mexico. At last, access to the iTunes Store blankets North America, from Tapachula, Chiapas to Ellesmere Island.
The iTunes Store in Mexico launches with millions of tracks from the four major labels, all in Apple's DRM-free iTunes Plus format, as well as from hundreds of the smaller indie labels. More...
Big Brother Watching: Think your Blackberry is Private? Think again. With every high-tech gadget we buy, we give up a little more privacy.
July 27, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(spiegel) With every high-tech gadget we buy, we give up a little more privacy. Many devices today are in constant communication with their manufacturer. And it's not just consumers who are losing their rights -- the technology gives authoritarian states whole new ways of keeping tabs on individuals.
Don't look now, but no matter where you go, you're connected. We -- or most of us, at least -- have opened our front doors to large corporations, hardware manufacturers, software firms and search engines. More...
For many minorities (Latinos and Blacks especially), saving isn't so easy
July 07, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(usat) Many Americans fear they'll outlive their savings, but African Americans and Hispanics face an even greater risk of spending the end of their lives in poverty.
Members of those two groups are less likely than white and Asian workers to participate in their employers' 401(k) plans, and when they do contribute, they save less, according to a study scheduled for release today by Ariel Education Initiative and Hewitt Associates.
African Americans and Hispanics also are much more likely to take money out of their 401(k) plans for emergencies, which could further stunt long-term savings growth. And they are less likely to invest in stocks in favor of low-risk investments and real estate, increasing the risk that their savings won't keep pace with inflation, retirement specialists say.
The survey, which analyzed data from nearly 3 million employees at the end of 2007, found significant differences in retirement savings even among higher-income employees. More...
Housing Crisis Erases Wealth of Blacks, Latinos
July 02, 2009 by editor (View Source)
After the largest growth in homeownership in history during the last 15 years, blacks and Latinos are now suffering their largest loss in wealth in modern history. And that erosion of wealth could lead to a second collapse in the national economy within a year.
This was the core message of a white paper released this month by the William C. Velasquez Institute. The report describes how this lost wealth — more than $200 billion during the last three years — could impede the economic recovery of the entire country if it is not addressed. More...
NESTLÉ Recalls TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Cookie Dough Products. View list of recalled products.
June 22, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(VBB) Consumers who have purchased Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough products should not consume them. Instead, the company is asking that consumers return these products to their local grocer for a full refund. Consumers with questions should contact NESTLÉ Consumer Services at 1-800-559-5025 and visit their web site at www. verybestbaking. com. More...
Bank Accused of Pushing Mortgage Deals on Blacks: “mud people.” Loans referred to as "ghetto loans."
June 15, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(nyt) As she describes it, Beth Jacobson and her fellow loan officers at Wells Fargo Bank “rode the stagecoach from hell” for a decade, systematically singling out blacks in Baltimore and suburban Maryland for high-interest subprime mortgages.
These loans, Baltimore officials have claimed in a federal lawsuit against Wells Fargo, tipped hundreds of homeowners into foreclosure and cost the city tens of millions of dollars in taxes and city services.
Wells Fargo, Ms. Jacobson said in an interview, saw the black community as fertile ground for subprime mortgages, as working-class blacks were hungry to be a part of the nation’s home-owning mania. Loan officers, she said, pushed customers who could have qualified for prime loans into subprime mortgages. More...
Traveler Beware: Fear of hotel crime rises during recession. Guests should be vigilant.
May 25, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(usat) More than a billion travelers stay at U. S. hotels each year, and some, like Tubbs, become victims despite the sense of security that locked doors, surveillance cameras and hotel staff provide. And now that the country is in recession, several veterans of hotel security say, there's a greater likelihood that what happened to Tubbs could happen to other travelers.
"We're absolutely seeing an increase in crime at hotels," says Philip Farina, CEO of Enterprising Securities, a San Antonio company that designs security programs for hotels. More...
United Air to Charge Obese Fliers Twice on Full Jets. The policy brings practices in line with those at the other five biggest U.S. carriers.
April 15, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(bloomberg) United Airlines, the third-largest U. S. carrier, may force some obese travelers to buy a second seat when flights are full and other passengers complain about being cramped.
The policy brings practices at UAL Corp. ’s United in line with those at the other five biggest U. More...
(Video) Cell phone tapping. Think your cell phone conversations are private?
April 12, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(youtube/WTHR) Channel 13/WTHR investigates and explains how your cell phone can be secretly hijacked and used against you - and how to protect yourself. . . . . More...
10 things credit card issuers don't say, like: "We're just waiting for you to screw up."
March 20, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msn) Some of the card companies' little-known rules are costing you money -- and putting your credit, your identity and your family at risk. . . . . More...
Supermercado de Walmart. Retail giant will open its first Hispanic-focused supermarkets this summer in Arizona and Texas.
March 16, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msn) Retail giant Wal-Mart will open its first Hispanic-focused supermarkets this summer in Arizona and Texas. The stores will feature Spanish speaking staff and new layouts, products, and signage that will be "relevant to local Hispanic customers. "
The stores, dubbed Supermercado de Walmart, will appear in converted Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores in Phoenix and Houston. Separately, the company also plans on converting a Sam's Club warehouse into a Hispanic-themed Más Club.
