20 - Whatever Happened to Truth in Advertising?

July 14, 2022

20 – Whatever Happened to Truth in Advertising?

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Bonnie Patton - Executive Director of Truth in Advertising (TINA.org)

False or deceptive advertising costs American consumer billions of dollars a year. Companies big and small now use blatant lies, clever wording, and fine print to confuse or mislead us.

Truth in Advertising (TINA.org), a consumer advocacy group based in Connecticut, points the finger at bad actors and calls them out for their deception. It also works to empower people to protect themselves against false advertising and deceptive marketing.

In this episode, we’ll explore some of the tricks advertisers use to fool us, explain why some big-name celebrities are on the group’s Wall of Shame, and provide tips on how to spot misleading ads.

Special Guest: Bonnie Patten, Executive Director, Truth in Advertising (TINA.org)

Additional Resource:

Think You’re Getting a Deal? 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Make You Pay Up and Pay Too Much

finance, money

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April 17, 2025

84 – Free Perks You Didn’t Know You Had

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Jamie Lettis - Checkbook Associate Editor

Whether it’s a complimentary dessert, an unexpected upgrade to a better hotel room, or you find a $20 bill in your coat pocket, we all like freebies.

The staff at Checkbook sifted through member benefits for credit cards, warehouse clubs, health plans, and AAA. We discovered dozens of perks that are often overlooked. If you don’t know about them, you may be missing out on significant savings.

⁠Read Checkbook’s full report on free perks⁠.

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

auto, finance, health, home, leisure, money, shopping, technology, travel

February 20, 2025

80 – Debt Busters: Real-Life Success Stories

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Jonathan Unverzat & Johnika Nixon - debt counseling success stories; Lara Ceccarelli - NFCC certified credit counselor with American Financial Solutions in Bremerton, Washington

Americans are piling on credit card debt at an alarming pace, and the unprecedented interest rates on these unpaid balances can be as much as 30% to 35%. No wonder it seems impossible to get out from under it.

But with hard work and proper guidance, you can do it. In this episode: Meet two people who were drowning in credit card debt and got their finances back in order. Also, a certified nonprofit credit counselor explains how debt consolidation works and the dangers of using a for-profit debt settlement company.

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠⁠⁠⁠.

credit cards, finance, money

November 27, 2024

75 – Checkbook’s College of Consumer Knowledge #1

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Dave Ross & Colleen O’Brien, morning anchor team at Seattle’s KIRO Newsradio

We’ve come up with a fun way to celebrate our 75th episode: An old-fashioned radio quiz show, featuring the morning anchors at KIRO Newsradio in Seattle. Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien are old friends, who have Herb as a regular guest each week, so we had a lot of fun doing this.

Play along with Dave and Colleen as they try to come up with the right answers. ⁠You might also want to play the online version of Checkbook’s College of Knowledge⁠.

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

college of knowledge, finance

October 31, 2024

73 – Checkbook’s Holiday Shopping Tips 2024

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Jamie Lettis - Checkbook's Associate Editor; Edgar Dworsky - Publisher, Consumerworld.org; Amy Nofziger - AARP Fraud Watch Network, Bruce McClary - National Foundation for Credit Counseling

The hectic holiday shopping season is underway, and for many, that will put a strain on the family budget. Checkbook wants to make this stressful time a little easier.

Our annual holiday helper is packed with timely advice: Super shoppers share tips about how they find the best prices and avoid fake sales. Plus, how to avoid gift card scams, stop porch pirates, and spot bogus online shipping notices. Also, the pros and cons of buy now, pay later loans.

Additional Consumerpedia Episodes & Resources:

Checkbook’s Top Holiday Shopping Tips

Don’t Overspend This Holiday Shopping Season

#59: Saving Money at the Supermarket

#58: Misleading Marketing Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More

#57: Whatever Happened to Customer Service?

#52: Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season

#26: Sale Prices Are Rarely Real Deals

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

finance, leisure, money, shopping, stores

July 25, 2024

68 – Rewards Cards

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Brad Lipton - CFPB; Steven Carvell - Professor of Finance at Cornell University; Christopher Elliott - Syndicated Travel Columnist

Whether it’s points, miles, or cash back, it’s nice to be rewarded for shopping. The lure of “getting something extra” can encourage you to apply for new credit cards and spend more to score those rewards.

In recent years, many credit card reward programs have become more complex and confusing, and frustrated cardholders are complaining to federal regulators.

In this episode: Should the CFPB create new rules to regulate credit card rewards programs? Also, a close-up look at the most common complaints about airline rewards cards, and how chasing rewards can cost you money.

Additional Resources:

Credit Cards: How to Choose the Best One

Credit Cards Provide Strong Protections for Consumers

Saving on Gas: Which Rewards Credit Cards Offer the Best Deals at the Pump?

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

credit cards, finance, money

March 7, 2024

58 – Misleading Marketing That Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

You can save a ton of money by comparison shopping.

Checkbook’s surveys consistently find huge price differences—sometimes more than twice as much—from company to company for the exact same product or service. And businesses can get away with this because they know most customers won’t bother to shop around.

Sometimes consumers don’t compare prices because they’re in a rush or they don’t want to scour the internet for the best deal. But we often find buyers don’t compare prices because they’ve been duped into thinking they already have.

In this episode, some of the common manipulative marketing techniques sellers use to convince you to pay up and pay too much.

Read Checkbook’s full report on the 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Manipulate You.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

finance, leisure, money