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News Release | OSPIRG | Consumer Protection

New Survey Shows Banks Still Hiding Fees from Consumers

A survey of hundreds of banks and credit unions in 24 states and the District of Columbia found that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers on the first request, while 12% provided no fee information at all. The surveys conducted in Oregon show that just over half of branches complied, while 15% did not provide any fee information at all.

Report | OSPIRG | Consumer Protection

Big Banks, Bigger Fees 2012

Over the last six months, state PIRG staff conducted inquiries at 250 bank and 116 credit union branches in 17 states and the District of Columbia and reviewed bank fees online in these and 7 other states. This report also includes consumer tips and a comparison shopping guide for Oregon consumers.

News Release | OSPIRG | Democracy

Post Election Update---Distorted Democracy: Big Money and Dark Money in the 2012 Elections

A new analysis of data through Election Day from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and other sources by OSPIRG and Demos shows how big outside spenders drowned out small contributions in 2012: just 61 large donors to Super PACs giving on average $4.7 million each matched the $285.1 million in grassroots contributions from more than 1,425,500 small donors to presidential candidates.

Media Hit | Health Care

What's Next on Health Care Costs?

Now that the election is over, talk has turned to the need to work together and get results for America. It's a tall order, and on the polarized issue of health care, it may seem at first like an impossible task. But I am hopeful that we can make significant progress together.

Blog Post | Health Care

A new way of shopping for health insurance gets a trial run | Jesse Ellis O'Brien

For the first time, the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange brought in consumers and outside experts to review their designs for their online marketplace. I was there, and here’s some of what I learned.

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Media Hit | Transportation

Study Says Teens are Waiting to Get Their Driver's License

Oregon's roads have actually increased in traffic over the last several years, but as far as drivers 15 to 18, that number has decreased.

The OSPIRG Foundation and Frontier Group say the key factors keeping kids off the roads include gas prices, insurance costs and finding different methods of transit such as biking or public transportation.

News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

Health Insurance Rates to Rise 8-14% for Many Oregon Small Businesses

If approved, the insurer will raise rates 5.56% on average beginning in July, affecting 35,224 Oregonians enrolled in coverage through a small business employer.

Media Hit

Oregon Receives a B+ in Spending Transparency

Oregon received a B Plus in ‘Transparency of government spending.’

Media Hit | Budget

Oregon gets B+ for government transparency

Oregon earned a B+ in an annual report that reviews the level of transparency in government spending.

News Release | OSPIRG Foundation | Budget

Oregon Receives a B+ in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Researchers at the OSPIRG Foundation graded all 50 states on how well they provide online access to information about government spending. States were given "A" to "F" grades based on the characteristics of the online transparency systems they have created to provide provide information on contracts, subsidies and spending at quasi-public agencies.

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Report | Food

Apples to Twinkies

America is facing an obesity epidemic – one that’s hitting children especially hard. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the last three decades, with one in five kids aged 6 to 11 now obese.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

Making the Grade

By providing better options and better information, and negotiating on behalf of its enrollees, the exchange can level the playing field for consumers.

Report | OSPIRG | Budget, Tax

Toward Common Ground

To break through the ideological divide that has dominated Washington this past year and offer a pathway to address the nation’s fiscal problems, the National Taxpayer Union and U.S. PIRG joined together to identify mutually acceptable deficit reduction.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Health Care

Comments on ODS Health Plan's Proposal to Increase Rates 9.94%

ODS Health Plan (ODS) is proposing to raise rates an average of 9.94%, impacting 26,333 Oregon consumers and families with individual plans, effective November 1, 2011. The nearly 10% rate increase comes after two back-to-back years of increases exceeding 17%. If approved, the average rate will have increased 52% for individual policyholders over the last three years.

Report | OSPIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

10 Reasons We Need The CFPB Now

This report outlines predatory financial practices that hurt consumers and helped collapse the economy, and details “10 Reasons We Need The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Now.”

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Blog Post | Transportation

Something's Happening Here; What it Is Is Increasingly Clear | David Rosenfeld

Another incisive post from Tony Dutzik of the Frontier Group on why declining driving numbers are real, despite what some transit opponents claim.

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Blog Post | Health Care

Oregon Healthcare Exchange Holds Promise for Consumers | Matt Orchant

Consumers and small businesses may get better healthcare for lower costs if the Oregon Healthcare Exchange meets its potential.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

Consumer Watch - Free Tax Prep at Walmart? | Brian Rae

HR Block has teamed up with Wal Mart to offer in store free tax prep, however it is “free” for clients that filed a 1040 EZ, just 16% of their clients. This does not include taxpayers with kids, any requesting the earned income tax credit or any non standard deductions.

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Blog Post | Health Care

Regence Rate Increase Hearing | Matt Orchant

Health insurance premiums are going up again. The latest request for a rate hike came from Regence for their small group plans. The average increase requested over the next year will be 8%, but some businesses will see increases in excess of 15%. At OSPIRG, we’re concerned that Regence has not adequately justified this increase request.

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Blog Post | Consumer Protection

President’s Recess Appointment Gives Watchdog Teeth It Needs To Protect Consumers Brian Rae Ed Mierzwinski

Kudos to President Obama for standing up for consumers this week by making a recess appointment of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The President’s action means that the CFPB now has all its powers to protect the public from unfair financial practices, whether by banks or other financial firms, such as payday lenders and credit bureaus.

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FIGHTING UNJUSTIFIED PREMIUM HIKES

It’s time for health insurers to get serious about lowering the cost of care instead of raising deductibles and hiking premiums.

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Stop Tax Dodgers

Corporate tax avoidance cost taxpayers $100 billion last year. We're working to close the loopholes that allow companies to avoid paying the taxes they owe.

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YOUR TAX DOLLARS BECOME CORN SYRUP

At a time when one-in-three kids is overweight or obese, over a billion taxpayer dollars go to high-fructose corn syrup and junk food ingredients.

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Reclaim Democracy

The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision ushered in an era of unprecedented spending by big money in our elections, but we're working to return our democracy back to the principle of "one person, one vote."

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