The Federal Trade Commission is proposing to extending protections against telemarketing tricks and traps to small businesses and strengthening safeguards against other pernicious telemarketing tactics aimed at consumers. That notice seeks comment on whether the FTC should amend the Telemarketing Sales Rule to prohibit misrepresentations in business-to-business calls, and whether the FTC should amend the […]
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President Biden is reportedly looking at options to forgive most, if not all, federal student loan debt. He shared his plans during a 90-minute White House meeting Monday with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. As CBS News reports, the move could affect more than 43 million borrowers who hold more than $1.6 trillion in […]
“The American retirement system is built for the rich — Lawmakers proclaim they want to help the middle class save. But that’s not who benefits most from IRAs and 401(k) plans.” Read this Washington Post essay on that topic by law prof Daniel Hemel.
A cautionary tale on forced arbitration: Uber’s platform Uber Eats allows customers to order takeout from various restaurants and have it delivered by a driver for a restaurant-specific delivery fee. Customers are required to agree to Uber's Terms of Use, which contains a provision stating that any dispute between the customer and Uber will be […]
Do Copyright Holders Get a Free Pass to Identify Alleged Infringers? by Paul Alan Levy Suppose that, on June 4, 2022 the owner of a China-based Twitter account were to post this 2005 photo of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, with text calling for remembrance of the martyrs of Tiananmen Square. Suppose further that, […]
According to a Federal Trade Commission press release, the FTC "is taking action against Intuit Inc., the maker of the popular TurboTax tax filing software, by issuing an administrative complaint against the company for deceiving consumers with bogus advertisements pitching “free” tax filing that millions of consumers could not use. In addition, to prevent ongoing […]
Consumer Reports writes that consumers may "be surprised by some of the clauses in terms of service and end-user license agreements …. A number of them are odd but relatively harmless. [A zombies clause?] In other cases, these agreements try to take away important consumer rights." The article is here.
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Modified Loan Application Register data for 2021 are now available on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s HMDA Platform for approximately 4,316 HMDA filers. The published data contain loan-level information filed by financial institutions, modified to protect consumer privacy.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had issued policy guidance regarding potentially illegal practices related to consumer reviews. "The CFPB seeks to ensure that customers can write reviews, particularly ones posted online, about financial products and services that accurately reflect their opinions and experiences. The guidance also highlights that practices such as posting fake reviews or […]
A Federal Trade Commission report on e-cigarette products “paints a disturbing picture of surging e-cigarette sales and advertising that are likely to damage the health of America’s youth.” The FTC found that “flavored cartridges, nicotine concentration, and deep discounting surged between 2015 and 2018, likely fueling increased underage consumption.” The report, which is based on […]