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Wal Mart

Wal-Mart - The Battle Continues

Depending which side you are on Wal-Mart is either the champion of good for the average family or the denizen of evil in the corporate world.

Wal-Mart claims that they save the average family over $2300 a year through their low prices and is a major contributor to local charities with over $245 million donated during the year. Their survey of employees found 88 percent believe that the company is a good corporation in dealing with their customers. They have over 1 million employees and provide health care for them starting as low as $23 a month.

Opposition to Wal-Mart is coming from unions, religious leaders, civil rights leaders and politicians who claim the retailer needs to increase pay and offer better health benefits. In the area I reside, Chicago's City Council passed an ordinance requiring "big box" retailers to pay higher wages, but the measure was vetoed by Mayor Richard Daley, claiming that minimum wage laws should be federal or state issues. It should be noted that this is the first veto by Mayor Daley in 17 years in office.

Numerous studies conducted claim that Wal-Mart has a negative effect on local mom and pop stores and the local economy. Retailers claim that Wal-Mart sells many of the products they carry for less than they can purchase them wholesale, eventually putting them out of business.

Things To Consider

Growing up in Chicago I have seen neighborhoods that are not much different than they were 50 years ago, affluent areas crumble only to be reborn again, blighted areas that now command $350,000 for a condo, low and medium housing removed from the landscape and a downtown area reborn. Wal-Mart was not here for the good or bad, so blaming them for every evil in the world is incorrect.

In the 19th century we were against the robber barons that charged exorbitant fees and dominated industries. Now we are against a retailer who charges too little. A recent story about the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that a village they are assisting with medical care may be part of their own doing. According to the story the foundation owns plants that are polluting the air around the village, causing the health issues. I bring this to attention only to show that sometimes the best intentions have a "butterfly effect" and the dichotomy of Wal-Mart is no different. In order to charge low prices, they do not pay employees top of scale wages.

As a corporate entity their mission is provide their stockholders with a return on their investment. Raising prices and wages would probably have a huge negative effect on their stock and turn them into just another retailer. Perhaps Mayor Daley has the right idea on seeing the Federal Government provide a minimum wage that does not create the working poor, putting all retailers on a level playing field.

HUD

HUD - Home Loan Safety

HUD's mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. To fulfill this mission, HUD will embrace high standards of ethics, management and accountability and forge new partnerships--particularly with faith-based and community organizations--that leverage resources and improve HUD's ability to be effective on the community level.

Protect yourself when buying or refinancing a home with these important tips from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Buying or refinancing your home may be one of the most important and complex financial decisions you'll ever make. Many lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals stand ready to help you get a nice home and a great loan. However, you need to understand the home buying process to be a smart consumer. Every year, misinformed home-buyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud.

Don't let this happen to you!

to buy a HUD owned home continue reading below

The Federal Trade Commission

Education is a key tool to prevent consumer injury. In this section of the FTC website, you'll find publications with advice on avoiding scams and rip-offs, as well as tips on other consumer topics.

Automobiles

Credit

Diet, Health & Fitness

E-Commerce & the Internet

Energy & Environment

Franchise & Business Opportunities

At Home

Identity Theft

Investments

Privacy

Products & Services

Scholarship & Employment Services

Telemarketing 

Telephone Services

Tobacco

Travel

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Consumer Information

Consumer Information

The following organizations can provide you with information on purchasing, companies, consumer credit and government organizations.

Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)
Pueblo, CO 81009
Phone: 1 (800) FED INFO
Web: www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Part of the U.S. General Services Administration, FCIC is a one-stop source for consumer information from the Federal Government. The free Consumer Information Catalog lists more than 200 free and low-cost publications on topics such as cars, child care, education, Federal benefits, money management, food, health, housing and travel. Order a copy of the Catalog from the FCIC website or call 1 (800) FED INFO (that’s) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, M-F. You can also get a copy by sending your name and address to FCIC at the address above.

FirstGov
Web: www.FirstGov.gov The official Web portal for the U.S. government, FirstGov.gov links you to government representatives, services and information at the federal, state and local level. You can get easy-to-understand information from the government 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Similar information is posted in Spanish at www.Espanol.gov.

Center for the Study of Services
733 15th Street, NW, Suite 820
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: / Fax:
Web: www.checkbook.org
This nonprofit organization publishes information and services to help you choose and get the best price when making purchases such as autos, major appliances, audio-video equipment, doctors, hospitals and health care plans. In the Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco and St. Paul/Minneapolis areas, a subscription to CHECKBOOK magazine will give you information on many local services as auto repair, cell phones, plumbers, and banks.

Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. (CU)
101 Truman Avenue
Yonkers, NY
Phone: / Fax:
Web: www.consumerreports.org
CU is a nonprofit, independent consumer organization that researches and tests goods and services such as automobiles, appliances, food, clothing, luggage, and insurance. Some of the information is free via the Internet, radio and television. Print publications including subscriptions to the monthly Consumer Reports magazine must be purchased.

Consumer World
Web: www.consumerworld.org
Consumer World is a public service website with links to hundreds of consumer resources available on the Internet. You will find consumer news, product reviews and shopping bargains. Directories provide contact information and web links for many corporations and government agencies.

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
CooperativeStateResearch, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), USDA The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Services, USDA, is federal partner in the Cooperative Extension System, a nationwide, non-formal educational network.  Cooperative Extension has been a source of consumer information and assistance for nearly 100 years.  With an educator in nearly every county, Cooperative Extension brings the research-based knowledge of land-grant universities directly to families and communities.  Programs cover food and nutrition, housing, gardening, budgeting, using credit, saving for retirement, and more. To locate your county office, check the local government pages of your phone book or visit www.csrees.usda.gov and click on About Us, then Partnerships.

Libraries
Publications from many of the organizations mentioned on this page can be found at public libraries. Some university and private libraries also allow individuals to use their reference materials. Check your local telephone directory for the location of libraries near you.

The following organizations can provide you with information on purchasing, companies, consumer credit and government organizations.

Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC)
Pueblo, CO 81009
Phone: 1 (800) FED INFO
Web: www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Part of the U.S. General Services Administration, FCIC is a one-stop source for consumer information from the Federal Government. The free Consumer Information Catalog lists more than 200 free and low-cost publications on topics such as cars, child care, education, Federal benefits, money management, food, health, housing and travel. Order a copy of the Catalog from the FCIC website or call 1 (800) FED INFO (that’s) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time, M-F. You can also get a copy by sending your name and address to FCIC at the address above.

FirstGov
Web: www.FirstGov.gov The official Web portal for the U.S. government, FirstGov.gov links you to government representatives, services and information at the federal, state and local level. You can get easy-to-understand information from the government 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Similar information is posted in Spanish at www.Espanol.gov.

Center for the Study of Services
733 15th Street, NW, Suite 820
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: / Fax:
Web: www.checkbook.org
This nonprofit organization publishes information and services to help you choose and get the best price when making purchases such as autos, major appliances, audio-video equipment, doctors, hospitals and health care plans. In the Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco and St. Paul/Minneapolis areas, a subscription to CHECKBOOK magazine will give you information on many local services as auto repair, cell phones, plumbers, and banks.

Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. (CU)
101 Truman Avenue
Yonkers, NY
Phone: / Fax:
Web: www.consumerreports.org
CU is a nonprofit, independent consumer organization that researches and tests goods and services such as automobiles, appliances, food, clothing, luggage, and insurance. Some of the information is free via the Internet, radio and television. Print publications including subscriptions to the monthly Consumer Reports magazine must be purchased.

Consumer World
Web: www.consumerworld.org
Consumer World is a public service website with links to hundreds of consumer resources available on the Internet. You will find consumer news, product reviews and shopping bargains. Directories provide contact information and web links for many corporations and government agencies.

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
CooperativeStateResearch, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), USDA The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Services, USDA, is federal partner in the Cooperative Extension System, a nationwide, non-formal educational network.  Cooperative Extension has been a source of consumer information and assistance for nearly 100 years.  With an educator in nearly every county, Cooperative Extension brings the research-based knowledge of land-grant universities directly to families and communities.  Programs cover food and nutrition, housing, gardening, budgeting, using credit, saving for retirement, and more. To locate your county office, check the local government pages of your phone book or visit www.csrees.usda.gov and click on About Us, then Partnerships.

Libraries
Publications from many of the organizations mentioned on this page can be found at public libraries. Some university and private libraries also allow individuals to use their reference materials. Check your local telephone directory for the location of libraries near you.

Food Safety

Be Food Safe

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

This new mass media campaign gives educators the tools to inform consumers about foodborne illness and raise awareness of the dangers associated with improper handling and undercooking of food.

Some of the topics covered are safe food handling, poultry preparation, meat preparation, egg products, appliances and thermometers.

For instance did you know that eggs are among the most nutritious foods on earth and can be part of a healthy diet. However, they are perishable just like raw meat, poultry, and fish. Unbroken, clean, fresh shell eggs may contain Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. While the number of eggs affected is quite small, there have been cases of foodborne illness in the last few years. To be safe, eggs must be properly handled, refrigerated, and cooked.

Learn more about programs to promote food safety — Be Food Safe, Thermy™, Fight BAC!®, Is it done yet? andNational Food Safety Education Month®. Learn how the Food Safety Education Staff develops and delivers its programs, and receive regular updates through be FoodSafe: The FSIS Magazine. Access results of consumer research and focus group testing.

