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ConsumerProtection

Washington's efforts at financial reform keep having strange and unintended consequences. In response to a law that was meant to lower excessive debit card transaction fees on merchants, Visa and Mastercard found a way to raise the fees on a host of small businesses.
Consumer activists are pushing bank regulators to allow people to take their account numbers with them when they switch banks, just like cellphone numbers. Such account number portability might encourage banks to treat customers better because it would make it easier for them to leave.
Bank of America learned pretty quickly last month that customers think $5 a month is too much to pay to use a debit card. But is there such a thing as a reasonable bank fee? One in three people say they're prepared to walk away from their financial institution to avoid a fee, a new survey reveals.
Earlier this week, the FCC proposed new rules designed to crack down on "phone cramming," a widespread, illegal practice that robs billions of dollars from phone users. And with 300 million third-party charges hidden in phone bills every year, odds are, you've been a victim.
We got lots of reaction to our article about how changes in debit and credit card swipe fees may affect you. Swipe fees are the charges retailers pay when they allow you to use plastic. One question kept coming up: "Do I pay those fees when I use my debit card?" Regina Lewis explains.
The Better Business Bureau's slogan is "Start with Trust" -- but not so fast. It seems the BBB has inherent conflicts of interest, and questions have been raised about what it takes to "earn" an A from the BBB. Can companies pay for good ratings -- or worse yet, do they have to?
Even though they're everywhere, including in advertising on reputable news sites, online offers for the promise of that whiter, brighter smile should make consumers extremely wary, the Better Business Bureau warns. Several online companies are offering free trials or enrollment programs to sell...
Freedom Debt Relief, the largest company of its type in the nation, has agreed to pay nearly $2 million in restitution to resolve allegations it misled consumers in two states. More than 570 Washington state consumers who signed up for Freedom Debt Relief's services will be eligible for about...
In the latest efforts by states to curb the problem of unqualified people offering immigration services, six notary publics in Texas have been accused of attracting customers by falsely claiming they had the skill or knowledge to handle immigration cases. The action is part of the state's ongoing...
Unrest in the Middle East is spawning a flood of emails from scammers seeking to fool consumers into sending them money. Two scams are coming from Egypt, both variations on time-tested themes. In the first, a Mohammed Hammad, claiming to be a "consultant" to the Egyptian Past-President Muhammad...

Market Movers

SymbolLastChange / %Volume

Most Actives

BAC
Bank of America Corp
8.07-0.11
-1.34%
254.23M
ALU
Alcatel-Lucent (ADR)
2.19+0.25
+12.89%
122.18M
GE
General Electric Company
18.88-0.26
-1.33%
109.55M
F
Ford
12.44-0.25
-1.97%
52.49M

% Gainers

CIE
Cobalt International Energy
31.68 +7.78
+32.55%
18.42M
LNKD
LinkedIn Corp.
89.96 +13.57
+17.76%
13.27M
ALU
Alcatel-Lucent (ADR)
2.19 +0.25
+12.89%
122.18M
WNS
WNS (Holdings) Limited (ADR)
10.50 +1.10
+11.70%
3.07M

% Losers

NBG-A
National Bank of Greece SA (ADR)
5.72-1.03
-15.26%
188,505
OSG
Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc.
10.18-1.65
-13.95%
1.88M
AB
AllianceBernstein Holding LP
14.35-2.16
-13.08%
1.30M
OC-B
Owens Corning (Warrant) 'B'
2.31-0.34
-12.83%
26,436
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