Articles

How Arbitration Screws Customers

On Thursday December 12, 2013 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will hold a field hearing on Forced Arbitration Clauses, which have been called “Corporate America’s Most Successful Dirty Secret.”As many of you know, Arbitration Clauses are now found buried in the fine print of almost EVERY consumer contract you sign — cell phones, insurance, credit cards, vehicle purchases, etc. When you sign such a contract, Courts now find you have “agreed” to whatever it contains — including giving up the rights given you under state and federal consumer protection laws. That means you ...

Read More

The Final Rose

Florida State trails Auburn 31-27 in college football’s BCS Championship game.  13 seconds left on the clock.  FSU’s Heisman-winning quarterback, Jameis Winston, has just engineered a six play, 78 yard drive to the Auburn two.  Now he takes the snap.  He drops back, whips around, leaps, and hits receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the end zone!  Touchdown!!  Benjamin hangs on as the Auburn defense tries furiously to strip the ball from him, and FSU hangs on to win the last — and possibly the most thrilling - title game in BCS history. Unfortunately, I’m blissfully ...

Read More

Flight Risk

Have you heard about the FAA’s recent decision to allow the use of “Personal Electronic Devices” during all “flight phases?”  It’s true. Used to be that we had to wait until we were “safely cruising.” Now we can use our iPhones, Androids, Kindles, Nooks, and Laptops (simultaneously even) during takeoff and landing. Whether or not you welcome this new rule likely depends on what kind of traveler you are.  For me (and I suspect a lot of you) traveling is like driving — when we climb into that seat, our personality changes. In everyday life, I enjoy talking to people at the gy ...

Read More