Home

Welcome to PIRGIM Education Fund

What's New

All
News
Milestones
Reports

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Financial Reform

Ten Reasons Why We Need the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Now

For years leading up to the 2008 financial collapse, federal bank regulators ignored numerous warnings of increasingly predatory mortgage practices, credit card tricks and unfair overdraft policies used by banks. The banks were earning billions from “gotcha” practices. Incredibly, bank regulators actively encouraged this behavior, arguing it was profitable and kept banks safe. No regulator cared about its other (and, to them, secondary) job: enforcing consumer laws.

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Tax

Picking Up the Tab

Some U.S.-based multinational firms or individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by transferring their earnings to tax haven countries with minimal or no taxes. These tax haven users benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

Media Hit | Higher Ed

MLive.com: Rising student loan interest rates would push students deeper into debt

Michigan college students would face higher interest rates on a popular student loan starting this summer – unless federal lawmakers choose to act and reduce the hike.

Media Hit | Budget

Detroit News: Public gains more access to Michigan's checkbook

A new report by a nonprofit civic engagement organization says Gov. Rick Snyder's administration improved the public's access to information on how state government is spending tax dollars during his first year in office.

News Release | PIRGIM Education Fund | Budget

New Report: Michigan Receives a “B” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Michigan received a “B” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM). This year, PIRGIM also produced a companion report examining local-level transparency in Michigan, entitled Following the Municipal Money: Seven Steps for More Effective Local Transparency in Michigan.

Pages

Media Hit | Higher Ed

MLive.com: Rising student loan interest rates would push students deeper into debt

Michigan college students would face higher interest rates on a popular student loan starting this summer – unless federal lawmakers choose to act and reduce the hike.

Media Hit | Budget

Detroit News: Public gains more access to Michigan's checkbook

A new report by a nonprofit civic engagement organization says Gov. Rick Snyder's administration improved the public's access to information on how state government is spending tax dollars during his first year in office.

News Release | PIRGIM Education Fund | Budget

New Report: Michigan Receives a “B” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending

Michigan received a “B” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to Following the Money 2012: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data, the third annual report of its kind by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan (PIRGIM). This year, PIRGIM also produced a companion report examining local-level transparency in Michigan, entitled Following the Municipal Money: Seven Steps for More Effective Local Transparency in Michigan.

News Release | PIRGIM Education Fund | Safe Energy

Nuclear Power Plants Threaten Drinking Water for 1.5 Million Michiganders

The drinking water for over 1.5 million people in Michigan could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan Education Fund and the Environment Michigan Research and Policy Center.

Media Hit | Tax

MLive.com: Three Fortune 500 companies in Michigan spent more on lobbying than they paid in taxes

Three Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Michigan spent more on lobbying in recent years than they paid in federal taxes, according to a new study released today by the Public Interest Research Group.

Pages

Result | Food

Researching How Tax Dollars Become Twinkies

PIRGIM research found that since 1995, $17 billion in agricultural subsidies have gone to corn syrup and other junk food ingredients. That’s enough to buy 2.8 billion Twinkies, and vastly more than has gone to apples and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Result | Consumer Protection

Kids' Lunches Now Safer

For years, America’s schoolchildren have been eating beef, chicken and other foods that would have been rejected as substandard even by fast food chains. Thanks in part to our advocacy, the USDA has stopped buying such low-quality meat for school lunches.

Result | Health Care

Young People Now Covered

This year, the federal health care reforms that PIRGIM worked to win have started to pay off for young people. In the past, teens saw their premiums soar or were denied coverage when they turned 19, even if they’d been insured their whole lives. Now, they can remain on their parents’ plans until age 26.

Result | Democracy

Promoting Young Voter Participation

Two million more 18- to 24-year-olds voted in 2008 than in the last presidential election in 2004, part of a record overall voter turnout. The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project did its part by deploying 80 organizers to more than 100 campuses in 22 states to help turn out vote.

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Financial Reform

Ten Reasons Why We Need the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Now

For years leading up to the 2008 financial collapse, federal bank regulators ignored numerous warnings of increasingly predatory mortgage practices, credit card tricks and unfair overdraft policies used by banks. The banks were earning billions from “gotcha” practices. Incredibly, bank regulators actively encouraged this behavior, arguing it was profitable and kept banks safe. No regulator cared about its other (and, to them, secondary) job: enforcing consumer laws.

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Tax

Picking Up the Tab

Some U.S.-based multinational firms or individuals avoid paying U.S. taxes by transferring their earnings to tax haven countries with minimal or no taxes. These tax haven users benefit from their access to America’s markets, workforce, infrastructure and security; but they pay little or nothing for it—violating the basic fairness of the tax system and forcing other taxpayers to pick up the tab.

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Budget

Following the Municipal Money

Transparent spending is vital for local governments. Transparency promotes fiscal responsibility, bolsters public confidence and checks corruption. These benefits are particularly needed for local government because residents depend so directly on everyday programs such as schools, sidewalks and police.

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Budget

Following the Money 2012

The ability to see how government uses the public purse is fundamental to democracy. Transparency in government spending promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption, and bolsters public confidence.

Report | PIRGIM Education Fund | Democracy

Auctioning Democracy

This report is a Dēmos and PIRGIM Education Fund analysis of Federal Election Commission data on Super PACs from their advent in 2010 through the end of 2011.

Pages

How Your Taxes Become Twinkies

Find out how government subsidies disproportionately benefit junk food over fresh fruit and vegetables.

Get the report
Bigger Banks Have Bigger Fees

Our survey found that more than half of banks are not entirely upfront about their fees. Some even broke the law.

Get the report
Our Unsafe Nuclear Power Plants

Our report, “Unacceptable Risk,” examines two decades worth of “close calls,” leads and other problems at our country’s 104 nuclear reactors.

Get the report
Making the Grade

Find out how our state stacks up in reforming our health care system and learn more about health insurance exchanges.

Get the report

Donate
More Ways To Give

Support us

Your tax-deductible donation supports PIRGIM Education Fund's work to educate consumers on the issues that matter, and to stand up to the powerful interests that are blocking progress.

Learn More

You can also support PIRGIM Education Fund’s work through bequests, contributions from life insurance or retirement plans, securities contributions and vehicle donations.