Consumer Law

Debtors complain of abusive bill collectors; the bill for the easy-credit years has come due

Posted on October 30, 2008
Debtors complain of abusive bill collectors; the bill for the easy-credit years has come due | Star Tribune

FTC teaches kids about consumer issues

Posted on October 30, 2008
Set in a mall, the FTC’s new “You Are Here” website for kids is an attempt to reach out to kids and teach them about consumer issues. Mostly, it focuses on advertising and marketing. The site is a bit lean; there is nothing to keep kids coming back...

Caveat Emptor playlist: Be a debt collector!

Posted on October 29, 2008
LOL. Would You Like to Be a Debt Collector? | Get Out of Debt (which, for some reason, does not allow embedding of its videos, so I grabbed the video and posted it on YouTube)

Caveat Emptor playlist: Community Reinvestment Act

Posted on October 28, 2008

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How Outsourced Call Centers Are Costing Millions In Identity Theft

Posted on October 27, 2008
How Outsourced Call Centers Are Costing Millions In Identity Theft | Consumerist

Payday loan measures on ballots in Ohio and Arizona

Posted on October 27, 2008
Sarah Byrnes of Americans for Fairness in Lending is an occasional guest contributor to Caveat Emptor. In addition to all the other excitement surrounding this election, Ohioans and Arizonans will get the chance to vote on payday loan protections on November 4...

Banks Using $700 Billion Bailout To Buy Other Banks, Not Make More Loans

Posted on October 26, 2008
Banks Using $700 Billion Bailout To Buy Other Banks, Not Make More Loans | Consumerist

Banks keep credit card interest rates high despite low Fed rates

Posted on October 25, 2008
Even though the interest rates banks pay are dropping, credit card interest rates are holding steady. Joseph Ridout of Consumer Action thinks the banks are trying to make up for their losses on subprime mortgages. At the same time, banks are cracking down on existing customers by raising rates, dropping limits, and taking other draconian measures...

Long lines, glitches reported during early voting

Posted on October 24, 2008
Long lines, glitches reported during early voting | CNN

$3.4M verdict upheld in Ridgeland hospice death

Posted on October 24, 2008
“The Mississippi Supreme Court has upheld a verdict in the case of a 66-year-old woman who was allegedly misdiagnosed with cancer and then given a lethal dose of painkillers.” $3.4M verdict upheld in Ridgeland hospice death | Clarion Ledger (thanks, Brian)

The FTC Will Never Ask You For Money Because You Won The Lottery. We Promise.

Posted on October 24, 2008
The FTC Will Never Ask You For Money Because You Won The Lottery. We Promise. | Consumerist

Wall Street Hoped They?d Be ?Wealthy And Retired? Before The House of Cards Fell

Posted on October 23, 2008
Wall Street Hoped They’d Be “Wealthy And Retired” Before The House of Cards Fell | Consumerist

Credit card companies? data mining tricks

Posted on October 23, 2008
The credit card industry makes big bucks off of fees, and they carefully mine data to target consumers who are likely to rack up those fees. They mine court data, public records, and buy profiles from companies like Equifax who collect data on their own customers...

How short selling works

Posted on October 23, 2008
Another fantastic whiteboard talk from Marketplace: Getting naked in short selling. Getting naked in short selling from Marketplace on Vimeo. Getting naked in short selling | (via Consumerist)

Getting the most out of Priceline

Posted on October 22, 2008
While most of my colleagues are spending $200+ per night to stay in Portland for the NCLC conference, my wife and I are staying in a 3.5-star hotel a few blocks away for just $75 per night. A few weeks ago, we stayed in a 4-star, $200+ per night hotel in Madison, WI, and paid [...

AIG Was Spending Taxpayer Money Lobbying Against Mortgage Regulation

Posted on October 21, 2008
AIG Was Spending Taxpayer Money Lobbying Against Mortgage Regulation | Consumerist

After Losing His Home, Man Trashes House, Spray Paints Message To Bank

Posted on October 21, 2008
“Take this house and shove it.” After Losing His Home, Man Trashes House, Spray Paints Message To Bank | Consumerist

National Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Portland, Oregon

Posted on October 20, 2008
Hello from Portland! I am in Portland all week for the National Consumer Law Center’s annual National Consumer Rights Litigation Conference. (The conference starts on Friday, but I came early with my wife to take in Portland.) I will be presenting on a panel with the Americans for Fairness in Lending on getting out the message [...

Debt Relief Firm Defrauds Debtor

Posted on October 20, 2008
Debt Relief Firm Defrauds Debtor | Consumerist

CBS’ 60 Minutes has a great

Posted on October 17, 2008
CBS’ 60 Minutes has a great look at the mortgage mess

Free help for consumers in financial trouble

Posted on October 17, 2008
If you are in financial hot water, start by looking for free resources. Consumers facing foreclosure or debt collectors are often quick to send off a check to someone who promises help. But many of the credit repair and mortgage rescue outfits eager to collect your money are little better than a scam...

Coming soon: Comp Wonk, a Minnesota workers? compensation weblog

Posted on October 17, 2008
I am getting ready to launch Comp Wonk, a blog about Minnesota workers’ compensation, on November 1. A friend of mine who represents injured workers will be writing the blog, and I am looking forward to getting it up and running. If you have questions about work comp, check out Comp Wonk starting November 1.

Illinois sheriff to resume foreclosure evictions

Posted on October 16, 2008
Illinois sheriff to resume foreclosure evictions | CNN

Yet Another Reader Scammed By FreeCreditReport.com

Posted on October 16, 2008
Yet Another Reader Scammed By FreeCreditReport.com | Consumerist

US National Bank trying to collect paid-off payday loans

Posted on October 16, 2008
According to Consumerist, based on a thread at the DebtConsolidationCare forums, US National Bank somehow acquired a bunch of paid-off payday loan accounts and is trying to collect on them. And their threats are apparently working. The poster on DCC paid them $300 to avoid trouble?including the three felony counts he was threatened with...

5 Memberships Worth Signing Up For

Posted on October 16, 2008
5 Memberships Worth Signing Up For | SmartMoney

35 Places To Download Free, Legal MP3s - Sorry, RIAA!

Posted on October 16, 2008
35 Places To Download Free, Legal MP3s - Sorry, RIAA! | Download Squad (via Recording Industry vs. The People)

The credit crisis as Antarctic expedition

Posted on October 14, 2008
The credit crisis as Antarctic expedition from Marketplace on Vimeo.

Credit cards at the tipping point?

Posted on October 14, 2008
“Misleading practices by credit card issuers will come back to bite them, say report author Gregory Larkin and Laura Nishikawa, as uninformed consumers who wind up facing surprise interest rate hikes and fees will be more likely to default on their loans...

Torching your car is not a financial plan

Posted on October 13, 2008
Okay, we all get it. You are sick of driving around in that rolling bad decision of an SUV while your bank account cries out for relief. And hey, you could use a fat insurance check to help you pay down your credit card debt. But burning your SUV is not a good plan...

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