News

2013

February

21

• Are you financially secure?. Test your knowledge with these questions. Chances are, you'll learn something that will help take your future from solid to impregnable. 1. I have at least six months of expenses in an emergency fund. How

• Group releases list of 90 medical ‘don’ts’. Don’t use feeding tubes in patients with advanced dementia. Don’t use drugs to aggressively treat diabetes in those older than 65. Don’t automati­cally use imaging technology for minor

19

• Consumers need better way to fix credit reporting errors. About 10 million consumers, through no fault of their own, have serious errors on their credit reports, raising troubling questions about people's ability to secure loans and the fairness of interest rates they're charged.

18

• States worry about rate shock during shift to new health law. Even states that back Obama's healthcare law worry about a jump in some insurance premiums as it takes effect.

16

• Medicare says drug refills shouldn't be done without patient's OK. Medicare called Friday for administrators of its Part D prescription-drug program to ensure that drugstores refill prescriptions only after receiving patient approval. The move follows a series of columns in the Los Angeles Times revealing

• Will young adults face ‘rate shock’ because of the health-care law?. Many young, healthy Americans could soon see a jump in their health insurance costs, and insurance companies are saying: It’s not our fault. The nation’s insurers are engaged in an all-out,

14

• Visiting the doctor, virtually. We’ve all wished at times that we could just chat with a doctor from our office, instead of taking time away from work to drive to the clinic. Now, a case study of

• Fact-checking credit reports. Lucky you if you’re one of the many consumers who recognize an error in your credit file and are able to successfully dispute it, get it removed and receive the credit rating you

12

• FTC says 5% of consumers had significant errors on credit reports. About one in 20 consumers had significant errors on their credit reports that could cause them to pay more for auto loans and other financial products, according to a Federal Trade Commission report released Monday. The

06

• Debt collection horror stories. Debt collector horror stories abound. There are threats to dig up the dead relatives of those who couldn't pay their funeral bills, promises to imprison debtors, or take their children into custody-- even warnings

05

• CVS' Medicare drug program causing headaches for enrollees. Deborah Shapiro decided a few months ago to switch her prescription drug coverage from her former employer's plan to Medicare. The Medicare literature made clear that she could save hundreds of dollars on the

01

• Consumer groups call on President and Congress to pursue strong consumer agenda. WASHINGTON, D.C. - In joint letters to President Obama and Congressional leaders, eight of the nation’s leading consumer organizations urged policymakers to pursue a strong, robust agenda of consumer reforms. With the

January

31

• Validity of consumer bureau at stake. A law firm sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over its treatment of struggling homeowners may be the first to contest the validity of Richard Cordray’s status as the agency’s

• Good drivers with low incomes punished by insurers. The largest U.S. auto insurers weigh occupation and education levels more than driving records to set rates for minimum-liability coverage, the Consumer Federation of America said today, citing a review of a dozen cities.

24

• Social Security checks get replaced. Still collecting a paper Social Security check? Get ready to make a change soon. The paper check is supposed to go away by March. People still receiving checks can sign up for direct deposit or

22

• What your health care will really cost. These days health care costs are less puzzling. As consumers shoulder more of their health care bills, insurers, government officials, and private firms are starting to provide the tools to allow you to research and

19

• Can Oregon save American health care?. In 2011, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber faced a vexing problem: The state had a $2 billion hole in its Medicaid budget and no good way to fill it. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has a plan to save

17

• What factors affect your credit score. A Web site from an arm of the credit bureau Experian now offers a free tool that can help you see how different financial steps, or missteps, can affect your credit score. There are a

• New regulations shed light on looming health-care costs. The ramifications of health care reform for business owners are coming into focus as regulators float new rules to govern employer-sponsored coverage. Lost in the political fervor over the fiscal cliff, the Internal Revenue Service

15

• Workers raiding 401K accounts undermines retirement security. A large and growing share of American workers are tapping their retirement savings accounts for non-retirement needs, raising broad questions about the effectiveness of one of the most important savings vehicles for old age. More