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4 Ways Credit Cards Can Still Penalize Borrowers

by Flexo

Last weekend, the final changes to the credit card industry spurred by the Credit CARD Act of 2009 went into effect for all credit card accounts, including existing accounts. While the goal of the new legislation and resulting regulation is to protect consumers by clarifying the terms of using credit and by banning some unscrupulous ... Continue reading this article…

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Should There Be a Limit on Copyrights?

by Smithee

I have a poll that I’m hoping you’ll take part in. Current U.S. law says that copyrights on most creative works (songs, movies, books, etc.) are valid until 70 years after the author’s death. It used to be 50 years, but when the 50 year mark was approaching, it was extended another 20. There’s no ... Continue reading this article…

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Contact a Taxpayer Advocate to Help Resolve Tax Issues

by Flexo

A year ago, the first-time home buyer credit was still rather new, and the IRS began allowing taxpayers to amend their 2008 tax returns to receive the credit early. At that time, if documentation was in order, it took about six weeks to receive a check for the $8,000 credit. That didn’t last long. Within ... Continue reading this article…

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How I Earn Side Income From (Mostly) Blogging

by Flexo

Subscribe to Consumerism Commentary by adding our RSS feed to your favorite reading software. As you know I’ve been writing for Consumerism Commentary since 2003. I’ve been blogging, or chronologically updating websites, since 1994 or 1995, at that time running a web server called “Winhttpd” from the computer in my dorm room. My university did ... Continue reading this article…

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FreeCreditReport.com No Longer Offers “Free” Credit Reports

by Flexo

The Credit CARD Act of 2009 required the Federal Trade Commission to regulate marketing surrounding products offered by the credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion). Starting this month, offers like FreeCreditReport.com must be transparent about their offers when they are tied to “free trials.” It’s easy for us to single out Experian’s FreeCreditReport.com because ... Continue reading this article…

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Take a New Inventory of Your Credit Cards or Pay New Fees

by Flexo

I’m growing more concerned about my relationship with credit card issuers. We’ve been getting along mostly well for several years. I charge many of my expenses, pay my bills on time, collect some rewards, and they don’t levy any additional fees. These companies are certainly making money off of me through the interchange fees they ... Continue reading this article…

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New Credit Card Rules Take Effect Today

by Flexo

May 22, 2009 seems like ages ago. That is the date that the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act became a law, changing the way credit card issuers interact with their customers. As of today, this law is now fully in effect. The new regulations are designed to help protect consumers from practices ... Continue reading this article…

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Democracy, Incorporated

by Smithee

The following is at least as much opinion as fact, but if I say something that isn’t factual, please tell me. Our American version of democracy has never been pure or particularly representative. From women’s suffrage to civil rights to lobbyist influence to rumors that can spread around the world before truth gets up off ... Continue reading this article…

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