Are the Deregulators Trying to Destroy the Economy?

I understand that deregulators are committed to an ideology. We all need something to believe in, after all, and they believe in the power of markets to both create growth and self-regulate. That’s all...

Are CARD Act Critics in Complete Denial?

In law school, I was taught – as are all aspiring lawyers – to perfect the art of arguing any and/or all sides of a case. The lawyer’s mantra – “If you can’t beat...

A 17-Year ID Theft Saga Finally Ends

For those who say that identity theft isn’t a big deal, that it can generally be resolved by making a few phone calls to banks and credit card companies when your credit card is...

How the Feds Got the Guy They Already Had

You have to appreciate genius. You also have to scratch your head and ask whether the inmates (literally) are running the asylum. On January 20, 2011, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of...

The Javelin Conundrum: Making Sense of the Latest Identity Theft Numbers

At first blush one might be cheered by the results of the newly released Javelin Strategy & Research 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report. The Good News Identity fraud incidents decreased in the United States by 28%....

Big Apple Store Scam Arrests Bring ID Theft Back to Basics

I know, the threat of identity theft may still seem abstract to you. What does identity theft really mean, anyway? A big arrest in Manhattan may make the whole concept a bit more literal....

10 Super Bowl Scams (and How NOT to Get Played)

This week, tens of thousands of hysterical Steelers and Packers devotees are descending upon Arlington Stadium in Texas — ready to party like it is 1999. They will be joined in restaurants, bars and...

Financial Responsibility: A Reaction or A Reality?

In five short years we’ve gone from no borrower left behind, to no borrower left standing… and even those borrowers who somehow managed to claw their way back onto the train were often unceremoniously...
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Your Credit Report: A Resume, Not a Rap Sheet

As long as I can remember, most consumers have regarded credit as the destroyer of worlds—a scary black cloud hovering over us all—and the credit reporting agencies as the institutional manifestation of Darth Vader. I...

12 Tips for Protecting Your Identity

Just how many Americans have been victims of identity theft? No one really knows, but rest assured it’s more than a handful. The FTC estimates that more than 9 million Americans become victims of identity...