Some of this reflects Wal-Mart's U. More...
Homeowners to Banks: Prove I owe you. Homeowners demand lenders produce original documents — some can’t.
February 17, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Kathy Lovelace lost her job and was about to lose her house, too. But then she made a seemingly simple request of the bank: Show me the original mortgage paperwork.
And just like that, the foreclosure proceedings came to a standstill.
Lovelace and other homeowners around the country are managing to stave off foreclosure by employing a strategy that goes to the heart of the whole nationwide mess.
. More...
Facebook's New Terms Of Service: "We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever."
February 16, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(consumerist) Facebook's terms of service (TOS) used to say that when you closed an account on their network, any rights they claimed to the original content you uploaded would expire. Not anymore.
Now, anything you upload to Facebook can be used by Facebook in any way they deem fit, forever, no matter what you do later. Want to close your account? Good for you, but Facebook still has the right to do whatever it wants with your old content. They can even sublicense it if they want. More...
Privacy Matter. Google to introduce “location-aware” mobile services allowing users to track whereabouts of friends automatically.
February 05, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(ft) Google is set to draw scrutiny to the privacy implications of “location-aware” mobile services with the announcement on Wednesday of a service that allows users to track the whereabouts of their friends automatically.
The service, Google Latitude, will take the web search company into the increasingly crowded mobile social-networking business, opening another front in its rivalry with mobile carriers.
By downloading software on to their mobiles, users in 27 countries will be able to broadcast their location to others constantly.
Privacy controls will make it possible for people to select who receives the information, or to go “offline” at any time.
Recipients of the information will be able to track their friends’ whereabouts on a Google map, either from a handset or from a personal computer. More...
Folding dealers shock car buyers with liens. Buyers find they are on the hook for bills they didn’t know about.
February 01, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) The national wave of auto dealership closures has come crashing down on thousands of people who are on the hook for used-car loans that dealers were supposed to absolve.
When a car buyer still owes money on a vehicle he is trading in, the dealer promises to pay off the outstanding loan, then resells the vehicle. But as more dealers go out of business, some are sticking consumers with the bill. Lenders can then go after the previous owner who thought the debt was paid, or repossess the car from the new owner who assumed it came with clear title.
"It's devastating for people when it happens because they have two car payments and they can't afford them," said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that lobbies on behalf of vehicle owners. More...
Workers around the world face losing their jobs as several big corporations announced more than 70,000 layoffs in one single day.
January 26, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(bbc) The biggest cuts came in the US where construction equipment maker Caterpillar said it would cut around 20,000 jobs.
In Europe, electronics group Philips, financial firm ING and UK steelmaker Corus announced cuts.
The announcements underscore the depth of the global downturn.
"Without a doubt, 2009 will be a very tough year," said Caterpillar chief executive Jim Owens.
Many of the companies making layoffs unveiled poor financial results and issued gloomy outlooks for 2009. More...
How to save $10,000 in 2009
January 25, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msn) If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry.
The reality is that $10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as: Housing, Transportation, Food. Many people balk at chopping these basic expenses, notes Vicki Robin, a founder of the simple-living movement and co-author of the landmark book "Your Money or Your Life," first published in 1992 and recently reissued in a new edition.
But those willing to entertain alternatives often find they can cut their expenses dramatically. More...
Don't eat peanut butter, FDA official warns. Nationwide salmonella outbreak has killed 6, sickened hundreds.
January 17, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Federal health authorities on Saturday urged consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods that contain peanut butter until authorities can learn more about a deadly outbreak of salmonella contamination.
"We urge consumers to postpone eating any products that may contain peanut butter until additional information becomes available," said Stephen Sundlof, head of the Food and Drug Administration's food safety center. . . . More...
Apple cuts copy protection and prices on iTunes. Songs would come in three pricing tiers: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29.
January 06, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(ap) Apple Inc. closed its final appearance at the Macworld trade show Tuesday by cutting the price of some songs in its market-leading iTunes online store to as little as 69 cents and disclosing that soon every track will be available without copy protection.
Apple's top marketing executive, Philip Schiller, said iTunes songs would come in three pricing tiers: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1. 29. Record companies will choose the prices, which marks a significant change, since Apple previously made all songs sell for 99 cents. More...
Utility cutoffs fuel carbon monoxide poisonings. Desperate families are turning to dangerous heat sources,
January 06, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Severe winter weather and a stormy economy could combine to make one of the season’s common killers, carbon monoxide poisoning, even worse this year, public health and safety officials say.
Coast-to-coast snowstorms and power outages, paired with spiking rates of utility shutoffs spurred by record unemployment, are likely to increase the accidental exposures that typically send more than 20,000 people to the emergency room and kill nearly 500 each year.
“I’m pretty sure we’re going to see a big bump in carbon monoxide poisonings this winter,” said Dr. Eric J. Lavonas, associate director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver. More...
