austan goolsbee

White House Says CFPA On Your Side: "Anything Is Fair Game"

White House Says CFPA On Your Side: "Anything Is Fair Game"

The new Consumer Financial Protection agency will be a place you can go to with your complaints and they will be taken seriously, the White House said this afternoon during a conference call in which Consumerist took part. While, “It’s not totally worked out who’s going to be manning the 1-800 number,” said senior economic adviser Austan Goolsbee, [More]

Why Does The Federal Government Hate Truckasaurus?

Why Does The Federal Government Hate Truckasaurus?

Last night, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” addressed one of the crucial economic policy questions of our time: why do the Ivy League snobs in the Obama administration hate Truckasaurus so much? See, the Cash for Clunkers program thoughtlessly deprived demolition derbies and monster truck rallies of the elderly cars they need in order to remain totally awesome.

Ask The White House: Please Submit Your Questions About The Consumer Financial Protection Agency

Ask The White House: Please Submit Your Questions About The Consumer Financial Protection Agency

Consumerist is going to interview the White House once again. This time, Consumerist readers get a chance to get answers about the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Recap: Ben & Meg Interview Obama Administration On Credit Card Reform

Recap: Ben & Meg Interview Obama Administration On Credit Card Reform

Here, catch all of our interview with Austan Goolsbee breaking down why the credit card reform act was needed. If you missed any of the clips, here’s is the four-part series in its entirety…

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 4 of 4

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 4 of 4

The final installment of our 4-part interview on credit card reform with Austan Goolsbee, President Obama’s senior economic adviser. In this one we say, hey, what about mandatory binding arbitration?

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 3 of 4

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 3 of 4

Are credit cards set up like a horrible game of Chutes & Ladders that plays for keeps? In the 3nd of our 4-part interview series with President Obama’s Senior Economic Adviser, Austan Goolsbee, on credit card reform, we ask why credit card companies can raise the APR on stuff you already charged, and go into some of the credit card companies’ anti-consumer tricks like liquid and fickle terms and conditions, penalty fees that aren’t trying to discourage behavior anymore, they’re just pure profit, and teeny-tiny contracts written in “Bank-o-nese.”

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 2 of 4

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 2 of 4

In the 2nd of our 4-part interview series with President Obama’s Senior Economic Adviser, Austan Goolsbee, on credit card reform, we ask, what about the kids? Specifically, what is this bill going to do about those guys giving away shirts on campus in exchange for signing up for credit cards? Because these seems a really great service for college students, who, as we know, frequently go shirtless. Also, how one side of the debate on credit cards is essentially arguing that if you didn’t want to get carjacked you should have taken the bus… because an honest business model and a profitable one needn’t be mutually exclusive.

Goolsbee Video Fixed

Goolsbee Video Fixed

If you had problems viewing the Goolsbee interview, this here video should work for you now. [Consumerist]

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 1 of 4

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee On Credit Card Reform: Part 1 of 4

We took your credit card reform questions to DC yesterday and interviewed Austan Goolsbee, senior economic adviser to President Obama. In part 1 of our 4-part series, we ask how are banks getting billions in bailouts and can turn around and cut off millions of credit cards and raise rates? How does it make sense that credit card companies can raise the interest rate on an existing balance? And, most importantly, why don’t we treat credit cards more like Canadians do cigarettes?

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee About Credit Card Reform: Part 1 of 4

Consumerist Interviews Goolsbee About Credit Card Reform: Part 1 of 4

We took your credit card reform questions to DC yesterday and interviewed Austan Goolsbee, senior economic adviser to President Obama. In part 1 of our 4-part series, we ask how are banks getting billions in bailouts and can turn around and cut off millions of credit cards and raise rates? How does it make sense that credit card companies can raise the interest rate on an existing balance? And, most importantly, why don’t we treat credit cards more like Canadians do cigarettes?