Free Republic

When Republicans suspended the 100-watt-light-bulb ban, they said they were trying to protect consumer choice. But they also managed to show how regulations help big business at the expense of the little guy.

Record numbers of Americans found themselves stuck in Black Friday mob scenes across the country. There were reports of shootings, pepper sprayings, riots and a lot of bad behavior. As FinancialCollapseBlog.com said, "Look what's happening when people are trying to save $20, can you imagine what it will be like when millions of people don't know where their next meal is coming from?" This orgy of consumerism seems to bring out the worst in people. Understanding why is beyond the scope of this report, however, it seems to be indicative of a larger problem that is confronting the country and...

...Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 1.1% last month, the Commerce Department said. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected an increase of 0.8%... Excluding the auto sector, sales rose 0.6%, but that was still higher than market expectations of a 0.4% increase...

“How can the government help me?” This seems to be a growing sentiment among the American middle class. “The land of opportunity” is quickly becoming the “nation of the needy.” Here’s a question I received from a reader just last week: “I am not happy with how things are going since the Bush Administration allowed tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy. These cuts were supposed to end for those who just keep earning more off the middle class. My question is: I am told that investors can invest as little as $1000.00 in real estate, and make a living...

<p>The drop in auto sales was 2.9 percent, the sharpest drop in 15 months. But it was due, in large part, to temporary factors: Buyers received fewer dealer incentives, and dealers ran short on popular fuel-efficient models. The natural disasters in Japan disrupted shipments of cars and component parts to the United States.</p>

Memorial Day normally kicks off the summer vacation and heavy driving season, but with gas prices at the pump more than twice as expensive as they were two years ago, American families are being forced to stay close to home and pull back on normal family expenses.   The cost to fill up the tank is consuming 40% more of the family budget than it did last summer.  According to AAA, 17 cents of every consumer dollar is spent at the pump, up from 12 cents one year ago.  That has consequences, of course.  "Dining, shopping, museums, and gambling are taking...

(CNSNews.com) – Although the Obama administration officially lifted the six-month ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in October 2010, a new report finds that the “de facto” moratorium still in place is harming American consumers and the budgets of local and state governments. Since October, the Department of the Interior has approved only a handful of deepwater drilling permits in the wake of last year’s BP well explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The report, issued by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), said increasing offshore drilling production could add nearly $5...

.S. crude oil prices soared by 8.5 percent Tuesday, stunning financial markets. The financial media fretted that the oil price shock from the Middle East turmoil would slow or stop the fragile economic recovery. Crude oil prices soared even though gas prices at the pump are already the highest in any February since 1990. The reaction was swift, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 178 points (1.4 percent) and NASDAQ and S&P 500 both also falling by more than 2 percent. This morning, with Libya teetering on the brink of civil war, gas prices continued rising. While...

A WSJ Investigation finds that iPhone and Android apps are breaching the privacy of smartphone usersFew devices know more personal details about people than the smartphones in their pockets: phone numbers, current location, often the owner's real name—even a unique ID number that can never be changed or turned off. These phones don't keep secrets. They are sharing this personal data widely and regularly, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found. An examination of 101 popular smartphone "apps"—games and other software applications for iPhone and Android phones—showed that 56 transmitted the phone's unique device ID to other companies without users'...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans slowed their spending in September to the weakest pace in three months and their incomes fell for the first time in 14 months. Personal spending rose at an annual rate of 0.2 percent in September, the Commerce Department said Monday. That's below the 0.5 percent gains recorded in July and August. Incomes fell 0.1 percent in September, following a 0.4 percent rise in August that had been pushed higher by the return of extended unemployment benefits. The drop in incomes was the first decline since incomes fell 0.3 percent in July 2009. The August gain had...

U.S. consumer sentiment worsened more than expected in October, hitting its weakest level since November, with concern about the economy high leading into next week's election, a survey showed on Friday. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final October reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 67.7, down from 68.2 in September and below the 68.0 median forecast among economists polled by Reuters. Tuesday's congressional elections are expected to result in losses for the Democratic Party, at least partly because of high unemployment and consumers' views on how Democratic President Barack Obama is handling the economy. Earlier...

