News

2018

August

17

• Are targeted ads stalking you? Here’s how to make them stop. Online ads have always been annoying, but now they’re worse than ever.

• As cars collect more data, companies try to move it all faster. Cars need to get faster — not on the road, but on the inside. Speed has always been part of the mystique of the automotive business. But cars have been notoriously slow when it comes

• F.D.A. approves generic EpiPen that may be cheaper. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first generic version of EpiPen, providing new competition that could help drive down the cost of a lifesaving product that had become a notorious symbol of

16

• 400 homes accidentally foreclosed on - Wells Fargo agreed to $8M payout for mortgage miscalculations (Chinese). 富國銀行（Wells Fargo）8月3日公布報告，坦承銀行內部系統的審核發現錯誤，影響了曾在2010年4月到2015年10月間申請調整房貸的數百名財務困難屋主，造成約400名屋主的房屋被法拍。

• CEO pay jumps to $19 million annually. Top executives of America’s biggest companies saw their average annual pay surge to $18.9 million in 2017, according to a report released Thursday, fueling concerns about the gulf between the nation’s richest and

15

• Consumer Action adds 'Ocular Innovation' video to its Vision Action Center (Ophthalmologist Dr. Darius Moshfeghi discusses benefits of online prescription renewal services). A new educational video titled “Ocular Innovation” features Dr. Darius Moshfeghi, a leading Stanford University ophthalmologist and eyecare innovator, and Consumer Action Director of National Priorities Linda Sherry, discussing how online prescription renewal technology works and how it can help patients and consumers save time and money.

• One family’s approach to paying for college: GoFundMe. One family’s saga highlights the financial hardship of getting a college education and the pros and cons of using crowdfunding to do so.

14

• Next steps for homeowners mistakenly foreclosed by Wells Fargo. One thing worse than going through a foreclosure is finding out you never should’ve lost your home in the first place. In a regulatory filing, Wells Fargo revealed that a technical error kept

• Banks and retailers are tracking how you type, swipe and tap. When you’re browsing a website and the mouse cursor disappears, it might be a computer glitch — or it might be a deliberate test to find out who you are.

• Can consumer loans ever be so expensive they break the law?. California’s high court has ruled that interest rates on consumer loans can be so high that they become “unconscionable” and, therefore, illegal — a decision that could call into question the

13

• Sports betting is now legal in several states. After the Supreme Court in May overturned a 1992 law prohibiting states from legalizing sports gambling, several states have already legalized it, and others are considering it. Here’s a look at what actions states

• White House takes aim at financial protections for military. The Trump administration is taking aim at a law designed to protect military service members from getting cheated by shady lending practices. NPR has obtained documents that show the White House is proposing changes that

• In U.S., wage growth is being wiped out by inflation. Rising prices have erased U.S. workers’ meager wage gains, the latest sign strong economic growth has not translated into greater prosperity for the middle and working classes.

• How to negotiate salary (even when you hate conflict). I’ve always pinned my poor negotiation skills on my aversion to conflict. But that’s just an excuse; the truth is, I was just looking at negotiations from the wrong perspective. Here

11

• Why Apple Pay is the highest-rated mobile P2P payment service. Mobile peer-to-peer payment services used on smartphones, tablets—and even smartwatches—have revolutionized on-the-spot money transfers. But what if that money doesn't go where you intended? And how do you know your

10

• Education department to repeal gainful employment rule. The Department of Education plans to repeal the Obama administration’s gainful employment rule, it announced Friday. The rule sought to hold all career education and certificate programs -- the vast majority at for-profit

• A new twist on rent-to-own housing. The idea of any of these alternatives is they're premised on the idea that you will eventually qualify for a mortgage to buy this house, but if you can't qualify for a mortgage

• Trump pulls back Obama-Era protections for women workers. With little notice, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order that advocates say rolls back hard-fought victories for women in the workplace.

• Want better customer service? Don’t call. Text.. The biggest shift in customer service since the 1-800 number is underway. Some 20 million businesses now use Facebook Messenger each month to talk with customers. Apple is leading companies as diverse as Lowe’s,

• DeVos’ latest regulation rollback a blank check to scam schools written by taxpayers. The Department of Education has moved to repeal the gainful employment rule, a 2014 regulation that seeks to ensure that students who graduate from career education programs make enough money to pay back their student loans,