Viewpoint

This page highlights efforts of Consumers Union, the policy and action arm of Consumer Reports, to improve the marketplace

Consumer Reports magazine: November 2012

Consumer victory

The win: Bank of America puts an end to "zombie accounts."

What's in it for you: When you close your bank account, you expect it to stay closed. But if an automatic debit or payment hits that old bank account, it may bring it back to life. That "zombie account" could wind up costing you hundreds of dollars in penalties and monthly fees.

Bank of America announced in August that it would stop that practice, citing customer feedback. That's welcome news, but Bank of America and other banks are still making it too difficult for you to switch to another institution. A recent Consumer Reports poll found that almost one in five customers had considered changing banks in the past year, but the challenge of transferring automatic payments and other factors kept half of them from doing it. Consumers Union is pressing Congress and regulators for reforms to make it easier to move your money.

On the record

"Just three minutes a day won't make you thin."

A Federal Trade Commission complaint of deceptive advertising against the marketers of Ab Circle Pro. The defendants agreed to pay between $15 million and $25 million to consumers who bought the abdominal exercise device and its claims of fast and substantial weight loss after using it 3 minutes a day for two weeks. (We came to the same conclusion when we wrote about the device in 2010.) Go to FTC.gov to file a refund claim.

54.5

The combined fuel economy (mpg) new cars and light-duty trucks must reach by 2025, almost doubling today's standard. Consumers Union testified in favor of the standards at federal hearings. Our e-mail asking consumers to comment to the government netted more than 27,000 responses supporting the increase.

Have your say

Beginning this fall, consumers renewing or shopping for a health insurance plan will see a new form that helps take the confusion out of comparing plans. The Summary of Benefits and Coverage, which is part of the health care reform law, allows consumers to compare plans apples to apples so that they don't find themselves with inadequate insurance just when they need it most. (For details, read our report on health reform.)

We want to hear from you: Did the new form help you shop for insurance? Do you have ideas about how to make it better? Go to sbcfeedback.org to tell us what you think. We'll use your feedback to propose improvements for next year.

Come to our annual meeting

Please join us on Saturday, Oct. 20, at our national headquarters, 101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. Doors open at 9:45 a.m., the meeting begins at 10 a.m., and the expo runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (No lab tours this year.) For details go to our annual meeting page.