6 reasons modified loans are going bad again. Recent data show that after six months, more than half of the modified loans fail, too.
January 04, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) As the housing crisis continues gutting property values and tipping homeowners into foreclosure, lawmakers, community groups and even government officials have been pressuring the Bush administration to step up its efforts to modify loans. By reworking the terms of mortgages — say, by extending the payment period or lowering the principal — troubled borrowers will be able to make their payments and remain in their homes, modification supporters argue.
In the face of higher delinquencies and mounting political pressure, a number of key private-sector players — Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — have recently introduced plans to bolster such efforts. (That's on top of the Hope Now Alliance, the Bush administration's voluntary loan-modification program. )
So, how have modified loans performed so far?
Well, according to Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan, a top bank regulator, more than half of the mortgages that were modified in the first three months of 2008 went delinquent again within six months. More...
Heads Up, NYC Car Owners: City Will Slash That Parking Fine, if You Ask
January 03, 2009 by editor (View Source)
(nyt) In a city of markdowns, where bargains are prized, New York officials have been offering sharply reduced fines on parking tickets for almost three years and, remarkably, the deep discounts have gone largely unnoticed.
Any driver who challenges a parking ticket — in person, in writing or online — is offered a substantial, guaranteed reduction for most fines, under a program the city quietly introduced in 2005.
Plead guilty to parking at an expired meter in Midtown, for example, and agree to forgo a hearing, and the city will immediately reduce the fine from $65 to $43. No questions asked.
But most people who get tickets, about 80 percent by city estimates, do not challenge them and still simply pay the full fine. More...
Ohio Company Recalls Baby High Chairs. The Recall Involves 95,000 Majestic High Chairs.
December 18, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(abc/ap) An Ohio company is recalling its baby high chairs after dozens of reported injuries such as broken bones and head bruises. The recall involves 95,000 Majestic High Chairs made by Evenflo Co. Inc. The company says they pose a hazard for small children when parts come loose and the seat backs fall off. The company,which is based in Miamisburg, Ohio, received more than 1,000 reports of parts falling out. More...
Why lenders might forgive your debt. They want to avoid foreclosure, lawsuits, repossession almost as much as you do.
December 16, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msn) People who overdosed on debt in recent years learned the paradox of easy credit: While lenders were willing to let you borrow copious amounts, they weren't particularly interested in helping you work out a solution if you fell behind on repayment.
Lenders often found it easier and cheaper to write off delinquent accounts as bad debt than work with you on a repayment plan. After all, they could get a tax break on the loss and then get on with the profitable business of extending credit to the next guy.
Lately, however, lender perspectives have changed. Soaring default rates, a weakening economy and the credit crunch have rewritten the rules. More...
Drug companies: No cold meds for kids under 4. New voluntary warning labels caution against use by young children.
November 02, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Children under 4 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold remedies, drug companies said Tuesday in a concession to pediatricians who doubt the drugs work in kids and worry about their safety.
The voluntary changes came less than a week after federal health officials said they also saw little evidence that the drugs work, but feared that parents would give kids adult medicines if the products were taken off store shelves.
In addition, the drug makers said they will add a warning to their products that parents should not give children antihistamines to make them sleepy. These are allergy-relief medications often found in medicines that combine several ingredients to treat a variety of symptoms.
. More...
Bank of America to pay $8 billion over subprime suit. Bank to modify bad mortgages for nearly 400,000 Countrywide customers.
October 06, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Facing a lawsuit over deceptive mortgage practices, Bank of America Corp. is agreeing to pay more than $8 billion to modify hundreds of thousands of loans to keep people from losing their homes.
Charlotte, N. C. -based Bank of America said Monday it will modify troubled mortgages with up to $8. More...
Are Air Fresheners Bad For Your Health? View the Answer....
October 01, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msn) Question: I use air fresheners in my home, but have been told I shouldn\'t. Are they bad for my health? Answer. . . . More...
Mortgage rates plummet, but borrowers beware. 740plus creditor score; 20% down still doesn’t guarantee low borrowing rate.
September 10, 2008 by editor (View Source)
Mortgage rates have plummeted after the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But that hasn't made getting a home loan any easier for most borrowers.
Since last Friday, the 30-year fixed rate has dropped to 5. 79% from 6. 26%. More...
Single women slammed by housing mess.
August 31, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msn) Eviction was not an option: That's what Melonie Griffiths-Evans kept telling herself, even after the bank had foreclosed on her home in 2007 and was preparing to oust her so the house could be resold.
After a series of financial setbacks, including the loss of a job, the single mother of three had fallen hopelessly behind in her mortgage payments. But Griffiths-Evans, 38, wanted dignity for herself and her children, a way to negotiate their departure without being thrown out.
The Boston resident concedes that her home in the Dorchester neighborhood, assessed in February at $265,000, was basically unaffordable when she purchased it in 2004 for $470,000 with no down payment. She had taken out two loans in order to buy the home without private mortgage insurance -- one at 8. More...
