Environmental Health News reports that a “new U.S. Food and Drug Administration food program, focused on chemical safety, could be an important step to ensure the food we feed our families is safe from harmful chemicals.” The program “will specifically reassess which artificial chemicals are allowed in food.” The article is here.
Author Archives: Allison Zieve
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a report this week finding Americans are paying tens of millions of dollars in fees to access their own money when getting “cash back” at large retail stores when making a purchase with a debit or prepaid card. These fees are occurring against the backdrop of bank mergers, branch […]
FTC Sends Nearly $1.9 Million in Refunds to Customers Harmed by Hey Dude’s Violations of the Mail Order Rule (8/6) FTC Action Leads to Permanent Bans for Scammers Behind Sprawling Credit Repair Pyramid Scheme (8/5) FTC Investigation Leads to Lawsuit Against TikTok and ByteDance for Flagrantly Violating Children’s Privacy Law (8/2) FTC Submits Comment to […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released a report on payment processing companies that help school districts process children’s school lunch payments. The CFPB explains: “These private companies process payments made by parents who may have limited or zero payment alternatives. With a captive customer base, these companies can have broad control over fees assessed […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed “new rules to make it easier for homeowners to get help when they are struggling to pay their mortgage. The proposal, if finalized, would require mortgage servicers to focus on helping borrowers, not foreclosing, when a homeowner asks for help. The proposed changes would also make it simpler […]
Two new actions by the Federal Trade Commission today: FTC Takes Action Against Online Used Car Dealer Vroom for Deceiving Customers, Failing to Deliver on Time and Provide Required Disclosures FTC Takes Action Against Gig Work Company Arise Virtual Solutions for Deceiving Consumers About Pay in Marketing Its Business Opportunity
The Federal Trade Commission annual Report on Refunds to Consumers tallies the total refunds to consumers in 2023 from FTC enforcement actions at more than $324 million. The report provides a breakdown of the total amount refunded by the FTC nationally, as well as the amount mailed to each state, and also includes a list […]
NPR reports: “Companies like EasyKnock offer to help people in financial trouble by buying their home and renting it back. A new NPR probe found the deals cost some people a lot of money and even their homes.” Listen to the story here.
The Supreme Court today issued a unanimous decision on an issue concerning the scope of preemption under the National Bank Act. In this case, a borrower sued Bank of America for failing to pay interest on his mortgage escrow account, as required by New York law. The bank argued that the National Bank Act preempts […]
The Federal Trade Commission sent its annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on the FTC’s 2023 enforcement and related activities on the Truth in Lending Act, Consumer Leasing Act, and Electronic Fund Transfer Act. The report highlights the FTC’s enforcement actions and initiatives under these laws and their implementing regulations, including in the […]