6 ways Arizonans can protect their finances, data and sanity

Teresa Murray

Submitted photo

As consumers, we have a lot of plates to keep spinning: Making sure our information is safe. Finding a better credit card. Sorting out our medical bills. Buying electronics that last.

While data breaches, robocalls and artificial intelligence pose risks, new technology and tools can help thwart threats. For National Consumer Protection Week, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund focuses on several of 2025’s most pressing issues:

How to store important documents in the cloud safely

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans has at some point had to evacuate their homes during a severe weather event. Being prepared for such a natural disaster includes not only having prescriptions and pet supplies in an emergency “go bag” but also a plan for important paperwork.

PIRG Education Fund’s new consumer guide, “The best way to store important documents before disaster hits”, helps consumers to disaster-proof documents. 

‘The best laptops of 2025 are repairable’ guide

Consumers pay good money for their laptops, and they deserve ones that can be fixed if they break. PIRG Education Fund’s updated “The best laptops of 2025 are repairable” guide calculates a grade based on repairability scores for the most popular laptop brands on the market.

Companies that design their devices to last receive a good grade, while those “failing the fix” receive poor grades.

Freeze your credit report from all three bureaus 

Since Congress approved allowing consumers to freeze their credit files at no charge in 2018, it’s become easier to perform this crucial finance-protecting task online — and you can still do it by phone, too — in about 20 minutes total for all three national credit bureaus.

“Freezing your credit files online in 30 minutes: Step-by-step guide with screenshots” is a breeze for consumers who follow along with screenshots and pro tips.

How to lower your medical bills

When people know their rights and protections, they can better fight erroneous medical bills, appeal insurance company denials of coverage and budget better by finding out prices in advance.

PIRG Education Fund’s guide, “Medical Bills: Everything you need to know about your rights,” shows how to get a good faith estimate, appeal an insurance denial, understand a medical bill, negotiate prices and make sure your credit report doesn’t include paid medical bills.

CFPB’s first-of-its-kind credit card shopping tool

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers the Explore Credit Cards comparison tool on its website. The tool uses unbiased, public data collected by the CFPB from all major credit card companies and some smaller companies that have voluntarily provided it.

Planning to fly in 2025?

A lot has changed in the air travel arena since last year. If you generally fly only during spring break or during the summer, you can look forward to several new airline passenger protections that didn’t exist a year ago.

Travelers can walk through what rights they have now, and how to best handle disruptions, in our guide, “Airline travel tips you shouldn’t fly without,” available at FlightTips.org.

Have a consumer issue you want to know more about? Email info@arizonapirg.org or call 602-252-9227.

Editor’s note: Teresa Murray is consumer watchdog director at the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. Find consumer information and tips at pirg.org/arizona/edfund and via Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ website, www.azag.gov. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.