Angry customer sues Time Warner over forced cable box rental
August 15, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(ars technica) Cable companies shouldn't force subscribers into renting cable boxes when they could just purchase one outright and save money, a new lawsuit alleges. Kansas native Matthew Meeds has filed what he hopes will become a class-action lawsuit against Time Warner Cable and parent company Time Warner over what he considers to be an illegal tying arrangement that violates antitrust laws and hurts customers.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, Meeds notes that Time Warner customers in Kansas are forced to pay a rental fee to Time Warner for a cable box in order to view premium channels. Customers don't have the option of using their own box, and renting a cable box from Time Warner is apparently a condition of subscribing to the premium channels. "By doing this, Time Warner forces the class to pay a much larger amount of money than would be the case if they were allowed to purchase a cable box of their choice from the manufacturer of their choosing," reads the lawsuit. More...
8 secret scores that lenders keep. Lenders track every last detail of your spending habits.
August 11, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msn) You've heard by now of credit scores, the three-digit numbers lenders use to gauge your creditworthiness. Credit scores predict how likely you are to default on a credit account or loan; they're used to help set interest rates and terms.
What you may not know is that credit scores are just the start of the way financial institutions evaluate you, and they're not even the most commonly used scores -- far from it.
While a credit card issuer might check your credit scores once a month as part of its regular account review process, the same company probably checks other kinds of scores every time you pull out your plastic.
Talk back: What do you think about lenders' scoring methods?
"Every single transaction has some sort of score being generated," said credit scoring expert John Ulzheimer, president of Credit. More...
"Whole Foods Looks for a Fresh Image in Lean Times." Not easy for market that has the nickname "Whole Paycheck" for its costly food and goods.
August 03, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(nyt)Shawn Hebb may have one of America’s toughest jobs: convincing people that Whole Foods Market can be an economical place to shop.
This week, leading five customers through a store here, he breezed past the triple cream goat cheese, $39. 99 a pound, and the fresh tuna, $19. 99 a pound, to focus on the merits of beans, chicken thighs and frozen fish.
Then he held up a $1. More...
Texters hurt as they walk, ride — even cook. ER docs warn of serious injuries, deaths from text-message mishaps.
July 30, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Apparently, the warning applies to everyone, from college student Danielle Gonzales to Barack Obama’s adviser, Valerie Jarrett: Don’t walk and text at the same time.
Gonzales, a 19-year-old sophomore at San Diego State University, admits she’s stumbled more than once while sending texts on the street.
“I’ve definitely tripped over things sometimes like the little cracks in the ground,” she said. “I have to remember to look up. ”
And Jarrett confesses she fell off a Chicago curb several weeks ago while her thumbs were flying on her Blackberry. More...
Consumer's Revenge: NYC lawyer who was stranded in France sues Delta Airlines for $5M.
July 24, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(nydn) A Manhattan lawyer sued Delta for $5 million on Wednesday, charging the airline wouldn't repay him for a canceled flight from France.
Thomas Mullaney, 38, was in Paris with his girlfriend on the way home from a wedding in Rome last October when a strike grounded flights out of Charles de Gaulle Airport, the suit says.
"I just wanted to be reimbursed for the ticket - and they wouldn't do it," Mullaney said. "I should not have to accept just having this money stolen. "
He said Delta promised to reimburse him $2,500 for the canceled portion of his round-trip ticket. More...
4 credit-scoring myths. Make sure you know what will truly hurt and help your case with lenders -- and don't fall for the misinformation mortgage lenders can spread.
July 15, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msn) There's a lot of misinformation being propagated about what does and doesn't hurt your credit score, and much of it is coming from sources who should know better: mortgage lenders.
Now, let me say first that I've worked with several excellent lenders who really knew their stuff and kept up to date, not only on loan trends but on the information that's available about credit scoring. That's important, because the FICO credit score, in its various permutations, is used in three-quarters of all mortgage lending.
But what I heard from several lenders responding to my recent column, "8 big mortgage mistakes and how to avoid them," was the kind of bad advice that can cost you money and keep you from getting the best loans.
So if your mortgage broker gives you any of the following advice, take a tip from me: Find a new broker. More...
Civil Rights Groups Claim Racism Over Verizon's "TechNigga" Partnership.
July 08, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(btn) Civil rights activist Najee Ali, executive director of Project Islamic HOPE, and a coalition of civil rights organizations and media watchdog groups are calling for Verizon CEO/President, Lowell C. McAdam, to drop Verizon's contract and distribution deal with Loren Feldman, president of 1938 media charging the "TechNigga" clip on 1938's website is racist and demeaning to Africans Americans and women.
Project Islamic HOPE, the National Action Network, L. A. Humanity Foundation and Sister Lee Media Group will hold a press conference at the Verizon store 3829 S. More...
FHA Aims To Shut Down No-Money Loan Program by trying to shut down a major part of Down Payment Assistance.
July 02, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(npr) Most home loans that don't require a down payment disappeared when the housing bubble burst and lenders became more careful.
But they're surprisingly still available — and with federal government guarantees.
The Federal Housing Administration runs the down-payment assistance program that allows prospective homebuyers to get a government-backed loan without having to put up any of their own money. Instead, they can use a gift from a family member, an employer or a charitable nonprofit organization to provide the required 3 percent down. The aim is to help low- and moderate-income people buy homes. More...
