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James R Hood

Want to do Your Banking at Walmart?

Want to do Your Banking at Walmart?

Spanish version Want to do your banking at Walmart? It may soon be possible. The mega retail chain is working towards offering checking accounts and other financial services to its employees and customers. Tens of millions of Americans are “unbanked,” meaning they don’t have a checking account or other

Four Red Flags That Signal a Scam

Four Red Flags That Signal a Scam

Fraudulent schemes directed at consumers, known popularly as “scams,” seem to increase every year. In the first half of 2022 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 793,000 complaints about scams, with about 27% resulting in financial losses of $3.56 billion. Trying to warn consumers about every scam is

California Sues Amazon for Anticompetitive Practices

California Sues Amazon for Anticompetitive Practices

California has become the second state to sue Amazon, charging it with anticompetitive practices, saying it creates creating artificial pricing floors by barring sellers from offering their goods cheaper on other platforms. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the company stifled competition and caused increased prices across California. “For years,

A Good Night's Sleep Shouldn't Be Expensive

A Good Night's Sleep Shouldn't Be Expensive

Wellness is all the rage these days and staying well requires, among other things, a good night’s sleep, preferably every night. In pursuit of that goal, aggressive wellness seekers are shelling out big bucks for “sleep vacations.” It may sound like the sleepaway camps of our youth but these

Catfishing Can Hook You If You're Not Careful

Catfishing Can Hook You If You're Not Careful

Catfishing used to be something people did on their day off. It usually involved a lake or river, a cane pole and some worms. Now it’s an online deception in which someone who claims to be a beautiful rainbow trout turns out to be an ugly, slimy old catfish.

Covid-19 Side Effect: Speeding

Covid-19 Side Effect: Speeding

Drivers put the hammer down as the COVID-19 lockdown cut into traffic on the nation’s highways – and they’re showing no signs of returning to normal, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) finds. “The empty roads probably tempted pandemic-stressed drivers to put the pedal down,

Homeowners Abandoning Flood Insurance at their Peril

Homeowners Abandoning Flood Insurance at their Peril

Flood insurance premiums have risen steadily with the rising tide of flooding linked to climate change. As a result, as many as one million homeowners may sign up for the coverage or maintain their existing policy, a report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency cautions. The report was not publicly