consumers

This is the 13th annual National Consumer Protection Week, a coordinated campaign designed to highlight the importance of information and the of available online resources, the Federal Trade Commission announced. As recent Consumer Ally stories shows, scams targeting seniors, homeowners,...

As the economy improves, Americans have begun splurging again. But they're limiting their indulgences to haircuts, casual dining and coffee, while continuing to forego many bigger expenditures, like vacations and dining at expensive restaurants.

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...

A chain of tanning salons that generated hundreds of complaints about deceptive sales tactics and misleading contracts has agreed to pay $350,000 and change the way it does business. The agreement settles charges lodged against the company At The Beach by the Colorado Attorney General's office. At...

The founder of two charities that were supposed to help veterans is accused of pocketing $690,000 in donations and improperly using money given to the charities to make unreported political contributions. The lawsuit was filed by the Oregon Attorney General's office against Gregory Warnock and...

Amid a bounce back in manufacturing activity, surging commodity prices are leading to fears of inflationary forces. Those forces are real, but corporate profits -- and therefore, stock prices -- won't suffer too quickly. The pain for struggling Americans, though, could be rapid and severe.

The Consumer Confidence Index jumped far higher than expected in January, and that could have big implications, both for retailers and for your wallet. Here's what you need to know.

The Federal Trade Commission's telemarketing rules aim to protect consumers from debt-settlement companies that charge upfront fees or overpromise results. But some companies already have found ways to get around those rules, consumer groups warn.

The Federal Reserve on Thursday proposed a new rule that would dramatically cut the swipe fees that banks charge merchants when customers use debit cards. The move, which stems from a provision in the financial overhaul bill in July, could benefit stores. But banks say it could harm consumers.

The average American household is slipping deeper into financial distress, according to a new report. Although some progress was seen in the beginning of 2010, high unemployment and a weak housing market continue to take their toll.