Wave goodbye to Windows XP, as the nearly seven year old operating system will finally be closing its doors.
June 30, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msn) Wave goodbye to Windows XP, as the nearly seven year old operating system will finally be closing its doors because Microsoft has announced that it will no longer sell the operating system after June 30, according to reports.
Before you start having an aneurysm, there's a few key exceptions to allow you to get your XP fix beyond today. Versions of XP will still be on sale at smaller PC shops until the end of January and Microsoft will continue to produce a version of XP exclusively for low-end laptops like the Asus Eee. Dell and other PC manufacturers will also allow you to revert to XP when you buy high-end Vista systems.
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Truths and myths about how to save on gas
June 26, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(chitri) A few myths and truths about gas use and how to save money during these pricey times. . . . . More...
Feds Have Arrested Hundreds in Mortgage Fraud Probe
June 19, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(nysun) More than 400 real estate industry players have been indicted since March — including dozens over the last two days — in a Justice Department crackdown on incidents of mortgage fraud nationwide that have contributed to the country's housing crisis.
The FBI put the losses to homeowners and other borrowers who were victims in the schemes at over $1 billion.
"Mortgage fraud and related securities fraud pose a significant threat to our economy, to the stability of our nation's housing market and to the peace of mind to millions of Americans," the Deputy Attorney General, Mark Filip, said in a statement today. The Justice Department and FBI planed to announce the cases at an afternoon news conference in Washington.
Since March 1, 406 people have been arrested in the sting dubbed "Operation Malicious Mortgage" that saw 144 cases across the country. More...
Steve Jobs Announces a $200, 3G iPhone
June 09, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(wired) Steve Jobs announced the new 3G iPhone at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference today. After a long presentation of the new development tools and corporate features that the phone's updated operating system, "iPhone 2. 0," will support, Jobs finally got to the details about the next-generation phone that has been rumored for months. To wit:
(1). . More...
Energy drinks may put teenagers at risk. Regular consumption of highly caffeinated drinks may be a red flag.
June 07, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink.
Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12-to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States.
The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits. More...
Consumer Revenge…Los Angeles to sue Time Warner Cable over poor service. City alleges the company caused 'major havoc and distress' when it became the No. 1 pay TV provider two years ago.
June 06, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(lat) The Los Angeles city attorney's office plans to sue Time Warner Cable Inc. today, alleging that the company caused "major havoc and distress" when it became the No. 1 pay TV provider in Southern California two years ago.
City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo said Wednesday that Time Warner violated state law by making false and misleading statements to subscribers. More...
A rare form of TB caused by unpasteurized dairy products, including the popular Queso Fresco cheese, is rising among Hispanic immigrants in Southern California.
June 04, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) A rare form of tuberculosis caused by illegal, unpasteurized dairy products, including the popular queso fresco cheese, is rising among Hispanic immigrants in Southern California and raising fears about a resurgence of a strain all but eradicated in the U. S.
Cases of the Mycobacterium bovis strain of TB have increased in San Diego county, particularly among children who drink or eat dairy foods made from the milk of infected cattle, a study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases shows.
But the germ can infect anyone who eats contaminated fresh cheeses sold by street vendors, smuggled across the Mexican border or produced by families who try to make a living selling so-called “bathtub cheese” made in home tubs and backyard troughs.
Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine are warning that improved screening, treatment and public education are necessary to prevent the spread of the disease that now accounts for about 10 percent of all new cases of TB in that border region — and, perhaps, others. More...
In Switch to Digital TV by Feb. 2009, Some Will Be Left Behind. Latino and Black Households to lose high share of access.
May 29, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(nyt) NEARLY 25 million homes have at least one television set that will stop functioning in nine months, when the nation converts to digital over-the-air television.
Ten million of those homes are considered “completely unready” for the conversion, according to a report scheduled to be released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research. Among the findings, Hispanic and African-American households stand to lose a disproportionately high share of access, and extra televisions in kitchens and bedrooms will be more likely to go dark, potentially cutting into the number of people viewing early morning and late-night television.
The survey is one of the first in-depth assessments of the nation’s readiness for the digital TV transition. In preparation for the change, the government and the broadcast industry are running a $1 billion consumer education campaign, including commercials that have started to become almost intrusive to people who watch television regularly. More...
Is Plastic Safe? Health Experts Step Up Debate Over Safety of Plastics
April 24, 2008 by editor (View Source)
There is a lot of confusion over the safety of plastic. Is it safe to heat food in plastic or freeze water in plastic bottles? These questions, concerns and more are outlined in an article you might find useful. Consumers use plastic in most everything: cookware, utensils, appliances, gadgets, toys, bags, containers, bottles, and more. (View source for a helpful article). . More...
'Gotcha Capitalism: How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day — And What You Can Do About It.'
April 20, 2008 by editor (View Source)
Columnist Bob Sullivan's latest book is about the hidden fees found in credit card, phone, cable and other bills. With the help of legislation corporations are nickel-and-diming their customers to death. (BBN recommends reading Sullivan’s interview. View Source and scroll down a bit on his page to read it. You might find helpful information) . More...
