Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Senators heap criticism on Wells Fargo CEO, who apologizes”

The Washington Post had this report on yesterday's congressional hearing: The CEO of Wells Fargo faced accusations of fraud and calls for his resignation Tuesday from harshly critical senators at a hearing over allegations that bank employees opened millions of accounts customers didn’t know about to meet sales quotas. Members of the Senate Banking Committee […]

Sun Sentinel: Three-part series on the Gulf Coast’s deadly oyster harvest

Last week Florida’s Sun Sentinel published a three-part series about the Gulf Coast’s raw oyster industry and consumers who have been sickened or killed after consuming raw oysters containing Vibrio vulnificus, a type of bacteria that thrives in Gulf waters. The series describes how elected leaders in Gulf states distorted facts about the cost of […]

WSJ: “Prepaid Cards’ Growing Popularity Catches Regulator’s Eye”

The Wall Street Journal reports: Prepaid cards, which started out as simple gift cards from retail stores, have morphed into popular financial-management tools with functions that rival bank checking accounts. Now regulators are playing catch-up, with plans to roll out a rule this fall that would bring oversight of the sector closer to regulations covering […]

“Concerns grow over sales tactics in banking industry”

Wells Fargo, the country’s largest retail bank and an institution once thought above the fray of financial crisis era scandals, has been under fire this week after acknowledging it had fired 5,300 employees over the past five years for opening as many as 2 million sham accounts customers didn’t ask for. The San Francisco-based bank, which […]

Bill Banning Non-disparagement Clauses in Form Consumer Contracts Moves Toward Final Adoption

by Paul Alan Levy News comes from Chris Morran over at Consumerist that the House version of a bill banning non-disparagement clauses in form consumer contracts, which passed the Senate late last year, was passed on a voice vote in the House of Representatives today.  Looks as if this bill will become law before the […]

CreditCard.Com Study: Credit card agreements unreadable to most Americans

Here. Excerpt:   An analysis of more than 2,000 current card agreements shows they’re written, on average, at the 11th grade reading level – better than five years ago, but still too hard for at least half the population to readily understand. * * * When consumers come up against the dense legalese of card […]

Does it make sense for Uber to put driverless cars on the road in Pittsburgh (or anywhere else)?

We posted recently about Uber's plans to put driverless cars on the road in Pittsburgh very soon. Auto safety advocates say it's too soon and the public's safety is at risk. Today's Washington Post has this article on the topic by Elizabeth Dwoskin and Brian Fung. Here's an excerpt: Uber’s decision to bring self-driving taxis to the streets of […]

“Critics Are Lining Up to Oppose Changes to Dodd-Frank Law”

From the New York Times: Buyout firms are at the forefront of Capitol Hill. They have successfully promoted legislation to roll back regulatory disclosures required under the postcrisis Dodd-Frank legislation, even as they settle cases over misleading investors. If the bill is enacted, however, there is a risk of repercussions. The House passed the plan […]

Journalist takes on Trans Union and “error-riddled credit files”

In the Washington Post this weekend, a journalist describes his experience correcting information that Trans Union provided about him to a prospective landlord. Trans Union erroneously reported that the journalist had several criminal offenses, including felony firearm convictions. It turns out the credit reporting agency was relying on court records for a different person by […]