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Consumerpedia, Episode 92: THRIFT STORE SHOPPING ADVICE – Shopping at thrift stores can save you money and keep used stuff out of landfills. It’s also fun! In this episode: Tips on buying pre-owned furniture, clothing, and antiques, plus the scoop on how to find great deals on hidden treasures.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL STOP ISSUING PAPER CHECKS – After September 30, all government benefits – including Social Security, VA payments, and tax refunds – will be distributed electronically via direct deposit to bank accounts, digital wallets, or government-issued prepaid debit cards. Here’s what to do if you still get paper checks.
FEDERAL JUDGE KILLS CFPB RULE BANNING MEDICAL DEBT IN CREDIT REPORTS – The consumer-friendly rule would have removed $49 billion in medical debt from the credit reports of 15 million Americans and prohibited lenders from considering medical information when making future lending decisions.
COURT CANCELS CONSUMER-FRIENDLY ‘CLICK-TO-CANCEL’ SUBSCRIPTION RULE – A federal appeals court has blocked enforcement of an FTC rule that prohibits companies from making it more difficult for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships than it was to sign up for them.
Consumerpedia, Episode 91: CHECKBOOK’S LIFE HACKS – At Checkbook, we’re all about saving you time and money. In this episode, staffers share their favorite life hacks to help you shop smarter, spend wiser, and stay one step ahead. Listen and you might pick up a new go-to trick.
ELECTRONIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 30 – These short-term loans are convenient, but consumer advocates warn that they make it easy for some people to purchase items they can’t afford, which can result in late fees and costly bank charges.
Consumerpedia, Episode 90: THE POSSIBLE PITFALLS OF BUY NOW, PAY LATER – These short-term loans are convenient, but consumer advocates warn that they make it easy for some people to purchase items they can’t afford, which can result in late fees and costly bank charges.
BUY NOW, PAY LATER PAMENTS COULD SOON IMPACT CREDIT SCORES – FICO, the company behind the most widely used credit scoring models in the U.S., has developed two new algorithms that, for the first time, will incorporate buy-now, pay-later payment history.  WATCH VIDEO
KROGER MAKES IT EASIER TO USE DIGITAL-ONLY COUPONS – Grocery shoppers can celebrate a small victory this week after Kroger, one of the nation’s largest supermarket chains, improved its much-maligned digital coupon policy at some of its stores.
Consumerpedia, Episode 89: AVOID A HOTEL HORROR SHOW – In this episode: Tips for booking a hotel room or vacation rental, so you don’t end up having a nightmarish experience. Plus, what to do if you wind up staying at the Bates Motel.