Average Joe still can't afford a home. Between 2000 and mid-2007, the median home price soared 64.9% to $229,200.
April 20, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(bankrate/msnbc) One of the worst things about today's real estate market is that there doesn't seem to be any silver lining in that big black cloud.
Normally, you'd think dramatically falling prices would make homeownership possible for more moderate-income families.
But even with homes more affordable, the median price in many markets is still out of reach for a median-income family, according to "Paycheck to Paycheck: Wages and the Cost of Housing in America," a study by the Center for Housing Policy, or CHP, in Washington, D. C.
Comparing housing costs in 210 metropolitan areas with the wages earned by workers in 60 occupations, the study found that homeownership is often unaffordable for workers in each of the five-fastest growing occupations -- registered nurses, retail salespeople, customer-service representatives, food-preparation workers and office clerks. More...
“Illegal Immigrants Pay Up At Tax Time.” Most of that money never claimed by illegal immigrants who pay Soc. Sec., instead it covers retirement checks to legal workers.
April 10, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(usat) The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check.
Illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam, experts agree. Just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn't fully tally it. But the latest figures available indicate it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year. One rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year. More...
Recall: Aunt Jemima Pancake and Waffle Mixes. Potential salmonella contamination in product.
March 07, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(healthday)Aunt Jemima Pancake and Waffle Mixes Recalled
Potential salmonella contamination in product
The Editors at HealthDay
Potential salmonella contamination has prompted the recall of some batches of Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mixes, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. In healthy people, salmonella infection can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. More...
Nielsen Establishes Hispanic Advisory Board
February 28, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(multichannel) Nielsen has formed the Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, an independent advisory group to help inform and enhance the rating company’s efforts to recruit, measure and accurately report on U. S. Hispanic TV households, officials said Wednesday.
The first meeting of the HLAC is scheduled for March 4 in New York.
“Nielsen is committed to pursuing outreach efforts that are as diverse as the communities we serve in order to ensure that every viewing choice counts in the television ratings system,” Catherine Herkovic, Nieslen senior vice president and managing director of National Television Client Services, said in a statement. More...
January foreclosures up 57%. 45,327 homes were lost to bank repossessions.
February 26, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(cnnmoney) If there's one thing to count on these days, it's that every month the foreclosure crisis will get worse.
January was no exception. Filings of all types, including default notices, auction notices and bank repossessions, soared by 57% compared with last year, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosure properties.
A total of 233,001 homes were affected, 8% more than in December. Of that total, 45,327 homes were lost to bank repossessions during the month. More...
809 (Dom. Rep) Area Code Scam. AT&T: Be cautious when responding to e-mails or phone calls from the 809, 284 or 876 area codes.
February 19, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(ATT) Periodically, e-mails warning of a scam involving calls from the 809 area code circulate. The e-mails contend that there has been fraud associated with unscrupulous pay-per-call operators in that area code. However, the message contains some misinformation, especially the highly exaggerated cost of a phone call to the 809 area code, which is a legitimate area code for the Dominican Republic. Fortunately, this scam is less prevalent in recent years as a result of work done by AT&T to eliminate access to fraudulent pay-per-call operators.
This long distance phone scam causes consumers to inadvertently incur high charges on their phone bills. More...
Google sued for 'stealing idea'
February 18, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(indiatimes) The blog world is abuzz with yet another case accusing search giant Google of stealing idea. This time under legal storm is Google Sky, a part of its popular programme Google Earth.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Atlanta, a former Google contract worker, Jonathan Cobb, has claimed that Google stole his idea for Google Sky and is seeking $25 million in damages.
Cobb claims in his law suit that he disclosed the idea for Google Sky idea in an internal e-mail discussion group when he worked at Google as a contractor beginning in 2006.
The discussion group, Cobb claims, included Google managers involved in Google Earth and related programmes. More...
USDA Orders Nation's Largest Beef Recall. The recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006.
February 17, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(AP)The U. S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs.
Officials said it was the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small. More...
Feds to Unveil New Mortgage-Help Plan. At-risk borrowers with all types of mortgages could be eligible for help.
February 12, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(ap) At-risk borrowers with all types of mortgages, not just high-cost subprime loans, could be eligible for help under a new plan involving six big home lenders.
Against a backdrop of surging defaults and administration officials' prodding of the mortgage industry, the plan will allow seriously overdue homeowners to suspend foreclosures for 30 days while lenders try to work out more affordable loan terms.
On a pilot basis, the plan will involve six of the largest mortgage lenders, in hopes that more lenders will sign on.
All six are involved in Hope Now, an effort the Bush administration brokered with the mortgage industry late last year to freeze rates on some high-cost subprime mortgages for five years to aid borrowers whose teaser rates are jumping sharply higher.
The new plan applies to seriously delinquent homeowners, those whose mortgages are 90 days or more past due. More...
SubPrime Mess: Fraction of troubled borrowers getting help. Pro-consumer task force finds servicers have modified only 19% of delinquent loans.
