2025 Betty Furness Consumer Media Honor: Ann Carrns

With the Consumer Agency on Pause, Here’s How to Protect Yourself

This essential article outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has paused enforcement under new leadership, leaving consumers with fewer protections. The piece offers practical guidance for navigating common financial pitfalls, from junk fees to fraudulent practices, at a time when federal oversight has diminished, and the burden increasingly falls on individuals to safeguard themselves.

With Start of Hurricane Season, It’s Time to Consider Flood Insurance

This piece expertly breaks down the importance of assessing your flood risk and insurance coverage, especially as climate change intensifies weather events. The article offers practical tips and highlights the gaps in federal programs and private policies that can leave homeowners financially exposed.

Why Older People Are Vulnerable to Fraud, and How to Protect Them

A vital story that sheds light on the tactics scammers use to target older adults and the systemic factors, like isolation and cognitive decline, that increase vulnerability. The article is both a warning and a guide, offering prevention strategies and resources for caregivers and families.

Your Car Insurance Is Likely to Go Up. Again

This article explores the potential increase in auto insurance rates, as tariffs are expected to drive up the price of vehicles and car parts. The piece offers timely tips to help consumers shop smarter, compare coverage, and find ways to keep costs down.

Buying a Home? Without the Consumer Bureau, You Need to Be Your Own Watchdog

This story highlights how homebuyers are increasingly on their own as federal consumer guardrails are being taken away. The article explains the role the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has previously played in home buying and empowers readers with insights into navigating a complex housing market without the safety net once supplied by the Consumer Bureau.