Florida’s consumers face a robbery in progress with $910 million stolen so far.   That’s the premium hit for “staged accidents” made profitable by the state’s “no-fault” automobile personal injury law.   We visited this abomination before, asked the legislature to fix it, and watched as the brazen cabal of intentional crash victims, fraudulent treatment clinics and [...]

The op-ed is avaible at the Gainesville Sun website.

For years, Florida’s property-insurance crisis has remained unsolved, with an ever-building mountain of unfunded debt obligations building up, driving up consumer costs, creating unnecessary risk and uncertainty, hampering Florida’s economic recovery and discouraging insurance competition for your business. Epitomizing these crises, Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund leadership has testified to the governor and the Legislature that, [...]

“Washington, DC, January 25, 2012 –– In response to multiple news reports that Google will be consolidating their privacy policies and not allowing consumers to opt out, Steve Pociask, President of the American Consumer Institute, made the following statement: “The reports of Google’s privacy changes, which will allow no opt out, raises grave concerns for [...]

What if regulations prevented your doctor from prescribing you the correct course of treatment for your illness?  That is exactly what will be happening, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) moves ahead to implement a seriously flawed medical device auction program.  That program, if not fixed, will reduce patient access to prescribed medical [...]

Tablet computers have evolved beyond the novelty stage.   About 10% of U.S. adults now have a tablet computer, 57% have a laptop and 55% have a desktop.  We were drawn to consider a tablet computer by three themes; downsized gear for easier travel, a better backup storage solution and the advantages of a book reader.  [...]

Alan Daley, Florida research director and frequent blogger at the American Consumer Institute, wrote a great piece on how no-fault insurance regulation has led to a cottage industry of fraud in the state.  His piece was published in the Gainesville Sun and can be read here.

The CBS TV show “Person of Interest” started as science-fiction, yet despite no change in its premise, it is becoming just drama.  Its premise of pervasive video and audio surveillance is no longer very fictional, and these technologies raise real-world privacy concerns for consumers.   In the last week, news has featured Carrier IQ, a [...]

Here is an op-ed written by Steve Pociask on how Florida can attract investment, increase the tax base, and create jobs by developing resort casinos in southern Florida.

This ConsumerGram examines how the shift from purchasing to the Internet is not only influencing retailers, but also positively affecting the environment by reducing energy and decreasing air pollutants, hazardous waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  Cyber Monday can now be looked upon as Green Monday in more ways than one.  Click here to read [...]