FTC Approves Final Settlement Orders Regarding Boulder Valley IPA and M. Catherine Higgins; Commission Submits Comments on Measuring the Performance of Electric Regional Transmission Organizations and on FERCs Method of Assessing Partial Acquisitions

FTC Approves Final Settlement Orders Regarding Boulder Valley IPA and M. Catherine Higgins Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved final settlement orders in the matters of Boulder Valley Individual Practice Association (BVIPA) and its executive director, M. Catherine Higgins, and sent letters to members of the public who submitted comments […]

FTC Tips for Consumers Weighing How to Settle Their Credit Card Debts

Consumers with overwhelming credit card debt may be tempted to seek help from companies that promise to erase their debt for pennies on the dollar, but the Federal Trade Commission urges caution.  In a new consumer publication, Settling Your Credit Card Debts, the FTC says that there is no guarantee that debt settlement companies can […]

Julie Brill Begins Term at Federal Trade Commission

Julie Brill assumed her position as a Commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission today after being sworn in by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.  President Obama named Brill, a Democrat, to a term that expires September 25, 2016.  She was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 3, 2010.  “I’m thrilled to have Commissioner Brill […]

Edith Ramirez Sworn In as Federal Trade Commissioner

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz welcomed Edith Ramirez as an FTC Commissioner at her official swearing-in ceremony today.  President Obama named Ramirez, a Democrat, to a term that ends on September 25, 2015.  She was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 3, 2010. “I’m delighted to welcome Commissioner Ramirez to the FTC,” […]

Don’t Get Scammed by Phony Census Takers

With the 2010 Census underway, the Federal Trade Commission wants consumers to steer clear of con artists who pretend to be Census takers but are really out to steal personal information or commit some other type of fraud. The FTC, the nation’s consumer protection agency, tells you what to watch for in a new Consumer […]

FTC Issues 2010 Fair Debt Collection Practices Report to Congress

At a time when many consumers are facing debt problems, the Federal Trade Commission has issued its annual report detailing the steps the agency has taken to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, and abusive debt collection practices and educate the public on the subject. The 32nd Annual Report to Congress on the Fair Debt Collection […]

FTC, Florida Attorney General Charge Promoters of Bogus Alcohol Cure

The Federal Trade Commission is suing a company that touted a phony cure for alcoholism, charging that it tricked hundreds of problem drinkers into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for a service prescribing ineffective concoctions of natural supplements, and then threatened to reveal the drinkers’ alcohol problems if they canceled their memberships. Filed jointly […]

Amended Free Credit Reports Rule Helps Consumers Avoid ‘Free’ Offers That Cost Money

For Your Information April 1, 2010 Starting tomorrow, a new Federal Trade Commission rule will help consumers avoid confusing ads for “free credit reports” – which often require them to buy credit monitoring or other services – with the federally mandated no-strings-attached credit reports available at AnnualCreditReport.com, or 877-322-8228. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s amended […]