February 10, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(charlotteobserver) If you're facing foreclosure, don't count on your lender to bail you out.
That's the emphasis of a study released Thursday by a pro-consumer task force formed last summer to brainstorm how to combat the country's rising tide of foreclosures. The group includes representatives of 11 state attorneys general and two state banking departments, including the N. C. attorney general and the N. More...
HEADS UP! Verizon Wireless Increasing Texting Cost on March 2, 2008
January 21, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(verizonFAQs) [1. ] What is the Text Messaging rate increase? Effective March 2, 2008, the price for sending Text messages to the U. S. , Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico - as well as the price for receiving Text messages from anywhere - will increase from $0. 15 to $0. More...
Warning to Parents: Do NOT Give Children Under 2 over-the-counter, multisymptom cold medicines
January 17, 2008 by editor (View Source)
(baltsun) Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration safety experts recommended a ban on over-the-counter, multisymptom cold medicines for children ages 6 years or younger.
Today, the FDA plans to announce the government's first official ruling on the issue: Don't give the drugs to children younger than 2. And it comes now because the FDA is worried that parents haven't gotten that message despite all the publicity last fall.
. . More...
Avoiding 25 Million Dangerous Toys. A Guide to Buying Safe Presents This Holiday Season.
December 09, 2007 by editor (View Source)
Check www. recalls. gov to find out if a toy on your wish list is also on a recall list.
(abc) Twenty-five million toys -- the majority made in China -- were recalled just this week.
"That's a record number of recalls," said Don Mays of Consumer Union. More...
Consumer Victory! FL woman wins multimillion-dollar jury verdict against EQUIFAX. The credit-reporting group failed to fix egregious errors.
December 09, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(orlandosentinel) Angela P. Williams says she got nothing but a runaround from Equifax as she tried for more than a decade to clear up an identity mix-up that ruined her credit. Now she's hitting the credit-reporting giant where it hurts: on the bottom line.
An Orlando jury awarded Williams a multimillion-dollar verdict against Equifax for years of failing to correct dramatic errors in Williams' credit report that led to her credit score being trashed.
Atlanta-based Equifax must pay the medical-transcription worker $219,000 in actual damages and $2. More...
'Lost in a Flood of Debt'
November 25, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(bob herbert/nyt) I’ve been visiting some of the people who have been most affected by the subprime mortgage debacle. It’s a largely bewildered, frightened group that includes people like Dorothy Levey, a 79-year-old widow who sits alone inside the small house she has lived in for 41 years, afraid to answer the telephone or the door.
She has every reason to be worried. The monthly note on her house in the city of Markham, just outside Chicago, is approximately 100 percent of her meager monthly income. Broke and behind in her payments, Ms. More...
Squalor, crime follow wave of foreclosures. Middle-class, new developments reeling from vacant homes, shady renters
November 14, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(msnbc) Eighty-five bungalows dot the cul-de-sac that joins West Ontario Avenue and East Ontario Avenue in Atlanta. Twenty-two are vacant, victims of mortgage fraud and foreclosure. Now house fires, prostitution, vandals and burglaries terrorize the residents left in this historic neighborhood called Westview Village.
"It's created a safety hazard. And if we have to sell our house tomorrow, we're out of luck," said resident Scott Smith. More...
Totino's, Jeno's Pizzas Recalled. The recall covers pizzas with pepperoni that have been produced since July.
November 02, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(AP/suntimes) General Mills on Thursday recalled 5 million frozen pizzas sold nationwide under the Totino's and Jeno's labels because of possible E. coli contamination. Cases were reported in Illinois and nine other states.
The recall covers pizzas with pepperoni that have been produced since July.
Consumers should throw away recalled pizzas. More...
Top 10 Mortgage Mistakes. The best ways to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous mortgage lenders.
October 29, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(businessweek) 1) Beware the origination fee
2) Trusting the first loan officer you interview 3) Using an interest-only adjustable-rate loan to qualify for a more expensive house
4) Thinking interest rates are the main thing
5) Not comparing final fees listed on the closing documents 6) Not knowing if the mortgage has a prepayment penalty 7)Thinking that renting means throwing money away
8) Not considering back-end yield spread
9) Paying for credit or mortgage life insurance
10) Paying extra to set up a biweekly payment plan. (view source for details)
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Confessions of an Ex-Mortgage Lender. Former Loan Officer Spills the Secret on the Calculated Practice of Ripping off Borrowers.
October 29, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(businessweek) The Durham based nonprofit Center for Responsible Lending estimated in July, 2001, that predatory mortgage lending is currently costing Americans more than $9. 1 billion each year.
Lenders will argue that each one of these dollars represents a legitimate fee stipulated by a legitimate contract, that they are only viewed as predatory by borrowers who overlooked the fine print in their mortgage.
But ask Ted Janusz, who spent an interim period of his career learning the ins and outs of mortgage brokering as a loan officer in Columbus, Ohio, and he'll admit that what is really going on here is a game of subterfuge being played at the expense of borrowers with low credit ratings.
