The next time a company tells you that it wants your information, but “Don’t worry, it’s anonymized,” don’t believe it. A group of researchers from MIT proved this week that it can identify almost anyone using just four pieces of information in a supposedly anonymized database of credit card transactions [Keep reading]
You probably know by now that your credit card balance impacts your credit score. And you might know that even if you pay your bill in full each month, running up high balances can have a negative impact on your score. For example, maxing out a card can cost you [Keep reading]
Once in a while, you hear good news. And often, troubled times lead to fresh wisdom. Here’s a little of of both. Perhaps you remember The Restless Project story of Kimberly:”One income, zero hope.” Mom to a 5 and a 3 year old, Kimberly had been given notice that she [Keep reading]
Comcast seems hard at work making sure it collects all the monthly modem rental fees it can. I’ve already chronicled the firm sending out unwanted modems to consumers, and charging for them; and Comcast’s fee increase from $8 to$10. Here’s comes another fee-capturing technique to watch for: Comcast is conducting [Keep reading]
It’s perhaps not surprising that the older folks get, the better they are at handling money and avoiding penalty fees. But you might be surprised at how stark the difference is between younger and older generations when it comes to that super villain of financial penalties, the checking account overdraft. [Keep reading]
Fighting with a credit reporting agency over inaccuracies isn’t easy, and plenty of consumers simply give up, a new Federal Trade Commission study suggests. Nearly half of consumers engaged in an unresolved dispute with a credit reporting agency wave the white flag, according to a study published this week by the [Keep reading]
Technology is like money, it seems. You need some of it…a decent amount, really…to be happy. But at a certain point, it might do more harm than good. Microsoft released a fascinating global survey at Davos this week which unearthed another gap between the developed and the developing world. Poorer [Keep reading]
It’s back. School districts are again claiming the right to demand Facebook passwords from students. This, despite several states passing laws making the practice expressly illegal, and introduction of federal legislation that will do the same when Congress gets around to passing it. The Illinois Principals Association has posted a [Keep reading]
Fake debt collection scams are on the rise, and now rank among the top complaints scammed consumers file around the country, the National Consumers League says. The consumer advocacy organization issued a special warning about the scams, which generally involve a cold call from a would-be criminal trying to intimidate [Keep reading]
Free-credit-score-a-palooza has begun. Well, it continues. Millions of consumers with Citi-branded credit cards can now get a free peek at their Equifax-based FICO credit score just by logging on to Citi’s website. Citi had promised the move last year, and it comes just a week after the White House announced [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan