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James R Hood

Name-Only Matching Not Enough for Credit Reporting Agencies, CFPB Cautions

Name-Only Matching Not Enough for Credit Reporting Agencies, CFPB Cautions

It’s common practice for some credit reporting agencies, including tenant and employment screeners, to use names only when compiling their reports. This can lead to all kinds of headaches for consumers and can result in damage to their credit ratings, job prospects and housing choices. But a recent advisory

Pawn Lenders Overcharged Military Consumers, Complaint Alleges

Pawn Lenders Overcharged Military Consumers, Complaint Alleges

Members of the military are protected from excessive interest rates on loans but in the real world, those protections are often ignored. In the latest example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal district court against FirstCash, Inc. and Cash America West, Inc.

Student Debt Scheme Netted $31 Million, Feds Charge

Student Debt Scheme Netted $31 Million, Feds Charge

The millions of consumers struggling to pay off student loan debt constitute a fertile field for unscrupulous scam artists, many peddling debt-relief schemes that do nothing but drain the victims’ checking account. One such company, the Federal Trade Commission charges, is Automatic Funds Transfer Service, a payment processor that the

Feds Plan Stronger Safety Rules for Window Blind Cords

Feds Plan Stronger Safety Rules for Window Blind Cords

Window blinds don’t look or sound dangerous but they’re actually one of the biggest safety threats to children. Every year, children strangle on the cords hanging from blinds, shades and draperies. “Unfortunately, two children strangled on hazardous cords in October,” said Linda Kaiser, founder of Parents for Window

Don't Drive Much? Consider Pay-Per-Mile Car Insurance

Don't Drive Much? Consider Pay-Per-Mile Car Insurance

The pandemic put a huge dent in traffic for awhile and appears to have turned many of us into permanent homebodies. And yet, most Americans are still paying the same auto insurance premium. Does that make sense? Insurance is supposed to be based on risk, after all, and the risk

FDA Orders 'Black Box' Warnings for Breast Implants

FDA Orders 'Black Box' Warnings for Breast Implants

Plastic surgeons will have to provide patients with a checklist of safety risks before performing breast implant surgery, an action the agency has been considering for years – too many years, according to some critics. “It’s better than nothing, but it’s not as good as it could be,” said

FDA Orders 'Black Box' Warnings for Breast Implants

FDA Orders 'Black Box' Warnings for Breast Implants

Plastic surgeons will have to provide patients with a checklist of safety risks before performing breast implant surgery, an action the agency has been considering for years – too many years, according to some critics. “It’s better than nothing, but it’s not as good as it could be,” said