Sitemap - 2015 - The Red Tape Chronicles
My top 20 stories of 2015: Starbucks, Comcast, and more
2015, the year things got real: Health data and security clearance dossiers were the big 'Target'
Watch out for the Microsoft Windows 'Blue Screen of Update'
If you've noticed a bit more anger from cashiers this season, blame the (credit card) chips
Christmas Eve means e-gift cards, and that's OK (but watch your spam folder)
Promised Land search: OK City now 'new and exciting,' but it's not perfect
ARCHIVE: Forget self-denial: Key to richer, healthier life is a good imagination
Seagate allows security certificate to expire, breaking mobile tool and raising other questions
Cord cutting is the new mortgage burning; one in five young adults have broken up with cable/sat TV
LifeLock will pay a record $100 million to settle FTC allegations it didn't protect customer data
Comcast data caps cost this consumer $90 a month extra; more fees for more users coming in January
Virus warning: An email trap you should know about -- from a fake debt collector
Search for the Promised Land: Raleigh, N.C., is a great place to start over
Turn on Amazon's new two-factor sign-on process, and other last-minute safe shopping tips
The Cynja, Vol. 17: Grant was sucked into the Internet
'You've got the wrong person!' When debt collectors won't take 'it's not me' for an answer
Survey: Some consumers are avoiding stores that require chip credit card payment
Search for the Promised Land (or at least an affordable life): Buffalo, N.Y.
A second chance at love: old dogs have much to teach us, new book reveals
Now that E-tail > Black Friday, here's five tips to staying safe you might not have seen elsewhere
Book excerpt: Beating back the college debt beast -- the best ways to save for college
Is the 'gig economy' really the 'scam economy?' Don't get taken for a ride
Behind the data: Even in 'affordable' cities, there's a big rental penalty
The Cynja, Vol. 16: The USB stick looked like magic
VIDEO: Breaking encryption will not make us safer
Fine print alert: Hey kids! Your parents have read and agreed to this, right? (wink)
Anti-encryption opportunists seize on Paris attacks; don't be fooled
The Cynja, Vol. 15: BOOM! Mr. Hughes was gone!
Tech support scam shut down by FTC (but beware others, like the one I 'fell' for)
The top 10 cities with the fewest 'housing poor' residents; do you live in one of them?
China's 'citizen score' ideas offer a glimpse of what your credit score could become
First-time home buyers at decades-long low; millennials as likely to live with parents as own a home
Chip & PAIN? Some consumers frustrated with slow transition to new chip-enabled cards
ARCHIVE: Spokeo fined, but it's still really spooky
Did the Kansas City Royals just kill Moneyball, and help you get a raise?
Employment background firm wrongly reported convictions on consumers' records, CFPB alleges
Being wasted on Facebook could hurt your credit score? Uh....no. Not yet, anyway
Signed up for Verizon's reward program? Now AOL and HuffPo know where you are. Huh?
If the publicly-traded company is dying, is your 401(k) far behind?
Suffering in silence: Working parents (yes, dads too) frustrated but employers don't know it
When is a job perk not a perk? When it's a Trojan horse perk designed to lure you into overwork
VIDEO: The CIA director's AOL account was hacked? (Wait, he had an AOL account?)
My second birthday -- I'm still standing (and so is journalism)
Archive: Before firms use 'Facebook score' to screen applicants, stop the insanity
The Cynja, Vol. 14: More than playing games or watching videos
When a debt collector pretends to be the pizza guy
The Cynja, Vol. 13: The hidden routes and secret passages
The perils of LinkedIn promiscuity -- it's just business, so don't be too friendly
The annual pay raise is dead; what are the implications for budgeting...and optimism?
Buying a home just changed drastically; here's what you need to know
DraftKings, FanDuel temporarily ban employees from playing for money after controversy erupts
Gogo charged me $250 after I canceled service; if you fly and Wi-Fi, check your credit card bills
15 million T-Mobile applicants exposed; Experian confesses 'unauthorized acquisition of information'
What’s really happening to your credit card today (it's chip card deadline day!)
With Yogi's passing, the end of an era -- when sports heroes were like you and me
Why are the bad guys winning? They have a two-month head start, new report finds
Her student loan payment jumped from $200 to $1,400; a cautionary tale
The big problem with those new chip credit cards that no one is talking about
It all started when some boys insulted a little girl; Nader's consumer museum opens
A day with the Pope, in photos
CVS employee stole drug benefits card database; Molina Healthcare consumers warned about ID theft
If everyone hates meetings, why do we spend so much time in them (and is there an escape?)