The quest by wine and beer wholesalers to maintain their “middleman” role within the liquor industry is simply bad news. A bill making its way through the House (H.R. 5034) sponsored by Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) supports wholesalers' promises to limit consumer choice and disadvantage retailers, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and importers.

Federal regulators are hard at work making the world a safer place for kids -- starting with the threat posed by toxic paper clips. Never heard of a toxic paper clip? Neither have the manufacturers of science kits for classrooms across the country.

This Is How You Get "Zero Inflation" by: Eric deCarbonnel Tuesday, September 21, 2010 Inflation Lies - From The Consumer End This is how you get "zero inflation" reported by the government lie office: Your ass will never know the difference if the toilet paper is 3/4" narrower, right? Pull the other one guys.

Consumer Confidence Plunges In September Gregory White Sep. 28, 2010, 10:01 AM Consumer confidence fell to 48.5 in September, a big drop over August's 53.5. August's numbers were a surprising improvement, rising over July's 51. Markets are sliding on the data: Dow down 0.64% NASDAQ down 1.16% S&P 500 down 0.86% Click here for 20 signs the American consumer is completely tapped out >[snip]

“Special adviser” is the new czar. Facing stiff opposition and pointed questions about the left-wing, anti-business advocate that he wanted to nominate as chairman of the new federal consumer financial protection bureau, President Obama once again circumvented the Senate’ constitutional advice and consent role and installed Elizabeth Warren with a wave of his hand: Consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren will help set up a powerful new watchdog agency policing the financial marketplace on behalf of ordinary borrowers and savers, a Democratic official said Wednesday. But it’s unclear whether the Harvard University law professor will end up running the Consumer Financial Protection...

20 Signs That The American Consumer Is Now Completely Tapped Out Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Sep. 15, 2010, 10:09 AM Many economists have been mystified that even though the recession is "over", American consumers have not opened their wallets and started spending again like they normally do at the end of a recession. News report after news report has encouraged Americans to grab their credit cards and to head out to the stores and start spending again, but it just is not happening. Click here to see the signs > So why are things different this time? Well, for...

Consumer Spending Across All Income Groups Down in August by Dennis Jacobe, Chief EconomistSeptember 9, 2010AugustYear-over-year self-reported spending is down compared with July 2010 and August 2009 PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans' self-reported average daily spending in stores, restaurants, gas stations, and online averaged $63 per day during August -- down $5 from July, and down $2 compared with August 2009. Consumer discretionary year-over-year spending is thus running just slightly below the depressed "new normal" rate of a year ago.[snip]

Roubini: Get Used To It, The Miserable US Consumer Will Drag The World Down Joe Weisenthal Sep. 3, 2010, 6:34 AM(Dr Doom)Nouriel Roubini is at an economic conference on beautiful Lake Como Italy, where he predicted that more than 400 banks on the US problem bank list are eventually going to fail. And he warned about the sorry state of the US consumer. CNBC: Roubini said he believes hopes of decoupling will be dashed as the slowdown in the US impacts China, Japan and the euro zone. "In Europe, Germany is strong but the rest of the continent is pretty...

The latest dictates from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will drive up the cost of manufacturing products intended for children. The agency adopted a pair of new rules in July and August implementing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, but as drafted, these regulations will force companies to waste time and money on redundant testing programs solely for the entertainment of bureaucratic busybodies. Anne Northup, one of the agency's five commissioners, has waged an often lonely fight in favor of common sense on this issue. She opposed the requirement for third-party testing of mattresses, carpets and other...

The number of bankruptcy filings in Massachusetts surged by 25 percent in the first six months of the year, as many consumers struggled with job losses, changing credit card terms and foreclosures. The Warren Group reported Thursday that through June 30, 11,847 filers statewide sought protection through Chapter 7, Chapter 11 or Chapter 13 of the federal bankruptcy code. That figure, which includes businesses and individuals, represents a 25.2 percent increase from the same January-June period in 2009. The sharp rise could put the state on track to surpass the rush of bankruptcies in 2005, before strict limits took effect....

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-national-broadband-plan Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release March 16, 2010 Statement from the President on the National Broadband Plan America today is on the verge of a broadband-driven Internet era that will unleash innovation, create new jobs and industries, provide consumers with new powerful sources of information, enhance American safety and security, and connect communities in ways that strengthen our democracy. Just as past generations of Americans met the great infrastructure challenges of the day, such as building the Transcontinental...

