Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: June 24, 2013

New Report Shows that Basic Savings Accounts Remain Important Savings Vehicle for Americans

“In a new report released today, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) revealed that basic savings accounts remain an important savings vehicle for most Americans, especially for low- and moderate-income (LMI) families, but that these accounts vary widely in terms of pro- and anti-consumer characteristics. “Bank savings accounts remain the most useful way for most lower-income families to save for a rainy day, but some of these accounts are far more pro-consumer than others,” noted Stephen Brobeck, CFA Executive Director and author of the report, Savings Accounts: Their Characteristics and Usefulness.  “Bank regulators could play a critical role in improving access to these accounts and eliminating unfair practices,” he added. The report was based on analysis of two new sources of data – unpublished data on traditional savings accounts from the Federal Reserve Board’s 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and research of the websites of the 50 largest banks (by number of branches), 50 typical medium-size banks, 50 typical small banks, and 10 largest credit unions, supplemented by phone calls to many of the institutions.”

The Hill – Tech companies fret over loss of consumers’ trust after NSA revelations

Jennifer Martinez : “The country’s most prominent tech companies, including Google and Facebook, are scrambling to save their reputations with users following the revelations over a National Security Agency surveillance program that monitors Internet traffic to thwart terrorist attacks. Since the reports broke, tech companies have mobilized into full-on damage control mode in hopes of… Continue Reading

Crisis Chronicles: 300 Years of Financial Crises (1620–1920)

Crisis Chronicles: 300 Years of Financial Crises (1620–1920), James Narron and David Skeie. As momentous as financial crises have been in the past century, we sometimes forget that major financial crises have occurred for centuries—and often. This new series chronicles mostly forgotten financial crises over the 300 years—from 1620 to 1920—just prior to the Great… Continue Reading

TRAC – Truth in Lending Federal Lawsuits Continue to Decline

Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse: “The latest available data from the federal courts show that during May 2013 the government reported just 16 new lawsuits filed under the category of Truth in Lending, according to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). This represents a drop of 89 percent from the peak of… Continue Reading

Paper – Wait! Don’t Digitize and Discard!

Wait! Don’t Digitize and Discard!  A White Paper on ALA COL Discussion Issue #1a, By James A. Jacobs and James R. Jacobs, June 2013 “The ALA Committee on Legislation (COL) “Discussion Document” (Draft 6-17-13) asks as part of Issue #1″ concerning the digitization of FDLP collections if libraries should be allowed to “deaccession and destroy” collections for the “greater… Continue Reading

Are Corporate Share Repurchases Used to Support Overvalued Equity?

Liu, Harrison and Swanson, Edward P., Are Corporate Share Repurchases Used to Support Overvalued Equity? (June 22, 2013). Available at SSRN “The business press is replete with stories that companies use share repurchases “to pump or support the stock price” (Buffet 2000). If support for overvalued equity has become an important motive for stock repurchases,… Continue Reading

UN World Population Prospects, the 2012 Revision

Our Overcrowded Planet: A Failure of Family Planning – “New UN projections forecast that world population will hit nearly 11 billion people by 2100, an unsettling prospect that reflects a collective failure to provide women around the world with safe, effective ways to avoid pregnancies they don’t intend or want.” by Robert Engelman  See also… Continue Reading

Policy Paper – The Digital Diplomacy Revolution: Why is Canada Lagging Behind? by Roland Paris

The Digital Diplomacy Revolution: Why is Canada Lagging Behind? by Roland Paris, June, 2013 “The practice of international diplomacy is undergoing a revolution. As activists, private and public organizations, political leaders and mass publics embrace Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media, foreign ministries have come under increasing pressure to update their operating methods.… Continue Reading

World Bank – What Climate Change Means for Africa, Asia and the Coastal Poor

Turn down the heat : climate extremes, regional impacts, and the case for resilience – full report “This report focuses on the risks of climate change to development in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and South Asia. Building on the 2012 report, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided, this… Continue Reading

Autonomous Decision-Making Processes and the Responsible Cyber Commander

Prescott, Jody Mailand, Autonomous Decision-Making Processes and the Responsible Cyber Commander (June 5, 2013). Available at SSRN “As the industrialization of cyber war proceeds apace, an emerging consensus is developing that the law of armed conflict applies to those cyber operations that either do, or are intended to, injure people and damage their property. Cyber… Continue Reading

House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee – Women in the Workplace

First Report of Session 2013–14. “In a Report published today, the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee calls on the Government to do more to tackle female under-representation in certain sectors of the economy.  As well as addressing the worrying lack of comprehensive careers advice, the Government should set targets for encouraging women into apprenticeship sectors… Continue Reading