From our president

This monthly letter to subscribers from Consumers Union President Jim Guest highlights the critical consumer issues behind our current reports. See archived letters.

A number of wins

We swim in numbers here at Consumers Union: 1,045,665 subscribers completed the 2010 Annual Questionnaire last spring, we work with some 900,000 consumer activists, and we test about 3,050 products a year.

But 2010 … now there’s a year for numbers that directly affect you and all consumers. Here are just a few of the most important; I’m delighted that Consumers Union played a vital role in achieving each one.

For the 175 million people in this country with credit cards, new laws will make credit-card policies fairer. Issuers are no longer allowed to raise interest rates “at any time, for any reason” and must alert cardholders at least 45 days before bumping up rates. And gift cards cannot expire in less than five years or incur dormancy fees if used within the previous 12 months, making them a more secure gift for consumers to give and receive.

Thirty-two million Americans who haven’t had any health insurance are expected to gain comprehensive coverage after the health-care reform law that passed in March takes full effect in 2014. The law stops insurers from dropping kids from their parents’ plan until they turn 26 if they have no workplace insurance. We’re now relieved of the worry that insurers will drop us if we get sick or cap lifetime payments for a serious illness. And in new plans, recommended screenings, tests, and immunizations must now be covered entirely by health insurers.

One million Infantino baby slings were recalled in March after three infants who had been carried in them died from lack of oxygen. We had encouraged the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the slings, which we long ago put on our list of products not to buy for a baby. The agency also issued a warning to parents about the hazards.

Consumers didn’t win all the rights that they deserve in 2010, but those they did will help them be healthier, safer, and more fairly treated for many years to come.

Jim Guest
President