The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on an application by Service Corporation International (SCI) to sell certain funeral and cemetery assets, as required under the FTC’s December 2013 proposed order settling charges that SCI’s acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. would be anticompetitive. In total, the proposed order requires the combined SCI/Stewart to […]
Monthly Archives: May 2014
Mortgage Lead Generator will Pay $225,000 to Settle FTC Charges That It Deceptively Advertised Mortgage Rates
An online operation in the business of finding potential borrowers for mortgage companies will pay a $225,000 civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers about the terms of the mortgages. “Buying a home is one of the most important financial decisions a consumer can make,” said Jessica Rich, Director of […]
Snapchat Settles FTC Charges That Promises of Disappearing Messages Were False
Snapchat, the developer of a popular mobile messaging app, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers with promises about the disappearing nature of messages sent through the service. The FTC case also alleged that the company deceived consumers over the amount of personal data it collected and the security measures […]
FDIC Releases Resource Guide to Help Financial Institutions Evaluate Opportunities to Collaborate with Community Development Financial Institutions
FIL-26-2014 May 8, 2014 FDIC Releases Resource Guide to Help Financial Institutions Evaluate Opportunities to Collaborate with Community Development Financial Institutions Printable Format: FIL-26-2014 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: The FDIC has produced a resource guide, Strategies for Community Banks to Develop Partnerships with Community Development Financial Institutions, to inform FDIC-supervised institutions of strategies to […]
FTC Approves Amendments to Fur Products Labeling Act Regulations
The Federal Trade Commission has amended its Regulations under the Fur Products Labeling Act (Fur Rules) to update the Fur Products Name Guide, provide businesses with more flexibility in labeling, incorporate provisions of the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2010 (TFLA), and conform the Rules’ guaranty provisions to those governing textile products. In March […]
FTC Approves Final Consent Orders in Deceptive Auto Dealers’ Ads Cases
Following public comment periods, the Federal Trade Commission approved final consent orders involving 10 auto dealers’ deceptive advertising charges. Under the settlement orders, the dealerships are prohibited from misrepresenting in any advertisement for the purchase, financing, or leasing of motor vehicles the cost of leasing a vehicle, the cost of purchasing a vehicle with financing, […]
FTC Requests Public Comments on SCI’s Application to Approve Sale of Funeral Assets in Maryland and West Virginia
The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on an application by Service Corporation International (SCI) to sell certain cemetery assets, as required under the FTC’s December 2013 proposed order settling charges that SCI’s acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. would be anticompetitive. In total, the proposed order requires the combined SCI/Stewart to divest 53 […]
File a Consumer Complaint with the FTC from Your Mobile Device
The Federal Trade Commission’s online Complaint Assistant is now easier to use for consumers who want to file a complaint through their mobile device. When consumers visit the Complaint Assistant from their mobile device, they’ll be presented with a format that is simpler to navigate on a smaller screen and without a keyboard. The changes […]
Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice To Hold Workshop on Conditional Pricing Practices
The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice (DOJ) will hold a joint public workshop on June 23, 2014, to explore the economic and legal analysis of conditional pricing practices among firms in a supply chain. The workshop will focus on conditional pricing arrangements – practices in which prices are explicitly or effectively contingent on […]
FTC Approves Final Order Settling Charges That Service Corporation International’s Acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. Was Anticompetitive
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Service Corporation International’s (SCI) acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. was anticompetitive in 29 local funeral services markets and 30 local cemetery markets throughout the United States. According to the FTC’s complaint, first announced in December 2013, SCI’s proposed […]