CONFESSION TIME. More...
An Assault on Media Diversity and Democracy. FCC Chairman moves to lift current restrictions.
October 19, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(nation) President Bush is the lamest of lame-duck chief executives, with no moral authority, no legislative majority and no popular domestic or foreign-policy agendas. So what can he do with the remaining months of a failed presidency? Make his corporate allies rich and destroy the essential underpinnings of American democracy.
To that end, Bush's chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has initiated a scheme to radically rewrite media ownership rules so that one corporation can own the daily newspapers, the weekly "alternative" newspaper, the city magazine, suburban publications, the eight largest radio stations, the dominant broadcast and cable television stations, popular internet news and calendar sites, billboards and concert halls in even the largest American city.
This "company-town" scheme, which would be achieved by lifting current limits on media cross-ownership, is the long-held dream of media moguls such as NewsCorp's Rupert Murdoch and Tribune Company-buyer Sam Zell. With one FCC vote, media billionaires will be able to become media multi-billionaires by controlling the entire communications landscapes of major metropolitan areas -- and by extension whole regions and states. More...
NYU Study: There’s no question that residents of Black and Hispanic areas pay more for their mortgages.
October 16, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(nyt) Home buyers in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods in New York City were more likely to get their mortgages last year from a subprime lender than home buyers in white neighborhoods with similar income levels, according to a new analysis of home loan data by researchers at New York University.
The analysis, by N. Y. U. ’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, illustrates stark racial differences between the New York City neighborhoods where subprime mortgages — which can come with higher interest rates, fees and penalties — were common and those where they were rare. More...
All 3 Credit Bureaus Agree to Allow Consumers in All 50 States to Freeze Credit History to Prevent Identity Theft.
October 09, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(usat) Major credit bureaus Experian and Equifax said they will, this year, let people in all 50 states freeze their credit histories.
Experian's service, which goes into effect Nov. 1, is the latest big victory for anyone who wants to be proactive about preventing identity theft, consumer advocates say.
The decision by all three bureaus to offer national freezes will let consumers lock down their credit histories — especially if they are victims of identity theft. Until now, a patchwork of laws in 39 states allowed consumers, to varying degrees, to protect themselves. More...
"Minority-run radio stations fear new ratings plan." What's at stake? Black and Hispanic Radio Survival.
October 09, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(nydn) The average radio listener doesn't care that Arbitron, the main source of radio ratings, has launched a new system to compile those ratings.
But the "Portable People Meter" (PPM) system already has changed what listeners hear and that train is likely to keep rolling.
One fear seeded in the first PPM markets, Philadelphia and Houston, is that black and minority stations' ratings could drop, reducing all-important ad revenues.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn cited the potential impact on minority radio recently when she asked Arbitron to halt or delay the PPM system it started here last month.
While that's considered unlikely, Arbitron quickly agreed to meet with the City Council Oct. More...
Here's the Score on Employer's Access to Your Credit Report.
October 02, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(asa aarons/nydn) Be careful - very careful - where you get your facts, even when the source is something as solid as a major financial corporation.
VISA USA recently announced only 20% of Americans know prospective employers can legally screen job applicants based on their credit scores. The survey claimed 52% mistakenly believe it is illegal for employers to use credit scores as hiring criteria.
"A bad credit score can send an otherwise well-qualified job applicant straight to the unemployment line," said Jason Alderman, director of financial education for Visa USA.
So can bad information. More...
Phone rings off hook over Verizon 'debts'
September 03, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(asa aarons/nydn) A few weeks ago, I shared the story of a Long Island man's frustration over a collection notice for a 10-year-old Verizon account. He currently has three Verizon accounts, all in good standing.
Since then, I've heard from dozens of other New York City area consumers who have received similar debt collection notices from Bloomington, Ill. -based AFNI Inc. Verizon spokeswoman Heather Wilner, who was quoted in the original column, said she has also been inundated with calls. More...
10 things you should never buy used
September 03, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(msn) #1 Laptops. #2 Car Seats. #3 Plasma TVs. #4 DVD players. #5 Vacuum cleaners. More...
For Parents and Students: Loan sharks on campus
September 03, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(Money Magazine) -- The prospect is anything but appealing: You - and possibly your offspring - will have to borrow gigantic sums to pay those college bills soon coming due.
Worse, you may be getting that money from lenders who haven't been playing fair.
Already the New York State attorney general has uncovered enough about the student-loan industry to make you shudder. Worst among its transgressions: paying kickbacks to colleges to win spots on their "preferred lender" lists, to which students and parents are steered.
Colossal Sallie Mae and two other loan companies have already agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements. More...
8 top traffic-ticket myths
September 03, 2007 by editor (View Source)
(Bankrate)Drivers of red cars get more tickets. If you don't sign a ticket, the case will be dropped. If the officer gets your hair color wrong on the ticket, you'll win. Such stories relating to traffic tickets abound, but drivers and defendants will find that few of them are true. The best advice is to simply to obey the law, know that rules and procedures vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and not count on urban myths when you hope to escape a ticket -- or its consequences. More...
