ZipCar’s business model has been heralded as a game changer, potentially disrupting car sales and traditional car rentals …
Capital One
Study: Credit Card Comparison Sites Don’t Work as Promised
Credit card comparison websites can help consumers pick the best card for their needs, but the services come with a big possible conflict of interest. Most of these sites have a business model that relies on affiliate marketing: …
CFPB Cracks Down on Lies in Credit Card Marketing
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has the credit card industry in its crosshairs, and it’s making banks who flout the law pay up.
Yesterday, the CFPB along with other federal regulators fined American Express $112.5 …
Occupy Wall Street, One Year Later: Did It Make a Difference?
A year ago today, a group of people angry about economic inequality, corporate greed and financial injustice staged a protest in Lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, pledging to “Occupy Wall Street.” There was no overarching agenda …
Big Banks Are Finally Making It Easier to Compare Checking Account Fees
The median length of checking account disclosures is a mind-numbing 69 pages. But a growing number of banks are now cutting through the clutter and offering shorter, simpler breakdowns of major fees and terms. It’s a big help …
Why Kids Will Feel the Pinch on Back-to-School Duds
If any good came of the recession it was that individuals refocused their values and that families started discussing debt and what they could and could not truly afford. Psychologists predict it’s just a matter of time before …
CFPB Shows Its Teeth: Capital One Fined $210 Million For Deceptive Marketing
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau flexed its enforcement muscle for the first time today, fining Capital One Bank for deceptive credit-card marketing practices. The mega-bank has to pay $210 million in total, the vast …
The Credit Card Companies With the Most Consumer Complaints
Consumer advocates cheered and the banking industry fumed when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made its credit card complaint database public last week. Banking analyst Ken Thomas got to work. Thomas sifted through this …
ING and Capital One: Is a Culture Clash Inevitable?
The Federal Reserve Board cleared the way last week for Capital One Financial Corp. to complete a $9 billion, cash and stock deal for ING Direct USA. It’s a coup for Capital One, which already purchased a few smaller banks. But …
Credit Card Applications More Transparent, Still Not Terrific
A study published by credit card comparison site CardHub.com last week shows that while the Credit CARD Act of 2009 has helped make the thicket of fine print and legalese somewhat easier to navigate, it’s still a jungle out there. The site’s 2011 Credit Card Application Study looked into the application materials that the 10 biggest …
Banks Waive Fees For Hurricane Irene Victims
Americans along the East Coast, especially in the Northeast, are still grappling with the aftereffects of Hurricane Irene. Many have no power and a smaller number have been displaced from their homes or are trapped by washed-out …
Back-to-School Special: 5 Top-of-the-Class Credit Cards for Students
While the Credit CARD Act cut down on a lot of the shady marketing practices credit card issuers used to target college students, there are still a plethora of cards out there for the campus crowd, and wading through them can be …
