You are here

Home > Issues >

Consumer Protection

PROTECTING CONSUMER SAFETY—Toys should not be toxic or dangerous for children to play with. Our food should not make us sick. The terms for banking and credit accounts should be clear and easy to understand.

LOOKING OUT FOR CONSUMERS

Iowa PIRG’s consumer program works to alert the public to hidden dangers and scams and to ban anti-consumer practices and unsafe products.

TROUBLE IN TOYLAND

For 25 years, Iowa PIRG’s "Trouble In Toyland" report has surveyed store shelves and identified choking hazards, noise hazards and other dangers. Our report has led to at least 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years.

Get our tips for buying safer toys.

BIGGER BANKS, BIGGER FEES

In April, Iowa PIRG released a report in which we surveyed more than 350 bank branches and revealed that fewer than half of branches obeyed their legal duty to fully disclose fees to prospective customers, while one in four provided no fee information at all. We also found that despite widespread stories about the “death” of free checking, free and low-cost checking choices are still widely available, if consumers shop around.

Find out how to beat high bank fees.

SEE ALL CONSUMER RESOURCES

Issue updates

Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Budget, Consumer Protection, Food, Tax

Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Federal Subsidies of Fresh Produce and Junk Food

The rise in childhood obesity has many causes, but one of the most important is the increased prevalence of high-fat, heavily sweetened junk food.  And shockingly, American taxpayers are spending billions to subsidize junk food ingredients, making the problem worse.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Iowa PIRG | Budget, Food

Taxpayer Subsidies Prop Up Junk Food Industry with Billions

Amid debates over wasteful agricultural subsidy handouts to the top 10% of wealthiest farmers, federal subsidies for commodity crops are also subsidizing junk food additives like high fructose corn syrup by the billions according to Apples to Twinkies, a new report by Iowa Public Interest Research Group (Iowa PIRG). Meanwhile, farmers growing fresh fruits and vegetables barely get a bite at the apple.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Iowa PIRG | Budget, Consumer Protection, Food, Higher Ed, Tax, Transportation

Unlikely Allies Uncover $1 Trillion in Savings for Super Committee

As the Congressional “Super Committee” begins its search for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, a new study released today by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) provides the panel with a great place to start: more than $1 trillion of spending cuts with appeal from across the political spectrum

> Keep Reading
News Release | Iowa PIRG | Budget, Food

Taxpayer Subsidies Prop Up Junk Food Industry with Billions

Amid debates over wasteful agricultural subsidy handouts to the top 10% of wealthiest farmers, federal subsidies for commodity crops are also subsidizing junk food additives like high fructose corn syrup by the billions according to Apples to Twinkies, a new report by Iowa Public Interest Research Group (Iowa PIRG). Meanwhile, farmers growing fresh fruits and vegetables barely get a bite at the apple.

> Keep Reading
News Release | Iowa PIRG | Budget, Consumer Protection, Food, Higher Ed, Tax, Transportation

Unlikely Allies Uncover $1 Trillion in Savings for Super Committee

As the Congressional “Super Committee” begins its search for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, a new study released today by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) provides the panel with a great place to start: more than $1 trillion of spending cuts with appeal from across the political spectrum

> Keep Reading
Report | Iowa PIRG Education Fund | Budget, Consumer Protection, Food, Tax

Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Federal Subsidies of Fresh Produce and Junk Food

The rise in childhood obesity has many causes, but one of the most important is the increased prevalence of high-fat, heavily sweetened junk food.  And shockingly, American taxpayers are spending billions to subsidize junk food ingredients, making the problem worse.

> Keep Reading
View AllRSS Feed

Tools & Resources

Resources

Learn about unsafe products, scams, anti-consumer practices and how you as a consumer can protect yourself.

Read more

Consumer Alerts

Join our network and stay up to date on our campaigns, get important consumer updates and take action on critical issues.

Support Us

Your donation supports Iowa PIRG’s work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.

donate today