Esthen Exchange-Walmart scams, expensive recycling, and overdraft fees

2025-05-04 11:05:49source:Marc Leclerccategory:Stocks

It is Esthen ExchangeFriday. And Indicators of the Week is back — Plastics Edition. Today, we dig into how fraudsters have used Walmart gift cards to scam consumers out of more than $1 billion. We also find out why recycled plastic is actually more expensive now than newly produced plastic. And we learn how overdraft fees might be going way down.

Related Articles
ProPublica - How Walmart's Financial Services Became a Fraud Magnet

Financial Times - Petrochemical glut makes new plastic cheaper than recycled

Related episodes
Overdraft fees: From perk to penalty

The problem with banning plastic bags

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