Michael Finney's Consumer Blog

Free pictures of the kids

Finney’s Friday Free Stuff: Just in time for the holidays, free pictures of the kids.

Sears Portrait Studios free classic montage

This giveaway is not conducted by 7 On Your Side. If there are technical problems or issues with the product, concerns should be directed to the offering supplier.

NOTE: More freebies to come! Watch ABC7 News at 5PM for Finney's Friday Free Stuff

Free Breathe Right strips

Finney’s Friday Free Stuff: Breathe Right Extra. They aren’t just for NFL players!

Receive 2 free Breathe Right Extra Samples

This giveaway is not conducted by 7 On Your Side. If there are technical problems or issues with the product, concerns should be directed to the offering supplier.

NOTE: More freebies to come! Check the blog again at 3PM!

Free Kashi granola bars

Finney’s Friday Free Stuff: Good and good for you natural snack bars by Kashi.

Free sample: All Natural TLC Chewy Granola Bars

This giveaway is not conducted by 7 On Your Side. If there are technical problems or issues with the product, concerns should be directed to the offering supplier.

NOTE: More freebies to come! Check the blog again at 1:30PM!

Guaranteed paid sick leave

Workers should not be forced to pick between being paid and making others sick. So says Bay Area Congressman George Miller. He’s asking Congress to guarantee paid sick leave to workers if their employer asks them to stay home with swine flu or a similar contagious illness.  The bill would cover businesses with 15 or more workers and exempt those companies that already offer at least five days of paid sick leave.

Verizon increases termination fee to $350

ABC News is reporting Verizon is doubling the early termination fee on its smart phones to $350. The new charge will apply to contracts signed mid-November and after. No word on fee changes for regular wireless phone service. Each month you keep the smart phone, the company will take $10 off that charge. Still in the final month of the contract those canceling would still more than a hundred dollars in fees.

How identity thieves really get your information

Think identity thieves get your personal information by snooping around your computer?  Travelers insurance has been looking into this and says simple physical theft is five times more likely to result in ID fraud than malware and online snooping.

Travelers identifies the following as the top known causes of identity fraud:

•    78% - burglary and theft of wallet/purse/personal identification/computer
•    14% - online or data breach
•    5%  - change of address/postal fraud
•    3%  - lost credit card and other miscellaneous causes

The lesson here is remain vigilant in the real world, not just the virtual one: hang onto your valuables, watch your mail and shred important documents.

Make good money with your checking account

Earn high interest on your checking account. It is possible. There are banks out there that want your business and are willing to pay for it. The deals are not as simple as your current account, but they aren’t hard to follow either. Generally these high interest accounts want to be your primary account. To that end they often require that you make a direct deposit and use your debit card several times a month. Easy-Beazy for 4% interest!. S

Start here: www.checkingfinder.com

Bill collection agency pays up

A debt collection company is paying big time! Accused of lying to consumers. The Associated Press says American Corrective Counseling Services sent letters purporting to be from Pennsylvania District attorneys' offices to people who bounced checks. The letters indicated a crime had been committed, but penalties could be avoided if the consumer paid off the checks and fees and attend a financial accountability class. The company admits no wrong doing but agreed to pay more than $2.5 million to settle a lawsuit.

Customer service survey scam

The Internet is filled with customer service surveys. The bad guys have noticed and figured out how to cash in. E-mails are going out that ask consumers to fill out a survey about a well-known business.  Walmart is one target; the consumer answers the questions and is then prompted to input their banking information so the $250 can be sent to their account. Those who fall for it have their accounts cleaned out. Fill out surveys if you want, but never give out your banking information.

Are "free" credit reports really free?

Freecreditreport.com is a thorn in the side of the federal government. So much so, the government has actually made a spoof video jamming up the service. Government officials say it isn’t free and confuses consumers. Here's the lowdown.
 
Freecreditreport.com is a for-profit site that sells credit monitoring services. To get a “free” credit report you must sign up for a $14.95 per month credit monitoring service. So how is it free? You are allowed to cancel the service within a few days and pay nothing.
 
Annualcreditreport.com is the government mandated site where consumers get a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies.

I have been explaining the difference between these two websites for years, now the New York Times is writing about the controversy. Great article, check it out

Don’t be taken in by weight loss product promises

A company warned to knock off the hard sell will now be going to court. “Eat all you want and still lose weight” was the promise made by the marketers of Relacore and Akävar 20/50. The Federal Trade Commission told the distributor to stop making those kinds of claims three years back and now the FTC says it will sue to stop them from promising what they can’t prove. 

More information here: http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/11/basicresearch.shtm