November 2010 Archives

It's that time of year again, time to get together with family, time to give and receive presents, time to contemplate the new year approaching.  It's also a time when those less fortunate than ourselves are in our hearts and...
Tis the Season. Cyber Monday, the online retailers' answer to Black Friday, has become increasingly popular since its launch in 2005. The National Retail Federation, who's responsible for what has now become the busiest online shopping day of the year,...
Online scams are nothing new.  Take a look in any "Inbox" on an email program and there will probably be at least half a dozen requests for money or personal information that look legitimate, but which aren't.  Of course, there...
When the Federal Trade Commission came out with changes that now affect testimonial advertisements, bloggers and celebrity endorsement guidelines, I wondered just how long it would take for those who didn't want to abide by the FTC's new rules, to...
Ten years ago, identity theft was an almost unheard of crime.  Now almost 10 million Americans a year fall victim to ID predators. How are these criminals accessing private information?  Who is vulnerable?  What can you do to prevent it...
With unemployment hovering around 10%, more and more consumers are looking to the internet to find work and additional ways to boost their incomes. While there are certainly many advantages that come with having an online job, there are also...
Following a recent Rolling Stone expose by Matt Taibbi exposing his very real observations that Florida foreclosure hearings were taken place behind closed doors the American Civil Liberties Union and several other media and First Amendment groups sent letters to...
When the holiday shopping season rolls around, so does the identity theft season. Victims of identity theft feel angry and helpless, so don't let that happen to you. With all the increased purchasing activity online and off, the opportunities for identity theft abound.
I recently received an email from a woman who had been laid off from her job and recently put her faith and trust in an online internet marketing Guru. He promised she could "make millions" simply following his methods. All...
Professor Elizabeth Warren, consumer watch-dog and champion of consumer financial protection rights, tasked with the job of setting up the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency shares her views on the importance of using technology and transparency to build a "serious...
I recently traveled home to New England for a short visit with family. While at the airport ready to head home I learned there were several travel delays up and down the eastern seaboard, so I knew I would be...
Matt Taibbi pulls back the curtain to expose the UGLY TRUTH that's been hiding, in plain site, in courtrooms throughout America. Matt takes the time to venture into a Florida court room and witness how the judicial system works (or...
On any given day, my email contains either letters of angst or kind words of appreciation. Of course, my favorite are the latter. But all too often the letters are from  overwhelmed consumers who are desperate to find a sympathetic...
I read about the Colorado Supreme Court's latest decision to reverse a conviction for "criminal impersonation" with a shiver of dread. The signal sends a disturbing message to identity thieves and their victims.  The case--in which a Colorado man, Felix...
Failure to pay a bill isn't a crime. But failing to show up in court to address it is.  And that crime--as minor as it may seem--can put you in the very real danger of being handcuffed and thrown in...
What a relief to be finished with this year's crop of negative political ads.  We have all had our fill of campaign rhetoric, commercials, and recorded phone calls, and we've all pretty much had enough of negative advertising and special...
If you're a regular surfer of the web, chances are you've come across a very annoying (and potentially dangerous) thing called spyware.  Spyware, a cousin of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other malware, is a type of malicious code that...
A memoir exposing the steep price consumers pay when facing mortgage servicing errors, inaccurate credit reporting, illegal debt collection practices, identity theft and weak consumer protection laws. THE BOOK » DENISE'S STORY »