Owners of Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, and BMW vehicles affected by the massive shrapnel-shooting Takata airbag defect could soon receive compensation for past repairs and other economic losses, as the automakers agreed today to pay $553 million to compensate owners and create programs intended to repair defective airbags more quickly. [More]
programs
Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, BMW To Pay $553M To Owners Of Vehicles With Potentially Lethal Takata Airbags
By 5.18.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Chipotle Offers Employees Accelerated Business Degree Program
By 5.2.17
Last summer, Chipotle joined the ranks of Pizza Hut, JetBlue, Starbucks, and others in offering to foot the bill — or at least some of it — to provide employees with a college education. Today, the company expanded that program, offering workers the ability to combine real-world experience with classroom time in order to earn a business degree in less than two years. [More]
Amazon Steps Up Effort To Rid Site Of Counterfeit Products
By 3.22.17 — Updated: 3.23.17
Amazon has previously said it would escalate its war on counterfeit merchandise this year, but now the online retail giant is providing more details on how it plans to accomplish that feat. [More]
Guidelines Intend To Protect Homeowners As Foreclosure Relief Programs Expire
By 8.2.16
Nearly a decade after the housing bubble burst and the government created programs to provide relief for homeowners facing foreclosure, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is working to ensure that consumers continue to receive needed assistance tailored to changing home retention needs. Today, the Bureau has released new a new outline to guide the creation of new solutions for foreclosure relief. [More]
New Rules Aim To Regulate Online College Programs
By 7.25.16
Colleges offering distance education, such as online courses, must receive authorization from each state where it has students in order to receive federal financial aid, according to recently released rules that aim to better regulate the online education industry and ensure students understand what protections they have when attending a college in another state. [More]
Walmart Launches Revamped Credit Card Rewards Program
By 3.31.16
Saving money at Walmart is as easy as 1-2-3 — or 3-2-1? Either way, that’s the point the mega-retailer appears to be trying to get across with its newly launched Walmart Credit Card and Walmart MoneyCard cash-back rewards program. [More]
Accounting Giant PwC Unveils Plan To Help Pay Down Employees’ Student Loans
By 9.22.15
When you’re a huge international consulting and auditing firm that hires some 11,000 recent college graduates every year, you want to have a benefits package that appeals to candidates’ needs. That’s why PricewaterhouseCoopers has unveiled a new program to help pay down employees’ student loan debt.
[More]
Are Student Loan Forgiveness Programs Just A Free Pass For Grad Students With More Than $100K In Debt?
By 8.19.15
Just two years ago, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated that nearly 33 million American workers eligible for student loan forgiveness weren’t taking advantage of the programs. Times have certainly changed, as the federal government earlier this year revealed that these program were now so popular they cost nearly $22 billion more than they anticipated. But it doesn’t appear the increase in use for such plans is by those who might benefit the most. [More]
Don't Worry About What The iPad Costs, You Can't Afford The Apps
By 3.30.10
One of the cool things about the iPhone ecosystem is there are nearly 17 quintillion apps available for it, and although many of these are crap, the good ones frequently cost only a dollar or two. Even the premium-priced “productivity” apps–things like note pads and to-do lists–rarely cross the $10 threshhold, which means you can load up your iPhone or Touch with a lot of cool stuff on a modest software budget. But if a leaked video of the iPad app store is accurate, you can expect to pay 200-500% more for simple things like 99-cent games, and PC-level prices for more robust apps, on your fancy new iPad. [More]
Keep Track Of Your Prescriptions With This Free App
By 9.10.09
If you have to take meds, you know that one of the big issues is watching out for potential drug interactions—the last thing you want is to pass out at the supermarket from uncontrollable flatulence and a sudden onset of glaucoma. Consumer Reports has developed My Medication Tracker, a free desktop app that lets you privately keep a record of your medication history (and related costs), as well as watch out for potential interactions.
Poor Customer Service Preventing Home Owners From Modifying Mortgages?
By 8.4.09
There is currently a $75 billion program called MHA or Making Home Affordable, which aims to modify mortgages so home owners can stay in their homes. According to a new report by the Treasury Department, some banks are starting off so slowly that they’ve yet to modify a single mortgage. Others, like Bank of America, have modified only 4% of the eligible mortgages in its portfolio that are 60 or more days delinquent.
Best Buy Shrinks Reward Zone Program
By 7.6.09
Reader IfThenElvis forwarded us the following email he received alerting him to changes in the Reward Zone program from Best Buy. He adds, “I can’t tell if this is good new or not. I suspect not.” It’s not the end of the world or anything, but it definitely marks a slight constriction in the program.
'My Coke Rewards' Program Grows Authentically Smaller, Less Rewarding
By 2.3.09
If you have a large number of points you better use them in the next few weeks, or be content with getting a large amount of Coke-branded clothing.
Best Buy (Accidentally) Announces Yet Another "Elite" Reward Zone Level? "Premier Black?"
By 9.3.08
Reader Andrew forwarded an email he just got from Best Buy letting him know that he now qualified for an even more special fantastic elite reward zone level. One in which he would be granted access to something called a “Premier Black Concierge.” We’re assuming this is like Reward Zone Silver but, more so.
By 8.8.08
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Eight people bought the $999.99 “I Am Rich” iPhone app before Apple pulled it from their store this week, reports the Los Angeles Times. “Six people from the U.S., one from Germany and one from France dropped a grand for the gem in the first 24 hours it was available.” The developer, Armin Heinrich, made $5,600 from those sales, while Apple made $2,400. I am currently developing an “I Am Now Richer” app to try to sell to Heinrich, since he’s got some extra spending money. [Los Angeles Times]
By 7.24.08
../..//2008/07/24/want-to-get-rid-of/
Want to get rid of all that crapware junking up your new PC? Try PC Decrapifier or Revo Uninstaller. Both are free. [New York Times]
Adobe Needs Eight Employees To Completely Screw Up CS3 Cross-Grade
By 3.21.08
Jay wanted to update his copy of Adobe Creative Suite 2 to CS3 and simultaneously switch the license over to the Mac platform. The first sales rep he spoke with did everything right and Jay was very happy. Then that sales rep disappeared forever, only to be replaced by a comically inept parade of CSRs who can’t figure out Adobe’s own systems, who make up their job titles, give out fax numbers to call, and who—in one case—claim to be on a phone system that doesn’t connect to the outside world.
Save On Medical Expenses With Healthcare Credit Cards
By 1.28.08
Citibank and Bank of America both offer special credit card programs based on health and medical expenses. If you’re disciplined about not carrying revolving debt, and you have recurring medical expenses, they can help reduce your total cost over a year. Bank of America’s cards are point-based programs—if you’ve got Aetna insurance, you can accumulate points that you can turn into “cash direct deposits to a health savings account, or other standard rewards.” Caremark members can redeem points for awards only, although BoA’s standard awards catalogue “includes health and wellness products like fitness equipment and blood pressure monitors.”
