Business & Economy
Banks Are Becoming Obsolete in China—Could the U.S. Be Next?
Aug 22, 2018 Big banks on this side of the Pacific are watching with trepidation, as developments in China’s mobile system could indicate that significant shifts will happen in the U.S.2019 Southern California Journalism Award: Third Place, Consumer News or Feature
Americans Are Drowning in Credit Card Debt, and It’s Not Because They Are ‘Irresponsible’
Sep 13, 2016 Systemic inequalities play a key role in our alarmingly high level of credit card debt.
Hospitals Are Mining Patients’ Credit Card Data
Jul 6, 2014 Medical centers are jumping aboard the bandwagon of privacy invasion as they buy data on millions of patients both to anticipate when they'll get sick and for their own financial purposes.
The Credit Card Gravy Train Is Running You Down
Feb 14, 2014 The credit card business is now the banking industry’s biggest cash cow, and it’s largely due to lucrative hidden fees.
Elizabeth Warren Wants to Save the Post Office by Having It Replace Payday Lenders
Feb 4, 2014 Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed a proposal by the United States Postal Service's inspector general over the weekend that could prevent the poor from having to shell out billions of dollars in fees and maybe even save the post office from sinking.
New Leaks Show NSA Spying on U.N., Climate Summit, Text Messaging
Nov 4, 2013 New York Times reporter Scott Shane discusses new ways the NSA is known to be "an electronic omnivore of staggering capabilities, eavesdropping and hacking its way around the world to strip governments and other targets of their secrets, all the while enforcing the utmost secrecy about its own operations."
Got Credit Card Debt? One Bank May Try to Go After Your Home
Oct 6, 2012 Hundreds of California residents are being threatened with foreclosure by a major Canadian bank, but it has nothing to do with missing their home payments.
The Flawed Credit Card Debt Collection Process
Aug 13, 2012 Credit card companies are increasingly turning to the legal system in their rush to collect money that is owed to them. But, there now exists a very big problem in this litigious-happy practice -- nearly all these lawsuits may be flawed.
Some Donations to Scott Walker Flagged as Potential Fraud
May 21, 2012 When MaryAnn Nellis tried to pay for groceries on April 14, her credit card was declined. She later found out why: Her credit card company, Capital One, had flagged an earlier purchase as potentially fraudulent. The problem? A $5 donation to Friends of Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor's campaign committee, which she claimed not to have made.
Recovery Drags as Americans Dip Into Savings
Jan 18, 2012 For obvious reasons, Americans' savings accounts are shrinking during this ongoing recession, both because there's not as much money to deposit and many more reasons to make withdrawals. This has consequences for the economy's long-term recovery prospects, as does another currently popular method of payment: the credit card.