The story behind a short story series — I’ve been writing seriously on Medium since December of 2021. I write mostly stories about consumer protection issues, some education policy, and occasionally, some fiction. Specifically, I’ve taken to writing a few short stories. …

A man, a job, and a secret — James found himself sitting alone in his car at around 8:30 each night, wet from a mixture of his own sweat and the sprinklers on the fresh rack — the place in the tiny store where the vegetables were displayed. He’d light up a White Owl Sweet and roll down…

Credit bureaus routinely fail consumers, now states can step in and fight back — A new interpretive rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) gives states the authority to protect consumers from abuses of the credit reporting industry. The credit reporting industry is notorious for failing consumers — whether in terms of abusive data collection practices or refusal to correct credit report…

Attorney General moves swiftly following Dobbs decision — The Daily Memphian is reporting on the ongoing assault on women’s rights in Tennessee, where lawmakers have enacted a number of abortion restrictions in recent years and where now, the Attorney General is moving swiftly to achieve a near-total ban on abortion in the state. Tennessee Attorney General Moves Swiftly to Restrict Women’s Rights Herb Slatery wastes little time in announcing disdain for womenadvocateandy.medium.com

Rates can go as high as 189% — Car repairs can be expensive and unavoidable. Yes, you want your car back on the road as soon as possible. But you may not have the money ready to pay for an expensive repair. Going without a car is often not an option. Enter the auto repair loan. Many major…

24 weeks and still not yet 4000 members — I’ve now been writing at Simily for 24 weeks. Simily at 23 Weeks The journey on the “new” platform continuesadvocateandy.medium.com Each week, I write an update about my experience on the platform. For a number of weeks, I noted that growth was slow and steady and would soon eclipse 4000 members. Well, not yet. Only 12 members away from 4000, but…

Rohit Chopra waging war on “junk fees” — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is moving to reduce or eliminate so-called “junk fees” in the banking and credit card space. How Much do Consumers Pay in Credit Card Late Fees? Consumer Bureau report says card issuers charged $12 billion in late fees in 2020advocateandy.medium.com Jason Mikula in Fintech Business Weekly reports on the most recent move by the CFPB to take on credit card fees:

Herb Slatery wastes little time in announcing disdain for women — Almost immediately following the announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case that overturns Roe v. Wade and eliminates a federal protection for a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, Tennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery noted his office would move quickly to enact Tennessee’s near-total ban on abortion. …

Klarna struggles amid rapid industry growth, rising inflation — Fintech Business Weekly reports on the struggles of Klarna in the Buy Now, Pay Later landscape. Klarna, recently worth as much as $46 billion, is considering taking funding at a valuation around $15 billion, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. The news comes less than a month after rumors that…