When I wrote a story last week about Congress quietly closing health reform’s Consumer Assistance Program, Wonkblog readers and health-care economists alike quickly seized on one crucial detail: the program’s price tag. Thirty-five states received a total of $30 million to help consumers find affordable coverage, answer health insurance queries and appeal denied claims. I led the story with Texas, which received a $2.8 million grant and, with it, hired nine employees who have handled about 6,000 phone calls. Read full article > >

See the rest here:
The cost of shopping for health insurance

Microsoft, long ridiculed as the tech industry dullard, has surprised critics with its Windows Phone software. But will consumers be tempted enough to try it?

Read the original post:
Microsoft, Defying Image, Has a Design Gem in Windows Phone

The Federal Reserve took another step in its gradual march toward greater openness by agreeing to disclose its board members’ expectations about future interest rates, according to newly released minutes of the Fed’s December meeting. The measure is designed to increase certainty and predictability about the Fed’s current policy of low interest rates — and thus encourage economic activity among investors and consumers. Read full article > >

See the rest here:
Federal Reserve will start disclosing officials’ quarterly projections

More than a billion apps were downloaded during Christmas, with UK consumers proving to be big enthusiasts.

Link:
Apps hit record high in December

Intel and Kraft are rolling out vending machines that analyse consumers’ age and gender before offering treats.

Original post:
Smart vending kiosks study public

Federal investigators are probing allegations that Carrier IQ software found on about 150 million cellphones tracked user activity and sent the information to cellphone companies without informing consumers, according to government officials. Executives from Carrier IQ traveled to Washington on Tuesday and met with officials at the Federal Trade Commission , which is responsible for protecting consumers and enforcing privacy laws. The executives also met with the Federal Communications Commission . Read full article > >

Read more here:
Carrier IQ faces federal probe into allegations software tracks cellphone data

A bill passed by the House would allow consumers to give one-time blanket consent for a company to share their video viewing habits.

Read the rest here:
Slipstream: Bill Would Let Video Consumers Disclose All Their Choices

Is it possible to create a simple credit-card agreement, one that doesn’t give you a migraine as you struggle to understand the terms and conditions that, if violated, could put you into decades of debt? I have my doubts. But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is giving it a try. The agency has released a prototype of a simplified agreement as part of its “Know What You Owe” campaign to help consumers understand the consequences of the debt they take on. Read full article > >

Read more:
Gobbledygook or not, it’s still credit

The UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, saw UK sales fall in the third quarter as consumers reined back spending.

Link:
Tesco sees UK sales fall by 0.9%

Verizon Wireless has reached an unorthodox deal with three major cable companies that could transform the way consumers get access to TV, cellphones and the Internet, setting up a consortium of firms with enormous power over mobile and home entertainment. The agreement among the former rivals immediately drew concern from regulators, according to a person familiar with the matter. Advocacy groups said the alliance could limit choices for consumers. Read full article > >

Read more from the original source:
Verizon Wireless makes marketing, airwave deal with three cable companies

After new white design confuses consumers.

Read more here:
Coca-Cola Reverting Back to Red Cans

Consumers spend $11.4 billion.

More here:
Black Friday Sets Sales Record

The nation’s savings rate has dwindled as consumers try to juggle rising prices and stagnant wages. According to government data released Wednesday, the national savings rate was 3.5 percent in October, a slight improvement from the previous month but significantly below the 5 percent rate seen for most of the past two years. During the throes of the recession, the savings rate had skyrocketed above 8 percent. Read full article > >

View post:
Higher prices, stagnant wages chip at savings rate

WASHINGTON — Consumers paid less for gas, cars and computers last month, as overall prices dropped for the first time since June. Inflation is easing after prices rose sharply this spring. The Labor Department said Wednesday that the Consumer Price Index dropped 0.1 percent in October. A steep drop in gas prices led the decline. Food prices rose, but at the slowest pace this year. Read full article > >

Read the original post:
Consumers paid less for gas and cars in October, pushing down overall prices

Apple, long resolute in its catering to consumers, is suddenly finding corporations becoming big customers.

See more here:
Businesses, Too, Have Eyes for iPads and iPhones