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Business Blog

Front and center for military consumers

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Military families face all the consumer protection issues other Americans face – and then some. Frequent moves and deployments can pose additional financial challenges for servicemembers. And some of...
Business Blog

Free tax identity theft webinar

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If you operate a business, how you handle personal information can affect whether your customers, employees, and yes, even your business, are at risk of identity theft during tax season and all...
Business Blog

The lesson of the MARS Rule: Not one penny up front

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Like calling an NFL lineman “Tiny,†we appreciate an ironic name as much as the next person. But it’s different when a company calls itself – among other things – Consumer Defense, Preferred Law, and...
Business Blog

Edge of ‘17

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“ Just like the white winged dove sings a song,†you can count on the BCP Business Blog to celebrate the “Edge of Seventeen†– 2017, of course – with a recap of in-case-you-missed-it developments from...
Business Blog

Deceptive mortgage ads hit close to home

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The headline read ZIP. ZERO. NADA. In big print, the ads also said 0 money down* and 0 for paid closing costs*. Heritage Homes didn’t include ZILCH, BUPKES, or (for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer†fans)...
Business Blog

Down in the dumps(ter)

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Every business generates paper destined for the circular file. But if documents contain sensitive information, don’t toss them out in a way that could invite unauthorized access. According to the FTC...
Business Blog

Trash Talking

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Some things you’d expect to find in a trash can: last night’s potato peelings, the casserole that looked so promising in the cookbook photo, and Oscar the Grouch. But if you run a business, the one...
Business Blog

Robocall me never

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"Hey, I've never met you. So don't get clever . T hat's my number. Robocall me never." When consumers are struggling with their finances, is there anything worse than getting solicitations from debt...
Business Blog

Check that check

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At the BCP Business Center, we offer tips on how to stay on the right side of the law. But we also do our best to spread the word about the latest frauds targeting businesses — and this one’s a piece...
Business Blog

Collection deception

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On classic episodes of the Tonight Show, affable sidekick Ed McMahon sought guidance from Johnny Carson's all-knowing Carnac character. But as demonstrated by a recent FTC law enforcement action —...
Business Blog

FTC to auto dealers: Back up your ad claims

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If you have clients in the auto industry, you’ve seen the ads: “We’ll pay off your trade no matter what you owe . . . even if you’re upside down.†It’s an attractive claim to people struggling with...
Business Blog

Quoth the Maven

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In celebration of Halloween — and with apologies to Edgar Allen Poe — here’s our take on what companies can do to make sure spooky business practices don’t come back to haunt them. Once upon a...
Business Blog

$108 million for homeowners in distress

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Homeowners in financial trouble aren’t getting a lot of great news these days. But 450,177 of them will be getting a check in the mail that represents their share of the FTC’s $108 million settlement...
Business Blog

Double duty?

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Sometimes it’s great to put stuff to more than one use. Think the versatile Swiss Army knife, the iconic Little Black Dress, or the typical elementary school “cafetorium†where kids can eat lunch...