The Latest
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Stipend for Seniors? The Scheme Targeting Older Consumers
A new predatory scheme is making the rounds in communities populated by seniors. It’s already hit close to home for NBC 5 Responds reporter Lisa Parker, whose father-in-law received the email that starts off our story. From his home in Goodyear, Arizona, my 87-year-old father-in-law read the body of the email to us: “Here is a link for what...
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PPP Loan List Released: Thousands of Illinois Businesses Approved for Big Money
The Trump administration has released the names of businesses approved for loans of more than $150,000 as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. Many of them are big businesses that some would argue should never have been approved in the first place. That is not sitting well with some local business owners who say they clawed and scratched for money…
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Business Owners Accuse Insurers of Unfairly Denying Claims
Hard-hit businesses owners across the country – still reeling from the pandemic – are facing a new and unexpected obstacle that may determine whether their businesses will survive. Hundreds of companies are getting ready to square off in court against the insurers that have already denied their business interruption claims, claiming losses caused by a virus are not covered. …
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NBC 5 Responds: Payday Loans and the Pandemic
They market themselves as a fast, financial fix. But now some players in the payday loan industry are accused of using the pandemic to target distressed and out-of-work consumers. It is a situation that may be a mirror of what happened in the last financial crisis of 2009, when payday lenders were accused of aggressively courting customers who can least…
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NBC 5 Responds: Will Insurance Help Small Businesses Get Back Up and Running?
Students of architecture worldwide will recognize the address: the Monadnock Building has been a witness to history in the south Loop since 1891. Now a new chapter of Chicago history hits home for the building, directly: as retail shops on the ground floor of the Monadnock were battered by the violent side of police protests that raged on the night…
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NBC 5 Responds: Consumers in Lurch After Looters Force Pharmacies to Close
My pharmacy is closed. What do I do now? That is the question on the minds of many Chicago area residents after damaging riots that have closed many pharmacies across the city and suburbs. Some have been looted, vandalized, and others closed for safety reasons, leaving many neighborhoods without their closest pharmacy. “They were slamming the windows shut, and I…
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Ticketmaster Accused of Unfairly Sitting on Millions of Dollars in Refunds
Music fans may not be seeing their favorite bands, or the money they spent on tickets, anytime soon. That’s because the coronavirus forced thousands of live events to be postponed. And just when they need cash most, customers who bought tickets from Ticketmaster say the company is making it difficult to get a refund. The Beverly Hills-based online ticket...
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NBC 5 Responds: Protecting Your Credit Score During a Pandemic
The coronavirus has our world in its grip. With every component of consumers’ lives affected, credit scores are no exception. A new survey from Wallethub shows around 44 percent of Americans anticipate going into more debt during the pandemic, while an estimated 87 million consumers say they are worried about credit score damage. Their worry is well-founded. Credit lines provide…
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Restaurants and the Road to Recovery in Illinois
While plans to reopen Chicago-area eateries are still on hold, there are a few states that gave the green light to get back to business. Some restaurants won’t survive the pandemic, but the ones that do will have to reinvent their business model to exist. What will that look like? What are other states doing to prepare, and will it...
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Refund Rejection: Vrbo Customers Shut Down in Battle to Get Money Back
Would-be travelers who were forced to cancel vacations because of the coronavirus lockdown are now up in arms over Vrbo’s refund policy, which allows the owners of rental properties to decide whether or not to fully reimburse customers. It’s a decision that does not sit well with customers. “So what they’ve now created is a war zone between homeowners and...