Things are changing for corn syrup. Hunt's and Snapple are just 2 of the companies who have decided to listen to consumers' wants and use sugar instead of corn syrup. More and more companies are starting to jump on the no corn syrup band wagon and it is showing up in the use of corn syrup dropping 11% . The use of sugar has risen approx. 7%.

Frugality Among Consumers Is Outliving RecessionA new frugality among consumers whose wealth has shrunk is outliving the recession Marjorie Feldman poses for a photo surrounded by food she has stocked up on in her pantry, Friday, April 30, 2010, in Creve Coeur, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Jeannine Aversa and Bernard Condon, AP Business Writers Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:42 pm EDT Even as the economic recovery plods ahead, many American consumers are refusing to come along. They're not spending freely -- and they have no plans to. Many of them have steady income. They aren't saddled by high debts. They...

American Consumers Return To Their Historical Pattern Of Going Nuts Joe Weisenthal and Kamelia Angelova Apr. 13, 2010, 3:11 PM Remember when it looked as though consumers might enter into some new age of thrift and austerity? Well, it's true that there was in fact a brief, unprecedented dip, but the key word is: brief. As you can see, the steady march higher continues apace.

I learned the hard way that human nature is the biggest obstacle to cutting health care costs. President Obama is not the first chief executive to foist onto us an unrealistic medical reform. I left Nebraska to become Medical Director of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in Louisiana in 1980. I believed the myths of managed care promoted by the smart guys. Health insurance premiums were spiraling up, and business and industry were concerned. People wanted good insurance cheap. Managed care was the answer. The Nixon administration wrote the Health Maintenance Act of 1973, funding and promoting managed care by...

The health overhaul package passed by the House Sunday and sent to the Senate for final action is the most far-reaching health legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. While the underlying Senate bill will become law as soon as President Barack Obama signs it, additional changes will occur if the Senate passes the reconciliation-bill part of the package. The following is a look at the impact of the entire package, which would extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans by 2019, but also have an effect on almost every citizen.

A reform proposal is gaining traction in Washington to crown Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as the new banking king, with broad authority over the nation's largest banks, according to people familiar with the matter. These people tell The Post that the proposal, which is gaining support in the Senate Banking Committee, would give the Fed chief supervisory power over the 25 largest banks, including Citigroup and Bank of America. In addition, the proposal would tap the Fed to be the lead protector of consumers when it comes to products such as credit cards and mortgages sold by these banks.

As if anyone needed more reasons to doubt the data coming out of our government. Earlier today the Commerce Department reported that January retail sales data came at a nice and bubbly 0.5% sequential increase, and an even nicer and bubblier 4.7% YoY. This presumably beat expectations which were looking for a sequential beat of 0.3%. Yet here comes the much more reliable Gallup data to throw some salt in yet another economic data fabrication. According to daily Gallup consumer polling, which due to its lack of proximity to the government propaganda complex is vastly more reliable, the January average...

Chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday the Federal Reserve will shift its focus from the federal funds rate to boosting the rate it pays banks on money they leave at the central bank. Doing so would raise rates tied to commercial banks' prime rate and affect many consumer loans. Companies and ordinary Americans would pay more to borrow. Still, Bernanke repeated the Fed's pledge to hold rates at record lows for an "extended period." Economists think that means for at least six more months. But Bernanke cautioned that the Fed eventually will need to raise rates to ease inflationary pressures.

"Small business owners entered 2010 the same way they left 2009, depressed," said William Dunkelberg, NFIB chief economist. "The biggest problem continues to be a shortage of customers." ... Owners reported workforce reductions that average .52 workers per firm, basically unchanged for the past several months. Nine percent of the owners increased employment by an average of 3 workers per firm, but 19 percent reduced employment an average of 3.9 workers per firm (seasonally adjusted). ... still more firms planning to cut jobs than planning to add.

Good News For Restaurants: Consumer Dining Spending On An Upswing by: Paul Carton January 14, 2010 ChangeWave's latest December Consumer Spending Report shows an uptick in U.S. consumer spending, as well as improving conditions for Restaurants. In a separate survey we took a close-up look at consumer dining habits, including which restaurant chains consumers say they’ll be visiting more and less often over the next 90 days. Further Improvement in December For the fourth consecutive survey, we’re seeing an improvement in Restaurant spending. One-in-seven respondents (14%) now say they’ll spend more money at restaurants going forward – unchanged from November....

