Archive for the ‘Consumer Action Manual’ Category

Consumers: We’re Mad As Hell And We’re Not Going To Charge It Anymore! | Consumerist

A son of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was paid an undisclosed amount of money as a consultant by MBNA, the largest employer in Delaware, during the years the senator supported legislation that was promoted by the credit card industry and opposed by consumer groups.
MBNA and its employees have contributed over $200,000 to Biden’s [...]

Net neutrality is the idea central to the Internet that no content provider should have priority over any other. Consumers pay for the pipeline, which gives access to all the content on the web. There are no back roads online, just one, big, wide, information superhighway.
Some internet service providers—the telecommunications industry, mainly—want to relegate most [...]

Why the OCC Can’t Be Relied on for Consumer Protection | Credit Slips

Internet privacy gets Congress’ attention | MinnPost

“The real crisis is on Main Street: It all comes down to how credit card companies have treated consumers far too poorly for far too long. ” Credit madness | Star Tribune

Not Good: Fannie Mae Loses $2.3 Billion | Consumerist

Former Countywide Employee Arrested For Stealing, Selling Customer Identities | Consumerist

“President enacts controversial measure that aims to help borrowers, bolster the housing market and provide a fail-safe for Fannie and Freddie.” Bush signs housing rescue law | CNN Money

Fixing our fuel crisis, credit crunch: a new course in home economics? | MinnPost

Larry Lessig, who seeks to Change Congress by pulling out the special interest money that has eroded the public trust to a measly 9%.

If anyone were still in doubt as to whether or not the United States economy is in recession, the FDIC’s problem list now includes 90 banks at risk of failure. This is not a large number, since there are about 8,500 banks in the country, but it is up from 76 last year.
Historically, only about [...]

U.S. Foreclosures Double: 1 in Every 171 Households Affected | Consumerist

The Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device (clever name, eh?) is probably the easiest way to record phone calls (from an abusive debt collector, for example) that I have seen. You stick it in your ear, plug it into a recorder, hold your phone normally up against your ear with the earbud in it, and it [...]

Bush Administration Considering A Takeover Of Freddie And Fanny | Consumerist

Obama Losing Voters Over FISA Support (I may be one of them. I want a president who will protect citizens, not lawbreaking corporations.) | /.

“The thrust of the law is to require mortgage servicers to exhaust all avenues in order to contact borrowers and negotiate modified terms before foreclosing. It also provides limited protections for tenants affected by landlords’ foreclosures and imposes duties on foreclosing servicers to maintain properties.” California Foreclosure Law Passed | Consumer Law & Policy

Fed to Issue New Mortgage Lending Regulations Next Week | Consumer Law & Policy

Obama would ease bankruptcy for military, seniors, disaster victims; says McCain backs bankers | StarTribune

Recognize this pattern? Industry promises that freedom from regulation will lead to lower prices. Government goes along with the plan. Then industry jacks up prices now that nobody can tell it not to. Typical. Report: cable more expensive in wake of FCC franchise reform | Ars Technica