Handheld Cell Phone Bans for All Drivers: 5 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from talking on handheld cell phones while driving.

With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for using a […]

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Congress is considering two bills that would restrict the fees and penalties credit card companies can charge consumers.

The House bill, authored by New York Democrat Carolyn Maloney, was approved by the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. It now  goes to the House floor for debate.
The Senate bill, regarded as one with tougher terms, was written by […]

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They say death and taxes are inevitable. But monthly bills are just as predictable - and far more consistent. “I’ve never paid a bill late, always send more than the minimum payment due, yet feel as if I’m in a never-ending bill-paying cycle,” a New York woman complained. “The finance charges are outrageous, and I feel as if […]

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A third of all credit card users have been penalized by a credit card company, according to a new survey from Credit.com.  Consumers say card issuers have imposed one or more of the following changes:

HIgher interest rate 15%

Larger minimum payment  11%

Earlier due date 9%

Lower credit limit 8%

Reduced rewards program 8%

Closed account 7%

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It’s hard to forget, especially when you try to get it out of your head: that FreeCreditReport.com jingle just keeps going around and around. But government regulators say the song is better than the service. The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection warns FreeCreditReport.com isn’t really free at all.
To better prove its point, the […]

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Nearly a third of Americans say they’re more likely to consider a home-based business offer because of the recession-increasing concerns among consumer advocates about possible fraud and scams.  According to a just released survey sponsored by the National Consumers League (NCL), many consumers are at risk of losing money to fraudulent pyramid schemes disguised as […]

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An estimated 440 banks concede  their customers are possible victims of a massive data breach. according to new data from BankInfoSecurity.com. But not all of those institutions have taken action to protect their consumers, frustrating watchdogs like the New York State Consumer Protection Board.
Heartland Payment Systems, the nation’s sixth-largest processor for Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card transactions, […]

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Rose Martin likes the idea of getting her phone, Internet and cable TV service from one provider. She also likes her privacy. The New York City woman didn’t think the two were mutually exclusive–until she contacted Verizon to arrange for service.
“I provided my name, address and place of birth. But when the representative asked for […]

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A fortunate job seeker said she finally found a new position.  “At least I think I did,” she explained. “I have an opportunity to be a work-at-home medical transcriptionist.”
Medical transcriptionists listen to dictated recordings made by physicians and other health care professionals and transcribe them into medical reports, correspondence and other administrative […]

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The credit card with the lowest interest rate can cost you more than you expect. Although the interest rate is important, it’s just as important to understand how the card issuer computes the monthly finance charges.
You need to know whether finance charges are based on a daily or monthly basis, whether there is a […]

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