BEIJING (Reuters) -Household income in China surged in the last six years, especially for top earners, putting the country on track to eclipse the United States as the biggest consumer market in a decade, Credit Suisse said in a report on Tuesday. The bank's survey of 2,700 respondents showed a big rise in property and car purchases, underscoring why many investors are betting big on a rise in China's consumer sector. "The next big theme for China in the new decade is the rise of private consumption, in our view," said Dong Tao, China economist with Credit Suisse in Hong...

Consumer Confidence, 2010: Off To A Less Gloomy StartJust 9 Percent of Americans Rate the Economy Positively Analysis by Peyton M. Craighill Jan. 5, 2010 Consumer confidence is off to a less-awful start in 2010, with the ABC News Consumer Comfort Index rising this week to its best in 16 months. Consumer Comfort Index Chart (/ABC News)Better is far from good: The CCI stands at -41 on its scale of +100 to -100, far lower than its 24-year average of -12, much less its record highs a decade ago. But it's its best since September 2008, up 10 points since...

Tune out those frenzied, annoying infomercial pitchmen -- Consumer Reports says a lot of their products just slice and dice your wallet. In a feature titled "Should you 'buy this now!'?" in its February issue, the magazine said that, based on its tests, the answer is usually no. After testing 15 products, the experts at CR suggest some of the items consumers can skip are the Slap Chop dicer, the Snuggie, the ShamWow, the AbCircle Pro, Debbie Meyer Green Bags and the iRobot Looj gutter cleaner.

Equities Update: Consumer Cheer Leads Stocks Higher Midnight Trader December 11, 2009 Stocks pulled out modest gains in Friday's regular session as traders were cheered by a set of economic datapoints that would suggest the beleaguered U.S. consumer is showing some signs of life. The Commerce Department said retail sales were up 1.3% in November, well ahead of Street expectations of a 0.7% rise and an indication that consumers are feeling slightly more comfortable with the economic outlook. Separately, the University of Michigan/Reuters consumer sentiment index notched a solid move higher to 73.4 in December from 67.4 in November. The...

If the holiday shopping sea son gets off to a bad start today, maybe we should blame all the blessings we were thankful for yesterday. It's heresy to say this -- what with retailers looking to sell Americans a lot of stuff this Christmas -- but sometimes people just have enough things. So, as families sat down at their Thanksgiving table yesterday, the decision-makers probably looked around the room and saw gadgets galore that were bought during better times. And since said decision-makers are petrified about the job market -- and are about to be even more scared next week...

Thrift Spoils Everything In A Consumer Economy By Joel Bowman 11/15/09 Taipei, Taiwan – “Those damned consumers and their whiny confidence readings!” the Feds must be cursing. Sentiment dropped to its lowest in three months, according to the Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index. Apparently the consumers aren’t reading the papers. Don’t they know a recovery is underway? After all, the S&P finished up for a second straight week, higher by around 2.5% since Monday’s open. The markets are 60% above the 12-year low set back in March, and within a whisper of recouping half the losses since they fell from...

Asian Shares Open Mixed, With Japan Down On Consumer Woes REUTERS Published: November 12, 2009 TOKYO — The Nikkei 225 stock average in Tokyo lost 0.5 percent on Friday, weighed down by selling of exporters like the Sony Corporation after concerns about consumer spending hit Wall Street and the yen strengthened slightly against the dollar. Shares in Hong Kong rose, with the Hang Seng opening up about 0.6 percent, while stocks in Shanghai were flat. U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as a stronger dollar weighed on commodity-linked shares and a guarded outlook from Wal-Mart Stores led to worries about consumer...

I am not one to usually post a vanity; however, I thought there should be a voice to the Dr. Pepper/7-Up corporate folks who've recently released 7-Up commercials featuring Brad Garrett, an "actor/comedian" who made untoward remarks about Palin and her family. Garrett said during the '08 election cycle, "Joan Rivers face has been lifted more times than Bristol Palin's prom dress." Moreover, Garrett called Palin and her family "white trash." This is outrageous that a major company like Dr. Pepper/7-Up brands would have this stooge peddle their product on television given his sickening comments.

