Behind The Scenes

CR president and CEO Marta Tellado’s book, “Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace,” is out now! Full of the practical advice you expect from Consumer Reports, “Buyer Aware” shows how we can become a stronger, consumer-powered force to change our economy in favor of people over profits. 

In today’s marketplace, Big Tech companies treat people like commodities, misinformation undermines our democratic values, and unsafe products and services are all too common. But it doesn’t have to be this way. “Buyer Aware” tells a story about our democracy—that it can flourish only if we have a marketplace that is both fair and just for everyone. It reveals what’s holding us back and how we can be a force for change. And it comes highly recommended from leaders in the consumer rights movement:

• “In ‘Buyer Aware,’ Marta Tellado alerts us to the harms of technology without conscience and a digital world without guardrails. Thankfully she also highlights steps towards a future where the promise of tech aligns with its ethical use.” —Craig Newmark, Founder of Craigslist
• “Marta Tellado makes a compelling case that economic freedom is a civil right and we have to fight for it. It’s an important call for accountability in a time of rising corporate impunity.” —Julia Angwin, Pulitzer Prize winner and co-founder of The Markup
• “‘Buyer Aware’ is an inspirational story of a remarkable American woman who has never forgotten where she has come from and has a clear idea where she’s going—to a better America where consumer rights have power. This book educates and empowers. Enjoy it, learn from it, and take action.” —Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley (D-N.J.)

In big ways and small, CR is fighting for families’ safety. A Texas parent advocate, Trista Hamsmith, was a driving force for change after her 18-month-old daughter Reese died in December 2020 after ingesting a button cell battery from a remote control. The National Capital Poison Center estimates that more than 3,500 people of all ages ingest button batteries. A majority of these cases involve children under 6 years old. 

Now, Congress has passed a federal law to strengthen standards with bipartisan support and CR’s endorsement. It was signed into law by President Biden in August. The law instructs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop new mandatory safety standards that help prevent accidental ingestion of button batteries by people, including children 6 years old and younger. CR supported the development of the bill and educated legislative staff about its importance. Now, Reese’s Law will help stop similar tragic accidents.

Thank you to the many members who emailed a CR petition urging their members of Congress to pass legislation to help lower transportation costs and address climate change—including financial help for consumers to buy electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. 

The Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law this summer, ushered in tax credits of $7,500 on some new electric vehicles (EVs) and first-ever tax credits of up to $4,000 on some used electric cars. The number of new EVs that are eligible for the tax credit, however, has shrunk from prior years due to rules that require new EVs to be built in North America and restrictions placed on where battery minerals are sourced. 

The new law removes the cap that limited tax credits to 200,000 EV and/or plug-in hybrid vehicles per manufacturer, which meant that consumers choosing to purchase from companies such as Tesla, GM, or Toyota would miss out on tax credits. It also does away with current tax credits for pricey EVs—such as the Hummer EV, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S and Model X, and adds income limits for those hoping to claim the credits. The federal government released a list of 31 vehicles that may qualify, depending on other restrictions. To find a list and more details, go to CR.org/evtaxcredits.

Explore CR’s Electric Vehicle Savings Finder ® to find out potential EV incentives and tax credits. Go to CR.org/cars/ev-incentive-finder.

The Inflation Reduction Act makes installing solar panels and storage batteries a more attractive investment as home energy costs rise. If you install solar energy equipment in your primary or secondary home anytime this year through the end of 2032, you are entitled to a nonrefundable credit off your federal income taxes, equal to 30 percent of eligible expenses. There’s no dollar limit: You’ll get that 30 percent tax break whether you spend $20,000 or more than $100,000 on costs associated with a residential solar system. The credit is reduced to 26 percent in 2033 and 22 percent in 2034, then disappears in 2035—unless Congress continues it. 

The solar tax credit is available only if you purchase a solar system, rather than lease one. Real estate experts say a purchased solar system can raise the value of your home when you sell. For more details, go to CR.org/solartaxcredits.

Gina joined the CR team this summer to help CR build more consumer power. When she served as the Director of Public Engagement for New York City, she led a team of 200-plus that used data and analytics to reach the most marginalized community members. She also led Movement & Capacity Building at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and was a founding member of the Analyst Institute, supporting effective strategy and running trainings for hundreds of organizations. 

Q: What brought you to CR and what excites you about your new position to lead campaigns and build community engagement?  

Most people want to live in a system that’s fair. They want their products to be safe, their families to thrive, and their planet to be sustainable. I am inspired by CR’s members’ work to make this future a reality every day. By taking action collectively, members have had big wins: saving lives by getting unsafe infant sleep products off the market, passing privacy legislation to protect our data, fighting for stronger regulations on harmful chemicals in our food and water, analyzing information shared by members on internet and cable bills to win more transparent pricing, securing pledges from fast-food companies to restrict forever chemicals in wrappers that contaminate our bodies and the environment, and much more. With over one million action-taking members and growing, the CR community is powerful.

Q: I’ve heard you like sing-alongs, a great form of community engagement! Who do you have sing-alongs with and what are some of the favorites to sing? 

Ha! Yes! My husband and I met in a college a cappella group, like in the movie “Pitch Perfect.” Now, one of our favorite things to do on Saturday is to bring out a keyboard near our house and sing with our neighbors. We started doing this during the pandemic as a way for people to connect in the outdoors during difficult times. Raising voices together has always been a core piece of social change movements, from the marching songs of the suffragettes to protest music of the civil rights movement. It lifts your spirit, builds joy, and exemplifies the power of togetherness.

Q: What will your priorities be in the first year?

If we are to tackle the most important issues of our day, our powerful community needs to grow. This means investing in our current members to lead campaigns and reaching across the artificial barriers that polarize our society. We will work on becoming a home for the communities most impacted by unfair systems and predatory practices to make change. Demonstrating the power of collective action on our shared values in the market and beyond. We will bring CR’s unique resources—testing, data collection and analysis, communications, journalism and education, product development, policy and systems change expertise, independent advice and trusted ratings—to bear on behalf of member-driven campaigns to win real change. 

Q: In Marta Tellado’s book, “Buyer Aware,” she writes that, together, consumer voices can play a huge part in creating a fair marketplace. How can CR members become involved? 

What do you want to change in our marketplace? What do you hope will be different for the next generation? How will you hold corporations accountable? It will take collective action to move powerful market forces, and it will happen only if you get involved. We are here in the fight with you. Go to action.ConsumerReports.org and join the CR community.

Retirement planning is important, according to CR charitable gift annuitant John Swanson, PhD. “I want to make sure that my wife and I have enough to live comfortably now and into the future.” He is quick to add, “As they say, you can’t take it with you.” John is an advocate of CGAs because they generate regular payments at a fixed rate for him and his wife, Janet, now and the nonprofit organizations that the Swansons have charitable gift annuities with will receive the remainder of the funds when they die. John chose CR for a CGA because he has trusted CR for years to “provide factual information about the products and services I use.” 

Contact Nancy Smith at 877-275-3425 or legacy@consumer.org for complimentary personalized calculations or to receive our brochure about CGAs. Or go to CR.org/CGAs.

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