Posts Tagged With ‘ Government ’

If someone tells you that you need to pay to sign up for government student loan debt relief program, run away as fast as you can. Scammers want to hook you and fill their pockets with your money, while their “advice” may make your student loan problems worse. The Federal Trade Commission offers the following tips for how to spot scam companies that charge illegal upfront fees for so-called help with your student loans: The first thing is to be informed. Be aware you don’t have to pay for help managing your student loans. If someone tries to charge you up front, before they’ve done anything,... Continue Reading

Here’s another recall for these dehumidifiers have seen other models recalled throughout the years. Gree Electric Appliances is recalling about 1.56 million dehumidifiers. The dehumidifiers can overheat, smoke, and catch fire, posing fire and burn risks to consumers. Gree has received reports of at least 23 fires, 688 incidents of overheating, and $168,000 in property damage with the recalled dehumidifiers. This recall involves 42 models of dehumidifiers with brand names Kenmore, GE, SoleusAir, Norpole, and Seabreeze that were manufactured between January 2011 and February 2014. For information... Continue Reading

Photo: White House The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law a year ago, has many benefits for American consumers. It began making big corporations pay their fair share in taxes while investing more in items that help the middle class such as creating good-paying jobs, combating corporate price gouging, slashing the deficit, lowering prescription drug costs, and reducing carbon pollution. But while these efforts are helping everyday Americans, a new review from government watchdog Accountable.US shows several industries have never stopped trying to obstruct and weaken the Inflation Reduction... Continue Reading

It’s frustrating to receive dozens, even hundreds of emails every day. But what if there’s no “unsubscribe” link and the emails won’t stop? People who set up “Free Membership” accounts with Experian to manage access to their Experian credit report information online had that experience. The accounts let people “freeze” their credit to make it difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in their name and “unfreeze” their credit to apply for a mortgage or other new credit. But, the Federal Trade Commission said, the free accounts came with an extra that many people... Continue Reading

The Food and Drug Administration has decided that food manufacturers can keep using phthalates, a class of toxic chemicals, in food packaging and food production equipment. It disregarded requests from health and environmental advocates to reconsider that decision based on evidence that phthalates in food are harmful to health. Safer substitutes for these chemicals are available, advocates argue. “There is overwhelming evidence that phthalates in our food cause life-altering damage to people’s health, including the health of babies and young children,” said Earthjustice Attorney Katherine... Continue Reading

Recently, I wrote about how private equity firms are buying health providers practices, including my gastroenterologist’s, and how they bleed money from the companies, then sell them for a big profit. In 2021, some of the top industries for private equity investment include healthcare, technology, and consumer products.  Now, a new report describes how private equity firms buying oil and gas wells is likely to be costly for taxpayers. Investments by private equity firms in nearly 2,700 oil and gas wells on federal and tribal lands across the western United States could leave taxpayers with... Continue Reading

Another big recall has been announced that deserves your attention. Sensio is recalling about 860,000 electric and stovetop pressure cookers. The pressure cooker’s lid can unlock and be removed during use, causing the hot contents to unexpectedly splash out, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Sensio has received 63 reports of incidents, including 61 burn injuries, some of which involved second- and third-degree burns to the face, torso, arms, and hands. This recall involves Bella, Bella Pro Series, Crux, and Cooks electric pressure cookers, and Bella stovetop pressure cookers. The stainless-steel... Continue Reading

Another maker of inclined sleepers is refusing to recall its dangerous product. Stop using La-La-Me infant loungers because they don’t comply with federal safety standards for infant sleep products and pose a suffocation risk and fall hazard to infants, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns. The lounger is an unsafe sleeping environment for infants, the agency said. The failures include not having a stand, and not meeting the requirements for side height, fabric-sided openings, markings, labeling, and instructional literature. The lounger and its packaging also lack a tracking label... Continue Reading

Consumers with poor credit pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars more every year for basic auto insurance coverage required by state laws, new report shows. “On average, a consumer with poor credit has to pay twice as much for auto insurance as a driver with excellent credit, even if everything else, including their driving safety history, are the same,” said Douglas Heller, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America and the study’s co-author. The report found that nationwide, American consumers with clean driving records and excellent credit pay an average annual... Continue Reading

USASF Servicing is being charged with illegal practices that harmed consumers with auto loans including disabling borrowers’ vehicles, improperly repossessing vehicles, double-billing borrowers for insurance premiums, and failing to return millions of dollars in refunds, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday . With its lawsuit, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to return money to consumers, impose civil penalties, and stop any future violations. “The CFPB is suing USASF for a range of misconduct, including illegally activating devices that prevented borrowers from starting... Continue Reading