The first question we should be asking in the healthcare debate is: Why should anyone think that politicians would do a better job redesigning our healthcare than the free market? After all, politicians have helped create the problems (healthcare costs increasing at an unsustainable rate and a growing number of uninsured) that politicians now are in a hurry to try to fix. For example: Tax subsidies for employer-purchased insurance have encouraged the overconsumption of healthcare (because many employers have purchased insurance tantamount to prepaid healthcare), limited employees' choice of insurance plans to whatever the employer offers, and required employees to...

There is just one problem with upbeat predictions that the recession is ending: Americans are still refusing to spend money. Retail spending is still far below that of a year ago in virtually every category, as figures reported yesterday showed. Major clothing chains including Macy's, Nordstrom, Liz Claiborne and Kohl's posted earnings declines this week. Even Walmart Stores, the nation's largest retailer and one of the hardiest survivors of this recession, reported lower sales yesterday. Taken together, the reports made clear that consumers were likely to continue hoarding their dollars into the usually robust back-to-school shopping season, a crucial time...

Note: The following text is a quote: THE BRIEFING ROOM THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________ EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, June 20, 2009 WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Highlights Tough New Consumer Protections WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama explained the necessity of his proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency. It is clear that one of the major causes of the current economic crisis was a breakdown of oversight leading to widespread abuses in the financial world. The Consumer Financial Protection Agency will have the sole job of looking out for the financial interests...

The new fuel mileage standards the Obama administration is proposing have set bankrupt Detroit car manufacturers on a war path with the consumers that they need to buy their product. Americans will not buy the expensive hybrid or electric cars that will be needed to meet these stringent new standards unless gas taxes are significantly raised or the government subsidizes every vehicle.

Thinking of having a yard sale this weekend? Before you do, be sure to consult CSPC Publication #254 [PDF]. This handy 28-pager from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds the American people that, thanks to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, the government is totally in charge of your yard sale: This handbook will help sellers of used products identify types of potentially hazardous products that could harm children or others. CPSC’s laws and regulations apply to anyone who sells or distributes consumer products. This includes thrift stores, consignment stores, charities, and individuals holding yard sales and flea markets....

For those who depend on taking out a loan in advance of a paycheck, life may soon get harder if Congress passes the Payday Loan Reform Act. The bill's sponsors, which include Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.), say they want to clean up abuse in credit markets by clamping down on the prices lenders charge for payday loans. In reality, the legislation will reduce the supply of these loans and make borrowing more expensive. The reform is based on the false premise that consumers take out these loans without realizing how much they are paying. True enough, these loans are...

California Rep. Henry Waxman said Thursday the environment and U.S. economy depend on congressional action to confront the threat of climate change. Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, spoke as he opened Congress' first hearing on climate legislation. A group of 14 corporate

See Mr. and Mrs. American Consumer. Mr. and Mrs. Consumer are smart. Mr. and Mrs. Consumer know that business is bad. Mr. and Mrs. Consumer know that jobs are going away. See Mr. and Mrs. Consumer do smart things. See Mr. and Mrs. Consumer save money. See Mr. and Mrs. Consumer pay down debt. (Debt is money they owe other people.) See Mr. and Mrs. Consumer drive less in their big SUVs and not buy overpriced American cars. See Mr. and Mrs. Consumer spend less money at Christmastime on $2,000 big-screen TVs and $400 Coach handbags and $800 Manolo shoes....

Below is a discussion concerning whether or not businesses or organizations suffer any consumer based ramifications from a data breach. Here is my two cents. As the Stillsecure blog alludes to, breaches need to be defined based upon what was lost. There is a huge difference between losing sales based information ie. credit card or debit card account information (further sub-divided by adding checking account routing and account numbers) and actual personal identifying information (PII). One way to think about the loyalty question is to frame it within an understanding of the consequences to the consumer. When credit card or...

NEW YORK – Cash or credit? For more Americans, who have already maxed out their credit cards or are just trying to manage their spending better in the tough economy, the answer is increasingly the old-fashioned one. Retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and J.C. Penney Co. are noticing a marked shift away from credit cards in favor of cash and debit cards. A big factor is less credit available as major card issuers cut spending limits and raise fees even for customers who pay their bills on time.