ConsumerScribbler.org

Tell the Fed Stop New Credit Card Ripoffs! [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/tell_the_fed_stop_new_credit_c.html]

We outline the newest ripoffs and what the Fed should do about it. ... more

Credit Card Freeze Bill ... Frozen [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/credit_card_freeze_bill_frozen.html]

Republican blocked a bill that would move up the effective date of the CARD Act... more

Senate will vote to begin debate; expect to hear a lot about the public option [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/post_39.html]

This weekend the Senate will vote to begin debate on its health reform bill -- needing 60 votes just to begin talking about the issue on the floor and allowing amendments. ... more

Lifting the Veil on Loan Modifications [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/lifting_the_veil_on_loan_modif.html]

By CU Senior Attorney, Norma Garcia ... more

More lawyers in trouble for foreclosure activities [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/more_lawyers_in_trouble_for_fo.html]

By Norma Garcia, Senior Attorney ... more

Drug makers rise prices in face of health care reform [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/drug_makers_rise_prices_in_fac.html]

Industry promised to cut drug costs after reform, but now it's hiking prices at a record clip ... more

OPT-IN VICTORY !!! [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/victory.html]

Fed Releases New Rules On Debit Card Overdrafts Includes Opt-In. Great news for consumers.... more

Protect Your Holiday Spending [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/protect_your_holiday_spending.html]

The way you pay for your best friend's gift this holiday season can make a big difference, especially if something goes wrong. ... more

Senate Bill To Protect Consumers, End Too Big To Fail and Create Fiancial Stability [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/senate_bill_to_protect_consume.html]

The Senate Bill to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Agency is 1136 pages long. Ugh. Here is the 11 page crib note version. Wohoo!... more

House passes landmark reform bill; now it's up to Senate [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/house_passes_landmark_reform_b.html]

President calls support by House members 'courageous' in face of misleading rhetoric ... more

Reasons why the House bill is a workable solution to our health care problems [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/reasons_why_the_house_bill_is_1.html]

Any proposal that addresses one-fifth of our economy, and deals with an issue as important to Americans as their health care, deserves our careful reading and intense scrutiny. With that firmly in mind, and with our decades of experience analyzing... more

Why Consumers Union supports the House health reform bill (H.R. 3962) [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/why_consumers_union_supports_t.html]

We reviewed HR 3962 based on our decades of experience analyzing incremental health reforms at the state and federal levels, and here's why we decided to endorse H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.... more

Back to Basics: Checkholds [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/back_to_basics_checkholds.html]

Although the number of checks are declining rapidly, we still get a number of questions regarding checks, or more specifically, calls from frustrated consumers on checkholds. ... more

House health reform bill goes long way toward solving health care crisis, CU says [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/post_35.html]

Cconsumer protections, more affordable and secure health coverage, cited in endorsement ... more

Creative credit cards are a bummer [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/11/creative_credit_cards_are_a_bu.html]

Credit card companies are finding creative ways to milk their customers.... more

Will “Actuarial Value” standards make it easier to pick a plan? [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/11/how_do_the_bills_make_it_easie.html]

Right now, insurance companies offer lots of plans, but it's hard to know if your money is well spent. ... more

Tales from the Crypt : Gross Food Stories [http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/nimf/2009/10/tales_from_the_crypt_gross_foo.html]

True Stories are always scarier: Feeding cow parts and chicken poop to cattle... more

Freeze Credit Card Rates Now!!! Dodd introduces bill [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/freeze_credit_card_rates_now_d.html]

Dodd Introduces Bill to Immediately Freeze Credit Card Interest Rates- Give Consumers What they Deserve... more

Move up the effective date on the CARD Act- Give the People What They Want! [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/move_up_the_effective_date_on.html]

Senate bill would move up the effective date of the CARD Act giving much needed consumer credit protections sooner. ... more

Senate to add public option to health reform bill [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/senate_to_add_public_option_to.html]

Would allow for Americans who don't get coverage through their employers; states could opt out of the program... more

Insurance co's couldn't get away with price fixing under committee vote [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/insurance_cos_couldnt_get_away.html]

House panel removes exemption from law; CU President says would prompt insurers to energetically compete ... more

Clear majority of Americans back public option [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/clear_majority_of_americans_ba.html]

New poll finds support for government-run plan to compete with private insurers... more

CFPA Passes Out Of Committee [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/cfpa_passes_out_of_committee.html]

An agency that looks out for consumers not banks and credit card companies heads to the House floor for a vote... more

Organic Tomatoes and S.510 [http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/nimf/2009/10/organic_tomatoes_and_s510.html]

Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union, writes about her recent trip to the White House garden with some fantastic food activists... more

The Fallacy of the Wall Street Journal’s Article on ID Theft [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/the_fallacy_of_the_wall_street.html]

Guest Blogger: Jaimee Napp, Executive Director of Identity Theft Action Council of Nebraska posts her opinion about the WSJ's latest take on ID Theft... more