The Cynja, Vol. 12: You're good with computers, but you must do your homework
Volkswagen software tricked emissions tests, feds say; hacking of customers is the real problem
Just because the ad says a lawyer will help with your debt problem doesn't mean it's true
American Airlines 'technical difficulties' impacts several airports, website
Out the window, a photo essay - If you've always wanted to drive cross-country, but haven't (yet)
N.J. Congressman calls for hearings on explosive fantasy sports growth, prize money
Expedia: Don't press '1' for more information about a free trip or another prize - it's a scam
Grandparent scam keeps on working -- talk to your elderly relatives NOW
The Cynja, Vol. 11: Grant is secretly scripting new software
Sometimes it's better to drive -- or walk -- to see the country
Two debt collectors hit with largest-ever penalty; Wall Street cheers, gobbles up shares
Credit reports and credit scores will soon change -- for the better
Labor Day: Time to work that second job
Comcast brings cell-phone-like data charges to home Internet users
For $900 a month, you can have it all (in Missoula)
How do you pay off $47,000 in debt? One dollar at a time
The way we buy cell phones is radically changing (but they will still cost about the same)
Surprise! Used car loans are hot. Here's a guide to driving away happy
Yes, you can buy a new laptop on credit. But you probably shouldn't
Eight cheaper ways to book hotels: The latest installment of the 'How to Buy Anything' series
Requiem for the starter home -- where are young families supposed to live?
Knee-jerk reactions against higher wages are poisoning the important debate we need to have
A bad credit score can raise your driver's insurance rates higher than a DUI, study finds
The real reason for skyrocketing college tuition: vanishing lower-cost options
The Cynja, Vol. 10: Meet Grant Wiley - creating something out of nothing makes him feel cool
The nation's top 10 consumer gripes, and new 'gotchas' to worry about
Apple Rewards credit card: How much will those free points cost? I can't tell you
ARCHIVE: SCOTUS credit score auto insurance penalty ruling supremely disappointing, if not insulting
Did Tom Brady have to surrender his personal cell phone to his employer? Well, you have to...
Etsy, comedy, and working towards a debt-free marriage
It's Windows upgrade week! Don't throw out your PC, add memory instead -- the DIY that saves $$$
The Cynja, Vol. 9: The cynsei needs help
Five years after financial reform, new consumer agency still hasn't won over critics
Victims of medical bills domino effect might finally get some relief
LifeLock violated settlement terms, FTC alleges
Citi will refund $700 million for deceptive marketing of credit card add-on products
Some secrets are more valuable than others; Ashley Madison and the new 'data kidnapping'
Save thousands, buy a car in a private sale -- but do it carefully
Student loans to blame for the college tuition 'bubble?' Does federal aid help or hurt?
Most people think they check their smartphones less than others; they're (not) dreaming
Craze over superzoom camera that can literally shoot the Moon, but will it have a creepy dark side?
ARCHIVE: What rules govern filming of police in public places?
'Shoddy, illegal practices' -- Chase to pay $166 million for robosigning, collecting 'zombie' debts
The Cynja, Vol. 8: About to unleash perilous malware
Time Warner ordered to pay $230k for 153 wrong-number robocalls
Please stand by: America is experiencing 'technical difficulties'
Millennials the most restless; 1 in 4 work every day during vacations
Buying furniture: Almost as hard as buying a car (four decorating gotchas)
A sliver of good news for home shoppers -- all-cash buyers retreat, finally
The Cynja, Vol. 7: People could lose their money, their data, even their lives
Debt collector connected to huge hospital chain, Tenet, ignored billing dispute laws for years
Share your password with Mint, other apps? Who pays if you are hacked? Banks, law seem to disagree
PayPal agrees to change its robocalling / texting policy
Supreme Court ruling eliminates some 'cost of being gay' couple penalties
Expedia warns users about 'unauthorized access' of name, phone, email and booking info
Here's another infuriating reason it's a bad idea to co-sign a (private) student loan
The next fraud wave: When banks cash the same check twice, you might have to pay
The Cynja, Vol. 6: On the verge of letting the Internet slip into darkness
Avoid sleepless nights when bed shopping; how the Web helps with mattress-buying gotchas
A new, improved Do Not Call list -- FCC acts against robocalling, texting
A lesson from that Cardinals-Astros hack: Don't use old passwords at your new company
LastPass says accounts were compromised, but passwords not hacked
The Cynja, Vol. 5: Not all worms live in the garden
Renting: The new 'American Dream?'
