Press Room

Latest Issue

Contact Information

Jamie Lettis
Public Relations Director
(202) 454-3006
[email protected]

About Consumers' Checkbook/Center for the Study of Services

Consumers' Checkbook/Center for the Study of Services is an independent nonprofit consumer organization founded in 1974. It has for more than 40 years been an innovator in providing information to help consumers make smarter choices. Checkbook surveys consumers and evaluates the quality and prices of local services and products and reports its findings online, via mobile apps, and in print regionally in Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle metro areas—and, for some services, nationally. Checkbook also provides comprehensive advice to help people save time, money, and hassle.

Unlike other ratings organizations, Checkbook carries no advertising on its websites nor in its publications and accepts no referral fees from the companies and professionals it evaluates so there can be no question of bias. Checkbook is supported entirely by subscription payments and donations from individual consumers who subscribe to its publications and website, and by fees for its survey and information services.

Checkbook has invented many consumer information products and systems and has won various awards including the National Press Club's First Place Award for Excellence in Consumer Journalism, the Esther Peterson Consumer Service Award, the National Quality Forum's Consumers and Patients Quality Award, and the Robert Wood Johnson's Plan Choice Challenge (visit HealthPlanRatings.org to read more about Checkbook's work developing health insurance plan comparison tools for state exchange websites). The organization is also active in other parts of the health care field, with national guides including Surgeon Ratings, Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, Guide to Top Doctors, and Consumers' Guide to Hospitals.

Checkbook provides help to consumers who want to buy or lease a new car. CarBargains and LeaseWise help consumers get great deals by getting car dealerships to bid competitively for their business.

Checkbook's experts are available for interviews. Please contact Jamie Lettis, public relations director, to schedule. She can be reached at 202.454.3006 or [email protected]

Nonprofit, independent ratings of local service providers on quality & price since 1974. We accept no advertising.