Topic: Direct Marketing

Credit card offers: five mysteries explained

Credit-card companies often say you are "pre-approved," "pre-screened," "pre-qualified," or "pre-selected" to receive their credit card. Here is a guide to sorting through credit-card offers:

Horizons FTC cuts off 'Rachel from Cardholder Services'

Five companies behind the 'Rachel from Cardholder Services' scheme and other credit card robocalls were shut down Thursday, the FTC announced. The FTC estimated that the companies had defrauded customers out of more than $30 million by promising to lower credit card interest rates in exchange for an up-front fee.

Discover: The card that pays you back after you overpay

Discover Bank agrees to reimburse $200 million to consumers it pressured to buy credit-monitoring and other costly credit-card add-ons. Discover will also pay a $14 million fine. 

The New Economy Retirement plans: How to spot financial abuse of seniors

Retirement plans can be compromised when senior citizens become the victims of elder financial abuse, which can cost them an estimated $2.9 billion per year. Here's how to prevent elder financial abuse, protecting retirement plans and other investments.

At the retail store, a long line of questions at checkout

Retail stores are increasingly barraging their customers with questions. It's marketing for them. Is it good for you?
12/22/2011 01:45 pm

Epsilon security breach: 5 signs it's only the tip of the iceberg

Targeted attacks are the trend in cyberspace. Six months ago, the world's first cyber superweapon – Stuxnet – was discovered to be targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. This week millions of e-mail addresses were reported stolen from Epsilon, a firm that supplies e-mail marketing to BestBuy, Disney, and many others. The two highlight a trend toward precision among those that create malicious software. Epsilon's information will help hackers craft very specific "phishing" e-mails that are far more subtle, experts say. Here are five emerging targets for precision attacks:
04/05/2011 08:06 pm

Do Not Track list for Web marketing proposed by the FTC

Do Not Track list: The proposal, modeled after the government's existing Do Not Call List for telemarketers, is one of a series of recommendations outlined in a new privacy report released Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission.
12/02/2010 02:50 pm

Gallery Election Photos of the Week 10/04 - 10/16

Online coupons: Four ways you can save money online

Online coupons are shaking up the advertising industry, according to a new report from Borrell Associates. The local ad research and consulting firm in Williamsburg, Va., forecasts the online coupons business will grow almost 14 percent in 2011, reaching $9.1 billion. That's still small compared with an overall ad market forecast at $238.6 billion. But its fast growth portends big changes in the way you get your coupons and, ultimately, how you shop. Here are four strategies to take advantage now of the expected flurry of online coupons:
08/25/2010 03:26 pm

The Monitor's View Private eyes are watching you (surf the Web)

Commercial tracking software often secretly records where users go on the Internet. If businesses don't set their own clear, simple privacy standards, government may need to step in with a 'do not track' option.
08/04/2010 01:14 pm

Telemarketing 'robocalls' will be history on Sept. 1, mostly

Exceptions include charities, surveys, and information about canceled flights. But most telemarketers will need your permission before calling.
08/29/2009 01:00 am

Etc.

01/05/2009 12:00 am

EarthTalk: Can we do without telephone books?

Internet makes them obsolete, say some. So how do you keep all that paper from being delivered to your home?
12/24/2008 12:00 am

Americans hail a postman's junk-mail jihad

Numerous groups try to trim the burden of 100 billion pieces of mail a year.
12/02/2008 12:00 am