FCC to PayPal: Robocalling/texting fine print raises 'serious concerns for the enforcement bureau'
You (probably) have a chip credit card by now. Why can't you use it anywhere?
Mortgage 'gotchas' make a comeback -- shopping around is your only defense
Now, it's your turn to be Big Brother -- what will you do?
The Cynja, Vol. 4: Another attack coming from a different vector
Feds hacked again -- 4 million employees' personal info at risk -- China blamed, but no evidence yet
Cheap gas means you should be planning your summer road trip right now (like me!)
AP reports that FBI is behind mysterious aircraft flying surveillance missions above US cities
Test shows 97% fooled in phishing test; terrorists now using popular criminal hacking trick
The gender gap you haven't heard about: Women's emergency savings $36k vs. $58k for men
'Like drunks at a bar' -- From pet's names to passwords, we overshare online a lot
The Cynja, Vol. 3: Guardian of all things noble in cyberspace
For typical kids, 1,000 photos online before age 5
IRS uh-oh: Criminals steal data on 100,000 taxpayers from agency's 'Get Transcript' online system
Debt collectors' new tactic: Scary text messages
The Cynja, Vol. 2: Hidden deep in cyber alleys
AdultFriendFinder customers hacked, highly sensitive data leaked online
Even higher rents don't push Americans into buying homes -- 'a rock and a hard place'
Study: 9 in 10 Americans want privacy, but only 1 in 10 think they can get it
Long vacations being replaced by weekend getaways, and that's a shame (and unhealthy)
These cancer charities kept most of the millions they raised, states and FTC allege
Starbucks victim: 'I had to beg and plead to get my money back' -- also, new security questions
Starbucks blaming passwords, victims doesn't fix the problem; burning questions about attack remain
The Cynja, Vol. 1: Digital Chaos is All Around Us
Welcome to the World of The Cynja®!
Attack of the giant phones; 'phablets' gobbling up market share
Was Amtrak train 188 running late? Schedule seems to suggest it was
A tale of two Uber responses to transit crisis in NYC and DC; $2.75 vs. $34.18
It's moving season -- which means it's ripoff season
NYC bans credit checks for job applicants
Patriots staff 'guilty' - it's the text messages, always the text messages
Study: Babies scrolling, clicking before they walk and talk
Optimism about U.S. economy slips, again - it's 'swings and roundabouts'
Your childhood dies slowly, then, sometimes, all at once -- farewell, Fort Neverlose
Buying a home like walking on the Moon or crossing the Atlantic? Don't buy in
7 million Americans lost their homes during the recession. Are they ready to buy again?
Apartment hunting? It's getting rough out there. Rents are up. So are scams.
Tell your boss your heart rate and sleep habits? That's where fitness bands, Apple Watch are headed
Discover cards add on/off fraud-fighting feature called Freeze It
Don't let people Google your tax returns! Online backups are great, but...
No, you aren't to blame for crappy airlines; but guess who attracts the most complaints?
Cell phone use only a part of the distracted driving problem
Half of Americans spend half their money on food and shelter; a recipe for restlessness
Tax ID theft a nine-month red tape nightmare, on average
Google's YouTube Kids app illegally advertises to children, consumer groups allege
New chip credit cards called 'a joke' -- lessons from Europe offer the punchline
What happens inside a debt collection firm when it's raided by the Feds
Half of mid-career unemployed workers forced to change fields, take less pay
The real reasons people use smartphones -- to avoid other people, and because they are bored
Something else for Uber users to fear -- driver tries to rob home after airport ride
New rules would (finally) place limits on payday loans, 'end debt traps'
'Secret' cell phone plans could save you 50%, so why are carriers embarrassed by them?
Your location has been shared 5,398 times .... 'Are you kidding me?'
Getting rich off car loans to the poor; as subprime market heats up, so do legal inquiries
ARCHIVE: Huge Eurobank, rated 'Britain's worst,' now accused of gouging US consumers
NYC joins list of cities hiding microphones so cops can listen to us
Why big data picks defense over offense in sports, and has your business on the defensive
A better way to buy and sell homes?
