Credit and Money Matters

Thinking of paying someone to do a little work around the house? The state Department of Labor and Industries is reminding homeowners to check out contractors they’re considering hiring for remodeling projects.

The Washington Attorney General’s Office is suing an online seller of stethoscopes for sales practices that caused consumers substantial heartache.  

On today’s menu of consumer news you can use … a warning about storage insurance policy exemptions, a tip to protect soldiers from ID theft, and a heads up on ring tones that don't ... you know ... ring.

Thieves are using glue to disable ATM keys.

Want to own a piece of  Facebook  or  Twitter ? Plenty of scammers would love to you sell you non-existent shares of well-known social media companies,  warns the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority  (FINRA). Scammers follow headlines, such as the fact that Facebook’s privately held shares are now  trading on

Health Net Inc., informed the Washington Attorney General’s Office on Monday that “approximately 39,877 Washington residents” may be affected by its latest data breach.

As our hearts go out to Japan, scammers are likely going for our wallets.

It’s been dubbed the great Smurfberry Kerfuffle of 2011 – children unwittingly ringing up charges while playing Capcom’s “freemium” game Smurfs’ Village on a parent’s  iPhone or iPad. Apple responded to our concerns with a fix. Read our full blog post for the details, and tips for parents.

Spokane drivers may not feel like they’re getting much of a bargain on gas these days – but the $3.35/gallon they’re paying on average makes them one of the cities with the lowest prices in the nation. Here are a few online resources to help you find the lowest prices in your community.

In a sluggish economy when every dollar saved counts, the Attorney General’s four Consumer Resource Centers are a valuable ally. Helping consumers and businesses resolve disputes, at no cost and without picking sides, the program’s volunteers and staff handled complaints from more than 22,000 people last year and helped recover $4.8 million those individuals said they were owed.