Last chance to give the government your opinion on overdraft fees

If you charge more on your debit card than you have in your bank account, your bank will likely cover the difference and bill you later.

The bank will probably charge you an "overdraft service" charge for it, but it sounds like a nice thing for the bank to do, right?

Well, yes, but when did you agree to pay for that service?

Most banks don't ask, enrolling customers automatically, and the service charges can really add up. So, if you buy a $4 cup of coffee with your check card and you only have $3 in your account, the bank can hit you with a $34 overdraft fee.

A lot of consumers and consumer advocates out there--including our publisher, Consumers Union--think that's just not right.

The Federal Reserve Board has proposed a rule change to give bank customers the option of opting in or out of overdraft service.

The Fed has also given you a chance to speak your mind on the issue, but that opportunity is about to end. Consumers have until Monday, March 30 to speak up.

If you'd like to have your say, Consumers Union's has an online form to submit your comment to the Fed.

One family's story from inside the salmonella outbreak

As the already long list of recalled peanut products continues to grow in the aftermath of the salmonella outbreak, it can be easy to forget that such a massive problem can become very personal very quickly.

For Jennifer and Justin Krieger, that point was made all too clear when their four-year-old son, David, fell ill during a ski trip in January. After five days of watching their son endure excruciating pain in a hospital, they found out David had been infected with salmonella.

The Kriegers told their story to Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports:

At one point, the doctor came into David’s room and told us that something was definitely growing in his stool sample. You can imagine the horror. The next day it was confirmed that David had been infected with the Salmonella bacteria.

As a parent, the worst thing in life is to see your child fall ill. The thoughts and worries that consume you are unbearable. All you want is to see them laugh, play….eat….again. Eventually, David was stable enough for us to fly back home. He was discharged on January 5th. The diarrhea remained for the next two weeks. Although the most important thing, clearly, is that he recovered, it breaks my heart when he talks about how he wished he had been able to ski. At the hospital, David wouldn’t watch anything but the skiing shows saying “if I feel better, can I go skiing tomorrow?” We dread the worries and memories that will resurface the next time he says “my tummy hurts.” (Read the whole story here.)

David Krieger recovered from his battle with salmonella, but not all who have gotten sick have been so lucky.

As of March 15, 2009, 691 people in 46 states have been infected with salmonella in connection with this outbreak, according to the FDA, and infection may have contributed to nine deaths.

You can search the database of recalled peanut products on the FDA web site.

Visit NotInMyFood.org for more about the Consumers Union campaign to improve food safety.

Some Consumer Reports history

One of the hundreds of dedicated folks who test, write, edit, and produce for Consumer Reports forwarded this video clip to all of us this morning, and you should see it, too.

It's a 1960 film produced for Consumers Union, our publisher, showing what was happening inside the Consumer Reports test labs.

The video is old and a bit grainy, but the mission is the same as it is today: to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.

For a more timely take on what we're doing here at Consumer Reports, visit our video page.

Consumer Assembly 2009: Local leaders talk scams

We're live from the Consumer Federation of America's annual Consumer Assembly conference in D.C. The annual conference, according to the organization (which includes Consumers Union among its members), "serves as the consumer movement's principal meeting where issues are debated and new initiatives are presented." Next up: Consumer Protection, with Eric Friedman, Montgomery County, Maryland, Office of Consumer Protection; Pastor Herrera, Los Angeles County, California, Department of Consumer Affairs; Mike Coston, Office of Consumer Affairs, Virginia, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Given the ongoing housing crisis, scams targeting at-risk homeowners are prevalent right now, according to Herrera of Los Angeles. One major tactic used by scammers is to offer to help a homeowner avoid foreclosure. Bogus "foreclosure consultants" tell homeowners that after paying a fee, they'll guarantee to protect them from foreclosure. In reality, the only guarantee is that the consultant will disappear with the fee. Also catching on are property-tax reassessment scams, in which operatives flash faux government IDs and offer to get homeowners' property taxes lowered -- for a mandated fee, of course. (Consumerist has more tips on avoiding foreclosure scams.)

Happening in Washington: Consumer Assembly 2009

The Consumer Federation of America is hosting its annual Consumer Assembly today and tomorrow in Washington.

Consumer Assembly 2009 is focusing on consumer needs during a period of financial crisis, economic recession, and political change.

Representatives from Consumer Reports and our publisher, Consumers Union, will be among the many attendees from non-profits, government, and media.

Marc Perton, the executive editor of ConsumerReports.org, is on hand for a panel about blogs and consumers. He'll also be reporting on what's happening.

We'll post updates here as we get them. You can also follow our notes about the conference on Twitter. The Consumer Reporter tweets at @CReporter, and @marcperton will be live-tweeting throughout the day.