CONSUMER PROTECTION
PROTECTING CONSUMER SAFETY—Toys should not be toxic or dangerous for children to play with. Our food should not make us sick. The terms for banking and credit accounts should be clear and easy to understand.
Illinois PIRG’s consumer program works to alert the public to hidden dangers and scams and to ban anti-consumer practices and unsafe products.
TROUBLE IN TOYLAND
For 30 years, Illinois PIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.
Get our tips for avoiding dangerous toys.
BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES
In April, Illinois PIRG released a report in which we surveyed more than 350 bank branches and revealed that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. We also found that despite widespread stories about the “death” of free checking, free and low-cost checking choices are still widely available, if consumers shop around.
Find out how to beat high bank fees.
SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES
Issue updates
Everyone should assume that their social security number has been exposed between this breach and breaches of other major companies’ databases, such as Equifax’s. With that in mind, U.S. PIRG recommends all Americans should use their right by law to freeze their credit reports for free
Our response to Equifax paying a $650 million penalty for exposing the social security numbers of 148 million Americans to identity theft.
Illinois PIRG Education Fund has released a new report, Tragedy of Errors, detailing multiple critical failures of the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program, and the failure of state policy makers to hold the utility company accountable on behalf of Chicago gas customers.
Members of Congress hear repeatedly from lobbyists for corporate special interests in their offices and at fundraisers. How can consumer advocates balance the scales?
In most of the country, owning a car is all but required. And we're paying for it—to the tune of $1.2 trillion. This is putting the financial well-being of millions of Americans at risk, and Illinois PIRG and our national network are calling for change.
Consumer Protection | U.S. PIRG
Campus debit cards cost students over $24 million in fees
Report shows how campus debit cards — along with how they are marketed — are putting students' financial well-being at risk across the country.
Consumer Protection | U.S. PIRG
The real price of medications
The results of our investigation of variations in prescription drug prices may surprise you.
Consumer Protection | U.S. PIRG
Driving into debt
The hidden costs of risky auto loans to consumers and our communities
Consumer Protection
Congressional investigation concludes that Equifax breach was entirely preventable
The worst data breach in history could have been prevented with some basic security measures.
Latest Reports
Tools & Resources
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Student Tip Sheet: Campus Financial Products
Avoid the tricks and traps in campus financial products that may drive up the costs of collegeIllinois PIRG Education Fund -
Leading Groups Send Criteria for Evaluating VW Settlement
Seeking Compensation for Consumers and Environment
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