11/30 Consumerism Commentary: A Personal Finance Blog Since 2003

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Consumerism Commentary: A Personal Finance Blog Since 2003 Podcast 32: Gift Cards and Financial Reform November 29, 2009 at 2:00 pm The first guest on today’s Consumerism Commentary Podcast is Jim Sharvin, a Certified Public Accountant affiliated with the California Society of CPAs. Tom Dziubek and Jim discuss how consumers can protect themselves when buying and using one of the most popular holiday gifts, gift cards. After the break Tom speaks with Heather Booth, Executive Director of Americans for Financial Reform. Americans for Financial Reform is a coalition of over two hundred national, state and local consumer, labor, retiree, investor, community and civil rights organizations. Tom and Heather discuss current and future regulation of the financial industry. Production Number: S02E06 Segment Numbers: 47, 46 To listen, use the player above (Adobe Flash required), download the podcast here, subscribe to the podcast RSS feed, or use the iTunes link. Note: open links in a new window (Ctrl-click or Command-click) to avoid interrupting the podcast. [00:00] Introduction from Tom Dziubek [00:40] Interview with Jim Sharvin, California Society of CPAs on gift card purchases – [01:20] Why CPAs are concerned about gift card usage – [01:42] Tip #1: Buy gift cards from the store the recipient frequents – [02:16] Tip #2: Use gift card within the first year – [02:50] Tip #3: Understand card fees and procedures before purchasing – [04:11] Tip #4: Check expiration date before purchasing – [05:50] Tip #5: Verify card value after purchase – [06:40] Tip #6: Keep receipt – [07:13] Tip #7: Make sure card isn’t damaged or tampered with before purchasing – [08:15] Tip #8: Don’t provide personal information to clerk – [08:40] Tip #9: Understand limitations of cards, especially the stores in which it’s valid – [09:30] Tip #10: Use your card wisely – [10:46] Tip #11: The possibilities of bankruptcy – [12:57] Tip #12: Additional research websites – [14:03] Fee regulations under the 2009 Credit Card Act [15:26] Interview with Heather Booth, Americans for Financial Reform – [15:39] Goal of the Americans for Financial Reform coalition – [16:47] Is regulation of the credit card industry backfiring? – [17:50] Organizing regulation and consumer protection responsibilities – [18:58] Additional regulation concepts – [21:10] Is “too big to fail” a reason for government intervention? – [22:18] Executive compensation reform [25:33] End We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name. Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast) The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now! Podcast 32: Gift Cards and Financial Reform Media Files podcast-032-gift-cards-americans-financial-reform.mp3 (MP3 Audio, 23.4 MB)   This email was sent to carpenter.autoblog@gmail.com.  Manage Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.