Business Notes: March 13, 2016
Wilder — Steve Davis, owner of VerMod, the Wilder-based manufacturer of energy-efficient modular homes, has purchased the 20,000-square-foot building on Route 5 that his company has leased for two years. Terms of the deal were not announced. VerMod secured financing for the purchase with support from the Green Mountain Economic Development Corp., the Vermont Small Business Development Center, the Vermont Economic Development...
New Limits on Sharing Web Tracking Proposed
Internet providers such as AT&T and Comcast face new federal restrictions on distributing information about their customers’ Web browsing. Broadband providers would need to get permission from consumers before divulging online habits to other companies under the proposal from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler. The rules need to succeed in two votes, including an initial test at an FCC meeting on March 31,...
5 Credit Report Myths You Need To Know
If you think the credit reporting process is complicated and too hard to understand, you’re absolutely right. With several different credit bureaus, countless credit reporting laws and rules, and more than a handful of websites advertising “free” credit reports and scores, it can be hard for the average consumer to fully comprehend what goes into a credit report, how the information is reported and how it can affect a credit score. As...
IRS Doubles Number of Taxpayers Whose Data May Have Been Stolen
Washington — The Internal Revenue Service said Friday that criminals attacking its website may have stolen sensitive personal information from more than twice as many taxpayers as initially expected. In total, cyber criminals may have accessed tax data for more than 700,000 taxpayers by hacking the agency’s “Get Transcript” tool, which allows taxpayers to obtain copies of previous tax returns, the IRS said. Criminals tried to use the...
Consumer Confidential: Why Is the Food Industry Dead-Set Against Warning Labels?
Consumers are frequently told that it’s their responsibility to make informed decisions. Otherwise, let the buyer beware. So it’s striking that some industries seem to work overtime preventing people from having all the information needed to choose wisely. A recent Field Poll in California found that 78 percent of California voters support placing labels on sugary drinks that warn of possible health hazards, up from 74 percent two...
