Advocacy
The cost of fine print? About $3K a year.
If you think America is shifting to a culture of transparency, unfortunately, you’re wrong: consumers are drowning in more fine print and byzantine disclosure language than ever before. Bank contracts and product manuals commonly bloat to hundreds of pages, in type as small as 1/6 of an inch.
Who reads this stuff? Almost nobody. And as this news clip from a CBS affiliate in Alabama reveals, that costs the average household about $3,000 a year.
Lawyers argue that excessive language is necessary to “protect consumers.” But until disclosures are presented in a form people actually read, they’re doing just the opposite: allowing organizations to bury unattractive terms in pages of jargon, while simultaneously shielding them from legal liability.
“Devil in the Details” by Shanisty Myers
Say What? The CFPB Unravels Credit Card Agreements
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has now added credit card agreements to its list of consumer-centered communication. The Bureau is asking for public comments about their prototype at www.consumerfinance.gov/credit-cards/knowbeforeyouowe/
Here’s an explanation of their new focus from Marla Blow, Acting Assistant Director, Card Markets, CFPB. (more…)
The National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites
Join us in participating in an exciting initiative that starts Monday:
The National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites
The Dialogue is a nationwide, two-week online conversation with web experts and the public to generate ideas for re-inventing how the federal government delivers information and services online. It’s part of the larger .gov Reform Initiative launched earlier this summer by the White House and the U.S. General Services Administration. (more…)
Experts Wanted to Comment on Models of Mortgage Disclosures
by Deborah S. Bosley
One of the most consumer-friendly outcomes of Dodd-Frank was the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In addition to its mission to protect the financial interests of citizens, the CFPB also must create a new mortgage disclosure in plain language that combines two existing documents into one: the Truth in Lending disclosure and the Good Faith Estimate. Susan Kleimann (a member of the board of the Center for Plain Language) and the Kleimann Communication Group will create this new disclosure form. (more…)
Seeking Comments on a New “Fast Track” Process for Usability Evaluations
by Jean Fox, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Many federal agencies conduct usability evaluations to ensure that their products, websites, and documentation are easy to understand and use. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), to work with more than nine people, the agency must get approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). (more…)
Plain Language Bills Aid Democracy
The Center again applauds Representative Bruce Braley (IA), who recently sent a letter to Republican leaders encouraging a change to their proposed Rules of the House. Congressman Braley asked them to add a provision that would require Committees to post a Plain Language section-by-section summary of all bills on their public websites 72 hours before a bill is considered on the House Floor. (more…)
Implementing the Plain Writing Act: Questions for the OMB
As the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) writes the official guidance for implementing the Plain Writing Act, we will track the progress and post updates as we learn about them.
Overall, the preliminary guidelines are an excellent start. The document is concise. clear, and covers most of the key issues of implementing the Act. But we also have some questions that we hope the OMB will address in the final version. (more…)
Smart Communication Means Smart Regulations
By Annetta Cheek, Board Chair of the Center for Plain Language
I just got back from Brussels, where, on December 6th, I spoke at a small conference called “Smart Regulation and Smart Communication – Finding the right [amount of] words” held at the Belvue Museum, which displays information about the history of the city of Brussels. The conference was sponsored by Indigov, a research consultancy for the public sector, with years of experience in academic and practical research. Indigov provides guidance to help public organizations’ develop and evaluate public policies. (more…)
Advocate for Change: How You Can Demand to Understand
Charlene Raytek is a strategy director in Simplification for the Siegel+Gale New York office.
Our last post introduced our third video in our Demand to Understand campaign. Today, we’re posting an article that tells you how to Demand to Understand.
Stop Waiving Your Rights: Demand to Understand
For most consumers, reading every single document received, from companies providing our healthcare, car insurance, cable service, credit cards, checking and brokerage‚is at the bottom of the ‘do’ list. It’s as if they arrive with a subliminal message: “Don’t read this.Trust us.” (more…)
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Comment on Health Insurance Disclosure Forms
Posted on October 5, 2011
Please consider submitting comments by October 11, 2011 on a proposed federal rule which includes a new consumer-friendly health insurance disclosure form and a glossary for insurance companies to use.
(more…)
Posted in Advocacy, Opportunities for Public Comment | Comments Off