Consumer Action Website

Order the 2007 Consumer Action Handbook.

This everyday guide to being a smart shopper is chocked full of helpful tips about buying a car or home, preventing identity theft, understanding credit, resolving problems after a purchase, and much more.

In the 2007 edition, you’ll find new information about filing for bankruptcy, finding a lawyer, and planning a funeral, along with many other useful topics. Order the book today. If you click on the link above you can view the 2006 Handbook and get specific help if you are in the Military, are a Teacher or a person with a disability. The 2006 handbook is a .pdf of the entire 166 page Consumer Action Handbook, including the consumer topics, the directory listings, the sample complaint letter, and the index. For your convenience we have also created the sectional .pdfs below, which you can use to reduce download time.

Consumer Topics: This .pdf includes all of the Consumer Topics listed in the left hand sidebar. (42 pages)

Corporate Consumer Offices: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the corporations listed in the Handbook. (34 pages)

Car Manufacturers and Resolution Programs: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the automobile manufacturers listed in the Handbook. (4 pages)

State Offices: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the state and local offices listed in the Handbook. (32 pages)

Federal Agencies: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Federal agencies listed in the Handbook. (17 pages)

BBBs: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Better Business Bureaus listed in the Handbook. (6 pages)

Consumer Organizations: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the National Consumer Organizations listed in the Handbook. (6 pages)

Trade Associations: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Trade and Professional Associations listed in the Handbook. (7 pages)

Military: This .pdf includes contact information for all of the Military Exchanges and Military Family Centers listed in the Handbook. (3 pages)

Federal Trade Commission

Investment Risks

Picture this:

In search of investments for working capital, an oil company sends consumers surveys of property that suggest the land is oil-rich. The company’s sales force tells interested consumers that top oil experts project the fields will yield thousands of barrels of oil a day — and a tidy return to investors within a year.

A film production company tells potential investors it is raising capital to produce a high-quality, low-budget family film with actors who are willing to sacrifice their usual high salaries for the sake of art. Claiming that the independent film market, cable television and video stores have increased the demand for movies, investors are "guaranteed" to make their money back. According to the prospectus, investor money will be spent on production, distribution and the screenplay.

Brokers of gemstones, rare coins or precious metals tell investors that the market price of these hard assets is skyrocketing. According to the brokers, the assets will increase in value —  not only because experts have graded them rare, but also because of the demand.

Brokers of an FCC-licensed partnership tell consumers they’re raising capital to acquire a communications business that can be enhanced with new technology and turned into a competitive high-tech enterprise to be sold or developed for huge profits.

Investment brokers are claiming to sell ownership interests in a company that will offer Internet access to the public. The brokers maintain that investors will realize substantial gains from the fees the company will charge its users.

What’s wrong with these pictures? In a word — plenty.

THEY ARE ALL SCAMS!

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Federal Trade Commission

The Bureau of Consumer Protection                  

The Bureau of Consumer Protection's mandate is to protect consumers against unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices. The Bureau enforces a variety of consumer protection laws enacted by Congress, as well as trade regulation rules issued by the Commission. Its actions include individual company and industry-wide investigations, administrative and federal court litigation, rulemaking proceedings, and consumer and business education.

In addition, the Bureau contributes to the Commission's on-going efforts to inform Congress and other government entities of the impact that proposed actions could have on consumers.

Test Your Investment IQ

The Federal Trade Commission publishes the Test Your Investment IQ which is a guide for detecting scam artists, rather than investment professionals. Please read this before you decide to invest with anyone you are not familiar with.

to locate your local office click on continue below

FDA

Whether they're looking for a short cut to losing weight or a cure for a serious ailment, consumers may be spending billions of dollars a year on unproven, fraudulently marketed, often useless health-related products, devices and treatments.

Why? Because health fraud trades on false hope. It promises quick cures and easy solutions to a variety of problems, from obesity to cancer and AIDS. But consumers who fall for fraudulent "cure-all" products don't find help or better health. Instead, they find themselves cheated out of their money, their time, and maybe even their health. Fraudulently marketed health products can keep people from seeking and getting treatment from their own healthcare professional. Some products can cause serious harm, and many are expensive because health insurance rarely covers unapproved treatments. Read the FDA's report here.

to report a problem click below to continue

Safe Kids.com

Protecting Your Family's Privacy
    by Lawrence J. Magid

Privacy and safety go hand in hand and many of the same rules that help keep kids safe in cyberspace can also help to protect their privacy.

