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Blog Post | Transportation

MBTA to Riders: TAKE A HIKE | Kirstie Pecci

The MBTA's Fiscal Management and Control Board votes to raise fares by almost 10%. Citizens express outrage by taking over the meeting.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

20 groups call on FTC to protect consumers and prohibit the sale of certified used cars with unrepaired safety recalls | Deirdre Cummings

MASSPIRG Education Fund joined more than 20 consumer organizations in calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prohibit the practice of selling “certified” used cars with unrepaired safety recalls. The formal comments were in response to the FTC's proposed settlements with General Motors, Jim Koons Management, and Lithia Motors. 

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Blog Post | Financial Reform

NYT Points Out Overdraft Fees Still A Problem | Ed Mierzwinski

A major article in today's New York Times, "Overdraft Practices Continue to Gut Bank Accounts and Haunt Customers," points out that while 2010 reforms put in place by the pre-CFPB regulators have helped, there's still work to be done to protect consumers from unfair overdraft practices. While years ago banks used "bounced check" fees to deter what was then seen as a negative behavior, more recently they have encouraged overdrafts by offering "standard overdraft protection" as if it is a feature, not a bug. They've made billions.

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Media Hit | Democracy

Remove voter barrier, establish automatic registration

The Feb. 10th deadline to register to vote in the Massachusetts state primary has passed, leaving many eligible voters, once again, out of the democratic process.

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Blog Post | Solid Waste

Oppose Bottle Bill Repeal | Janet Domenitz

As experts in environmental protection, public health, conservation, water quality and waste reduction, we are unanimous in our opposition to House Bill 646 -- which would repeal Massachusetts' successful Bottle Bill recycling program.

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News Release | MASSPIRG EDUCATION FUND | Budget, Tax

MA Could Save $79 Million Curbing Offshore Tax Dodging

Massachusetts taxpayers could save $79 million from a simple reform to crack down on offshore tax dodging. MASSPIRG and small businesses owners call for reform.

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News Release | MASSPIRG Education Fund | Higher Ed

Survey Shows Students Opting out of Buying Textbooks

Textbooks prices have soared over the past decade and students are looking for a way out. Open source textbooks are an affordable alternative.

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News Release | MASSPIRG EDUCATION FUND | Consumer Protection

Report: Capital One Most-Complained-About Credit Card Company in Massachusetts

Massachusetts consumers getting relief through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's public consumer complaints division. 

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News Release | MASSPIRG EDUCATION FUND | Consumer Protection

GROUPS OFFER CONSUMER TIPS AFTER TARGET DATA BREACH

 CONSUMERS AT RISK: TIPS WHEN EXPERIENCING A DATA SECURITY BREACH

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Media Hit | Transportation

Boston's MBTA plan for later service is a welcome switch

Night Owl service is coming back! Beginning next spring, the MBTA will be running selected buses and trains util 3 a.m. on weekends.

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Report | Consumer Protection, Democracy

The Failure Of Cable Deregulation

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 restructured the entire telecommunications industry and left virtually all cable subscribers without protection from unrestricted rate hikes.

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Report | Financial Reform

Who's Watching The Watchdogs?

Conflicts of interest and lack of independent funding have doomed both the national and state level accounting oversight systems in the United States. The state accounting boards and the network of overlapping, mostly self-regulatory federal accounting overseers act as classic regulators, serving management instead of serving investors and taxpayers.

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Report | Consumer Protection

Deflate Your Rate

At the end of the year 2000, U.S. households were accruing interest on $574 billion of revolving credit card debt, or debt carried over to the next month rather than paid off entirely.

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Report | Solid Waste

Where There's Smoking, There's Fire

Across the nation, over 1,000 people are killed and 3,000 injured as a result of cigarette fires each year. These fires cause more than $400 million in property damage. In Massachusetts alone in 2000, 1,280 fires were attributed to cigarettes. Those fires killed 17 people, injured 81 civilians, and wounded 61 firefighters in the line of duty. Insurers and property owners lost over $9.3 million due to the same blazes. Despite igniting 5% of the 24,931 reported fires in 2000, cigarette fires killed 17 civilians, or 22% of all civilian fires deaths

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Report | Budget

Major League Steal

The Red Sox are proposing to construct a 44,130 seat stadium on 15 acres of land adjacent to the present Fenway Park. The Owners of the Red Sox are poised to seek a minimum of $250 million in state and local taxpayer subsidies for the $600 million plus project.

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Pages

  • Trouble In Toyland
    Our report highlights the toys that have been recently recalled, explains the hazards they pose, and shines a spotlight on those that may still be available for sale online.
    Get the tips
  • Why are health experts alarmed?
    More and more fast food chains are going antibiotic-free, but if we want to protect our lifesaving medicines, we need all big chains to do their part.
    Learn More
  • PROTECT YOURSELF
    We've created consumer tips to help protect you from unfair bank fees, identity theft, loan rip-offs and more.
    Get The Tips
  • NO CAR? NO PROBLEM.
    Technology is making it ever easier to live a full and engaged life without owning a car. We ranked 70 large U.S. cities on just how easy it is. How did your city do?
    GET THE REPORT

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