Auto finance is at a breaking point in our country. Americans owe more than ever in auto debt–over $1.6 trillion–and the economic pressure cooker that American households are in is rapidly jeopardizing their ability to avoid disastrous auto lending outcomes like delinquency and repossession. These precarious dynamics mean that lenders’ activity will have increasingly significant … Continued
Back in May, when the MAHA Commission released its assessment report indicting “ultra-processed foods” as one of the key “driving forces behind American children’s food crisis,” longtime advocates for food system reform wondered, what’s next? Of course, calling out a problem requires much less work than actually solving it. But even so, the early report’s … Continued
Rising auto insurance premiums are affecting drivers across America, and folks are looking for ways to save money. One strategy often touted by insurance companies is to sign up for usage based insurance (UBI), where the companies use “telematics” to track your driving behavior and calculate your premium based on that behavior. A recent Maryland … Continued
Across America, rising homeowners insurance costs are forcing some people who own their homes to forego coverage, tightening budgets for homeowners whose mortgages require coverage and preventing prospective buyers from purchasing homes. Climate change-driven severe weather is an exacerbating factor, increasing the cost of claims and driving up premiums. Clear, reliable information about rising insurance … Continued
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are attracting scorn from would be food system reformers across the political spectrum. “Ultraprocessed foods and beverages (UPFs) pose a growing public health challenge,” says the American Heart Association. “Today’s over-reliance on UPFs is damaging the health of American children,” says the Administration’s “Make Our Children Healthy Again” assessment report, popularly known … Continued
Online marketplaces have transformed e-commerce by allowing third-party sellers, who are independent merchants, to reach global audiences through the online marketplace’s platform. Some products from third-party sellers on online marketplace, such as the products described in the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue report Unsafe and Online, may not meet mandatory safety standards. Unfortunately, enforcement from U.S. authorities … Continued
On Tuesday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act, a bill that restricts the use of AI systems in providing mental health services. The bill comes as stories of “AI Therapists” recommending drug use, self-harm, and other unfounded advice continue to pop up. It seems to regulate not only the … Continued
On August 1st, Donald Trump fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Earlier in the day, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released disappointing monthly employment numbers, following up on an earlier release showing that inflation ticked up in June. Both releases suggest that consumers are starting to feel the pain of the … Continued
Topics in this issue… Transatlantic Consumer Groups Release Report About Unsafe Products in Online Marketplaces Corey Frayer Testifies for House Ways and Means Subcommittee about Crypto Oversight Does Your State Allow Medical Bills to Appear on Credit Reports? More than $360 Million Owed to Consumers from CFPB Enforcement Actions is Already Gone or At Risk
Credit reports serve as economic gatekeepers for millions of Americans seeking to buy a home or a car, start a business, find an apartment, or apply for a job. Medical bills appear on the credit reports of about 15 million people. The reporting of these bills causes a lot of pain, for no good reason: … Continued
Topics in this issue… CFA Releases Annual Consumer Complaint Survey Report Homeowners Deserve Transparency on Rising Insurance Costs Trump’s Broken Promise on Grocery Prices CFA Leads Formal Request for Investigation Against AI Companies Offering Therapy Bot Characters
On June 22, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law SB 25, which requires foods containing any of 44 specified ingredients to display the following warning label: “WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom.” Whether … Continued
Have you ever wanted to “be part of a movement that not only aims to improve individual health but also strengthens community bonds and builds a healthier, more connected America”? Well now you can! Behold $MAHA: “the pivotal crypto token within the expansive coalition led by Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dedicated to … Continued
Welcome to a newsletter from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) tracking the latest news about how AI and personal data are used, abused, and regulated. As many state legislatures have now or are soon wrapping up their sessions, I will transition to a “top 10” things that you should know about Privacy & AI … Continued
Right now, there is a short provision buried in the massive budget bill that would stop states from passing or enforcing any law that regulates AI and any other automated decision making system. This is a provision written purely to benefit tech companies at the expense of actual people. If it were to pass, it … Continued
This blog is published in partnership with the Student Borrower Protection Center and was sent as a memo. Donald Trump swept back into office promising to lower costs for Americans. At a Wilkes-Barre campaign rally, he pledged: “Starting the day I take the oath of office, I will rapidly drive prices down and we will … Continued
Earlier this week, Reuters broke the news that the Trump Administration plans to drop recommended limits on alcohol consumption from the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans. What will replace the current recommendations? “Drink responsibly”? The specifics remain a mystery. However, judging from Wall Street’s response, the policy shift will help to sell drinks. To the … Continued
Homeowners across America are seeing higher homeowners insurance premiums every year. These rising bills are straining budgets, forcing people to make difficult decisions about downgrading their coverage or even forgoing insurance altogether. To solve any problem, the first step is an honest look at accurate data. But for years, insurance companies hardly made any information … Continued
Good morning! Welcome to a newsletter from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) tracking the latest news about how AI and personal data are used, abused, and regulated. As many state legislatures have now or are soon wrapping up their sessions, I will transition to a “top 10” things that you should know about Privacy … Continued
This morning, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data on inflation confirming what many of us have felt at the register: grocery prices are rising again. In particular, the data show the Consumer Price Index for food rose .3% in May of 2025, bringing annual food inflation up to 2.9% compared to May … Continued
By: Sara Geoghegan, EPIC and Ben Winters, CFA (This blog is cross-posted on both sites) Takeaways: Browsing, purchasing, and location data that people create in the process of seeking care are all sold by data brokers to advertisers, scammers, and more Hospital, insurance, and prescription discount websites have all tracked users’ activity on their sites, … Continued
Topics in this issue… New Data: Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Fatalities Surge 127% in 2024 Consumer Advocates Call Attention to 21 Public Enforcement Actions Dismissed by the CFPB New Report on How Unregulated AI Facilitates the Rise in Scams Three Policies That Will Drive Up Insurance Costs
The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) System is a government-sponsored system of 11 regional banks that was chartered by Congress in the 1930s to help lower housing costs by supporting affordable liquidity for housing finance. The system recently released its 2024 combined financial report, which the Consumer Federation of America analyzed on behalf of the … Continued
Algorithms increasingly mediate critical decisions in our lives—what jobs we’re offered, what loans we qualify for, what news we see, and, increasingly, how much we pay for rent. These systems operate with little transparency or accountability, and when applied to housing, they can quietly but powerfully distort the market to the detriment of Coloradans. That’s … Continued
The Trump Administration has released its “Make America Healthy Again” report on childhood chronic disease, and it does not paint a pretty picture. No comment on the report’s environmental chemicals, screen time, or “overmedicalization” sections, but the chapter on food comes out swinging: Ultra-processed foods have made our children world leaders in obesity. Government programs … Continued