If you are a Verizon Wireless customer you may have noticed that Verizon has found yet another way to charge customers while appearing to stay competitive with others in the space. But if you look closer at surcharges you will see at $2.98 charge on your bill.

Economic Adjustment Charge
Our number one priority is to provide exceptional service to your
business and consistently deliver the quality and reliability that you
expect from Verizon Business.
Just as you are seeing in your business, Verizon Business is seeing
a wide range of increases in its costs to provide service. As these
challenges have continued to mount, we have made the decision to
add an Economic Adjustment Charge.
On June 16, 2022, Verizon Business began adding the charge to
newly activated and upgraded lines, existing lines that have
completed a contract-based line term, and lines that have twelve
(12) months or fewer remaining on a Device Payment Plan
Agreement. The amount of the charge is $2.98 per month/line for
each smartphone and data device, and $0.98 per month/line for
each basic phone and tablet device. As lines meet these criteria, the
charge will be automatically added to your bill. You can find the
Economic Adjustment Charge in the Other Charges & Credits
section of your bill.
Thank you for trusting in us and choosing Verizon Business as your
partner. We remain committed to delivering outstanding network
performance, service excellence and value for your business.

Recently I called Spectrum / Charter after they raised our rates for the third straight month.

The rep insisted we could save money by signing up for the ACP/ government subsidized internet. Stating that 90% of customers qualified for the ACP. This is basically a ploy to get you off the phone. Meanwhile Spectrum/Charter is baiting in new customers with special promotions and discounts to lure them into their marketing trap.
After attempting to bundle other services like video and cell phone into your services they then give you the monthly.
Then after a year your rates start to go into full increase mode, in may cases people have seen their bills double.
What Spectrum counts on is that you use the video and phone. Don’t! Don’t get the service to begin with. And be prepared to cancel.
What really stinks about the whole process is that when they raise the rates they leave some smaller promotion on your account and claim you are getting the best rate. That you are getting a great deal, and now they are using the ACP to shift the attention to the customer to get subsidies from the government to basically keep their revenue increasing.
Knowing that many of the people they send that route will not qualify for the subsidies.
Spectrum / Charter should be ashamed of themselves for the practices they continue to employ.
In addition when you speak to a rep, there’s no guarantee they do what they say they are doing.
In my case recently a rep from the retention department after being on the phone for about an hour, said they where adjusting my rate to $64.98 for internet and phone and that a new modem was being sent to resolve an issue on my account, the rep failed to do both of these. … and said I would receive a confirmation of the account, they failed to do that as well.
I had to call because the online portal did not allow me to schedule a service call, and the rep never adjusted my rate.
Nobody with the Spectrum seems to care as this is really the intended goal to string people along and frustrate them and basically lie to them.
Shame on Spectrum.
There will be an investigation and spectrum will pay a fine for their practices, and that is a cheap out compared to the millions and millions they make by continuing to employee their practices.
The best thing we can do as consumers is diversify and work with other providers for internet and other services.

DAVE’S FREQUENT FRYER POINTS, you get FREQUENT FRYER POINTS for every dollar you spend. Watch how fast those points add up.

Burbank, CA – N. Victory Pl.

Grand opening on Friday, May 5!!

1781 N. Victory Pl. Burbank, CA 91502

(747) 308-3660

Mon-Wed: 10:00am-12:00am
Thur-Sun: 10:00am-1:00am

After a long weekend of negotiations JP Morgan was awarded approval from FDIC and government regulators to take over First Republic Bank.
How the questions come about as to what will change?
It appears that no deposits will be lost.
FRC 0 First Republic Stock is down under $2 per share. Dropping from $144 just a two months ago.
As much as bankers claim that this is the end of the crises… it is hard to believe that other banks are not exposes the same as SVB and FRC and that depositors will scramble to protect themselves to keep the balances under the $250k limit. Both business and individuals are exposed and the FDIC and government regulators need to do more to protect deposits and keep banks from running afoul from what could only be referred to as greed.

What happens to deposits now is to be seen. We don’t know if branches will be open and business will be conducted as usual. We can expect there will be a lot of layoffs, from reports it was close to 25% that was last reported.
The cost to the FDIC is estimated to be $13 billion, where is this money? The heads of FRC should be made to answer for this money, as many of them will surely be gone if not already gone much like the SVB collapse.
More regulation is needed is what it comes down to.

This is the message posted on the First Republic Site:
A message to First Republic clients from JPMorgan Chase:
MAY 1, 2023
JPMorgan Chase recently announced that we acquired a substantial majority of assets and assumed certain liabilities of First Republic Bank from the FDIC. JPMorgan will protect all deposits, insured and uninsured, bringing our financial strength, capabilities and capital to support First Republic’s clients and the U.S. banking system. JPMorgan Chase has been a leader in financial services for more than 200 years, and we look forward to continuing to serve you and be deserving of your trust and business.

What does this mean for you today?
You and your assets are now backed by the fortress balance sheet of JPMorgan Chase, and all of your deposits are protected.
You will receive uninterrupted service. All preferred banking offices will operate as usual. You can continue visiting your local First Republic preferred banking office to make financial transactions, and over time you will have access to JPMorgan Chase’s extensive branch network, the largest in the country, which includes more than 4,700 Chase branches across all lower 48 states and the District of Columbia, and 16,000 ATMs in 49 states.
You can still go to www.FirstRepublic.com to manage your finances online or on your First Republic mobile app.
You will continue to work with your team at First Republic.
You should not respond to calls or texts claiming to be from JPMorgan Chase or First Republic that ask for your personal financial information. We don’t do that. We will also never ask you to transfer funds using Zelle, Wires or ACH to safeguard your funds.
We look forward to serving you. Welcome to JPMorgan Chase.