Young people are moving to places where homes are hard to buy, but they don't have to
Tales from debt collector boiler rooms -- 'put away the kids and the dogs'
No, getting a raise doesn't improve your credit score, and other widely-held misconceptions
Are you forced to lie all day at work? Tell your boss that happy employees = happy stock price
ARCHIVE: 'I hate flat-out lying to someone, but that’s exactly what we do, 150 calls a day'
Credit bureaus promise to get better at handling disputes
David Brooks says education will fix America's broken economy; he's dangerously wrong
Pay higher-than-average property taxes? This map tells you (and who pays 7x the national rate?)
A billion wicked telemarketing calls -- 'free cruise' offers hit 12-15 million daily
Your move, Twitter: invest in decency or die -- Curt Schilling incident shows the real threat
The 8 places in the U.S. where life is affordable -- do you live there? Would you?
U.S. Android users targeted by clever malware; texts appear to come from friends
Scammer's revenge: Her phone number was plastered all over Trulia apartment listings
VIDEO: Latest reason to keep kid pics offline -- creepy 'digital kidnapping'
Don't click on that 'verify your account' email -- at least not right away
Beneful lawsuit: Sure sounds scary, but pet owners should do their own research
You're saving a lot of money on gas -- perhaps $750 this year. Where's it going?
Here a score, there a score, everywhere a score...consumers confused, CFPB says
VIDEO: Inside Emily's "Oz," and how tech helps people with disabilities
Why aren't airline ticket prices falling along with fuel prices? A 'free' market lesson
Red Tape Archive: Why prices go up faster than they come down
VIDEO: Yes, your TV really may be watching you
Know the signs: Six horror stories of elder financial abuse (part 2 of a series)
The *real* secret to being sexy? Whispering sweet nothings....about money
A Valentine's reminder: most dating apps are vulnerable to hackers, IBM says
New Facebook 'legacy contact' feature lets bequeath control of your account after you die
The economy is growing, but only for the rich; will robots finish off the middle class?
Annoying quiz might stand between you and your tax return, thanks to ID thieves
Valentine's flower ads full of gotchas; price can be 50% higher than advertised
Smooching on your couch? SmartTV knows, and can tell anyone ... but don't blame Samsung!
Tax ID theft crisis: TurboTax 'pauses' state returns over fraud concerns
VIDEO: The Anthem hack, China, encryption, and what you can('t) do to protect yourself
Lessons from Anthem hack: Welcome to the post-Sony world; it's going to get ugly
What happens when you fall asleep and your 3-year-old takes 1,300 iPhone pictures? This!
Try doing your own taxes -- the 'pros' make plenty of mistakes, anyway
The growing danger of elderly financial abuse; and why the risk begins at age 53
A Super (Bowl) lesson in market manipulation -- $10,000 tickets, and no one wins
We can name that 'anonymized' person with just three data points, researchers say
Burning question: What's the *right* balance to keep on a credit card?
Comcast audit letters tell customers they must pay a monthly fee to rent modems they actually own
1 in 10 millennials pay nearly $400 in overdraft fees yearly
The more you have, the less you trust technology; growing gap between rich and poor nations
Schools once again assert right to demand students' social media passwords
Fake debt scams on the rise; now among top complaints nationwide, says consumer group
Citi joins Discover, now offering free credit scores to cardholders
Progressive responds to accusation that Snapshot uses 'no security technologies whatsover'
The 6 reasons Ubernomics could be fatal to itself, its customers, and mass transit
The better your credit score, the faster it falls; explaining credit score 'damage points'
Watch out students; now bad-deal debit cards are invading college campuses
Free credit scores for everyone! That's (kinda, sorta) great! But it's also confusing
What happens when you answer a text offering 'designer' handbags or shoes?
Smartphones are making your kids lose sleep, and might be making them obese
New, dangerous computer virus uses an old trick you've probably forgotten about
NoMoPhobia, iPhone separation anxiety, and why your mobile might raise your blood pressure
Dealing with debt collectors: A simple Do's and Don'ts list
Best 2015 resolution: Stop working more than 50 hours a week! It's a waste of (everyone's) time
As Comcast hikes lease fees 25 percent, Dish reveals new $20-per-month Net-only plan -- with ESPN
'Debt laundering' is the latest controversial debt collector tactic: Try, try, try again