Congress Considers Health Care Security

Consumer advocate Al Sterman recommends that Arizona consumers follow the discussion on health care currently working it's way through Congress. Several senators recently signed onto a letter addressed to Senators Kennedy and Baucus, key participants in the health care security legislation movement. Sterman says that although we can't be sure, we may see a bill in the upcoming year. We don't know if the result will mean true universal healthcare, but many agree that the current private sector driven system doesn't serve the public or the economy as well as it should. Click here for the letter.

Consumers Union to Treasury Sec'y Geithner: TARP/TALF Funds Should Not Support Consumer Credit Debt Services Failing to Meet Fair-Terms Standards

Arizona Consumers Council supports Consumers Union (CU) in their efforts to protect consumers from deceptive credit card practices. CU recently asked consumer advocacy organizations to join in their appeal to U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner, asking that banks that receive money through the TARP-funded TALF program to support credit card debt be required to comply with rules regarding unfair and deceptive credit card practices, rather than waiting until the rules go into effect in 2010, and that consumers be able to get relief from penalty interest rates after 6 months of on-time payments. Click here for more.

Who's Watching You Watch YouTube?

(And seeing you shop, scoping out your Google searches, and peeking at your email?)

The answer may soon be: your Internet Service Provider. Along with various network advertisers. They all want to engage in a practice known as behavioral advertising. That's where a company tracks your digital life, keeping track of where you go on the Internet over time, creating a profile of your web habits and packaging that information so it can be sold to companies who want to personalize the advertising they serve up to you. Click here for more.

Requesting Your Support

As we ring in 2009, we’d like to take the opportunity to ask you for your support and to sign up for membership with the Arizona Consumers Council. With more members like you and your friends, neighbors and colleagues, we can be a stronger voice for Arizona consumers. For over forty years, the Council has been a strong and effective voice for consumers in Arizona. Click here for more.

Payday Loan Prop 200 Rejected

With a resounding No on Election Day 2008, Arizona voters rejected Proposition 200 which claimed payday lending reforms and offered none of substance. Arizonans for Responsible Lending, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and Consumer Federation of America, among other consumer groups, were instrumental in getting the word out to voters, assisting them in making an educated choice at the polls. The Arizona Consumers Council (AZCC) recommended that consumers vote NO on 200. AZCC currently explores consumer-friendly alternatives to high-interest payday lending, aka short-term loans. Click here to learn more.

Identity Security Forum

Arizona Consumers Council hosted an Identity Security Forum on September 23, 2008. Notable expert speakers were presented in a series of panel discussions. Our Identity Security Forum media page is currently being updated. Click here for more.

Funeral Cost and Planning

The Arizona Consumers Council Foundation and Funeral Consumers Alliance of Northern Arizona team up to provide helpful Funeral Cost and Planning information to consumers. See more at Funeral Cost and Planning.