News

2010

February

04

• State Farm cancels thousands in Florida. The largest homeowners insurer in Florida is canceling the policies of 125,000 of its most vulnerable customers beginning Aug. 1, halfway through the 2010 hurricane season. The company, State Farm Florida, began sending out cancellation notices this week

January

31

• Chiropractic visits lead to higher premium. As the prospects for meaningful healthcare reform grow murkier by the day, it's helpful to remember why we started this discussion in the first place. It wasn't so we could socialize the U.S. healthcare

30

• The unloved annuity gets a hug from Obama. Annuities: The official retirement vehicle of the Obama administration. As slogans go, it’s hardly “Keep Hope Alive,” or even “Change We Can Believe In.” But there were annuities, in a report from the administration’

25

• States go after texting drivers. The fight against distracted driving may be at a tipping point as 23 states debate legislation to ban texting while driving, a practice 19 states already prohibit. "Legislators are looking to see if it (texting) is enough

24

• Spend less, save more, money guru advises. The first time I read Jane Bryant Quinn's book "Making the Most of Your Money," it struck me as the personal finance equivalent of "The Joy of Cooking." Everything you ever wanted to know was

10

• How to hire a tax preparer. Do you pay someone to prepare your annual tax return? If so, you've got plenty of company. As the U.S. tax code has become increasingly complex, roughly 80% of the nation's taxpayers have turned to

07

• Funding fuzzy for health-care interest groups. Many of the Washington interest groups that are seeking to shape final health-care legislation in the coming weeks operate with opaque financing, often receiving hidden support from insurers, drugmakers or unions. The groups, some newly

05

• Another COBRA health insurance extension. Thanks to some last-minute maneuvering by Congress, thousands of jobless workers will continue to receive affordable health insurance in 2010. A defense spending bill signed into law Dec. 19 expands a subsidy for unemployed workers who want

04

• Desempleados sufren con seguro médico COBRA. Stan Rosen, vecino de Miramar, perdió su trabajo, su esposa tenía seis meses de embarazo y él tenía que operarse, pero pensaba que podía arreglárselas porque tenía el seguro mé

03

• Money resolutions to make in 2010. With the economy still in the dumper and many of us feeling poorer, it's no surprise that many Americans have resolved to clean up their finances in this new year. The trick is to set

02

• Bills to curb distracted driving gain momentum. When its legislature convenes this year, Kansas will consider banning motorists from sending text messages. South Carolina will, too, and debate whether to prohibit drivers from using phones altogether, or requiring them to use hands-free

• Constitutionality of individual mandate debated. Opponents of the health-care reform bill are not giving up the fight, and some think their last, best hope to halt the legislation lies not in the Capitol but in the court across the street.

01

• Happy New Year!. The staff and board of Consumer Action wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

2009

December

27

• A year of progress on consumer issues. This year was a total drag for consumers. Many of us lost our jobs, homes were foreclosed upon, medical bills piled up, recession-weary families scraped by month to month. But it was also an extraordinary

25

• Happy holidays from Consumer Action. The staff and board of Consumer Action hope that you and your family have a Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

• Senate passes healthcare bill, must reconcile it with House. Senate Democrats approved landmark legislation just after sunrise Christmas Eve that would transform the nation's health-care system by requiring people without insurance to obtain coverage and protecting those who have it from the most unpopular

• Many will not feel effects of healthcare changes. Now that the Senate has caught up with the House by passing a sweeping health care bill, lawmakers are on the verge of extending coverage to the tens of millions of Americans who have no

24

• Senate passes health care overhaul bill. The Senate voted Thursday to reinvent the nation’s health care system, passing a bill to guarantee access to health insurance for tens of millions of Americans and to rein in health costs as proposed

• Health-care reform: How the bills stack up. The Senate passed its health-care bill Dec. 24 but key differences need to be resolved with the House before a final measure is ready for President Obama's signature. Compare cost, coverage & key provisions

22

• Consumer Action nationwide survey of financial literacy programs (Financial literacy programs in local communities have continued need for printed materials). Consumer Action, a national non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization, has published the results of a survey of community-based organizations (CBOs) titled "Implementation of Community-based Financial Literacy Programs in the U.S." Click here to