Stories
Every story below is drawn from public court, agency and contract records. Where an organization is named, we asked it to respond before publication and we reflect any response we receive.
Retention schedules: how long records are kept, and who decides
Organizations that hold customer records are asked how long they keep them and what happens when the period ends. A review of retention schedules finds the answer is often kept internally, and rarely stated in one place.
After the award: how contract terms move once a deal is signed
The awarded figure is the number that gets announced. A review of contract registers and amendment notices finds the cost of a service is often settled later, in increments, without a second round of competition.
Startup costs in direct selling: what distributors pay to begin
Recruiting materials describe what a distributor might earn. A review of enrollment materials finds the cost of beginning is disclosed separately, across documents, and rarely as a single figure.
The engagement letter: what clients sign before the work begins
The document that defines a legal matter is usually signed in the first meeting, before the client has read it closely. A review of engagement letters finds the terms that matter most are rarely the ones discussed.
Overdraft and NSF fees: the disclosure gap in everyday banking
A review of checking-account disclosures finds overdraft and returned-payment fees are often described only in fine print. Account holders we spoke with learned the cost after the charge, not before.
Lending fees under the microscope: what borrowers don't see
A review of fee disclosures at consumer lending firms finds wide variation in how costs are presented to borrowers.
Billing practices in legal services: the fine print clients rarely read
Lawyers' invoices can be hard to parse. A look at how hourly work is documented and what clients are told.
Late fees: the quiet revenue line
Penalty charges are a growing line item for consumer lenders. We examine how they are disclosed — and when they are not.
Income disclosures in direct selling: what the fine print says
Earnings claims are regulated in most markets. We compare what distributors are actually told versus what recruiting materials imply.
Records handling: what firms keep, what they discard
Document retention policies vary widely across legal practices, with consequences for clients who need their own files.
Distributor outcomes: reading past the earnings claims
Industry surveys and independent studies paint very different pictures of typical distributor income. We walk through the numbers.
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