Privacy doesn’t just mean keeping your kids names, addresses and phone numbers out of the hands of criminals. As a parent (or as a child or teen) you also have the right to protect your child’s privacy from anyone including companies that might want to sell them something.

It’s real problem. A study by the Federal Trade Commission revealed that "only 14 percent of the sample (674) reflecting all U.S. commercial web sites provide any notice of their information collection practices. Only  two percent -- provide a comprehensive privacy policy.

The survey found that "Eighty-nine percent of the 212 children's sites surveyed collect personally identifiable information directly from children; only 54 percent of the children's sites disclose their information collection practices." Finally, the FTC found that "fewer than 10 percent of the sites directed to children provide for some form of parental control over the collection of information from their kids.

The good news is that many of the major players in the industry do have privacy policies and a growing number of web sites have responded to the FTC’s report by adopting privacy policies of their own.When you or your children visit a site look for the privacy policy and do not provide any personally identifiable information until you read it.

For more information please visit the website SafeKids.com.

McGruff the Crime Dog

McGruff the Crime Dog

For children the National Crime Prevention Council has a web site for McGruff the Crime Dog which teaches safety through games, stories and puzzles.

Parents

Parents are one of the greatest influences on their children and their first and best teachers. Young children learn to talk, walk, and interact by watching their parents. As children grow up, they look to their parents to provide guidance, information, nurturing, and expectations. Even during the teenage years when many parents feel they have little influence over their children’s decisions, teens look to them to determine what’s right and wrong. Teens say that their parents are more influential in their decisions than friends, teachers, coaches, and the news media. 

For this reason, parents are also the best resource to keep their children safe and healthy. As children look to parents for knowledge and guidance, parents can help children develop the skills they need to make positive choices today and for the rest of their lives.

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Home Computer Security

No matter how a home computer is connected to the Internet, intruders’ attacks are often successful. Many home computer owners don’t realize that they need to pay attention to computer security. In the same way that you are responsible for having insurance when you drive a car, you need to also be responsible for your home computer’s security.

This document explains how some parts of the Internet work and then describes tasks you can do to improve the security of your home computer system. The goal is to keep intruders and their programs off your computer. For comprehensive information on what you need to secure your computer click HERE.

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National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

National Mandate and Mission

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s® (NCMEC) mission is to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

NCMEC was established in 1984 as a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to provide services nationwide for families and professionals in the prevention of abducted, endangered, and sexually exploited children. Pursuant to its mission and its congressional mandates (see 42 U.S.C. §§ 5771 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. § 11606; 22 C.F.R. § 94.6),

NCMEC

* Serves as a clearinghouse of information about missing and exploited children

* Operates a CyberTipline that the public may use to report Internet-related child sexual exploitation

* Provides technical assistance to individuals and law-enforcement agencies in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of cases involving missing and exploited children

* Assists the U.S. Department of State in certain cases of international child abduction in accordance with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

* Offers training programs to law-enforcement and social-service professionals

* Distributes photographs and descriptions of missing children worldwide

* Coordinates child-protection efforts with the private sector

* Networks with nonprofit service providers and state clearinghouses about missing-persons cases

* Provides information about effective state legislation to help ensure the protection of children. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Charles B. Wang International Children's Building
699 Prince Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3175 The United States of America
Phone: 703-274-3900 Fax: 703-274-2200

Hotline:1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

FDIC - Money Smart

FDIC - Money Smart

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) recognizes the importance of financial education, particularly for people with little or no banking experience. That's why we created Money Smart, a training program to help adults outside the financial mainstream enhance their money skills and create positive banking relationships.

Financial education fosters financial stability for individuals and for entire communities. The more people know about credit and banking services, the more likely they are to increase savings, buy homes, and improve their financial health and well being. The Money Smart curriculum helps individuals build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, and use banking services effectively.

click below for an overview of the program

Better Business Bureau

Doing business on the internet is done by millions of people a day. How do you know if you can trust a company that you have never dealt with before. One of the easiest methods is to use the Better Business Bureau to investigate the company.

Their site is easy to use and pretty straightforward. It will tell you if the company is a member of the BBB and what their record is in resolving complaints. If you will notice, I did not say if they have any complaints. It is almost impossible for a national or worldwide company not to have any complaints and the BBB takes that into consideration when looking at a company. When you service millions of consumers, addressing complaints becomes very important to the BBB.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) system in the U.S. extends across the nation; coast-to-coast, and in Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.

Since the founding of the first BBB in 1912, the BBB system has proven that the majority of marketplace problems can be solved fairly through the use of voluntary self-regulation and consumer education.

The BBB's Core Services include:

1. Business Reliability Reports;
2. Dispute Resolution;
3. Truth-in-Advertising;
4. Consumer and Business Education; and
5. Charity Review.

to see a sample report continue below