Ever wonder which alcohol brands are most popular … among consumers who are too young to buy alcohol? Is daylight savings harmless, or does it cost us hundreds of millions of dollars annually? And most pressing of all, which celebrity do you wish was your insurance agent?
cell phones
$47 a Month? Why You’re Probably Paying Double the ‘Average’ Cell Phone Bill
A new report from the CTIA Wireless Association has it that the average monthly cell phone is $47.16. So how does it feel to be well above average?
Unlimited Data Plans: Are They Coming Back From the Dead?
Unlimited data, once a consistent option among cell phone carriers, has been on the outs lately with the big dogs of wireless. But fourth-place carrier T-Mobile is hoping to win back some users — and market share — by offering …
How Forces That Drive the Mobile Industry’s Growth Also Threaten Its Future
The mobile industry is enjoying a remarkable moment in business history, one that ought to make executives from other industries look on it with envy. Thanks to the burgeoning popularity of smartphones, demand for mobile …
How Smart Phones Are Changing the Way We Bank, Drive, Have Sex and Go to the Bathroom
“Smartphonatics” are changing the way we bank and play. And while smart phones are making a lot of things easier, in many contexts they are the source of gross distraction and rude behavior
2.6 Billion Robo-Calls Later, Why Won’t Rachel from Cardholder Services Just Go Away?
Rachel from Cardholder Services, please stop calling. We all know you’re a scam.
Can Every iPhone User Sue AT&T for $850?
An out-of-work truck driver from California made headlines on Friday when he turned the tables on AT&T, and stuck it to the phone giant in small claims court.
How to Get the Government to Cover Your Cell Phone Bill(s)
Last year, a federal program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts. The program, overseen by the FCC and intended to help low-income Americans, is popular for …
Price Hike for iPhones, iPads: Data Plans from AT&T Are About to Cost More
Updated: Thursday, 3:35 p.m.
AT&T just announced that new data plans for smartphones and tablets will “give customers more data and value.” That’s true, technically. It’s also true that when the new data plan pricing system takes effect starting this Sunday, wireless bills for new AT&T customers will cost more.
Verizon Wireless to Charge $2 for Some Online Payments
Updated: 6:45 p.m., Dec. 30.
Why should banks have all the fun? We can only imagine that’s what Verizon Wireless executives asked themselves before deciding to hit customers with a $2 fee — for paying their bill via a one-time …
Is That a Debt Collector Trying to Call Your Cell?
The debt-collection industry has launched a push to modernize the laws that govern how they do business and what they’re allowed to do, and new legislation under consideration in Congress would give them the right to do so if …
Would You Rather Pay for AT&T’s $20 Monthly Text Plan or Text All You Want for Free?
This is not a trick question. But it’s one that AT&T, by trimming its text plan options to two—unlimited for $20 monthly, or a la carte texts at 20¢ apiece—is forcing customers to ask themselves.
