Reports

Report | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

Big Banks, Bigger Fees 1999

Over 12 million American families can't afford bank accounts. The rest of us are paying too much, especially if we bank at big banks. Meanwhile, in 1998 banks recorded nearly $62 billion in profits, an eighth straight record year. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), deposit account and ATM surcharge fee income are important parts of those increased profits. This 1999 national survey, prepared by the state PIRGs with assistance from state and local member groups of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), updates our 1993, 1995 and 1997 national surveys. The disturbing trend of more, and higher, fees is continuing.

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Report | U.S. PIRG | Democracy

Dirty Dollars, Dirty Air

This report documents the influence of the auto and oil industry on public policy and debates surrounding the control of pollution that causes smog, soot and global warming. It tracks the amount of campaign contributions made by the 164 largest companies in the automobile and oil industries and how those contributions influenced members of Congress on clean air issues. It also analyzes other tactics used by these industries to influence pollution policy, such as funding think tank activities, creating fake grassroots groups, lobbying, forming trade associations and greenwashing through the media.

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Democracy

Pushing The Limit

At least five proposals to increase limits on contributions by individuals to congressional candidates -- either as stand-alone measures or as part of a package of campaign finance measures -- have been floated by important political groups and individuals in the past year. The following paper analyzes the likely impact of these proposals on which candidates get elected and on the power of wealthy interests vs. the general public in governmental decision making.

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Report | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

ATM: Always Taking Money

This PIRG national survey, done in March 1999, compares surcharging practices at 336 banks and 31 credit unions to the results of PIRG's spring 1998 report, "Big Banks, Bigger ATM Fees."

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Report | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

Mistakes Do Happen 1998

This is the PIRGs' sixth study on credit report accuracy and privacy issues since 1991. This report is our first investigation of credit report accuracy since 1996 Congressional changes to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), designed to improve the accuracy and ease of access to reports, took effect in September 1997. The findings of Mistakes Can Happen are troubling. An alarming number of credit reports contain serious errors that could cause the denial of credit, a loan, or even a job. Further, some consumers never even received their reports, even after repeated calls.