Citizen Advocates Reforming Food Safety [http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/nimf/2009/10/citizen_advocates_reforming_fo.html]

A police officer, dad, and husband who has been waging a personal war to reform food safety in this country. ... more

Dodd introduces the best overdraft protections yet [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/dodd_introduces_the_best_overd.html]

Senate will consider stronger protections for overdraft. Fed overdraft rule expected in November. ... more

Call Bank of America—Opt Out of Automatic Overdraft!! [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/call_bank_of_americaopt_out_of.html]

Bank of America will now let you Opt Out. Take advantage of this opportunity!... more

Call Bank of America—Opt Out of Automatic Overdraft!! [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/call_your_bankopt_out_of_autom.html]

Bank of America will now let you Opt Out. Take advantage of this opportunity!... more

More Consumer TV- Reverse Mortgages [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/more_consumer_tv_reverse_mortg.html]

CU's Norma Garcia explains reverse mortgages and how you can find out if they are right for you... more

Women tell Congress about frustration with health coverage [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/women_tell_congress_about_frus.html]

Women pay more for insurance than men in some states; being female a "pre-existing condition" ... more

American women -- it's time you knew what the health insurance industry is doing to you [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/post_29.html]

American women, it’s time to wake up to what the health insurance industry has been doing to you -- discriminating against you simply because you're a woman. This dirty little business practice, called "gender rating" by the insurance industry, allows... more

Chase responds to CU’s request to stop messing with minimum payments. [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/chase_responds_to_cus_request.html]

Chases responded to our request to restore consumer’s minimum payments. Give them a call back!... more

Preemption Pains [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/preemption_pains.html]

National Governors Association push for end of federal preemption to protect consumers and prevent world economic collapse. Sounds like a good idea. ... more

CU President to testify in Senate on health reform [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/cu_president_to_testify_in_sen.html]

Jim Guest will testify at a Senate hearing on the importance of health care reform for women... more

Senate finance committee passes final reform bill [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/senate_finance_committee_passe.html]

Bill includes GOP support; now must be merged with other measure before floor vote ... more

Health insurers emerge as top foe in health reform effort [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/health_insurers_emerge_as_top.html]

Insurance industry opens new line of attack with TV ads, reports ... more

Working with the Sustainable Community to Make Food Safety a Reality [http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/nimf/2009/10/working_with_sustainable_commu.html]

CU believes that FDA food safety reform legislation will not hamper the development of sustainable agriculture... more

Austan Goolsbee explains the CFPA [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/10/austan_goolsbee_explains_the_c.html]

My favorite Whitehouse adviser makes a clear case for the CFPA. ... more

Consumer Reports chief encourage Congress to overhaul health care [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/consumer_reports_chief_encoura.html]

Wants to emphasize the consumer voice in health care debate... more

CU launches first TV ad for health reform [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/cu_launches_first_tv_ad_for_he.html]

CR Poll: 51 percent forced to make tough health choices in past year such as skipping doctor visits... more

CU Poll: Americans are paying more for less health care [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/10/cu_poll_americans_are_paying_m.html]

73 percent concerned they may face a major financial loss due to an illness or accident ... more

Who Determines the Safety of Our Nation's Salad? An Insider Look [http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/nimf/2009/10/who_determines_the_safety_of_o.html]

A National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement is a BAD idea- Elisa Odabashian, Director of the West Coast Office and State Campaigns for Consumers Union... more

Law Profs Call for the CFPA [http://www.defendyourdollars.org/2009/09/law_profs_call_for_the_cfpa.html]

Over 70 law faculty from across the nation call on Congress to create a Consumer Financial Protection Agency.... more

Our Prescription for Change [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/09/our_prescription_for_change.html]

The limited reform efforts of the past 20 years have not succeeded in clamping down on soaring health-care costs, stemming the number of uninsured or reducing unsafe care. We need not half steps but real change--a uniquely American solution based... more

The health care reforms consumers need [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/09/the_health_care_reforms_consum_1.html]

If you like your health insurance coverage, you won't have to change. For everyone else, there are new comprehensive, affordable, understandable coverage options.... more

Beware of myths generating fear about reform [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/09/beware_of_myths_generating_fea.html]

Consumer Reports examines five things people fear about health reform.... more

Our Prescription for Change [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/09/our_prescription_for_change_1.html]

The limited reform efforts of the past 20 years have not succeeded in clamping down on soaring health-care costs, stemming the number of uninsured or reducing shoddy, unsafe care. We need not half steps but real change--a uniquely American solution... more

Giving patients the right care at the right time [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/09/giving_patients_the_right_care.html]

Far too many patients do not receive the care they need. An unacceptable portion of the care we receive is unsafe and even harmful. Too often doctors and consumers lack basic information about which treatments work best.... more

Comparative Effectiveness: Common-sense research that saves lives, money [http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/2009/09/comparative_effectiveness_comm_2.html]

CU supports funding in stimulus bill for an independent, unbiased research to compare the effectiveness and safety of drugs, treatments and surgeries.... more