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James R Hood

Edfinancial Fined for Misleading Student Borrowers

Edfinancial Fined for Misleading Student Borrowers

The latest development in the scandal-ridden student loan program involves a small Tennessee company, Edfinancial Services, ordered to pay a $1 million civil penalty for misleading student borrowers. “Edfinancial’s failure to tell the full truth to borrowers, so it could pad its bottom line highlights a systemic problem with

Cheap Oximeters Removed from Online Sites after Accuracy Questioned

Cheap Oximeters Removed from Online Sites after Accuracy Questioned

Amazon and eBay are among companies that removed a number of blood oxygen testing devices from their sites after the British consumer group Which? raised questions about whether the devices could be legally sold in the UK. The consumer champion found 11 out of 15 cheap pulse oximeters bought from

Turning SUVs, Pickups More Likely to Hit Pedestrians

Turning SUVs, Pickups More Likely to Hit Pedestrians

It’s not news that SUVs, pickups and other large vehicles cause more severe injuries than sedans when they hit pedestrians. Now a study finds that they’re also more likely to smash into pedestrians when turning. “It’s possible that the size, shape or location of the A-pillars that

No Steering Wheel, No Problem: New Car Safety Rule

No Steering Wheel, No Problem: New Car Safety Rule

Someday there will probably be cars that don’t need drivers. So why should they have to have steering wheels, driver’s seats and so forth? A new federal rules says they shouldn’t. The 155-page rule updates the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to accommodate vehicles that don’

Fake Reviews, Corporate Gag Orders Eyed by Feds

Fake Reviews, Corporate Gag Orders Eyed by Feds

Consumers have come to rely on online reviews to make decisions about important purchases but can be misled by fake reviews and by companies’ efforts to waylay negative reviews. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) wants to put a stop to such deceptive and possibly illegal practices, and today issued

Electric Cars More Trouble-Prone than Gas: UK Survey

Electric Cars More Trouble-Prone than Gas: UK Survey

Most consumers assume that electric cars are more reliable than their gas-powered ancestors. They have fewer moving parts, after all. Yes, but they also rely on complex and relatively new software, which a British study finds is often troublesome, with the Tesla S the most trouble-prone. The study was conducted

AARP Campaigning for Lower Drug Prices

AARP Campaigning for Lower Drug Prices

AARP is launching a crusade against high drug prices which it says continued to rise during the pandemic and beyond. New research shows that 75 of the 100 brand name drugs with the highest total Medicare Part D spending had already increased their list prices in the first month of